I guess I don’t get the point of this post then. Rare games have always been expensive. Unwanted games are still cheap. Piracy and emulation are better than ever.
New 3DS XL/Wii U + custom firmware hacks, which are extremely easy these days if you follow the main guides, are the only way to play a collection for Nintendo.
Myrient for all other games for custom emulation / compilation.
Divorce yourself from the physical act of collecting. It is unrelated to the real joy IMO, each in is the preservation and play.
Where do I start for this rabbit hole? That sounds mind blowingly cool.