Most consoles have been refreshed and relaunched in some way as they’ve aged, even going as far back as the Atari 2600, which was relaunched a few times with slightly different designs during its surprisingly long lifespan.
However, beyond simple mid-gen refreshes and refinements, plenty of consoles have also had special, limited edition versions released, some simply with different colour schemes and others featuring tie-ins to certain games or series.
A lot of the time, these tie-in consoles are extremely limited in number and become highly collectable. With so many released over the last few decades, which ones are our favourites?
Nintendo 64 – Pikachu Special Edition
- Release Date: 1996
- Release Country: EU, USA & Japan
- Quantity Produced: 100,000 – 1,000,000
- Where To Buy: eBay
Though, just like the Dreamcast, the Nintendo 64 had no shortage of translucent coloured variant consoles (and controllers), our pick for the best Limited Edition N64 is this Pikachu Special Edition.
Released as an orange plastic console in Japan, and an arguably better looking, bright or dark blue console elsewhere (it released as part of a few different bundles, with slight variations to the console’s case colour), the Pikachu N64 has a few features that make it stand out, and make it unquestionably one of our favourite consoles of all time.
There’s no doubting the toy-like novelty factor of this console, with its moulded Pikachu and Pokeball on/off switch; but what’s especially cool is that, when the console is turned on, Pikachu’s cheeks light up, and the cheeky electric mouse Pokemon even exclaims ‘Pika!’ too.
Though later Nintendo consoles, such as the GBA SP, 3DS and Switch would all receive Pokemon themed limited editions, none have been as immediately appealing as this amazing Nintendo 64!
Sega Dreamcast – Hello Kitty Edition
- Release Date: November, 1999
- Release Country: Japan
- Quantity Produced: 5,000 – 10,000
- Where To Buy: eBay or Sendico
There was a moment in time when consumer electronics embraced vibrant, bold colour schemes and translucent plastic aesthetics. Apple’s iMac computers led the charge in the late 90s in home computing. Their iconic iMac G3 computers were available in 13 ‘flavours’, and proved hugely popular.
Nintendo’s Game Boy Color console was also available in a translucent, coloured variant, as were their N64 consoles. This style of colourful translucence feels almost like a uniquely 90s, and highly nostalgic style; though of course aesthetics like this are subjective, here at Retro Dodo, we’re big fans of this type of console.
Sega’s Dreamcast, which has aged brilliantly over the years and is now recognised as being hugely underrated in its time, was also released in different colours, some of which were, yes, translucent! By far our favourite is this Hello Kitty Edition Dreamcast, which was a Japan only release, launching in November 1999 and aimed squarely at female gamers.
Available in tasteful pink and blue translucent colours, the console itself looks beautiful, but what’s interesting is that it wasn’t just the console you’d be getting your hands on if you bought one of these limited editions.
Included in the box were a wealth of accessories in the exact same colour as the console, so (along with internet portal software, Hello Kitty Dream Passport, and the game Hello Kitty Garden Panic) you’d also own a translucent pink or blue VMU, keyboard and controller if you picked up one of these comprehensive packages!
Nintendo 3DS LL – Charizard Limited Edition
- Release Date: December, 2012
- Release Country: Japan
- Quantity Produced: 5,000 – 10,000
- Where To Buy: eBay or Sendico
The 3DS is a console that isn’t short of variant editions, limited and otherwise, and there were numerous Pokemon variants of the console released over its surprisingly long and successful lifespan.
This version of the 3DS XL (known as the 3DS LL in Japan) was not only a Japan-only exclusive console, but it was also exclusive to Pokemon Centers in Japan too, making them extremely hard to get hold of for Western gamers.
With their beautiful packaging, sleek, dark look and the tastefully minimalist artwork of Charizard (known as Lizardon in Japan, with this console being known as the ‘Lizardon’ edition there), they’re quite the collector’s item these days. Adding to that is the fact that these consoles were also highly limited in number, in terms of how many were produced making them even more sought after than they otherwise would be. Not to mention very expensive!
Still, for Pokemon fans, there’s likely no higher prize when it comes to 3DS consoles, especially as Charizard, one of the original 151 monsters included in the very first Pokemon games (Pokemon Red and Blue, released in the mid-90s on the original, monochrome Game Boy), remains one of the most popular Pokemon of all time.
