The 12 Rarest Nintendo Consoles, Ranked Worst To Best

Nintendo has been around for a lot longer than you might expect. Its roots that can be traced back to 1889, when it began life as a trading card company. And in that long span of time, Nintendo has become synonymous with the gaming industry, to the point where some people have been known to simply call all video game consoles a "Nintendo" as shorthand. By the 1980s, the company transitioned to producing video games, releasing its first home console in the form of the NES (or Famicom in Japan) in 1985.

This moment proved pivotal in the history of Nintendo. Since then, the company has released many home consoles and portable devices that have proven to be both popular and influential. With such a long and varied history, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Nintendo has put out more than a few limited and rare versions of its consoles.

These special edition runs all have their own unique stories — some were created as competition prizes, while others were only intended to be released in small numbers. Whatever the case, anyone who owns one of these super rare Nintendo consoles can consider themselves very lucky.

"The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker" marked a dramatic shift in style for the iconic Nintendo series. While it kept much of the gameplay from the action-adventure franchise, the developer chose to go with a cel-shaded art style that proved to be divisive among long-time fans. That didn't stop the game from being a critical success though, and it is now regarded as one of the best entries in "The Legend of Zelda" series.

With the release of the Wii U, Nintendo set about re-releasing several older titles that, taking advantage of the console's HD capabilities to breathe new life into dated visuals. "The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker" was one of the games to get this treatment. The HD remaster hit store shelves in 2013, around which time Nintendo also launched a limited edition Wii U console.

This version of the Wii U features art from the game painted on the case and GamePad, with gold lettering on a black background. It also included a digital copy of the book "Hyrule Historia" and a code to download the game from the eShop. It was released worldwide, but since the Wii U wasn't a hugely popular system, it was not produced in huge numbers.

The "Pokémon" franchise has always been a no-brainer choice for Nintendo when it comes to limited edition consoles. After all, it's one of the company's biggest and most successful properties; slapping popular creatures from the series onto shiny hardware is a surefire way to guarantee some extra sales.

As such, a series of "Pokémon"-themed Game Boy Advance SP consoles were created to help promote various releases. Most of them were exclusive to Japanese retailers, although some did also release in the US and Europe. They were often only sold at Pokémon Centers, official branded stores selling merchandise, games, and other items based on the hit franchise. Some examples include a yellow Pikachu Edition GBA SP, along with Groudon and Kyogre Editions that wee produced to coincide with the launch of "Pokémon Ruby" and "Pokémon Sapphire."

Arguably the most sought-after of these Pokémon GBA SP systems is the Charizard version. Around 50,000 of these were created and sold across Japan in 2004, featuring a red paint job and a silhouette of the fire-type Pokémon on the case. It was produced as a tie-in for "Pokémon FireRed" (naturally), while a version featuring Venusaur was created for "Pokémon LeafGreen."

To capitalize on the success of "Pokémon" — and to tie in with notorious bomb "Hey You, Pikachu!" — Nintendo launched a special Pikachu Edition of the Nintendo 64. This version of the console was slightly larger, allowing the designers to incorporate a 3D version of Pikachu on the shell, and sported a blue and yellow color scheme. The console came with a controller styled in the same way, while the power button was designed to look like a Poké Ball and the reset button was made from part of Pikachu's foot. Meanwhile, the Pokémon's rosy cheeks light up as if he is powering up an attack.

This console has become a collector's item, with unopened units fetching over $2,000 in online auctions. However, there is a slight variation of this console that is even more rare: a light-blue version that was only made available in Japan. This one was manufactured in smaller numbers, making it even harder to find.

The GameCube era saw mixed success for Nintendo. Facing the runaway market leader that was the PlayStation 2, not to mention stiff competition from a new console by Microsoft called the Xbox, the Japanese company's console just wasn't as popular. However, the system still had some great games release for it. The GameCube has retained a special place in the hearts of many gamers for its unique design, what with its oddly shaped controller and tiny game discs that are far smaller than standard DVDs.

