Nintendo Selects

Nintendo Selects (and its predecessor; Player's Choice) was a marketing label previously used by Nintendo to promote best-selling video games on Nintendo game consoles. Nintendo Selects titles were sold at a lower price point (usually $19.99 instead of $49.99) than new releases. The program paralleled 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. The most recent Nintendo Selects titles were released for the Wii U and 3DS and, as of January 2025, no Nintendo Switch games have been rebranded as Nintendo Selects.
History
1996–2011: 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. Super NES games had the "Super Nintendo Entertainment System" wordmark written in gold (instead of the usual red) on the box, along with a "Player's Choice" seal. European SNES and Game Boy releases were labeled differently in various markets (such as Mario Classics in Spain, Nintendo Classics in UK and Netherlands, and (Super) Classic Series in Germany and France), comparing closer to the European version of the Classic Series label for the NES games, featuring the same Mario medal. Furthermore, all boxes were overhauled in red except Disney games, which received blue boxes. North 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.
The Player's Choice line was introduced for GameCube titles in January 2003. However, the sales barrier for games was decreased from 1 million, down to 450,000 by June 2003 and eventually only 250,000. The first titles were Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikmin, and Luigi's Mansion, and they each retailed for US$29.99. Later in the year, when six new titles were added, Nintendo split the pricing for different sets of GameCube games, so that some titles would enter in or stay at US$29.99 while others would be reduced immediately to US$19.99. In April 2006, the "Player's Choice" label was applied to Game Boy Advance games, which sell for $19.99 in the United States.
2011–2016: Nintendo Selects
The Player's Choice label was renamed Nintendo Selects in May 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. Mario Party 8 and Wii Sports Resort were added to Nintendo Selects line in 2013 in UK. These launches coincided with the Wii Mini launch, on March 22. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wii Sports + Wii Sports Resort were added to the new Nintendo Selects Australian line, priced at AU$49.95 and NZ$59.95 with the release date of November 7, 2013.
As of 2014, recommended retail prices are £19.99 in the United Kingdom, US$19.99 in the United States, CDN$19.99 in Canada, A$49.95 in Australia and €29.99 throughout the Eurozone.
In 2015, Nintendo of Europe began to release 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. A range of Nintendo Selects titles was launched the following month in Europe.
Home console titles
Wii U
Wii
Minna no Susume Selection (for Japan):
- 428: Shibuya Scramble
- Arc Rise Fantasia
- Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Meteor
- Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard
- Momotaro Dentetsu 16: Moving in Hokkaido!
- Momotaro Dentetsu 2010: Sengoku Ishin no Hero Daishūgō! No Maki
- Oboro Muramasa
- One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1
- One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 2
- Rune Factory Frontier
- Sengoku Musou 3
- Tales of Graces
- Tales of Symphony: Ratatosk No Kishi
GameCube
- Animal Crossing
- Burnout
- Cars
- Chicken Little
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
- Crazy Taxi
- Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
- Def Jam Vendetta
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai
- Enter the Matrix
- Finding Nemo
- F-Zero GX
- Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee
- GoldenEye: Rogue Agent
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
- Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
- Harvest Moon: Magical Melody
- The Incredibles
- James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire
- James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
- James Bond 007: Nightfire
- Kirby Air Ride
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
- Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Luigi's Mansion
- Madagascar
- Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
- Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects
- Medal of Honor: Frontline
- Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
- Mega Man Anniversary Collection
- Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
- Metroid Prime
- Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
- MVP Baseball 2005
- Namco Museum
- Naruto: Clash of Ninja
- Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2
- NBA Street Vol. 2
- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted
- Need for Speed: Underground
- Need for Speed: Underground 2
- Over the Hedge
- Pac-Man Fever
- Pac-Man World 2 / Pac-Man Vs.
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- Pikmin
- Pikmin 2
- Pokémon Colosseum
- Rampage: Total Destruction
- Resident Evil 10th Year Anniversary Collection
- Resident Evil
- Resident Evil Zero
- Resident Evil 4
- Shadow the Hedgehog
- Shark Tale
- Shrek 2
- The Simpsons: Hit & Run
- The Sims
- The Sims Bustin' Out
- Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
- Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
- Sonic Adventure 2-Pack
- Sonic Gems Collection
- Sonic Heroes
- Sonic Heroes & Super Monkey Ball Duo Pack
- Sonic Mega Collection
- Sonic Riders
- Soulcalibur II
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man 2
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!
- The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
- Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly
- Spyro: A Hero's Tail
- Star Fox Adventures
- Star Fox: Assault
- Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Super Mario Sunshine
- Super Monkey Ball
- Super Monkey Ball 2
- Super Monkey Ball 2-Pack
- Super Smash Bros. Melee
- Tales of Symphonia
- Tak and the Power of Juju
- TimeSplitters 2
- Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
- Tony Hawk's Underground
- Tony Hawk's Underground 2
- True Crime: Streets of LA
- Ultimate Spider-Man
- Viewtiful Joe
- Wario World
- WWE Day of Reckoning
- WWE Day of Reckoning 2
- WWE WrestleMania X8
- X-Men Legends
- Yu-Gi-Oh! The Falsebound Kingdom
PAL-exclusive Player's Choice titles:
- Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2
- FIFA Football 2003
- FIFA Football 2004
- FIFA Football 2005
- FIFA 06
- Mario Kart: Double Dash (Australia and New Zealand only)
- Mario Party 4
- Mario Party 5
- Prince of Persia Pack Limited Edition
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
- Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc
- Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
- Worms 3D (France)
- Turok: Evolution (France, Netherlands)
- XIII (France)
Nintendo 64
Due to the use of a more expensive cartridge-based format, all N64 Player's Choice titles retailed for $39.95 in the United States and $49.99 in Canada.
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!
Handheld titles
Nintendo 3DS
Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Color
Game Boy
- The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle (January 26, 1998)
- The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 2 (September 3, 1996)
- Donkey Kong (September 3, 1996)
- Donkey Kong Land (October 1997)
- Donkey Kong Land 2 (June 15, 1998)
- DuckTales 2 (March 1998)
- Dr. Mario (November 1997)
- F-1 Race (September 1, 1998)
- Golf (November 1997)
- James Bond 007 (March 1998)
- Kirby's Dream Land (November 1997)
- Kirby's Dream Land 2 (September 1, 1998)
- Kirby's Pinball Land (November 1996)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (December 1996)
- The Little Mermaid (October 1997)
- Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge (September 3, 1996)
- Mega Man II (January 26, 1998)
- Metroid II: Return of Samus (February 1997)
- Mickey's Dangerous Chase (October 1997)
- Mickey Mouse: Magic Wands! (March 1998)
- The Smurfs (March 1998)
- Space Invaders (December 1996)
- Star Wars (November 1996)
- Street Fighter II (September 1, 1998)
- Super Mario Land (October 1996)
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (September 3, 1996)
- Super R.C. Pro-Am (March 1998)
- Tennis (June 15, 1998)
- Tetris (December 1996)
- Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (September 3, 1996)
- Wave Race (June 24, 1997)
References
External links
- Nintendo Selects North American site Archived 2018-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
- Nintendo Selects European site
- Nintendo.com's list of Player's Choice games for Game Boy Advance and GameCube