Nintendo Switch OLED – Tears of the Kingdom
- Release Date: April, 2023
- Release Country: EU, USA & Japan
- Quantity Produced: 10,000 – 50,000
- Where To Buy: eBay or Amazon
The Wii U was a massively underrated and underappreciated console; partly, Nintendo’s naming convention, and even its compatibility with Wii games, was to blame. Consumers, particularly the more casual Wii owners who were lured to the motion control console by its simplicity and accessibility, weren’t sure if the Wii U was simply an upgrade, and the Wii U Game Pad didn’t help matters, being a difficult sell to those same casual players who found it so easy to get on board with the Wii.
You may not realise that Nintendo Switch classic, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was actually being developed for Wii U, before being released on that console and the Switch on the very same day! In fact, clues as to the Wii U led design remain in Breath of the Wild, with the in-game Sheikah Slate clearly intended to resemble the Wii U Game Pad!
Though the Wii U had its own limited edition Zelda console, it was, disappointingly, a standard, black Wii U, with a fairly minimal design of Hyrulian detailing on the Game Pad. It took until the release of Tears of the Kingdom in 2023 for there to be a truly spectacular Zelda Limited Edition console, and this Switch didn’t disappoint!
The Switch Dock features a beautiful Hylian Crest, the rear of the console unit has a lovely pattern of repeating circles (continuing the design on the dock) and the JoyCon controllers also feature extensions of the dock’s design, in gold and green colours that really make this console look incredible.
GBA SP – Charizard Limited Edition
- Release Date: 2002
- Release Country: USA
- Quantity Produced: 5,000 – 10,000
- Where To Buy: eBay
Like the 3DS, the GBA SP was a console that played host to a bewildering number of different, limited edition versions, and it’s pretty tough to choose a favourite. Numerous Pokemon editions were released, for example, with a cute, yellow Pikachu console and the brilliantly grumpy-looking, red Groudon edition among them, but there were numerous others too.
Our choice for this list, however, is another one featuring the ever popular, iconic Charizard. This design is beautifully understated, with the Game Boy Advance SP in brilliantly bold red, adorned with a subtle Charizard outline on the reverse side of the console’s screen. Though it may not be as immediately eye catching as some of the other GBA SP Pokemon designs, or even the non-Pokemon Limited Edition GBA SPs, its minimalist appearance is a definite plus. It makes this Pokemon Center NY exclusive console looks almost like a high end piece of consumer electronics, rather than a GBA SP!
PS3 Slim – One Piece Edition
- Release Date: 2012
- Release Country: Japan
- Quantity Produced: 10,000 – 50,000
- Where To Buy: Forgotten Worlds or Sendico or eBay
The manga/anime series One Piece has been around since the 90s, but has really exploded in popularity in the last decade or so. This particular version of the PS3 Slim, another mid-gen console refresh, features the protagonist of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy, against a gorgeous, matte gold backdrop.
Released in 2012 and bundled with the then-new title, One Piece Pirate Warriors, this amazing golden console (and gold controller) were only released in Japan, making this another console that’s highly sought after by collectors and One Piece fans alike.
Though it’s pretty minimalist, in terms of its design, in comparison to numerous other consoles on this list, it’s still a cool objet d’art and definitely a collector’s item that countless One Piece fans would, no doubt, love to have in their collection!
Sega Dreamcast – Coca-Cola Edition
- Release Date: TBC
- Release Country: Japan
- Quantity Produced: 25 – 50
- Where To Buy: Forgotten Worlds
What it lacks in overall looks, the Sega Dreamcast Coca-Cola Edition makes up for in sheer desirability; it’s an incredibly rare console, and one which plenty of Sega fans would love to get their hands on!
There’s a real air of mystery surrounding the Coca-Cola Edition Dreamcast, and that’s because no one is quite sure where it came from. Despite the vast knowledge base of numerous fandoms online, the precise origins of this particular console seem to have been lost in the mists of time. The Sega fans over at The Dreamcast Junkyard appear to have got the closest, with a reader getting in touch to tell them that they think it was a promotional prize from a restaurant chain named Jonathan’s.