That last point meant that the GameCube was not capable of playing movies, television shows, or music in the same way as the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A collaboration between Nintendo and Panasonic attempted to resolve this issue, resulting in the creation of the Panasonic Q. This hybrid console was designed with a fully functioning DVD player and an LCD screen, along with a sleek stainless steel design.

The Panasonic Q hit store shelves at the end of 2001, only to be discontinued following poor sales over the next two years. But for fans who love its chrome look and unusual backstory, it has become something of a collector's item in more recent years. Fewer than 100,000 of this obscure GameCube variant have been produced and sold, making the Panasonic Q a scarce piece in the Nintendo world.

Along with its NES and SNES home consoles, Nintendo found much of its success with the Game Boy handheld line. First released in 1989, the Game Bay gave the company a runaway lead in the market, which has continued to this day. The original model was fairly basic and featured a dot-matrix screen, two face buttons, and a directional pad. Up until 2003, Nintendo continued to produce variations of this original machine alongside successors such as the Game Boy Advance and the Game Boy Color.

The Game Boy Micro was a variation of the Game Boy Advance, as well as the final Game Boy model. Around this time, the introduction of the Nintendo DS pushed the company into a new direction for its handheld consoles. Arriving the year after the release of the Nintendo DS limited the appeal of the Game Boy Micro, so it never got the love it deserved. However, that didn't stop Nintendo from producing a limited edition version of the tiny handheld to celebrate the launch of "Mother 3."

Estimates suggest that somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 copies of the console were released, with the model being exclusive to Japan (just like "Mother 3"). Anyone who bought the console also got a copy of the game and a commemorative pin.

Although the "Pokémon" franchise is probably most associated with handheld systems like the Game Boy, the property has also seen a number of successful console releases over the years. One of the most well-known of these is "Pokémon Stadium." Released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, the game allows players to battle against a series of opponents with 3D versions of the original 151 Pokémon. In addition to multiplayer modes and a series of mini-games, the original release also allowed gamers to play "Pokémon Red," "Blue," and "Yellow" on a television screen, as well as port their Game Boy Pokémon into the N64 game.

To coincide with the release of "Pokémon Stadium," Nintendo launched the Nintendo 64 Pokémon Battle Set console. This limited edition version of the Nintendo 64, much like the Pikachu edition, features "Pokémon" branding, as well as a yellow and blue color scheme for the system and a yellow controller. It was only released in the United Kingdom and Scandinavian markets and came bundled with a promotional VHS tape. Copies of this console remain in demand, with sealed versions commanding prices of more than $1,000 — probably due to the fact that only around 10,000 were ever manufactured.

"Advance Wars: Dual Strike" is a 2005 turn-based strategy game from Intelligent Systems and Nintendo. Released for the Nintendo DS, this third installment of the series directly continues the story from its predecessors, but switches the action to a new location. Perhaps in anticipation of its critical acclaim and popularity with gamers, Nintendo made sure to market the game well — which led to the Nintendo DS Advance Wars Dual Strike Console.

In many respects, the "Advance Wars: Dual Strike" Nintendo DS console is not all that special. It's simply a standard version of the handheld system with a camouflage pattern printed on it, but it has still become a sought-after piece of hardware due to its sheer rarity. This version of the portable console was manufactured to help promote the game and was sent only to select press outlets. It came with a metal case resembling an army ammunition box, along with a branded mug and the game itself.

Just 50 models of this variation were made and distributed solely in Europe. Unfortunately, there's been little activity in terms of sales for the console, although it has popped up on eBay – with some sellers asking for more than $3,000 in mint condition.

To help promote the GameCube during the 2003 holiday season, Nintendo teamed up with MTV to release a very limited run of consoles featuring branding from the network and unique designs. These were then given away to viewers who could enter competitions during each day of the month (except for Christmas Day and New Year's Eve). In total, just 29 MTV GameCubes were created for the contest, putting them among the rarest of all Nintendo consoles.

