If there is one thing that has made Nintendo successful in the early years, it was their pack-in strategy.  Back in the day, they made some incredibly strange choices for promotions — just look at All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. This eventually extended to consoles themselves creating options that promoted their biggest titles of even just other companies.

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Nintendo has managed to make some incredible console variations that any collector would be happy to get their hands on. Unfortunately for western fans, many of them have remained exclusive to Japan for their initial releases, making them difficult to find.

10 ANA N64 

The ANA N64 console

This N64 came bundled with a special logo on the front along with Pokemon Stadium and Hey You Pikachu. ANA, or All Nippon Airways, is a Japanese airline service. These were commissioned with Nintendo and were given away randomly to passengers on flights. It is estimated that somewhere between 1000 and 5000 were made. However, only 99 seemed to have been given away. 

9 Backstreet Boys Game Boy 

The Backstreet Boys Game Boy console

This was commissioned for a radio network in Japan that was promoting the Backstreets Boys’ tour in Japan. There’s nothing truly remarkable about this old-school Game Boy other than their name on it. However, as only fifty at most were made, it's quite the collectible. As an interesting aside, these boys never got a Game Boy game but their rivals sure did on Game Boy Color with NSYNC: Get to the Show

8 Char GameCube

The Char GameCube console

This is a huge package for Gundam fans. The red GameCube and Zeon faceplate are a great homage to the Red Comet aka Char. Even the controller is themed with it.

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Not only that but this bundle came with his mobile suit, the Zaku II. It is easy to see why this never left Japan as most Gundam-themed consoles rarely do. 

7 Metal Gear GameCube

The Metal Gear Solid GameCube console

This silver GameCube was made in celebration of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Shakes hitting the console. It has a Foxhound faceplate and it came with the game too. Perhaps the most interesting inclusion in this bundle is a disc containing the first Metal Gear. This would not be the first disc-based port of that game though as Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence also got it and Metal Gear 2

6 Kingdom Hearts GBA SP

The Kingdom Hearts GBA SP console

This was made in celebration of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories launching in Japan. The silver GBA SP has a logo stamped on the top and came with the game as well. Nintendo and Square Enix have always been good about bundles in Japan. It’s just unfortunate that many of these remain exclusive. As for the game itself, it’s underrated in the series for just the pixel-perfect sprite work alone. 

5 Battle Royal GBA SP

The Battle Royal GBA SP console

Like the Backstreet Boys Game Boy, this bundle is quite strange. Even though this handheld has the Battle Royal logo stamped on it, this was not commissioned for the release of the first film. It instead probably came out in 2003 since that’s when the GBA SP line launched on top of the sequel film debuting in theaters. This bundle doesn’t seem to have come with anything other than the system itself. 

4 Game Boy Micro Mother 3

The Game Boy Micro Mother 3 console

Not only did this Game Boy Micro not come out in North America, but this game also didn’t either. Mother 3 is one of the most sought-after games in Nintendo’s library that Western fans have been craving an official translation for since it launched in 2006. As for the system itself, it’s nothing flashy but it does look nice. These Game Boy Micro handhelds in general were underrated when they came out, which saw them see a very limited run. 

3 Pepsi DS

The Pepsi DS console

Japan is crazy for Pepsi. Besides this DS collaboration, let’s not forget the PS1 game that only released only in Japan, Pepsi Man. This bundle did not come with a weird game like that though. The DS was blue with a small Pepsi logo on it. It also came with headphones and a case which were more on brand than the console itself. This was a lottery prize through a Japanese contest and it’s estimated that only about a thousand were made at max. 

2 SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu: Goddess Of Destiny DSi

The SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu: Goddess Of Destiny DSi consol

This DSi bundle was themed around a remake. The game was a remake of Final Fantasy Legend II, or at least that’s what Western fans knew it as. 

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From the beginning of this Game Boy series, Japan always knew it as SaGa. History naming lessons aside, the system looks nice with the black on gold plus it came with the game. SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu: Goddess Of Destiny never released in the West although there is an English fan patch for it. 

1 One Piece Unlimited World Red 3DS XL

The One Piece 3DS XL console

Gold on black always looks nice but so does red on black as this One Piece console proves. Japan is lousy with various Nintendo and PlayStation bundles tied to the anime that never seem to release over here. On the plus side, the game at least in this instance did come over. In terms of the console variation, this 3DS XL might be the best if not one of the best the series has seen. The bundle comes with the game along with some costume DLC. 

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