Nintendo has been a staple of the video game industry for decades, releasing a number of different consoles that people love. Many Nintendo first-party titles have shaped the eras in which they released, and enabled their systems to be standouts of their console generations. But not every system from the company is built the same, or viewed in the same light by collectors who love to gather rare and valuable Nintendo collectibles. Some of the most coveted prizes among Nintendo fans have been console variants that are incredibly hard to find, and incredibly expensive to buy, for many reasons. They're not the average video game consoles that your typical gamer would be able to buy.

But what are some of the rarest Nintendo consoles to ever get made and released? Some of the popular systems with the most beloved games on the market often have variations on their colors and internal builds, but not many of them are built to be special units. Whether it's the materials used to make them or the little changes that make them unique for Nintendo fans, these systems are trophy additions to anyone's collection. Here are 3 of the rarest Nintendo systems ever made, not including any unreleased prototypes.

Related

The Nintendo DS had some very rare games that most people will never get to own. Here are some of the rarest DS games around!