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Defunct but brand new Wii U consoles have inexplicably priced harder at select online sites. A customer plays video game of Nintendo's Wii U at an electric shop in Tokyo on May 7, 2015. Japan's videogame Nintendo said it swung to 350 million USD annual profit thanks to a weak yen and upbeat sales of its Wii U console, but Nintendo said its bottom line would shrink this year. The Super Mario creator reported a 41.8 billion yen (350 million USD) net profit for the fiscal year to March, reversing a loss of 23.2 billion yen a year earlier, while it forecasted a 35 billion yen net profit for the current fiscal year. Getty Images/YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP

The Wii U is best known as one of the poor-performing game consoles from Nintendo although it did come with select exclusive games. Discontinued in January 2017, folks who may be looking for one will be in for a surprise because the prices in getting a unit have uncharacteristically spiked.

This was pointed out by Twitter user RSGabe, singling out how the prices of rare brand new Wii U units have gone through the roof. Seen over at Amazon, a Deluxe 32 GB model that comes with a packed-in launch title, Nintendo Land, was listed at $789 while another with the New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U bundle costs an astonishing $879 a pop, Game Spot said.

There are also some Wii U basic sets available such as the white 8 GB console with no add-ons retailing for $729. Do take note that these are brand new units. Buyers do have an option to get a refurbished or second-hand unit at other online outlets like eBay, costing between $100 to $140.

It remains unclear why the price spike for brand new Wii U units have occurred. With Nintendo formally putting an end to the consoles, some folks may have gotten a pinch of nostalgia and decided to get a rare unit of their own. Then again, the exclusive games could be another reason since it does have some critically acclaimed games such as "Super Mario Galaxy" and "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess," Game Rant said. It also has a slew of library exclusives such as "Super Mario 3D World", "Pikmin 3", and "Xenoblade Chronicles X".

Regardless of how it flopped the past years, it remains that the Wii U is a bonafide collector's item. To date, the Nintendo Switch has picked up from the shortcoming of the Wii U since it debuted. The Switch has fared better than the Wii U and actually surpassed the latter's lifetime sales in just 10 months, Game Spot said.

Though a failure on Nintendo's end, the decision to get or keep one entirely depends on the user behind the game controller. The Wii U may pale in comparison to the Xbox One or the PlayStation 4 depending on the type of game one is looking for. For those who love the "Super Mario" or "Zelda" series, this remains a collectible to have and play.

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