8 special editions that are actually special

A quick look at the coolest swag-packed bundles of holiday 2011

Words: Matt_Cabral on October 19, 2011

Lord of the Rings: War in the North Collector’s Edition

As proven by their need to purchase every single version of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy pressed to a shiny disc, Tolkien’s fans are pretty damn passionate. With these Middle-earth-loving consumers in mind, Warner Bros. Interactive has put together a loot-filled bundle for their upcoming Lord of the Rings: War in the North release. The $129.99 set, which includes an art book, an extensive look – and listen – at the title’s music, console-specific in-game items, and a Ranger of the North quiver case, just may be the one collector’s edition to rule them all.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Special Edition

The latest Zelda’s special edition may not come with fancy toys, art books, or a replica Ocarina, but we’ll be damned if that gold Wii Remote doesn‘t strike a nostalgic nerve. A cool nod to the classic golden cartridge NES gamers coveted in the mid-eighties, this eye-pleasing peripheral’s just too pretty to cover with a protective sleeve. That said, we’re a bit paranoid about our sweaty thumbs wearing off the Skyward Sword symbol while we slice up Stalfos Knights. We may just have to ogle the remote adoringly from a distance while listening to the included soundtrack CD.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Ultimate Edition

Anyone still admiring their Harlequin jack-in-the-box from last year’s Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Collector’s Edition might be wondering what kind of exclusive extras Ezio’s got tucked into his robes for Revelations. While Ubisoft’s sticking with all-digital extras for the Assassin’s trilogy-capper, GameStop customers can score a cooler (but pricier, at $100) version. Packing all the same downloadable bonuses as Ubi’s Signature entry, the retailer’s Ultimate Editionalso contains an Ezio action figure as well as a mini-replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine.

Saints Row The Third: Platinum Pack

Given the obscenely over-the-top nature of the Saints Row series, you might expect its $100 Platinum Edition to come packaged with a purple dildo. Sorry, folks, instead of including something you’d have to hide from your children, THQ’s taken a more practical route: in addition to some exclusive Stillwater-terrorizing in-game goodies, the set contains a sweet pair of gaming headphones that allow players to disguise their voices as the game’s crazier characters. (OK, so that feature may not actually be so practical.)

Oct 19, 2011

Gears of War 3 review
An epic conclusion in (almost) every way

Batman: Arkham City review
How do you improve on the best superhero game of all time? Like this

63 amazing things we saw and did in Skyrim
Screw the story – we want to explore

Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii

32 comments

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Squander - November 7, 2011 2:53 p.m.

really miss the Sonic Generations special edition here!
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Yeager1122 - October 20, 2011 10:14 p.m.

Never bought a collectors edition andd never will to expensive although ill be damned if i said i didnt want those statues,
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AshLynx - October 20, 2011 4:21 p.m.

I thank you for this article! Seeing how I didn't already have a Wiimotion + remote or add on, finding out about this was my solution! And I get an awesome Zelda themed golden remote out of it too, for only $20 more, yay!
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MetroidPrimeRib - October 20, 2011 1:07 p.m.

Haha, Skyrim for the 360
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jackthemenace - October 20, 2011 12:53 p.m.

For me, just adding in an action figure or statue doesn't make the extra £30. For me, it has to MEAN something- That's why I loved getting the £60 limited edition Gears instead of the £100 version with the statue. The Octus Medal Feels like it REPRESENTS something, instead of just some rock shaped like a chacratcer- The LOTR: War in the North seems to be pretty sweet if they're sperarate arrows, and not just a statue, but stuff like Skyrim's limited edition charge an extra £30 for something that's not even that amazing :/
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miguel3638 - October 20, 2011 12:22 p.m.

Best Special Edition version of a game i have ever bought would have to be for GTAIV. Common a duffel bag,a key chain,a art book a CD soundtrack, and a working lockable deposit box to hide things...nuff said.
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Bawheidbob - October 20, 2011 11:25 a.m.

I wont lie if i had the money i would buy all of these but i don't so i wont.
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MyCoolWhiteLies - October 20, 2011 9:08 a.m.

I wish they would keep doing special editions in the $70-80 range. I just have no use or space for the larger collectibles that push some of these prices to the $100+ range.
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DHokat - October 20, 2011 8:38 a.m.

What about borderlands 2 which is taking suggestions for the special edition?
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egregious - October 20, 2011 7:40 a.m.

I have Skyward Sword preordered but the one that just comes with the music CD and not the Wii remote. It looks nice but I don't need it. Skyrim's is pretty neat, too.
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bamb0o-stick - October 20, 2011 6:53 a.m.

I heard from a friend that the Uncharted statue is actually the same weight as the idol in the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark. For those who haven't seen the movie, the reason why that is clever is because Indiana Jones needed to swap the idol with a bag of equal weight to get it without tripping the pressure plate. Can anyone confirm this?
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litaljohn - October 20, 2011 9:29 a.m.

..... how in the hell would anyone be able to make the claim stick? the weight was never specified and has only been guesstimated. Further more we don't know the entire makeup of the idol, (could simply be gold plated stone or ceramic) and so at best estimates would have to come from the counterweight sand indy uses. And we all know what happens next so we know that guessed weight to be wrong. so no, your friend is an idiot. without having an exact weight it is impossible for anything to claim it is identical in weight.
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Shadow Of Death - October 20, 2011 5:57 a.m.

Damn, I really want all of these. I already have the Skyrim one pre-ordered for the PC...I'm hoping that the Arkham City one has a PC version for North America (the last bit made it sound like the PC Special Edition wasn't available in Australia, but still available in NA). If not, then I'll just get the regular edition on Steam (20% discount for owning a related title).
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ultimatepunchrod - October 20, 2011 5:10 a.m.

I have the uncharted collector's edition pre-ordered.thanks for helping me assuage my buyer's guilt.
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potpan0 - October 20, 2011 3:59 a.m.

Fallout: New Vegas had the best special edition I've bought. It had a poker chip for each casino, a pack of cards with a character on each one, a prelude comic, and a making of dvd.
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inkyspot - October 20, 2011 2:39 a.m.

Really wanted the batman one, but decided not to, because it was in black and white. The GOW statue looks cool too, but the price is too much. I wouldv'e bought the Uncharted, but No PS3 at the moment. Oh well.
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Hobogonigal - October 20, 2011 2:09 a.m.

The Aussie version of the Saints Row 3 Smooth Criminal Edition at EB is much cooler. I mean an ice tray for bullet-shaped ice cubes, saints row cuff-links, sunglasses, soundtrack and DLC. The Quiver in the LOTR edition looks cool as well.
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CitizenWolfie - October 20, 2011 12:55 a.m.

I really, REALLY want that Arkham City one. Even if the case is crappy like the collector's edition of Arkham Asylum. And I want the Uncharted one. And the Assassin's Creed one. And Zelda. FML.
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Fuzunga - October 19, 2011 10:11 p.m.

The Zelda CD is not the soundtrack (though I wish it was). It's a collection of music recorded from the upcoming concert tour.
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Elitepwnsface - October 19, 2011 9:57 p.m.

Really the only one worth getting is the skyward sword. Just because its cheaper than buying the game and a wiimote plus separate. I found after buying a few collectors edition games, that it wasnt worth it. Hate clutter, and the Halo Legendary edition opened my eyes to the amount of clutter that can be built.
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