Yoshi 3DS XL Good Investment?

Oh, look at this! To celebrate the launch of Yoshi's New Island, Nintendo is releasing a green limited edition 3DS XL complete with Yoshi being followed by five eggs. The selling price is $199, the same as a standard 3DS XL but unlike most other 3DS XL special editions, this one does NOT come with the game it is based on. Isn't that strange? You'll have to buy the game separately. They are already accepting preorders online at GameStop.

Now the question is, will this be a collectible item? Hmm... probably. That might be a little doubtful since Nintendo has been PUMPING out the limited 3DS XL's but I believe this one will be worth buying and storing under your bed. Two reasons:

1. It's Nintendo
2. It's Yoshi

Alright, those are some pretty superficial reasons but I'm gonna back up my claim with some real data that you can see. Let's look at the other limited edition 3DS XL's that have been released in the US.

The Pikachu 3DS XL initially retailed at $199 and $149 (at Target) but now sells for around double at $400 sealed or $300 just for the console itself and it shipped with no games included.

The Animal Crossing 3DS XL initially retailed for $199 and included Animal Crossing: New Leaf and now sells for around $300 sealed or $240 for just the console.

The Pokemon XY Red and Blue 3DS XL's initially retailed at $199 and included no game. They were even available for sale much earlier than either of the Pokemon games they are based on. They sell for around $220 for sealed and $180 for loose.

The Zelda 3DS XL was released to celebrate the release of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and launched around Christmas time 2013. It retailed at $199 and as low as $149 in some sales (at Target, again). It now sells for around $230 sealed and $200 alone. It is important to note that a download code for The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds came with the system.

The Mario and Luigi 3DS XL was released to celebrate Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and was part of Nintendo's "Year of Luigi" advertisement campaign. It retailed at $199, $179, and even $149 (at Walmart) during different points but is still wildly available in stores for $199 brand new and you can find used copies for around $180. It came with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team pre-installed.

So what is important to note here is that pretty much all of these have increased in price over time. That is a pretty strong indicator and collecting Nintendo is a huge fad right now. People love Nintendo and people love Yoshi; there hasn't been a Yoshi game produced since Yoshi's Island DS in 2006 and the twin launches of Yoshi's New Island and Yarn Yoshi signal that this upcoming year might be the "Year of Yoshi".

The special edition Yoshi 3DS XL goes on sale March 14th but I wouldn't preorder it or buy it as soon as it came out. I would wait for it to go on sale like many of the other limited edition 3DS XL's. When it does, I know I'll be buying one to sell at a later date... probably.

Most Expensive Zelda Video Games

The Legend of Zelda was released in 1986 and since then there have been 28 different Zelda games released (including collector's editions). Zelda continues to be one of the most popular video game series of all time selling 59 million copies. The Zelda series is also popular with video game collectors with a couple different titles fetching more than $100. Below is a list of the most expensive Zelda games.

The list is ranked by the average sales price per game from July 19th, 2010 to August 19th, 2010.

Zelda Test Cartridge (Nintendo NES)

Average Price: $799
Official Nintendo Repair shops used this game to test Nintendo consoles they repaired. The game is the same as the original Legend of Zelda, but it comes in a yellow cartridge. The exact number of test cartridges isn't known but the game very rarily comes up for public auction and when it does it sells for extremely high prices.
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Zelda Twilight Princess DS Demo (Nintendo DS)

Average Price: $143
When Zelda Twilight Princess was first shown at E3, Nintendo made some Nintendo DS cartridges with the preview trailer on them. They gave these preview cartridges to everyone in attendance at their E3 press conference. The cartridge is just a video demo of the game, but it routinely sells for $140-150.
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Zelda's Adventure (CD-i)

Average Price: $100
The third of the Zelda games released for the Philips CD-i. It is the most expensive of the three because it is even more rare. The game plays similar to other 2D Zelda games with a top-down view. The game has really bad cut-scenes with horrible voice acting but is very popular with Zelda collectors because it is so rare.
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Zelda Faces of Evil (CD-i)

Average Price: $45
The Philips CD-i had three Zelda games. All three are widely regarded as the worst of the Zelda games. Nintendo decided not to allow Philips to create a CD add-on for the Super Nintendo. As part of this decision they allowed Philips to create 5 games with Nintendo characters. One of these is Zelda Faces of Evil.
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Zelda The Wand of Gamelon (CD-i)

Average Price: $40
Zelda Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil are side-scrollers like Zelda II for Nintendo NES, but with full motion video cut scenes. Nintendo didn't help develop these games at all, which is evident when you play one. They are so awful, they have developed a cult following. Like a car accident, they are horrible but you can't look away.
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Zelda Wind Waker & Ocarina Master Quest Combo (Gamecube)

Average Price: $38
A combo package that included The Zelda Windwaker game and Zelda Ocarina of Time Master Quest disc. The cover art shows pictures of both games and there are two discs inside. Master Quest is an unreleased verion of the game with harder dungeons and battles (see below).
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Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition (Gamecube)

Average Price: $30
A collection of four different Zelda games. Includes Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Zelda Ocarina, Zelda Majora's Mask, Wind Waker 20 minute demo, and some Zelda video clips. The game was never sold in stores but was given away as part of the holiday 2003 Gamecube bundles. Everyone who bought a system received this promotional prize inside.
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Zelda Ocarina of Time Master Quest (Gamecube)

Average Price: $30
To encourage preorders for Zelda Wind Waker, Nintendo offered everyone a bonus: A copy of an unreleased version of Zelda Ocarina of Time with harder dungeons. This preorder bonus for the Gamecube was never sold in stores but hundreds of thousands are available because the program was so popular. For $5 (the usual cost a deposit) you got a Gamecube version of one of the highest rated games of all time.
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Zelda Twilight Princess (Wii)

Average Price: $22
The first Zelda game ever to launch with a new console, Zelda Twilight Princess was available on the Wii at launch. The game sold millions of copies so it is definitely not rare. But gamers still want to play the game on their Wii so prices stay relatively high. Of all the games on this top 10 list, Twilight Princess for Wii has the best chance of dropping off. Prices are likely to drop once the Wii loses popularity.
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Zelda Twilight Princess (Gamecube)

Average Price: $22
Right before Twilight Princess launched on Wii, Nintendo announced that the game would still be on the Gamecube too. The Gamecube was on it's last legs but Twilight Princess still sold fairly well, not quite as much as the Wii version though. The Gamecube version is identical to the Wii version, except for the way it is controlled. The Gamecube version uses the controller while the Wii version uses motion controls.
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VGPC.com has daily updated prices for every Zelda game. See all the Zelda game prices.