Nintendo Selects (and its predecessor, Player's Choice) is 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 2024, no Nintendo Switch games have been rebranded as Nintendo Selects.
In North America and Europe, Nintendo introduced the label on May 20, 1996,[1] 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 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.[2] 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.[3] However, the sales barrier for games was decreased from 1 million, down to 450,000 by June 2003[4] and eventually only 250,000.[5] 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 6 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.[6] In April 2006, the "Player's Choice" label was applied to Game Boy Advance games, which sell for $19.99 in the United States.[7]
The Player's Choice label was renamed Nintendo Selects in May 2011.[8] The first Wii games added were , , 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.[9] Mario Party 8 and Wii Sports Resort were added to Nintendo Selects line in 2013 in UK.[10] These launches coincided with the Wii Mini launch, on March 22.[11] Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, 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.[12]
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.[13] 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.[14] A range of Nintendo Selects titles was launched the following month in Europe.[15]
| width=40% rowspan=2 | Game | width=60% colspan=3 | Release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=20% | Europe | width=20% | North America | width=20% | Australia |
| Fast Racing Neo | |||||
| Just Dance 2015 | |||||
| data-sort-value="Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, The" | |||||
| Lego City Undercover | |||||
| Mario Party 10 | |||||
| NES Remix Pack | |||||
| New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U | |||||
| Nintendo Land | |||||
| Pikmin 3 | |||||
| Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed | |||||
| SteamWorld Collection | |||||
| Super Mario 3D World | |||||
| Wii Party U |
| width=40% rowspan=2 | Game | width=60% colspan=4 | Release date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=15% | Europe | width=15% | North America | width=15% | Australia | width=15% | South Korea |
| Avatar: The Game | |||||||
| Donkey Kong Country Returns | |||||||
| Kirby's Epic Yarn | |||||||
| data-sort-value="Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The" | |||||||
| Mario Kart Wii | |||||||
| Mario Party 8 | |||||||
| Mario Party 9 | |||||||
| Mario Power Tennis | |||||||
| Mario Strikers Charged | |||||||
| Mario Super Sluggers | |||||||
| My Fitness Coach | |||||||
| New Super Mario Bros. Wii | |||||||
| Pikmin 2 | |||||||
| Punch-Out!! | |||||||
| Rayman Raving Rabbids | |||||||
| Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 | |||||||
| Red Steel | |||||||
| Sports Party | |||||||
| Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition | |||||||
| Super Mario Galaxy | |||||||
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | |||||||
| Super Paper Mario | |||||||
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | |||||||
| Wii Party | |||||||
| Wii Sports | |||||||
| Wii Sports + Wii Sports Resort | |||||||
| Wii Sports Resort |
Minna no Susume Selection (for Japan):
PAL-exclusive Player's Choice titles:
Due to the use of a more expensive cartridge-based format, all N64 Player's Choice titles retailed for $39.95[16] in the United States and $49.99[17] in Canada.
