Top 10 Rarest Wii U Games That Are Worth a Fortune

Oh, the Wii U…you poor sad thing. Nintendo’s first foray into HD gaming, the Wii U was set to bring all the casual fun of its predecessor, the Wii, while also providing powerful hardware and capabilities for more hardcore gamers. It was set to be Nintendo’s best system yet…until it wasn’t. It became Nintendo’s lowest-selling home console and was a black sheep for the company at a point in time.

On the plus side, the Nintendo Switch brought Nintendo back guns blazing, and the publisher managed to learn from the mistakes of the Wii U to craft a much better system. Many Wii U exclusives also saw a second life with re-releases on the Switch. That said, there are still more than a few games that fetch a pretty decent price online, as you’d expect from a console that was discontinued six years ago. Here are 10 of the rarest and most expensive Wii U games.

As per usual, all prices are courtesy of PriceCharting. Used prices are based on the “Loose Price” listing, while new prices are based on the “New Price” listing. Games are ranked from lowest to highest by their respective “new” price.

10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

$135 New | $96 Used

Let’s “ease” into things a bit here, and discuss some games that are no doubt priced high, but not asininely so. Many of Nintendo’s major first-party Wii U games have been ported to the Switch, so they may not necessarily skyrocket in price. There are still a few stragglers that have not been ported, however, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is one of them. A remaster of the 2006 Wii and GameCube Zelda title, Twilight Princess HD also had the displeasure of releasing in 2016, the final year of the console’s life when it had been pretty much dead and buried. This resulted in a limited print run and, naturally, high resale prices.

A used copy of the game will go for around $96, while a new copy will run for about $135. This price increase is not terrible, but it’s definitely noticeable that a new copy will be double the price of the original release. Ironically, this is a lower disparity than the prices of the original Wii version, which runs for just $14 used and $41 new. Rest assured that you’re getting a great Zelda game no matter your choice, but the version you buy will be another story altogether.

9. Axiom Verge Multiverse Edition

$175 New | $163 Used

Here’s one that might elicit a bit of a “huh?” reaction out of some. Axiom Verge is a very well-liked game, and given that the Wii U was such a haven for indie titles, some of you probably might’ve played it on the Wii U despite its 2016 release. What you might not know, though, is that when the game got a physical release in the form of Axiom Verge Multiverse Edition, it also came to the Wii U…in 2019…two years after the system was discontinued…yeah.

Naturally, Limited Run Games produced a small number of copies, which made this belated release even harder to find…and more expensive. A used copy comes in at $163, and a new copy goes for roughly $175. This version does come with a lot of bells and whistles, but it’s naturally not a necessity. The game is available across plenty of consoles in plenty of versions — many of which are far cheaper — and you’ll still be able to enjoy it all the same. 

8. Game & Wario

$200 New | $100 Used

Another Wii U straggler that never made the move to the Switch, Game & Wario exists in that rare category of games that seem close to impossible to port over. Being that so much of the gameplay was centered around the Wii U GamePad (which was its only compatible controller), it’s a game that feels like it wouldn’t really translate too well to a Switch re-release. As a result, it’s a bit harder to find, and thus a bit more expensive.

A used copy will drop you down $100, while a new copy will put you at $200. That’s a pretty steep total for what may be one of the weaker entries in the WarioWare series. Still, given its experimental nature, it may be something that could be interesting to look into. Just know that there are great WarioWare titles on the Switch for much better prices.

7. Cabela’s Big Game Hunter: Pro Hunts

$215 New | $72 Used

The Cabela’s Big Game Hunter series enjoyed a strong little cult following for a long time, and 2014’s Cabela’s Big Game Hunter: Pro Hunts even landed on the Wii U. With that said, the Wii U was not really a place where third-party games sold like hotcakes, so it was always gonna be behind the eight ball. Furthermore, this was the final entry in the franchise before it was quietly canceled, so there’s a very good chance it already wasn’t a big seller to begin with.

All of this combined to jack the price up a touch; while a used copy goes for $72, a new copy will land you at $215. It’s most certainly less lethal than doing actual big game hunting, but it’s still plenty expensive trying to find one of these. With that said, the game is available at a much more affordable price on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, so if you’re truly interested in it, you might want to look over there.

6. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2

$300 New | $215 Used

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a comedic point-and-click game from a German developer known as King Art Games. A successful Kickstarter helped fund its full release on multiple consoles, but unfortunately, it was another title that didn’t come to the Wii U until 2016. A small game such as this on a console that was basically knocking on death’s door? Yeah, not a great combo, is it?

