The 15 most bizarre collector's editions in video game history
From adult diapers to space trips to refrigerators: These are the most bizarre video game collector's editions of all time.
Humans share 86 percent of their DNA with magpies. Please don't fact-check this. Regardless: one of the character traits that connects us to the hoarding bird is the urge to accumulate useless junk. The video game industry knows this too, having reliably supplied us with Special, Collector's, and Limited Editions of their games for decades.
Standard equipment includes an art book, the soundtrack, maybe a statue or a cloth map. Occasionally, however, the marketing team gets a free pass, a transparent minigrip bag with white powder inside, and the fateful assurance that there are no bad ideas.
Here are some of the best, dumbest, and most expensive results that this approach has produced.
«Elemental Gearbolt Assassin’s Case»
Well-informed RPG nerds know the publisher Working Designs as the makers behind the lovingly crafted US versions of «Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete» and «Arc the Lad Collection». These are also worth a fair amount of money these days. However, compared to the «Assassin’s Case» for «Elemental Gearbolt», which trades on the collector's market for around 25,000 Swiss francs, they are a bargain.
The briefcase was never for sale: Working Designs raffled off the approximately 40 copies at E3 in 1998. Inside are a gold-plated Guncon light gun, a memory card, the game, and a cover letter from the publisher – today, effectively a certificate that you have too much money.
«Biohazard 5th Anniversary Special Package»
Speaking of briefcases: the object of desire for many «Resi» fans is likely the «Biohazard 5th Anniversary Special Package». It contains all main installments of «Resident Evil» released up to 2001, the DVD «Wesker’s Report», on which Albert Wesker recaps the story so far from his perspective, and plenty of franchise swag like dog tags, keychains, and a silver ring. The case was released exclusively in Japan and is limited to 10,000 pieces.
«Dead Island Riptide Zombie Bait Edition»
Speaking of survival horror: what’s cooler than a bikini statue? A blood-soaked bikini statue missing its head and limbs. At least that’s what the freaks at Deep Silver thought, who included exactly that with the 2013 vacation zombie game. There are no nipples to be seen, but there is a bra in a Union Jack design, which, depending on your national background, is a greater affront than a few bare nipples.
Deep Silver publicly apologized for the torso before the release. It was shipped anyway.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Dark Edition
If you’re wondering which critter is rummaging through your kitchen trash night after night, the Dark Edition of «Call of Duty: Modern Warfare» (2019) might be able to help. It came with a functional night-vision device. According to Activision, the goggles provide about 20 meters of visibility in total darkness – enough to catch a brazen raccoon in the act. I named mine «Beissi» (Biter).
«Infamous: Second Son Condom Edition»
Technically not a Special Edition, but a pre-order bonus, yet stupid enough for this list. Anyone who pre-ordered «Infamous: Second Son» in 2014 at an Italian Gamestop branch received a pack of condoms and two cans of Red Bull. Grazie mille.
«Call of Duty: Black Ops III Juggernog Edition»
Don't know what to do with your two Red Bulls? No problem: the «Juggernog Edition» of «Call of Duty: Black Ops III», released in 2015, contained a functional mini-fridge with space for up to twelve drink cans, plus coasters in a Perk-a-Cola design. Given the shitstorm that the game's microtransactions later triggered, you would have been better served with beer or something stronger than the energy drink.
«Death Stranding Collector’s Edition»
«The best thing about ‹Death Stranding› was the crying baby», said no one ever. It’s cool, then, that the eye-catcher of the special edition is a life-sized BB pod – a decorative object that is guaranteed not to raise any awkward questions when you invite your date over to your apartment for the first time.
The transport case in which the brat was delivered is based on its in-game counterpart. Also included: barrier tape and a keychain with Ludens, the mascot of Kojima Productions. Fortunately, they decided against the urine grenades.
«Saints Row IV Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition»
In 2006, the development studio Volition took the «GTA» series as a model, turned all the «WTF?» knobs up to eleven, and created a tetralogy of highly entertaining open-world chaos simulators.
By the fourth part, the principle had worn off slightly, which is why attention had to be triggered elsewhere. Enter: Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition. For a cool million, it provided you with, among other things, a trip to space, a Lamborghini Gallardo, plastic surgery – as if you needed it, you sexy beast – and a plastic version of the Dubstep Gun.
The offer was limited to a single copy, but according to various sources, it still found no takers. Perhaps also because it wasn't a particularly good deal. The online portal Ars Technica calculated back then that all the services and products of the Wad Wad Edition were only worth about 630,000 dollars in total.
