While we already have at least one of most consoles in our collection, several limited edition systems in unique colors continue to catch my eye.
When my wife and I began collecting video games at the start of COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns in April 2020, a big reason why we started was the decent amount of games and consoles I already had.
Thanks to holding on and (mostly) taking care of video game systems I owned as a child, we had a pretty decent launching point with several dozen games and a good handful of systems to dive into.
In the past six years, our collection has greatly expanded in size, with most of those additions centered around physical video games, as our collection blossomed from 72 games to 462 titles, spanning from systems as early as the NES all the way to the Xbox Series X of today.
In addition to picking up a fair amount of new consoles in the past few years, we’ve also picked up a few different varieties of systems we already own – picking up a platinum GameCube to have in addition to a black one, while also getting our first Funtastic N64 with the Watermelon Red console.
Yet in the grand scheme of things, I’m always looking to add a console we don’t already have to our collection when the price is right, a desire that expands greatly when considering handheld consoles and the expansive range of colors many of the systems are available in.
The most recent console we added to our collection is the PlayStation Vita, Sony’s final attempt at a handheld system that has become mostly known for its popularity in Japan and large library of role-playing games and visual novels.
Adding the Vita and looking around at our current console collection had me wondering what special edition systems I’m on the lookout for the most, balancing a unique appearance, relative rarity and what kind of use I could get out of it as a gamer today.
Here are the five systems I’m looking to add to our library the most:
1. Tales of Symphonia Matcha Green GameCube (Japan only)
While I generally have no interest in purchasing consoles or games exclusive to another region, I certainly can make one exception for a special edition console themed after what may be my favorite video game of all time in Tales of Symphonia.
Although the game itself was released in North America in July 2004 and quickly became a focal point of my gaming experience as a kid, the special edition Matcha Green console and controller were only released in Japan as part of a package that included the game as well.
With GameCube consoles being region-locked, a Japanese system is unable to play North American games, so this purchase would be solely about playing the Japanese version of Tales of Symphonia on the appropriately themed system.
Unfortunately for myself, this system would be an incredibly hefty investment today, with an average sale price north of $600 for the complete console. This is in addition to a common problem of discoloration with the systems due to either too much exposed sunlight or in more unflattering cases, cigarette smoke, fading away the vivid green color the system is meant to have.
With that said, I’m certainly not expecting to stumble across one of these sometime soon – but if the price happens to be right, it’d be an incredible addition.
2. Mountain Dew Original Xbox
This console may not have been a Japanese exclusive, but it’s still incredibly hard to find as one of the more conspicuous special editions of Microsoft’s original Xbox.
The exceptionally rare console was produced just 5,100 times and was only available in the spring and summer of 2004 via a Mountain Dew-sponsored promotion. Fans had to accumulate 550 points in order for an opportunity to buy the console for a price of $99.99.
For those that drank much more Mountain Dew than they should have, the reward is a vibrant, electric green take on the normally black console with green accents, giving somewhat of an inverse take on the console’s classic design.
As someone who has always loved the lively bright green this console brings (yes, I love those Seahawks jerseys too), the Mountain Dew Xbox has always come across to me as the ideal novelty console to have in the collection – even if it wasn’t my primary system for playing original Xbox games.
However, I better hope I win the lottery if I’m looking to come across one of these – with loose consoles coming in at an average resale price of around $750, with even the box alone commanding a $400 sale price.
3. Slimline Silver PlayStation 2
Differing from the first two inclusions on this list, there is some practical use to adding this system to our collection as our current PlayStation 2’s age is certainly showing.
I’ve had our current PS2 since April 2002, one of the larger, black models that was released early in the console’s lifespan. With that system now taking around five minutes to recognize a PS2 game, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a more reliable console to play games of the best-selling system of all-time.
Now setting aside the practicality, this is just simply a badass looking system. Initially released in North America in November 2004, the slimline PS2 was instrumental in helping the console maintain impressive sales well into the seventh generation of video game consoles, outlasting the GameCube and Xbox by a wide margin.
The silver appearance offers both Sony’s sleekest looking console up until this point while also greatly reducing the space the larger system occupies, with the accompanying silver controller matching the console’s glossy, futuristic appearance.
Unlike the two consoles before this on this list, this is actually a feasible system to acquire, with loose consoles selling for under $100 on average. As someone who wants to dive deeper into Guitar Hero on PS2 without the long wait and inevitable lack of reliability with the older system, this would be a nice addition to the library that would get plenty of use.
4. Ice Blue Funtastic N64
While we already have one Funtastic variety with the Watermelon Red system, it’s a dream to eventually have the whole rainbow of consoles – with the Ice Blue system being the next variety I’m on the lookout for.
A perfect mix of the Y2K futurism/frutiger aero artstyles that gripped the technology world at the turn of the century, the Ice Blue N64 combines transparent hardware and cool colors to create one of the most visually appealing video game consoles the world had seen at the time.
While all the Funtastic N64 colors look incredible and are emblematic of the era they were released in, the Ice Blue system always especially appealed to me as a kid – with a color you’d maybe expect to see on Ice Breakers mints and not on a video game console.
Though there would be limited practical use for this system for ourselves as we already have both an original model N64 and the Watermelon Red system, the contrast the Ice Blue has with the Red console could make for a compelling retro display for our in-home setup.
It’d be a hefty price for just aesthetics however, with loose Ice Blue consoles currently selling for over $200 apiece on average.
5. SNES Mini
One of the more rare, forgotten variations of Nintendo consoles, the SNES Mini was released in North America in October 1997, more than a year after the succeeding Nintendo 64 hit shelves, as a slimmer version of the aging SNES.
Significantly smaller than the more recognizable standard SNES that represented the vast majority of sales for the console, the SNES Mini served as a lower-cost option for gamers who still enjoyed the SNES, with essentially an entire library of games to pick from by the time the system was finally released.
The console wouldn’t get too much practical use out of myself other than serving as a backup to the original SNES that was purchased before I was born, but its slim appearance and release so late in the console’s lifespan have always deeply intrigued me as a gamer who has always been a bit biased towards Nintendo.
Despite its relative rarity, the SNES Mini won’t exactly break the bank, as it’s available for around $140 online and isn’t an uncommon sight in retro video game stores.
Leave a Reply