Nintendo has just announced some major news which could lead to some old games you may own increasing hugely in value. The House of Mario has today revealed that from March next year gamers will no longer be able to buy titles from the Wii U and 3DS eShop digial marketplace. This is of huge significance to retro gaming collectors as it will mean physical copies of games, after the March 2023 deadline, will be the only way for people who haven’t digitially downloaded these titles already to play them.
And this could lead to prices of physical Wii U and 3DS games surging in value next year.
Announcing the news in a blog post, Nintendo said: “As of late March 2023, it will no longer be possible to make purchases on Nintendo eShop for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. It will also no longer be possible to download free content, including game demos. Furthermore, as this date draws closer, related services will cease to function.
“As of 29 August 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account on Nintendo eShop for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS. However, it will still be possible to redeem download codes until late March 2023.”
While physical Wii U and 3DS games could increase across the board, how much these prices will jump will vary between title.
The rarer a game is, and the more in-demand it is, the more valuable it could become in future.
It’s hard to predict which games could see their value increase the most in the future.
But one resource retro game collectors can turn to is PriceCharting. This website is an invaluable resource for retro game lovers, showing the price changes in games across a wide range of platforms.
This can help if you’re planning on selling any games or consoles to ensure you get a good price, or if you’re planning on buying a retro game and don’t want to be overcharged.
If you’re wondering what Wii U and 3DS games are most valuable at the moment, then here is a list of the top priced items for both Nintendo systems.
This information was taken from the PriceCharting website and covers the PAL (aka European) regions. This is crucial as game values can change dramatically based on the region a title was released in.
The prices below are for complete in box games. If you have any of these games either loose or brand new sealed then the price will be different…
Nintendo Wii U – Most valuable PAL games (price listed for complete in box)
Pokemon Rumble U – £273.35
Project Zero: Maiden Of Black Water [Limited Edition] – £145.90
Phineas and Ferb: Quest for Cool Stuff – £142.17
Zelda Wind Waker HD [Limited Edition] – £127.50
Shmup Collection – £118
Project Zero: Maiden Of Black Water – £112.99
Finding Teddy II – £93.29
Super Smash Bros. [Limited Edition] – £89.88
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE [Fortissimo Edition] – £87.98
Hunter’s Trophy 2: Europa [Ball-Trap] – £87.69
Nintendo 3DS – Most valuable PAL games (price listed for complete in box)
Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson – £180.36
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth [Premium Edition] – £168.84
Fire Emblem Fates [Limited Edition] – £151.70
Metroid Samus Returns [Legacy Edition] – £143.21
Bravely Default [Collector’s Edition] – £124.38
Pokemon Alpha Sapphire [Limited Edition] – £108.57
Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology – £107.12
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked – £106.47
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse – £106.20
Zelda A Link Between Worlds [Collector’s Edition] – £99.24
