As a seasoned data analyst and lifetime Nintendo fan, I‘m delighted to walk you through the top 5 most expensive Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games ever publicly sold.
In this guide tailored for new and expert collectors alike, you‘ll discover what cartridges now trade for Lamborghini-money 5-6 figures. Plus insider tips on spotting valuable games, decoding mystifying auction listings, and sensible strategies to start your own Nintendo collection without breaking the bank!
Shall we take a nostalgic stroll through gaming history? I‘ll also answer common questions you may have at the end.
#1 – Super Mario Bros. at $2 Million
Kicking off the list we have the one and only Super Mario Bros. shattering records as the most expensive video game ever sold at a cool $2 million.
Surprised? As one of the top selling games of all time with over 40 million copies sold, Super Mario Bros. revolutionized the industry.
So what transformed this ubiquitous title often bundled with NES consoles into a multi-million dollar collectible?
- Mint Condition – Still sealed in plastic with rare sticker seal since 1985 release. Graded Near Perfect 9.8 A++ by WATA Games.
- Special Origin Story – Part of a limited 1985 test market launch in NYC and LA before wider distribution.
- Supreme Pop Culture Signficance – Mario ushered Nintendo‘s global 1980s takeover. Series mascot remains influential 36 years later.
As Heritage Auctions, the sale broker proclaimed:
"This is similar to seeking the earliest known comic book in private hands or the found masterpiece film reels of a classic movie. It‘s an artifact of historic cultural relevance."
Owning this copy comes closest to preserving an intact relic from gaming‘s seminal beginnings like catching lightning in a bottle.
Got an old Super Mario or Nintendo game buried in your closet? Here‘s a quick peek at approximate selling prices for popular NES loose cartridges in excellent condition:
- Super Mario Bros – $7500
- Legend of Zelda – $50
- Metroid – $20
- Contra – $100
Of course only sealed, graded copies like this once-in-a-lifetime variant have achieved such stratospheric winning bids.
Let‘s see what other Nintendo holy grails collectors covet…
#2 Little Samson – $140,000 Loose, $300,000 Sealed
Claiming the #2 spot, Little Samson was a late 1992 NES platformer release that has became one of most sought after Nintendo rarities.
Reviewing critic commentary, Little Samson earns acclaim for:
- Vibrant sprite-based visuals
- Addictive gameplay variety across 4 playable characters
- Creative world themes like imperial China and haunted shipwreck
- Killer chiptune soundtrack
So why did this gem fly under the radar in 1992?
- Late Life Cycle Release – Debuted after Super Nintendo, Genesis, Game Boy seized market share
- Limited Stock – Low print run with scarce unsold retailer inventory
- Minimal Marketing – No rollout fanfare or nostalgia for unknown new IP
Yet renewed interest from game historians and collectors has made even loose Little Samson cartridges treasured centerpieces for advanced Nintendo collections.
Sealed copies of Little Samson are practically unheard of. But one alleged mint boxed example recently changed hands in a private $300,000 transaction. And loose Little Samson cartridges typically auction between $140,000 – $155,000 depending on wear, label condition and included materials like manuals.
#3 Nintendo Campus Challenge 1991 – $20,100
Next we have the astonishing tale of the Nintendo Campus Challenge cartridge – valued at $20,100 yet likely priceless given its solo survivor story.
This custom compilation cartridge contained:
- Super Mario Bros 3 (Medal Minigame)
- PinBot (High Score Challenge)
- Dr. Mario (High Score Challenge)
Nintendo toured it in 1991 to college campuses nationwide for a Mario themed gaming tournament. Participants were graded on timed high score challenges across all 3 games.
Yet this rare promotional cartridge has one thing no other game on this list can claim. Only a single working copy is known to exist!
According to gaming urban legend, an ex-Nintendo employee rescued this lone cart from the garbage bin after Nintendo supposedly trashed all other copies.
Avid collector J.J. Hendricks ultimately purchased the wayward cartridge in 2006 for $15,000 at a garage sale of all places! He then sold it just months later on eBay for $20,100 leading to it‘s current holder.
Given no Campus Challenge edition has resurfaced at auction since, we can only speculate whether it would hammer for double or triple that amount today!
#4 1990 Nintendo World Championships [Gold Edition] – $140,000
Delving deeper into gaming event history, we uncover the 1990 Nintendo World Championships attended by thousands nationwide.
Nintendo created special gray competition cartridges that only exist in 90 known copies – the tournament standard.
However, collectors generally agree that the rarer gold variant (26 made) symbolizes peak Nintendo memorabilia not only for extreme scarcity, but commemorating a landmark fan event.
The gray carts still fetch 5 figures regularly, but this CIB (complete in box) 1990 Nintendo World Championships gold edition is in a class of its own having last traded hands privately for $140,000.
#5 Stadium Events – $45,000 Loose, $78,000 Sealed
Finally, rounding out the top 5 we shine a spotlight on the erroneous early release Stadium Events. Later rebranded and reprinted as World Class Track Meet.
Why does this otherwise pedestrian fitness game warrant such astronomical spending? A strange tale indeed…
- Misjudged Demand – Publisher Bandai far overestimated appeal of exercise game software
- Botched Rollout – Stock abruptly stranded after Nintendo revoked Bandai‘s NES publishing license
- Extreme Rarity – Mere 200 sealed copies survived out of paltry 4000 unit total run
Stadium Events thus entered gaming lore through its slipshod distribution channel alone rather than any revolutionary gameplay mechanics. Copies only exist thanks to an obscure last-ditch puppet publisher briefly reissuing it before abruptly folding.