The most frequent variation is a camouflage pattern, of which MTV was apparently particularly fond. It is believed that Nintendo manufactured nine of this particular variant for the December 2003 giveaways. Other models included designs inspired by both Tom Ford and Paul Smith, as well as a Canadian maple wood offering. It isn't clear whether any of these limited edition consoles have ever been put up for resale, but the rarity of these units ensures that they'd fetch a high price from any collectors who wanted to get their hands on them.

Before Sony launched the PlayStation and became arguably the most dominant force in the gaming industry, the company attempted a partnership with Nintendo. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Nintendo's NES and SNES consoles had been incredibly successful, establishing the company as the go-to for gamers. This spurred Sony to try and develop a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES, as well as a hybrid console that was set to be named the PlayStation.

This joint effort between Nintendo and Sony ended in conflict, with Nintendo instead choosing to partner with Phillips (resulting in the disastrous Phillips CD-i). Sony set off to develop its own console, which would eventually become the PlayStation as we all know it. But in the time that Nintendo and Sony were happily working together, plans for the SNES CD-ROM moved ahead quickly, resulting in several prototypes being created to demonstrate exactly how the system would look and work.

These prototype consoles were the stuff of legend for many years, until one was uncovered in 2015. Subsequent testing of the console revealed that it was functional and could play both SNES games and CD-ROM software with a few modifications. It is still unknown just how many of these prototypes survive, not to mention whether any games were made specifically for them.

The Nintendo Wii was one of the best-selling consoles of all time, with more than 100 million systems sold to customers over its lifetime. With that in mind, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the standard console isn't particularly rare — but that doesn't mean there weren't any limited edition Wii consoles produced. One particularly great example of this was a collection of six one-of-a-kind Wiis that were only made available as part of a Canadian competition.

Nintendo collaborated with Magic Pony and Udon Entertainment to offer these consoles as prizes through a contest it ran through its own official website. Each of the six consoles featured unique hand-painted artwork from well-known Canadian artists, including Derrick Hodgson, Hoi-An Tang, and IllScarlett. Exact details about who won these exceptionally rare consoles has seemingly never been revealed and the systems have not been listed online for sale at any point. Many details regarding these consoles are scarce, but they'd surely be able to command a huge price if they were ever listed at auction.

The Nintendo World Championship is an irregular event hosted by Nintendo to determine the best gamers in the world. The first event was held in 1990 and the competition has since been run a number of times, with the most recent iteration coming in 2017. The original event saw players across the United States compete in competitions using customized cartridges that contained modified versions of "Super Mario Bros.," "Rad Racer," and "Tetris." The goal was to get the most amount of points in a set amount of time.

The custom nature of the cartridges have made them some of the rarest games in Nintendo's catalogue, but the consoles that they were played on may be just as rare. These consoles look almost exactly the same as a standard NES, but according to images posted online, they also feature a modem port. Console Variations estimates that less than 50 of these consoles were manufactured for the Nintendo World Championships, making them exceptionally rare. Most of them were also believed to have been destroyed following the conclusion of the tournament so Nintendo could salvage and reuse the parts, meaning very few may survive to this day.

"Pokémon Snap" is a spin-off of the mainline "Pokémon" series that first launched for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. The game puts players into the shoes of a research photographer as they capture pictures of the creatures in their natural habitats. In 2020, Nintendo announced plans to bring back the "Pokémon Snap" name with a brand new entry for the Nintendo Switch. "New Pokémon Snap" launched on the Nintendo Switch in 2021 and largely features the same gameplay as its predecessor, but with a few extra bells and whistles. 

To coincide with the launch of the game, Japanese manga publication CoroCoro Comic partnered with Nintendo to give away a limited one-of-a-kind Nintendo Switch console featuring artwork inspired by "New Pokémon Snap." The console was also signed by noted artist Machito Gomi, who has worked on the "Pokémon" manga.

To win this very special prize, readers had to send in screenshots of the best photos they had taken in the game, with a jury choosing the winner from all of the entrants. While this one of a kind console has never been made available for sale, those who loved its design were in luck: Stickers featuring the artwork were also given away for free, so those at home could customize their own Switch console.