There’s the suspicion that it wasn’t an official promotional product at all; that would explain the rather small Coca-Cola logo and lack of any other touches that make this console stand out. One thing’s for sure: this is certainly a very interesting and unique Limited Edition console!
Xbox 360 – Star Wars Kinect Edition
- Release Date: July, 2011
- Release Country: EU, USA & Japan
- Quantity Produced: 10,000 – 50,000
- Where To Buy: eBay
With authentic beeping and booping system sounds, and a shell reminiscent of everyone’s favourite astromech droid, this console is a Star Wars fan’s dream. Though the same can’t be said for the Kinect-exclusive game it was produced to promote (Kinect Star Wars; the less said about the dancing mini-game, or indeed most of the content in that absolute dumpster fire of an ‘experience’, the better), this console is a phenomenal creation that shows some great attention to detail for long term fans of George Lucas’s space opera saga.
Not only is the console itself a gorgeous tribute to R2-D2, but the controller it was packaged with is styled after fussy protocol droid, C-3PO. With a shiny gold finish and even faux wires running down the bottom, mimicking the exposed wiring on C-3PO’s midriff, it’s another element of the package that showcases incredible details, and it feels like a real labour of love for Star Wars fans.
Even the Kinect that’s bundled with the console is white, to match the R2-D2 style console. Also bundled with Star Wars Kinect, which we won’t hold against it, this was an excellent, brilliantly conceived console from top to bottom, and one which remains highly desirable today!
PS4 Pro – Death Stranding Edition
- Release Date: November, 2019
- Release Country: EU, USA & Japan
- Quantity Produced: 10,000 – 50,000
- Where To Buy: eBay
When Hideo Kojima left Konami to set up Kojima Productions in 2015, gamers the world over were desperate to see what the creator of the Metal Gear Solid series would come up with next, free from the constraints of working with a publisher, or indeed on an established series (not that it ever seemed much like Kojima was being restrained when working on the mechanically ambitious, ground breaking and narratively bold Metal Gear Solid games!).
The first (and currently, still the only) title to emerge from Kojima Productions was Death Stranding, an open world adventure in which you’re cast in the role of a courier (Sam Bridges, played by The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus), traversing a treacherous, apocalyptic United States of America.
The console itself, much like Microsoft’s mid-Xbox One generation refresh, was Sony’s equivalent in the same generation: the slightly upgraded PS4, known as the PS4 Pro. The Death Stranding version features a striking handprint design, and the controller looks just like the BB pods from the game; the controller is coloured with the same sickly yellow, amniotic fluid that the pods are filled with in the video game.
It’s a beautiful design and, thanks to the popularity of Kojima and Death Stranding, is a limited edition that was extremely well received.
Sega Game Gear – Virtua Fighter Kid’s Gear
- Release Date: 1996
- Release Country: Japan
- Quantity Produced: 5,000 – 10,000
- Where To Buy: eBay
Bundled with Virtua Fighter and adorned with a design featuring Akira Yuki, this Game Gear has popped up online as an official product, but the information around it is suspect at best, not too dissimilar to the details found on the Coca-Cola Dreamcast.
That’s because we’ve seen information that claims this console was released in 1991. Yet the first Virtua Fighter game wasn’t released until 1993; development didn’t even begin on the first Virtua Fighter until 1992, so there’s definitely something fishy about this Game Gear supposedly being a 1991 release!
Regardless of when it was released (we believe that, as a variation of the ‘Kid’s Gear’ redesign of the Game Gear, it’s most likely to have been released in 1996) this is a gorgeous Limited Edition for Sega’s underrated handheld; it’s a stark contrast to the usual plain black console, though like many other consoles on this list, more colour variants of the Game Gear do exist too!
Sony PSP 2000 – God of War: Chains of Olympus Console
- Release Date: 2008
- Release Country: USA
- Quantity Produced: 10,000 – 50,000
- Where To Buy: eBay
Released in a bundle with PSP title God of War: Chains of Olympus, this is another console with a rather understated design. There are a huge amount of PSP Limited Edition consoles to choose from, but this one, in our opinion, just looks the business without being too garishly coloured or overly decorated.