While $45,000 for loose cartridges is no small change, a recent graded sealed example broke $78,000 at Heritage Auctions in October 2021!
Price Chart Summary
Reviewing our top 5 countdown below, Super Mario Bros demands exception as both the undisputed popularity king yet ironically rarest variant carrying a $2 million badge of certification.
Meanwhile early 1990s obscurities like Little Samson and Stadium Events accrue value from miniscule circulation numbers rather than landmark software innovations. See the spectrum of genres, critical reception and sale stats:
| Game | Genre | Year | Copies | Price Loose | Price Sealed | WATA Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros | Platformer | 1985 | 40M+ | $7,500 | $2M | 9.8 A++ |
| Little Samson | Platformer | 1992 | <5K | $140K | $300K | Unknown |
| Nintendo Campus Challenge | Promo Compilation | 1991 | 1 | $20K | $20K | None |
| 1990 NWC Gold Edition | Competition Cartridge | 1990 | 26 | $12K | $140K | 6.05 A |
| Stadium Events | Fitness | 1987 | <4K | $45K | $78K | 9.4 A+ |
Evaluating each game through multiple lenses like critical analysis, comparative rarity metrics, historical scrutiny and community reception yields an empirical methodology for valuing nostalgic Nintendo artifacts. This eliminates, or at least severely reduces, biases that can creep into appraising pop culture relics.
Now that you can better differentiate the premier games commanding 7-figure price tags, let‘s shift to pragmatic tactics for bargain-hunting diamonds in the rough.
Buying Advice for Entry Level Collectors
As thrilling as discovering a $50,000 Nintendo fortune moldering your attic might seem…that‘s basically lottery odds!
Far better odds come from applying due diligence in scouring seller credentials, validating authenticity and matching prices to reported fair market ranges.
Here are my top tips for wisely acquiring Nintendo without breaking your piggy bank:
Learn Spotting Counterfeits
Fake cartridges and reproduction packaging flood the collectibles trade. Study proper Nintendo font kerning, plastic mold numbers, motherboard chips until second nature.
Search Seller Ratings & Check References
Buying old games means scammers and speculators flourish. Demand evidence of authenticity plus check third party references on larger deals.
Match FMV Range Carefully
Review price charting sites religiously when buying anything beyond common titles. But also weigh conditions differences on a case-by-case basis.
Only Buy Certified/Graded When Possible
For treasured items over $500+, bite the grading cost bullet to ensure legitimate condition ratings.
Use Buyer Protection Payment Methods
Never pay final bids via risky cash transfer apps or crypto with zero fraud recourse. Chargebacks offer insurance cards, checks and wire transfers lack.
To Invest or Play? Making the Most of Your Nintendo Collection
As a closing thought experiment, what do you plan on actually doing with these iconic 80‘s relics should you acquire some?
To Play or Display?
Finding an aging NES that still boots up RARE games without destroying pin connectors poses a challenge unto itself now!
Perhaps focus instead on securely exhibiting your high value cartridges behind protective acrylic cases as art.
To Resell for Profit?
By now you‘ve gathered that buying & selling Nintendo rarities resembles trading blue chip stocks. Notching ~50% annual returns means watching markets hawk-eyed.
For Bragging Rights?
Fair enough! Even long hidden away in safe deposit boxes, ultra-limited Nintendo grails carry formidable clout in collector circles. Just beware directly handling them!
For Future Generations?
A philanthropic notion indeed! But will Gen Z grandchildren share our Super Mario reverence, or dismiss 8-bit pixels as Pong-level archaic?
Maybe a little of each motivation applies to you as it does for me. As long as we steward these fragile time capsules with care as the artifacts they‘ve become.
FAQs
Got lingering questions about collecting or preserving Nintendo games? Here I tackle some frequent head scratchers:
Q: What are "reproduction" games?
A: Bootleg copies using either:
- Salvaged legitimate cartridges flashed with rare game data.
- Counterfeit shells & boards with copied game code.
Check for flat logos, misaligned labels and plastic mold #’s to spot fakes!
Q: Why does condition matter so much?
A: Sealed + pristine equals exponentially higher quality rarity. Boxes & instructions deteriorated easily from playwear, sun fading, moisture, insects etc. Surviving 30+ years untouched becomes more implausible annually.
Q: Is buying old Nintendo games a good investment?
A: In theory yes – examples like Super Mario, Zelda enjoy lasting cultural clout driving future demand more so than tech specs or reviews. But speculation fueled bubbles burstingdoes happen!
Q: Will kids today care about these old games?
A: Debatable. Certainly later generations experience no first-hand nostalgia like us 80‘s babies! And limitations of the tech makes for painfully sluggish, simplistic play by 2023 standards. Still, landmark early Mario/Zelda/Pokemon retain some retro appeal.
Q: What are your top game picks under $500?
A: I advise loose carts in excellent shape of DuckTales, Chip N‘ Dale Rescue Rangers or TMNT Arcade port for playable fun under $30. Budget up to $150 for iconic first entries like Mario, Zelda or Metroid.
And there you have it friends! Let me know if you have any other burning questions. Wishing you the best of luck discovering your own Nintendo jackpot treasures. Just promise to share photos here when you do!