| width=40% rowspan=2 | Game | width=30% colspan=2 | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| width=15% | PAL | width=15% | North America |
| 1080° Snowboarding | 1999 | August 15, 1999 | |
| Banjo-Kazooie | 1998 | August 15, 1999 | |
| Cruis'n USA | January 26, 1998 | ||
| Diddy Kong Racing | September 1, 1998 | ||
| Donkey Kong 64 | December 22, 2000 | ||
| F-1 World Grand Prix | 1999 | ||
| F-Zero X | 1999 | ||
| GoldenEye 007 | 1998 | September 1, 1998 | |
| Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside | September 1, 1998 | ||
| data-sort-value="Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The" | August 15, 1999 | ||
| Mario Kart 64 | 1999 | January 26, 1998 May 5, 1999 | |
| Perfect Dark | December 22, 2000 | ||
| Pokémon Snap | December 22, 2000 | ||
| Pokémon Stadium | December 22, 2000 | ||
| Snowboard Kids | 1999 | ||
| Star Fox 64 | 1999 | January 26, 1998 | |
| August 15, 1999 | |||
| Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire | January 26, 1998 | ||
| Super Mario 64 | 1998 | January 26, 1998 May 5, 1999 | |
| Super Smash Bros. | December 22, 2000 | ||
| data-sort-value="Turok 1: Dinosaur Hunter" | January 26, 1998 | ||
| May 5, 1999 | |||
| Wave Race 64 | 1999 | January 26, 1998 | |
| September 1, 1998 | |||
| Yoshi's Story | August 15, 1999 |
| width=40% rowspan=2 | Game | width=30% colspan=2 | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| width=15% | PAL[18] | width=15% | North America |
| Asterix & Obelix | Released | ||
| Disney's Aladdin | Released | ||
| Donkey Kong Country | 1996 | October 1997 | |
| 1996 | June 15, 1998 | ||
| 1996 | September 1, 1998 | ||
| F-Zero | November 1997 | ||
| data-sort-value="Jungle Book, The" | The Jungle Book | Released | |
| data-sort-value="Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The" | 1996 | May 20, 1996 | |
| data-sort-value="Lion King, The" | The Lion King | Released | |
| Mario Paint | 1996 | October 1996 | |
| SimCity | 1996 | September 3, 1996 | |
| data-sort-value="Smurfs, The" | The Smurfs | Released | |
| Star Fox | April 1997 | ||
| Super Bomberman 2 | 1996 | ||
| Super Mario All-Stars | 1996 | September 3, 1996 | |
| Super Mario Kart | 1996 | May 20, 1996 | |
| Super Mario World | 1996 | September 1, 1998 | |
| 1996 | |||
| Super Metroid | 1996 | November 1997 | |
| Super Star Wars | November 1996 | ||
| Super Street Fighter II | 1996 | ||
| Tetris & Dr. Mario | 1996 | November 1997 | |
| Tetris 2 | December 1996 | ||
| Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games | Released |
Satellaview-exclusive Player's Choice Classic SoundLink games:
| Game | Release date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | North America | Australia | Japan | ||
| Disney Frozen: Olaf's Quest | |||||
| Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D | [20] | ||||
| DoraEigo: Nobita to Yōsei no Fushigi Collection | |||||
| Fire Emblem Awakening | |||||
| Gotouchi Tetsudou: Gotouchi Chara to Nihon Zenkoku no Tabi | |||||
| data-sort-value="Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, The" | |||||
| data-sort-value="Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, The" | |||||
| data-sort-value="Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, The" | |||||
| Mario Tennis Open | |||||
| Monster Hunter XX | |||||
| Nintendogs + Cats | |||||
| Puyo Puyo Chronicle | |||||
| Ridge Racer 3D | |||||
| Rune Factory 4 | |||||
| Super Mario 3D Land | |||||
| Star Fox 64 3D | February 4, 2019 | ||||
| Sumikko Gurashi: Koko ga Ochitsukundesu | |||||
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | February 4, 2019 | ||||
| Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigi na Orb | |||||
| Tales of the Abyss | |||||
| Teddy Together | |||||
| Tomodachi Life | |||||
| Ultimate NES Remix | |||||
| Yoshi's New Island | |||||
| width=40% rowspan=2 | Game | width=30% colspan=2 | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| width=15% | North America | width=15% | Japan |
| Family Tennis Advance | |||
| Golden Sun | |||
| Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan Advance | |||
| data-sort-value="Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords, The" | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords | ||
| Magical Vacation | |||
| Mother 1 + 2 | |||
| Mr. Driller Ace: Fushgi na Pactelia | |||
| Namco Museum | |||
| Oriental Blue: Ao no Tengai | |||
| Pac-Man Collection | |||
| Pokémon FireRed | |||
| Pokémon LeafGreen | |||
| Shining Soul | |||
| Shining Soul II | |||
| Super Mario Advance | |||