As a result, prices skyrocketed and the game would reach $215 for a used copy and $300 for a new copy. The game did turn out to be pretty good, but unless you’re an absolute stickler for playing your games on the Wii U, it’s probably much cheaper to grab it on any other platform. Hell, if you’re a Nintendo player, it’s available on the Switch now; if you’re so inclined, just grab it over there.

5. Devil’s Third

$376 New | $270 Used

Ah, yes, one of Nintendo’s more infamous Wii U titles. A hack-and-slash from Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki, Devil’s Third appeared to be in trouble when rumors swirled that Nintendo had dropped the publishing rights to the game. While The Big N reconsidered and did end up publishing the game, it was not distributed in large batches, meaning it became hard to find almost as soon as it was released.

Even now, simply grabbing a used copy of the game will set players down $270. New copies, on the other hand, will cost a pretty huge $376. All this for a game that was roundabout disliked even before North American gamers finally got it in December 2015, roughly four months after its release in other regions. Unless you have an affinity for bad games, you might want to think twice before dumping all of your money out on this one.

4. Turbo: Super Stunt Squad

$391 New | $86 Used

Compared to everything else here, this one honestly feels a bit bizarre. A licensed game based on a DreamWorks animated film that turned out to be a box office bomb, Turbo: Super Stunt Squad surely would’ve been at its cheapest on a family-leaning system like the Wii U, right? Well, wrong, it’s not. Perhaps the combination of being on a low-selling system and being based on a box office bomb at a time when gamers were rejecting licensed games all worked against it.

As a result, prices started to go way up on this one. While a used copy isn’t insanely high at $86, a new copy jumps all the way up to $391. A hefty fee for a game that doesn’t seem to be all that good. It might honestly be a better idea to distract the kids by having them watch the film itself…or just buy it on another platform. It’s already cheaper across the board everywhere else.

3. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag [Walmart Edition]

$500 New | $20 Used

No such list is complete without some “Special Editions” of games, and in this case, we have a store-exclusive version. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a well-liked game, and naturally, some stores offered bonuses for purchasing it through them. Walmart, for example, offered an exclusive mission and weapon for those who bought the game at their stores. Prices will naturally rise for games like this, but especially for a Wii U-specific version of Assassin’s Creed IV.

While a used copy goes for a totally reasonable $20, a new copy sets you down $500…that new mission and weapon must be insane. The prices across other platforms are much more reasonable, so it seems this version’s price is jacked up largely because of its release on the Wii U. After all, Ubisoft did admit that the game sold worst on the Wii U, so there are probably fewer copies of it out in the wild. If you are searching for this, though, we hope the added mission and weapon will be worth the extra $400+.

2. Mario Kart 8 [Limited Edition]

$1,631 New | $958 Used

Ah, Nintendo releasing “Limited Editions” of its first-party titles. Not something you necessarily see every day, but the Wii U era was an interesting time. Mario Kart 8, the console’s highest seller, received a Limited Edition featuring a statue of the dreaded blue Spiny Shell. This was exclusive to the Nintendo World store, and only some 350 copies were ever manufactured, which will naturally make this a tough grab.

Simply finding a used version of this will land you at $958, while a new copy will sink $1,631 out of your wallet. That’s a pretty hefty price to pay just to have a Spiny Shell statue. If you’re looking after your wallet, it’s best to just see if you can find the Spiny Shell display by itself, and just purchase Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch instead…if, for whatever reason, you don’t already have it.

1. Hyrule Warriors [Limited Edition]

$3,850 New | $1,203 Used

Oh, but that wasn’t all. Later in 2014, Nintendo released a Limited Edition of its next major first-party title after Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors. This version seemed to feature nothing more than the game and a scarf…but it’s Zelda-themed! The number of copies was probably similar to that of the Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition, and apparently, it was a pretty big deal. The line for the game at the Nintendo World Store wrapped around three blocks, and not everyone was even able to get a copy.

Those who did, beyond being incredibly lucky, found it to be a pretty valuable resell. A used copy runs for roughly $1,203, while a new copy goes for an astonishing $3,850. All this for a Zelda spinoff/crossover with Dynasty Warriors whose Limited Edition merely includes a scarf…yes, I know, it’s Zelda-themed. You can probably find plenty of good Zelda scarves out in the wild, and you’d probably save more money and time if you just grab Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition on the Switch.

What are some other rare and expensive Wii U games? Sound off in the comments below!