Games

Unveiling the Exceptionally Rare McDonald's Nintendo DSi

Discover the unique McDonald's branded Nintendo DSi variant that made a brief appearance in an online auction and was swiftly withdrawn.
Unveiling the Exceptionally Rare McDonald's Nintendo DSi

Highlights

  • A rare McDonald's themed Nintendo DSi and software were briefly featured in an online auction before being removed.
  • The McDonald's training version of the DSi includes a specialized game designed to train employees in cooking and serving through a simulator.
  • Despite efforts to retrieve and return the consoles, second-hand sales of this rare Nintendo DSi variant are prevalent, fetching prices exceeding $500 USD on platforms like eBay.

An exceedingly rare McDonald's-branded Nintendo DSi and accompanying software cartridge made a fleeting appearance on an online auction site before promptly vanishing. The Nintendo DS underwent various transformations over the years. Following the DS Lite, Nintendo launched an enhanced version named the Nintendo DSi, introducing new features like an SD card slot, downloadable software, and a camera to evolve beyond a mere gaming device.

Among the rare iterations of the Nintendo DSi are those that were never commercially available. In Japan, a specialized variant was utilized for training McDonald's staff, complete with distinctive branding. Distributed to Japanese McDonald's establishments in 2010, these units came with a unique game cartridge called eCrew Development Program, designed to educate new employees on cooking and serving procedures through a simulated McDonald's environment. The game also provided player profiles and performance metrics for managerial evaluation. Although most of these branded DSis were replaced by touch-screen tablets in 2018, some remain in circulation.

The most recent sighting of this elusive training device occurred via a Japanese thrift store called Hard-Off, which showcased the McDonald's Nintendo DSi along with the rare eCDP game cartridge on Twitter. However, the post was swiftly deleted upon contact from McDonald's, expressing disappointment at the device's presence in the second-hand market. Hard-Off issued a public apology on Twitter and confirmed the return of the console to McDonald's. "We will not be selling the training products. We are working towards returning the products to McDonald's Japan. We have no plans to disclose the details of the purchase as this is personal information," stated Hard-Off.

McDonald's Nintendo DSi: A Collector's Dream

Despite McDonald's efforts to halt the resale of this rare console, second-hand transactions persist, with eBay listings showcasing prices exceeding $500 USD for the console alone and nearly $2000 for the console bundled with the eCDP game cartridge. The production run of this system reportedly numbered only in the low thousands, rendering it one of the scarcest Nintendo DS versions. While still a rarity, the gaming community was introduced to this unique console through a YouTube documentary by Nick Robinson, who acquired the system and game for $3000. Gaming enthusiasts have even archived the game's ROM on platforms like the Internet Archive.

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