«Dying Light: My Apocalypse Edition»
Somewhat cheaper, namely about 275,000 Swiss francs, was the 2015 «My Apocalypse Edition» of «Dying Light». It didn't want to send you into space, but into the garden – into your own zombie-proof log cabin. A toilet was apparently not planned for the shack, as the package included, among other things, a pack of adult diapers.
«Dying Light: Spotlight Edition»
And «Dying Light» again: for a ridiculous ten million dollars, you could buy yourself an acting career in 2016. Or at least the stepping stone for one. The Spotlight Edition included a supporting role in the then-unannounced film adaptation of the game. Unsurprisingly, Techland was left sitting on the offer, and the film has yet to make it past the planning phase.
Too bad, perhaps the latest installment in the series would have been a bit better with the financial boost.
«Halo 3 Legendary Edition»
Besides Link’s green cap and Mario’s hat, Master Chief’s helmet is one of the most iconic headgears in gaming. A replica of it was part of the Legendary Edition of the shooter, which was released for the Xbox 360 in 2007. The collector’s item is well-crafted, serves as a stand for the discs, and, compared to other entries on this list, remained relatively affordable.
However, due to its size, you can at most put it on your cat. Which brings us to my «Halo» spin-off idea: «Meowster Chief». Microsoft, you have my number.
«Battlefield 1 Collector’s Edition»
Remember how Special Editions used to contain the game? It’s good that publishers have moved away from this unspeakable practice. Who wants the accompanying game with their merch?
We owe this consumer-friendly trend to the visionaries at EA, who prominently fueled it in 2016 with the Collector’s Edition of «Battlefield 1». The version was offered for 130 francs without the software, sold well anyway, and therefore still has imitators to this day. For example, the next entry.
«Borderlands 3 Diamond Loot Chest Collector’s Edition»
At the beginning of the year, I chose Claptrap as one of the most annoying side characters in gaming and took a bit of flak from the Digitec community for it. If you like the «Borderlands» mascot more than I do, you’ll probably also like the opulent Diamond Loot Chest that 2K Games gifted «Borderlands 3» in 2019.
The chest itself is based on the loot boxes from the game. Inside you’ll find ten character figurines, a plug-in model of the spaceship Sanctuary 3, four Vault Key keychains, a cloth map, and five character lithographs. The lid can be retracted, advertised as a storage place for your honey cashews that your greedy roommate is constantly eating.
«Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition»
With over 35 million units sold, «Fallout 4» is the most successful installment in the series. However, Bethesda’s concessions to accessibility also make the game the most controversial part, as many long-time fans felt the post-apocalypse party was too commercial. Even they had to grudgingly admit that the wearable Pip-Boy in the special edition is a pretty cool piece of plastic.
In combination with the companion app on your smartphone, the wristband becomes a second screen and allows you to manage your inventory and map without pausing the game. That was the idea, at least; colleague Phil vehemently disputes its functionality: «The Pip-Boy was absolutely terrible, impractical, and uncomfortable. Boooo!»
«Enemy Zero Crate Edition»
The Holy Grail. Exactly 20 copies of the «Enemy Zero» Limited Edition exist. They came in a wooden crate full of merchandise, cost the equivalent of around 2,000 Swiss francs, and were delivered personally by designer Kenji Eno (RIP). According to a Guinness entry, it is the most exclusive special edition of all time.
Inside was:
- The regular game (Special Edition variant)
- The complete outfit of the trade show hostesses from the Tokyo Game Show 1996: leather costume, gloves, hat, tights, badge with E0 logo, and earrings, designed by Yasushi Nirasawa
- A replica of protagonist Laura’s pistol from the game
- A model of an alien corpse, including body fluid (ew!)
- Original design documents from the developers
- A VHS cassette with music clips for the game
- A T-shirt and a towel with an embroidered E0 logo
- Flyer plus ticket for an «Enemy Zero» art exhibition
- Various press releases
- Floppy disks, envelopes, and paper bags
- A CD-R with a Sega Saturn stamp, the contents of which no one knows to this day
- A lock of hair from the Aargau Eurodance superstar DJ Bobo
Okay, I fibbed a little on the last entry, but even without the hair, the Crate Edition more than earned its record entry.
How much the crate is currently worth is hard to say. Pricecharting, the database for video game prices, has no record of it, and according to two different sources, it has been over 15 years since the «Enemy Zero Crate Edition» last appeared in an online auction house.
Check your basement. Maybe there’s one lying around there.
In the early 90s, my older brother gave me his NES with The Legend of Zelda on it. It was the start of an obsession that continues to this day.
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