The library of Nintendo Switch games is vast and contains many all-time classics that will be highly prized in years to come. It happens with every generation of Nintendo consoles, and in ten years games that cost $50 today will likely be over $100. I’ve seen it happen with every past console.
When you’ve been a Nintendo fan as long as I have, you start to sense which games will skyrocket in price, and which ones could become cheaper. There are things like the Mario series which never come down in price, because they’re always so highly sought after, and then there are other more obscure options that won’t rise in price because of low demand or simply because of an over-abundance of second-hand copies.
They might not all deserve a spot on the best Switch games list, but if you’re a collector, you should think about buying them soon. The Nintendo Switch 2 is now on its way, and while we don’t yet know whether it will be the best Nintendo Switch console, we do know that the original games will start to get harder to find.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Release date: November 11, 2017
Developer: Bethesda Studios Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Current prices:
This was one of the first games to release on the Switch, and back in 2017 the idea of being able to play one of the most iconic action RPGs of all time on the go was pretty mind-blowing. However, you almost never see this game available in physical stores these days and when you find it new online, it’s still the same price now that it was when it first came out. I don’t think it’s likely that that price will ever come down and with Bethesda now owned by Microsoft, there are likely to be complications with re-prints.
It may not be the definitive version of Skyrim, but it does have one very cool thing going for it that sets it apart from other releases: Zelda content. Yes, to tie into the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the Hylian Shield, Master Sword, and Link’s outfit are all unlockable items. In years to come, a lot of people will probably forget Skyrim was on Switch, but the dedicated fans are going to be desperate to get their hands on this historic curiosity.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Release date: September 18, 2020
Developer: Nintendo EPD Publisher: Nintendo
Current prices:
This one is already starting to hike in price, and it’s all Nintendo’s fault. Released to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario series, this compilation gathers remastered versions of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, plus the soundtracks of all three games. It’s a cool little package, giving you the definitive versions of these three beloved Mario games.
The problem is that it only had a limited window of availability – you could only buy it new for six months, guaranteeing that this would become an expensive collector’s item. Considering it’s a collection of three games over 17 years old, some will find its current price a little too high – but wait and see. People will be paying hundreds for this one day.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
Release date: October 24, 2023
Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami
Current prices:
This compilation (which includes the first three Metal Gear Solid games with a whole bunch of extra goodies) is only the sixth time a Metal Gear game has appeared on a Nintendo platform. Except for Metal Gear and Snake’s Revenge on the NES (which go for about $10 – $20), every one of them now carries a huge price tag, with Metal Gear Solid on the Game Boy Color worth between $200 and $300, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Sneaks on the GameCube worth about $100, and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D on the 3DS sitting in a similar price range.
It seems likely that Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 will follow suit – and not just because it’s a Metal Gear game. As we now know the Switch successor isn’t too far away, this is cemented as a late game in the console’s lifespan, and the trend from previous generations is that the games released later in a console’s lifetime are those that typically end up inflating in price more often as time goes by.
Fire Emblem Three Houses
Release date: July 26, 2019
Developer: Intelligent Systems Publisher: Nintendo
Current prices:
Fire Emblem has become one of the most popular IPs on Nintendo consoles and Three Houses is one of the best in the series. We put it on our list of the best tactics games, and I don’t doubt that people will want to return to it for years to come. I also do not doubt that it’ll end up being expensive.
Looking back at Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates on the Nintendo 3DS, those games now go for about the same price as Fire Emblem Three Houses does when new (though admittedly the final 3DS Fire Emblem, Echoes, isn’t so pricey). Meanwhile, looking back to the Fire Emblem games on the Wii and GameCube, they’re worth between $100 and $200, and $200 and $300 respectively. I doubt Three Houses will ever go down in price, but I’d be surprised if it doesn’t start going up very soon.
Yooka-Laylee
Release date: September 7, 2018
Developer: Playtonic Games Publisher: Limited Run Games
Current prices:
There are lots of physical Switch releases that have been published by Limited Run Games, and as the name indicates, they don’t print them in large quantities. In theory, I could fill this list with Limited Run releases, but I wanted to focus on one in particular: Yooka-Laylee, the spiritual successor to Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie series.
Originally planned to release on to the Wii U, development for that platform was ultimately canceled – it then came to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 with a standard physical release, but the Switch version, which was initially digital only, was delayed by eight months. It’s pretty ironic, considering the game is very much the kind of thing Nintendo fans would love. Physical copies of Yooka-Laylee on Switch are already worth over $100 and I can only imagine that will rise exponentially as time passes and Playtonic grows.
