The Wii U, while not Nintendo’s most popular console, has developed a cult following—and with that comes a booming market for rare and pricey games. Here are the top five rarest and most expensive Wii U games that collectors are hunting down (and their wallets are regretting):
1. “Hello Kitty Kruisers”
This is the holy grail of obscure Wii U games, often fetching hundreds of dollars. On the surface, it’s a cute kart racer featuring Hello Kitty and friends cruising through colorful worlds. But its astronomical price has less to do with gameplay and more with its limited print run. Most people probably didn’t even know this existed until collectors went on the hunt, leading to its meteoric rise in value. Turns out, everyone underestimated Hello Kitty’s power in the collector’s market.
2. “Devil’s Third”
This game lives in infamy—not for its quality but for its rarity. It was a late release for the Wii U, and its U.S. production run was hilariously small. While the gameplay, a mix of action and third-person shooting, received mixed reviews, the scarcity of physical copies made it a collector’s dream. It’s a rare mix of “meh reviews” and “you’ll still pay a fortune for this.”
3. “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Limited Edition)”
This special edition of Wind Waker HD includes a gorgeous Ganondorf figure in the box, making it a must-have for Zelda fans. The standard version is easy to find, but the limited edition has become a pricey collectible due to its high demand and limited release. It’s the perfect blend of nostalgia and plastic Ganondorf awesomeness.
4. “Wii Sports Club (Physical Edition)”
Though it was primarily a digital release, the physical version of Wii Sports Club was produced in small numbers. It updated the classic Wii Sports games with HD graphics and online multiplayer, but most people stuck to their Wii instead of upgrading. As a result, this physical edition became one of the hardest-to-find Wii U games and commands a high price among collectors.
5. “Game & Wario”
While not as rare as others on this list, Game & Wario has steadily risen in value due to its quirky minigames and the fact that most people skipped it entirely. With only a modest print run and increasing demand from collectors, this oddball title has found its place as one of the pricier games for the console. It’s essentially Wario’s way of laughing at you for spending so much to play his bizarre antics.
In short, the Wii U has gone from being the awkward middle child of Nintendo consoles to a treasure trove for collectors—proof that even the underdogs get their day in the sun.