The back of the console features an image of God of War’s protagonist, Kratos, in white, which stands out brilliantly against the blood red colour of the console itself. It’s a really good example of less is more, and the console’s overall colour gives it a great contrast to the glossy black look of a standard edition PSP.
Bandai WonderSwan – Digimon Console Special Package
- Release Date: 2000
- Release Country: Japan
- Quantity Produced: 10,000 – 50,000
- Where To Buy: eBay
Bandai’s WonderSwan console was designed by ex-Nintendo inventor Gunpei Yokoi, who was also responsible for the creation of the Game & Watch, along with the Game Boy and Virtual Boy (as well as producing the initial Metroid and Kid Icarus games) shortly before his untimely passing in 1997. Considering its slightly odd timing, being a black and white console that launched five months after the Game Boy Color was released (with the black and white Game Boy having lasted for around a decade, even its fans were ready to move on!), it had excellent publisher support, a great range of games, and positioned itself as a cheaper alternative to its competition when it launched in 1999, though a WonderSwan Color was launched rather swiftly, late in the year 2000.
Despite its somewhat short shelf life, there were a huge number of models released for Bandai’s little console. At launch alone, there were nine different colour choices available if you wanted a WonderSwan!
So it’s no surprise that we’re featuring a WonderSwan console on this list; the only dilemma is, which to choose? Well, as long term fans of Bandai’s Digimon virtual pets, we’ve gone for the translucent orange Digimon Console, which came in a Special Package, bundled with the Digital Monster Ver. WonderSwan cartridge.
It’s a cute console, and the addition of the Digimon cartridge really made a difference; especially as, thanks to a nifty connector included with the game, it can actually connect to the original Digimon devices to battle them cross platform!
Nintendo Game Boy Color – Pokemon Edition
- Release Date: 1999
- Release Country: USA
- Quantity Produced: 100,000+
- Where To Buy: eBay
Arriving in the 90s, Pokemon is a phenomenon that’s never really gone away. Though it’s never quite reached the heights of Pokemon fever at its peak, shortly after it headed to Western shores for the first time, the video games, trading card game, anime and other tie-in products continue to keep fans engaged worldwide to this day.
Of course, there have been numerous versions of Nintendo console featuring Pokemon; we’ve already featured a few on this very list! Given that the first Pokemon game debuted on Nintendo’s Game Boy handheld, however, it seems only fitting to feature a Game Boy with a Pokemon design!
Just like the GBA SP and 3DS, there’s more than one design featuring Pokemon, but we’ve opted for the console that was bundled with Pokemon Yellow, the special edition of the first game that allowed you to have Pikachu following you around as you played! This was an interesting addition, spurred into being by the popularity of Pikachu in the animated series.
The console itself has a yellow front and a blue back, with a blue dpad, along with one green and one red button. It’s a lovely colour scheme, but there’s also the addition of numerous Pokemon around the screen bezel: Pikachu, Togepi and Jigglypuff. Additionally, the power light is surrounded by a Pokeball design, which lights up when you turn the console on.
Though it wasn’t exactly limited in quantity when first released, these remain highly sought after versions of the Game Boy Color, thanks to the aforementioned, continuing popularity of Pokemon!
PS5 – Spider-Man 2 Limited Edition
- Release Date: September, 2023
- Release Country: EU & USA
- Quantity Produced: 10,000 – 50,000
- Where To Buy: eBay
Sony’s exclusive Spider-Man game was released on the PS4 to massive critical and commercial success in 2018. A brilliantly designed, third person action adventure taking place across a detailed, open world area of New York, it didn’t stick to any pre-existing Spidey continuity, with a stunning narrative that featured, arguably, the best Doctor Octopus story arc in any medium, dialling up the tragedy leading to the creation of a supervillain, with a highly sympathetic performance by actor William Salyers.
Though it had its own Limited Edition console, it was good, but not essential in our opinion. However, when it came to the sequel, Spider-Man 2, the design team really knocked it out of the park!
The Spider-Man 2 PS5 console features a design inspired by the game’s symbiote suit, with the black ooze making its way insidiously towards the white Spider-Man logo on the outer case. The red and black colouring continues around the console, and the same aesthetic carries over to the console, which has white buttons that really stand out against the black, symbiotic goo.
