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[SatoAilDarko]

The other day I was in GameStop and the few times I'm there I always do a quick check of the Wii U section in the off-chance Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is there.

The game, which only released June of last year, disappeared from retailers not long after release with new copies going for $90. As such I was hoping to find a used copy for $54.99 or something.

I actually did find a copy but GameStop was charging $69.99.

Unfortunate but not unsurprising. What interested me though was it was in excellent condition. Which made me wonder if GameStop had turned a new copy into an old one to sell it for more.

Looking online, https://m.gamestop.com/product/wii-u/games/mario-sonic-at-the-rio-2016-olympic-games/129073, the game which was once located in no stores within 70 miles a few months ago is now available in quite a few. It's also available for sale online.

Considering GameStop has reprinted and then sold as used the Wii titles Metroid Prime Trilogy, Xenoblade Chronicles, The Calling (in 2015 after I had already spent more to get a copy from Canada) and I'm pretty sure One Piece Unlimited Adventure it wouldn't surprise me if they've done the same with Mario & Sonic Rio. Otherwise they've suddenly just gotten a bunch of used copies of a rare game.

Hopefully this leads to lower prices eventually. Mario & Sonic Rio is one of the four Nintendo Wii U games I don't own yet.

Also the roster is pretty great:

 

[Curler]

Reprint is possible, but it might be possible that it was liquidation from somewhere... Sadly this is probably the cheapest you can find it for, from my own experience.

 

[jasminlovesyoux]

The Wii u ended up being a collector's nightmare. Normally , directly after a consoles death is the best time to buy up the games, but for whatever reason collectors latched onto the Wii u and so many of its games are now grossly overpriced. Gamestop follows eBay trends so that's why this happens. Also, yes that was probably a new copy repackaged to be sold as used for the price mark up. They've done that in the past.

 

[Grettir_the_Swole]

Hopefully. The Wii U collector's market has been pretty aggravating in the last couple years. While super rare titles on other consoles tend to be varied between great and commercially unsuccessful burning trash, the Wii U's library of holy grails is a lot worse than normal. Which is a shame because I would really like to give the Mario and Sonic games a shot at my next party but I really don't want to blow +$100 for a sad tie-in.

 

[sixteen-bit]

hopefully the reprints hit other retailers at MSRP

 

[jdstorm]

Hopefully. The Wii U collector's market has been pretty aggravating in the last couple years. While super rare titles on other consoles tend to be varied between great and commercially unsuccessful burning trash, the Wii U's library of holy grails is a lot worse than normal. Which is a shame because I would really like to give the Mario and Sonic games a shot at my next party but I really don't want to blow +$100 for a sad tie-in.

You could always just buy it digitally.

 

[Grettir_the_Swole]

You could always just buy it digitally.

True, but I've been collecting since I was in the second grade.

 

[sixteen-bit]

You could always just buy it digitally.

With the news that the Wii shop is being end-of-life'd in 2019, digital licenses on WiiU probably suffer the same fate down the road.

 

[Frostman007]

Wow... That's crazy. That was the last game I produced at Sega but left before physical copies came back from Nintendo so I actually don't even own a copy. Kind of surreal to see it show up again in stores.

 

[asagami_]

With the news that the Wii shop is being end-of-life'd in 2019, digital licenses on WiiU probably suffer the same fate down the road.

Wii is a 2006 console, so I doubt the Wii U will die soon.

Spoiler

Maybe for 2022.

 

[Dude Guy]

Ahhhh this brings back memories of actually finding used copies of this game and flipping them during the GameStop Flippageddon back in July

 

[jdstorm]

True, but I've been collecting since I was in the second grade.

I know the feeling. Have a few unused/unopened games that i rebought digitally when a sale hit just so i wouldnt be opening them.

 

[-shadow-]

It's possible, but I doubt Nintendo would bother with a reprint for the WiiU now. For the Wii I could understand. But the WiiU dead and buried I find it hard to believe.

Spoiler

Also, it's actually just 'Calling' and not 'The Calling'

 

[SatoAilDarko]

hopefully the reprints hit other retailers at MSRP

GameStop would pay Nintendo for the exclusive reprint.

The Wii u ended up being a collector's nightmare. Normally , directly after a consoles death is the best time to buy up the games, but for whatever reason collectors latched onto the Wii u and so many of its games are now grossly overpriced. Gamestop follows eBay trends so that's why this happens. Also, yes that was probably a new copy repackaged to be sold as used for the price mark up. They've done that in the past.

Hopefully. The Wii U collector's market has been pretty aggravating in the last couple years. While super rare titles on other consoles tend to be varied between great and commercially unsuccessful burning trash, the Wii U's library of holy grails is a lot worse than normal. Which is a shame because I would really like to give the Mario and Sonic games a shot at my next party but I really don't want to blow +$100 for a sad tie-in.

For me at least nothing has been overly expensive except this game. I have over 70 Wii U retail games and am only missing 3 Nintendo ones, all recent ones from 2016 which aside from Rio are all still in stores.

What are the specific Holy Grails are you talking about? I know NA Hello Kitty Karting is over $200.