One of the highest-selling video game systems of all time, the Nintendo Wii revolutionized motion-controlled gaming for a mainstream audience. It was also home to some generation-defining titles that still stand tall among the greatest in Nintendo’s storied history.

Between all of these comes titles that are still massively hard to find. If you’re a stickler for an authentic experience and want the original versions of some of these games, you’re gonna have to shell out quite a bit of money to get them. Here are 12 of the rarest and most valuable Wii games that’ll cost you a pretty penny to get.

Nintendo’s first jump into the world of 3D gaming, the Nintendo 64 had its share of issues in the transition. Nevertheless, it was home to some of the most revolutionary games of all time, like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which changed the way we think about gaming.

What it also has is a fine share of some extremely rare and expensive titles. Even more so than the rarest games on other Nintendo platforms, acquiring copies of these games in any capacity — new or used — will take a massive amount of funds out of your wallet. Here are 12 of the rarest and most expensive Nintendo 64 games that will set you back a few bucks to get.

DOOM is one of the most iconic and long-running first-person shooter franchises of all time. The brainchild of iconic FPS developer id Software, DOOM took the essence of id’s previous franchise, Wolfenstein, and pushed it even further, serving as one of the most important titles in gaming history. Not only did this lead to a massive, lucrative franchise, but the series has continued to grow and enthrall audiences with successive titles.

Incredibly, the franchise is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary this December. It’s amazing to see it’s lasted this long and, through all the ups and downs, remained one of gaming’s most venerable shooter franchises. Let’s take a look at DOOM’s biggest titles and rank them from worst to best.

2023 has been a phenomenal year for video games. It feels like exciting releases have been aplenty this year, with fantastic new games at almost every corner. Thanks to titles like the Resident Evil 4 Remake, Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy XVI, Diablo IV, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, gamers have been treated like royalty across the first six months of the year.

But would you believe it if you were told that a year like 2023 could get even bigger? The second half of the year feels just as loaded (if not even more so) than what the first half offered up, and there’s gonna be plenty to put your money toward as we approach the Holiday season. Here are 12 upcoming games that we’re heavily anticipating across the rest of 2023.

Since the release of Titanfall 2 in 2016, fans have long clamored for a new mainline entry in the franchise. While Apex Legends has filled the gap as a new title within the same universe, fan demand for a proper Titanfall 3 has not quieted down. It appears one designer on the Titanfall series has offered some heartbreaking news regarding this highly requested sequel.

Mohammed Alavi, a former developer at Respawn, sat down for a video interview with YouTube channel THE BURNETTWORK, where the topic of canceled projects came up in discussion. Among the many things they discussed was Titanfall 3, which was apparently in development for nearly a year before Respawn pulled the plug.

Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield has been by far Xbox’s most hyped upcoming first-party title, and excitement has started to reach a fever pitch as its long-awaited release on Sept. 6 finally draws near. That excitement has been so strong that Microsoft, who has naturally given top billing to Bethesda’s first new IP in over 25 years, is prepping some tie-in merchandise.

Ahead of the combined Xbox Games Showcase + Starfield Direct on June 11, the presence of a limited edition Starfield Xbox controller has been leaked heavily by numerous sources. While initially presumed to be fake, images of this controller have begun making the rounds all over social media. Notably, Reddit user Krunkburrito has taken to the Starfield subreddit to post some close-up images of this slick new controller: 

Have you ever wondered where in the world Sam Fisher is? It’s been a decade since the last Splinter Cell game, and the patience of fans is reasonably wearing thin. Where in the world is he? Well, playing with his new Apple Vision Pro, it seems.

Apple’s recent announcement of the VR/AR-mixed headset has obviously set off a wave of memes. From its unique goggle-like design to its massive price ($3,500, are you kidding?!), social media has been ripe with unique reactions. It appears video game companies are getting in on the fun too, as Ubisoft’s UK Twitter page tweeted their own image of Splinter Cell star Sam Fisher wearing an Apple Vision Pro over his typical goggles:

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom took a long time to arrive, but the wait is finally over. Gamers can finally return to the land of Hyrule in what may be the franchise’s largest entry yet. It’s sure to be one of the year’s biggest games, and it may even have several Game of the Year awards already locked up.

What it also has, of course, is memes. No piece of media is safe from the Internet’s memetic ways, and with how popular the Zelda franchise is, it’s sure to rack up more than a few goofs and jests from online users. These are just 10 of the funniest Tears of the Kingdom memes we could find.

The PlayStation Vita was an… interesting system, to say the least. Essentially a PlayStation 3 on the go, the handheld device was part of Sony’s master plan to misread the market and believe that handheld titles need to be on the level of high-budget AAA console games. As a result, it turned out to be one of PlayStation’s biggest commercial failures, and it now lives firmly in the “what could’ve been” boat.

It was a funny little system, though, and these days, a lot of its appeal comes from the rediscovery of the platform’s forgotten titles. One Twitter user, @hvg_core, reminded the world of one of the Vita’s strangest games; they brought us back to 2014 and the world of PlayStation Vita Pets.

It’s amazing to think that Dead Island 2 is finally upon us. Having been announced in 2014, it’s changed hands three separate times but publisher Deep Silver never gave up on the game. Even though it was starting to look like a proper release would never happen, it’s finally here and has managed to escape from the depths of “development hell”. Regardless of the quality of the final release, Deep Silver and Dambuster Studios deserve commendation for seeing it through to the finish line with this project.

Many games simply never get to that finish line. Some linger in development hell, only being brought up rarely in conversations as some kind of myth or urban legend of gaming. It’s always a joy to see games escape from this, though, even if the final product isn’t everything it could’ve been. Here are 10 games that we would like to see follow in Dead Island 2’s footsteps and push past development hell.

