Nintendo’s Wii U enjoyed a significant price drop recently and another price drop is expected to occur soon. The Wii U can play most Wii games and offers a lot of nice extras compared to the Wii, including improved graphics and a touch-screen controller that offers extra features such as off-screen play.

The Wii U is a good upgrade over the Wii, but it’s not the only new console that’s on people’s minds. Microsoft and Sony will both have new consoles on the market soon, capable of offering HD gaming experiences at smooth frame rates. This is a good, but expensive, year for gamers.

Taking Advantage of Trade-ins

If you were to get rid of Nintendo Wii games from the start of the Wii’s lifecycle, you could end up with a significant amount of cash left over to invest in a Wii U or a new console. The cash value of an old Wii has fallen since the Wii U came out, but you could also trade in the original Wii console for a decent amount of in-store credit.

 

Which Games Fetch the Best Prices?

Trade-in prices are based on the popularity, rarity and condition of the game. This means that you can expect to get a good price for a classic game such as Okami, in the original game box, complete with all of the box inserts. You would also get a decent price for an original The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess game. However, if you were to try to trade in a Nintendo Selects version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, you would most likely find that you are offered a fraction of the value that is advertised for an original game box. This is because the Nintendo Selects games are worth less to collectors, as they are essentially reprints, or “second editions”, of the game.

 

Bundled games such as Wii Sports are also unlikely to be worth much as individual trade-ins. However, a console that comes with all of the original bundle games and any other added extras is worth more than a bare console with only one controller.

 

Trading in Online

 

You can trade in games at any local game store and online. It’s a good idea to check the prices of your games using an online price-check tool before you box up your Wii and head to the shops so that you have an idea of exactly how much you can expect to get for your collection.

 

Remember that Wii games do work with the Wii U, so if you’re planning to upgrade to that console, you should keep your favourite older games and take this chance to add some other modern classics to your gaming collection.

Mike Callaghan is a lifelong gamer and a big Nintendo fan. He has a large collection of retro games. To prepare for the next generation of consoles, he plans to get rid of Nintendo Wii games that he has completed and does not plan to replay.