Pokémon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass
Release Date: November 6, 2020
Developer: Game Freak Publisher: Nintendo
Current prices:
Pokémon is another of those series where the games always end up becoming extremely valuable. There are a few Pokémon Switch games, even if you only count the main series. All of them are likely to be good investments, it’s the physical copy of Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass that I foresee being the most expensive in years to come.
A time will come when Nintendo discontinues online support for the Nintendo Switch, and fans who wish to go back and play Pokemon Sword and Shield along with its DLC will have no way to do so, outside of this (already fairly rare) game card. Right now it costs over $100 to get one of these (but in fairness, that’s not much more than you’d pay buying the game, then buying the DLC) but I bet the fans of 2034 would give anything to find it for such a low price.
If Pokémon cards are more your thing, our sister site, Wargamer, can tell you what the most valued Pokémon cards are.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Release Date: May 23, 2024
Developer: Intelligent Systems Publisher: Nintendo
Current prices:
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a cult classic. The original version on the GameCube is worth around $100 these days, and fans were absolutely delighted with the news that an enhanced version was coming to Nintendo Switch. While having a new, legitimate way to play the game might bring down the value of the original, I also reckon it’s going to be a case of history repeating itself.
The game has a near-legendary status, and fans are always going to want to seek it out. Throughout the next ten years, there’ll be a much larger number of people with a Switch who want to try it out than there will be those with a GameCube – they’ll gravitate towards the shiny accessible new version, and no doubt, its price will end up shooting up in no time. That it’s a late game in the Switch’s lifespan will only feed into this even more.
Cadence of Hyrule
Release date: October 23, 2020
Developer: Brace Yourself Games Publisher: Nintendo
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Cadence of Hyrule is another indie game that originally had a digital-only release. The game itself is quite unusual, in that it’s an instance of Nintendo giving a smaller indie developer a chance to make something with one of its most popular IPs. Zelda games almost always increase in value over time and I think this one is especially likely to do so.
As the game is a crossover with the Crypt of the NecroDancer series, re-releasing it in the future could become difficult – unlike Ocarine of Time, Twilight Princess, and most other games in the series, Nintendo would have to negotiate with Brace Yourself Games before a re-release could happen. Though they seem to have a good relationship now, you never know when something like this could change. The novelty of this Zelda game alone will likely boost its value, but its legally more complicated existence makes me think you should grab it while you can.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Blade of Light
Release Date: December 4, 2020
Developer: Intelligent Systems Publisher: Nintendo
Current prices:
This is the only game in the list that didn’t receive a physical game card. As with Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Nintendo released this game in a rather anti-consumer fashion – it was available to download from the Switch eShop for four months, and then it was delisted. This was the first (and only) time that the original Fire Emblem game was made available outside of Japan and in English (not counting the remake on the DS, which can go for about $70).
If you lament missing your chance to download this game, there is still a chance for you. A limited physical release, it was made to look like an NES game package and even included a replica NES cartridge (which sadly cannot be used), with an artbook and the game’s download code. While it has been removed from the shop, these codes will still work. Right now, these go for about $200, but this price will only rise, because each time a code is redeemed, it can never be used again and there is one less in the world.
Metroid Dread
Release date: October 8, 2021
Developer: MercurySteam Publisher: Nintendo
Current prices:
Something about 2D Metroid games always seems to make them shoot up in price. Metroid: Samus Returns, one of the last 3DS games, hasn’t dropped in price and is slowly edging upward. Then, looking further back, you can see Metroid: Zero Mission for the GBA is now worth over $100, and Metroid Fusion (for the same console) can often fetch around $60 or so if it’s sold in good condition. Though not a 2D game, Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Wii is now worth over $100.
It just always seems to be that way with Metroid games – perhaps because they aren’t so abundant as games in other series. At best, your future self will be paying the same price to get the game pre-owned, that you could buy today to get brand new.
I can’t see the future, but having lived through the eras of the SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii, and Wii U, I’ve seen the patterns. It tends to be the same kinds of games or games released under the same sets of circumstances that end up being those that become very expensive. If you don’t want to miss out on the fantastic experiences that they have to offer, it’d be wise to buy them now.
Like old and rare games? Read our lists of the best Game Boy games and the best DS games for a few of our favorites.