The Steam Spring Sale is upon us. It’s the perfect time for gamers to grab some titles that have been sitting in their backlogs for hot low prices. There are plenty of games to pick from in this sale, and with it only lasting until March 23, it may be tough to find the best games.

Thankfully for you, we’re here to help. We’ve compiled a list of some of the biggest and best available titles in the sale that are worth your time and money. With so many offerings, we’re sure we missed a few. You can let us know what you grabbed in the comments below. Now, here are just ten of the best available games worth picking up from the Steam Spring Sale.

One of the most unique franchises in Sony’s classic lineage is Sly Cooper. A platformer from the team at Sucker Punch Productions, this game also incorporated stealth elements for what was a very fresh spin on a tried-and-true genre. While Sly Cooper has always played more to a niche than other PlayStation games, it did well enough to spawn a series that included four games.

That said, the thieving raccoon and his friends have been in stealth mode for quite some time now. The last entry in the franchise, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, meaning we haven’t received a new title in a decade. The series retains a passionate following (this writer included), and many still clamor for a return to the world of Sly Cooper. Let’s look through what’s been going on with Sly and friends in the time since.

The increasing prominence of social media has turned gaming into a true word-of-mouth medium. Where games have often relied on having support systems in place of fans who enjoyed a series/developer’s previous projects, titles of all kinds can blow up at any second with a passionate social media presence. Nowhere is this more prominent than in the world of game streaming.

Video game streamers, through the sheer strength of their personality, can spark a game to become a trend simply by playing it and showing the fun that can be had with it. And it doesn’t matter whether the game in question came out yesterday, or has been played for over 30 years; if it can appear enticing enough, gamers will jump at the opportunity to try it out themselves. These are just 10 of the many games that saw a jump in popularity thanks to streamers.

Another one bites the dust in a year of live-service shutdowns. Smilegate’s CrossfireX, a game released a little less than a year ago, will end all support by the middle of May and will become little more than a figment of our imaginations.

As of right now, any sales on the Xbox Store have been halted, and no further content will be added to the game. Anyone who made any purchases within the last 14 days (as of Feb. 3) will be eligible to have them refunded, and the servers will go offline on May 18.

UPDATE 02/03/23: Microsoft has told IGN that yesterday’s announcement that the Xbox 360 Marketplace would close later this year was posted in error. A spokesperson said:

“This message was posted in error and we can confirm the Xbox 360 marketplace will not close in May 2023. As a reminder, beginning on February 7, 2023, a limited set of games, add-ons, and in-game content will no longer be purchasable in select markets via the Xbox 360 Store.”

To kick off 2023, Ubisoft has just announced that Valiant Hearts: Coming Home, a mobile sequel to 2014’s Valiant Hearts: The Great War, is available now on Netflix gaming.

The original title was an award darling in 2014 thanks in no small part to its emotional, war-based storytelling, and this sequel is sure to be no different. Set in World War I, Valiant Hearts: Coming Home will center around four heroes and the way they grow from and cope with the struggles of the war together.

Legendary actor Mark Hamill, acclaimed for his roles as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series and the Joker in Batman media, has recently indicated that he most likely won’t be returning to voice the Clown Prince in future Batman media.

This comes courtesy of an interview with Empire Magazine, where Hamill noted that the recent passing of Batman actor Kevin Conroy has shaped his decision to leave the character. The two were an almost inseparable pair, and Hamill would only ever return to play the Joker if Conroy was back as Batman.

Better Call Saul saw the release of its final season in 2022, and it was a massive hit. Considered to be a crown jewel of television, this final entry in the show has already been seen as one of the greatest things TV has had to offer. With such an overwhelmingly positive reception comes awards, and Better Call Saul was expected to lead the way when it came to award wins. It would appear, in that case, as though someone is pulling a pretty sick practical joke on the show.

The series had already won zero Emmys throughout its six seasons, and was up for two awards at the Golden Globes; Best Drama Series and Best TV Actor for Bob Odenkirk. With the show walking away empty-handed, this means that it has been nominated for six Golden Globes and 46 Emmys since its premiere in 2015… and yet, it’s won zero.

Let’s not sugarcoat things; 2022 was a difficult year for Xbox. With only a hand full of first-party titles, a lack of big new game announcements, and major drama caused by an attempted acquisition, the past year has felt more like a soap opera for the creators of the Xbox. Sure, Game Pass continues to be an incredible option for players, but it’s a big ask to expect players to continue paying monthly for it if Microsoft isn’t putting out its own high-quality content on the service.

The good news in all of this, though, is that it’s a new year, and there’s plenty of time to turn the page toward a new chapter. The best option for Xbox would be to have short memory, forget about the slow progress of 2022, and make 2023 an enticing year for Xbox Series X|S owners. To that end, we’ve come up with some New Year’s resolutions Microsoft can commit to that’ll help make 2023 a big one. Let’s jump in!

It’s been a long, agonizing 13-year wait. It was starting to feel like we’d never see the light at the end of the tunnel. These words feel surreal to type out; Avatar: The Way of Water is a reality. The world can finally experience James Cameron’s long-delayed sci-fi epic on the big screen. Initially aimed at a 2014 release, it took eight extra years to finally hit the multiplex, but it’s ready to ride.

The film also arrives amidst an enormous amount of pressure, especially compared to the original. 2009’s Avatar bucked expectations of being a commercial disappointment by becoming the highest-grossing film of all time, surpassing even Cameron’s iconic 1997 classic Titanic. Even so, its popularity hasn’t precluded it from being a massively polarizing film. It’s not uncommon to hear some audiences noting that they can’t remember anything about the movie.