Wii U Exclusive Games List

[mjmjr25]

Exactly. The GameCube angle is a flawed argument. I bought all my GameCube games during 2006-2007 and I got killer deals the whole time.

*Buzzer Sound*

Wrong.

Sure, games were cheaper than they are now. Smash was $25 instead of $50. However, consoles were double what they are now. GCN's were still doing $40-50 apiece up until around 2010-2011 when they came down to $20-25. So while the games were cheaper, the setup wasn't. You were not getting 5 of the best games and console setup for $100 at any point.

#justfacts

[ejamer]

Today, no. A few years around the end of the GCN and launch of the Wii (say 2006-2008 or so)? Yes.

Exactly. The GameCube angle is a flawed argument. I bought all my GameCube games during 2006-2007 and I got killer deals the whole time. We're talking Skies of Arcadia Legends brand new and sealed for less than $20. It wasn't until post-2010 that we started seeing inflated GameCube prices.

...

Serious questions:
(1) Was it just GameCube games that were cheaper a decade ago, or was everything cheaper because collecting wasn't as common or as monetized? I'd posit the latter.
(2) Are you considering inflation? That $100 from 2006 is close to $120 in 2016 (http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm).
(3) Does it matter that GameCube sold far more systems than Wii U, or that Wii was fully backwards-compatible making GameCube hardware essentially obsolete, or that GameCube simply had a lower MSRP ($99 two years after launch) than Wii U has ever reached? That seems like it would affect used hardware pricing/availability.

I agree that GameCube is a flawed angle - but from both sides.

Wii is more recent - can you get the best Wii experience for $100 now? Maybe. It depends very much on what your list of games are. Hopefully you don't consider Skyward Sword, Xenoblade, or Metroid Prime Trilogy to be among the top games though.

Wii U pricing will go down and people will get good deals. However, holding out for a $100 price point and expecting to get the best the Wii U has to offer will (for many people) require either good luck or some compromises about what content you will be able to enjoy.

[Sarge]

The Wii was cheap enough (and prolific enough!) that you could probably do that pretty easily, even right now. Especially since a lot of folks dumped their Wiis pretty quickly. I mean, even GS only asks $60 for a refurb.

Thing is, the Wii started out $100 cheaper, and it sold a lot more of them, so the supply is rather high. Plus, anyone who was interested has probably already bought one. That's going to drive prices down a lot.

[ejamer]

But it would depend on the games you want, right? If your "best games" list included those mentioned above then that price point gets harder. (Personal bias: My "best of Wii" list would include at least two of Xenoblade, Metroid Prime, and Skyward Sword... probably all three.)

If your "best games" list for Wii U includes first party games that aren't given a Player's Chioce re-release, or any obscure or low print run games, then you'll be in the same situation - maybe worse, since Wii U hardware has never been as cheap as Wii hardware - when trying to get the best Wii U experience later.

[dsheinem]

reasonably good Wii bundles with a few or more games, sold recently, under $100:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-Wii-Co ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Nintendo-W ... 7675.l2557


http://www.ebay.com/itm/NINTENDO-WII-WH ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wii-SYSTEM-ZELD ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-Wii-Wh ... 7675.l2557

*Buzzer Sound*

Wrong.

Sure, games were cheaper than they are now. Smash was $25 instead of $50. However, consoles were double what they are now. GCN's were still doing $40-50 apiece up until around 2010-2011 when they came down to $20-25. So while the games were cheaper, the setup wasn't. You were not getting 5 of the best games and console setup for $100 at any point.

#justfacts

Within a year of the Wii release you got sales like this:

https://www.destructoid.com/zomg-massiv ... 0064.phtml

...and just look at our own article from 2007/2008:

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/nintendo ... -your-time

My Starter Picks For $50 Budget

If I only had $50 to spend on starting out a Gamecube (or a Wii) collection, here would be my top picks:

Metroid Prime: $7
F-Zero GX: $9
Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker: $12
Viewtiful Joe: $6
Super Monkey Ball 2: $8
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader: $8
Total: $50

That with a $50 GCN and you would have been good to go. In 2007/2008.

Hell, even circa 2009, some "best on console" games were still pretty cheap - May 2009 - Super Mario Sunshine $10
#justACTUALfactsd00d

Folks, I know what I am talking about concerning price history. I also do know what to expect going forward...

On the plus side, all this hopefully means I can pick up a solid Wii U/games bundle in 2014 for well under $200

They were available at that price by June that year: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/631516-wii-u/69424209

[Exhuminator]

GCN's were still doing $40-50 apiece up until around 2010-2011 when they came down to $20-25.

Well, I don't know about retail. But I got my GameCube in 2007 for $15 at a pawnshop, and it worked perfectly then, and continues to work perfectly now.

[Sarge]

Again, I definitely think the mass-market price had a lot to do with that. The Gamecube selling at $99 for a long time certainly puts a ceiling on how much you have to shell out on the system. I just think it's going to be a little more than 2-3 years before you see good $100 Wii U bundles. Four or five, possibly. I'm more than willing to be wrong on this one, of course, but both of those prior systems were significantly cheaper in their lifespan than the Wii U ever has. Now, if Nintendo does a deep cut on the Wii U hardware soon, then all bets are off.

[Fragems]

Another thing to consider is backwards compatibility. If the rumors that the NX is cartridge based or digital serve to be true people will have less reason to get rid of their Wii U. That's a major reason for the plummet of the GC and Wii system prices. People just didn't have a reason to hold onto the system it's kind of like how the PS2/PS3 have PS1 backwards compatibility and you can find a PS1 for $5-10 some places because whats the point lol.

If the Wii U is the only console you can physically play Wii U games and is the "best" option when playing Wii games then I could see their value holding a lot longer then the last 2 generations of Nintendo consoles.

[ejamer]

Ok, Nostradamus. Then let us all know where and when you find this package with a Wii U console and 5 of the best games on the system, all generally available for $100 or less. At that price I'll be happy to pick up a spare.

Forgive me for not holding my breath.

[pepharytheworm]

You guys are hilarious with the direction the conversation changed to. With enough time and patience almost any console can be obtained with some of the best (debatable) games for $100 or less. In fact most used consoles I have bought I have been able to get with some of the great games for around $100. The only exceptions I can think of are my Neo Geo AES and the FM Towns Marty.

That said I never assume it will be easy or an absolute without a lot of effort on my part.