Harman Patil (Editor)

Nintendo Selects

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

Nintendo Selects, formerly Player's Choice, is a marketing label used by Nintendo to promote video games on current Nintendo game consoles which have sold well. Nintendo Selects titles are sold at a lower price point than other games. The program parallels other budget range software by Sega ("Sega All Stars"), Sony (the "Greatest Hits" and "Essentials"), and Microsoft ("Platinum Hits" and "Xbox Classics") to promote best-selling games on their consoles as well. In Japan, the discount label was introduced in 2015 for various Nintendo 3DS titles as the "Happy Price Selection", although South Korea adopted the Nintendo Selects name at an earlier period.

Contents

1996–2010: Player's Choice

In North America and Europe, Nintendo introduced the label on May 20, 1996 as "Player's Choice" both for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and for the Game Boy to distinguish titles that had sold over one million copies. As of 2014, recommended retail prices are £19.99 in the United Kingdom, USD$19.99 in the United States, CDN$19.99 in Canada, A$49.95 in Australia and €29.99 throughout the Eurozone. Nintendo's "Player's Choice" range concept is similar to the "Greatest Hits" line (known as the Platinum range in PAL regions) on Sony consoles, the "Platinum Hits" (Xbox Classics in Europe) line on the Xbox, and the "Sega All Stars" line on the Dreamcast.

American NTSC "Player's Choice" games can be identified on the Nintendo 64 by the yellow background of the N64 logo in the upper right corner of the game box. On the GameCube and Game Boy Advance, games are marked in a yellow box on the top of the case. PAL region Player's Choice games have boxes that are colored silver or platinum with Player's Choice markings on the right hand side of a Nintendo 64 box or on the top of a GameCube box. Super Nintendo games had the words "Super Nintendo Entertainment System" written in gold (instead of the usual red) on the box, along with a "Player's Choice" seal.

The Player's Choice line was introduced for GameCube titles in January 2003. The first titles were Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikmin, and Luigi's Mansion, and they each retailed for $29.99. Later in the year, when 6 new titles were added, Nintendo split the pricing for different sets of GCN games, so that some titles would enter in or stay at U.S.$29.99 while others would be reduced immediately to U.S.$19.99.

In April 2006, the "Player's Choice" was applied to Game Boy Advance games, which sell for $19.99 in the United States.

2011–present: Nintendo Selects

The Player's Choice label was renamed Nintendo Selects on May 15, 2011. The first Wii games added were The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Super Sluggers and Wii Sports. The New Play Control! version of Pikmin 2 debuted in North America as a Nintendo Selects title, alongside New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis. On February 28, 2013, Nintendo announced that the UK would receive two new Nintendo Selects games: Mario Party 8 and Wii Sports Resort. These launches coincided with the Wii Mini launch, on March 22, 2013. On October 22, 2013, was announced Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wii Sports + Wii Sports Resort for the new Nintendo Selects Australian line by price AU$49.95 and NZ$59.95 with the release date of November 7, 2013. On September 28, 2015, Nintendo of Europe announced a Nintendo Selects range of games for the Nintendo 3DS. The label was then expanded to the Wii U alongside select Wii and Nintendo 3DS titles in Canada, released on March 11, 2016, priced at CA$29.99. On March 10, 2016, a range of Nintendo Selects were announced for release on April 15, 2016 in Europe.

GameCube

PAL-exclusive Player's Choice titles:

Nintendo 64

Due to the use of a more expensive cartridge-based format, all N64 Player's Choice titles retailed for $39.95 each in North America.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Satellaview-exclusive Player's Choice Classic SoundLink games:

  • BS Zelda no Densetsu
  • BS Sim City Machi Tsukuri Taikai Scenario 4 (BS SimCity 街作り大会 シナリオ4)
  • BS Shin Onigashima (Dai 1 Wa) (BS新・鬼ヶ島(第1話))
  • SatellaWalker: Satebô wo Sukui Dase! (サテラウォーカー 「サテ坊を救い出せ!」)
  • References

    Nintendo Selects Wikipedia