Before You Sell Old Nintendo Games, Check These 8 Titles

The old Nintendo cartridges in your closet are probably worth the price of a nice dinner at best. A handful of titles, though, have sold for sums that sound like typos.

Nintendo Wire’s July 2021 report, Over a dozen classic Nintendo games sold exceeding $100K each at auction, covers a vintage games event hosted by Heritage Auctions. Collectibles site cllct.com tracks the biggest video game sales as well. The prices below come from those two sources.

Here is the important part. Every figure is for a professionally graded copy, and in most cases a sealed one. A loose cartridge that has spent decades in a drawer sells for far less.

Super Mario 64 Sold Sealed For $1.56 Million

Nintendo Wire lists a Nintendo 64 copy of Super Mario 64 graded Wata 9.8 A++ that sold for $1,560,000, and describes it as sealed. Cllct.com lists the same price for a July 2021 Heritage Auctions sale.

It also lists another Wata 9.8 A++ copy that sold for $799,500 at Goldin in September 2021.

The Legend Of Zelda Hit $870,000 Sealed

The original NES Legend of Zelda in a Wata 9.0 A grade sold for $870,000, according to Nintendo Wire, which says the copy was sealed. Cllct.com lists the same price for a July 2021 sale at Heritage.

The site also lists a Wata 8.0 A copy that sold for $705,000 at Heritage in October 2021, and a Wata 9.2 B+ copy that sold for $600,000 at Goldin in February 2022.

Super Mario World Brought $360,000

A Super Nintendo copy of Super Mario World graded Wata 9.4 A+ sold for $360,000, per Nintendo Wire.

That makes it the third-highest sale in Nintendo Wire’s report, behind Super Mario 64 and Zelda.

Super Mario Bros. Sold For $228,000, And Other Copies Went Much Higher

Nintendo Wire lists an NES Super Mario Bros. graded Wata 9.0 A at $228,000. Cllct.com’s list shows higher grades going far beyond that, such as a Wata 9.6 A+ sealed copy that sold for $660,000 at Heritage in April 2021.

It also lists a Wata 9.4 A copy at $492,000 in October 2021 and a Wata 9.8 A+ copy that reached $2,000,000 in August 2021 through the investment platform Rally. Grade makes a huge difference.

Ocarina Of Time Matched It At $228,000

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64, graded Wata 9.8 A++, sold for $228,000, according to Nintendo Wire.

Its Wata 9.8 A++ grade is higher than the Super Mario Bros. copy that sold for the same amount, so grade is part of the story.

Final Fantasy For The NES Went For $204,000

The NES Final Fantasy, graded Wata 9.8 A++, sold for $204,000 per Nintendo Wire.

It is a sign that role-playing games from the early days are among the sought-after finds. Nintendo Wire also lists a Super Nintendo Final Fantasy III, graded Wata 9.4 A+, at $96,000.

Contra Reached $150,000

An NES Contra graded Wata 9.8 A+ sold for $150,000, per Nintendo Wire.

That is a lot of money for a game many people remember for a famous cheat code. Games like this one were played hard, which is part of why pristine copies are so rare.

Pokemon Red For Game Boy Sold For $132,000

A Game Boy Pokemon Red graded Wata 9.4 A++ sold for $132,000, according to Nintendo Wire.

Plenty of kids owned this game, so the price tells you how much grade and condition matter.

The Weekend Those Records Fell

Nintendo Wire says the sales took place during the Heritage Auctions vintage games event over a single weekend. The Zelda sale came on the Saturday, and Super Mario 64 followed just a day later.

Two record prices in two days made headlines among collectors.

More Nintendo Titles From The Same Report

Nintendo Wire’s list reaches well below the top. It includes a Wata 8.0 Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! for NES at $84,000, a Wata 9.0 Mario Bros. for NES at $156,000, and a Wata 9.4 Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64 at $144,000.

It also lists a Wata 8.0 Nintendo World Championships 1990 cartridge at $180,000 and a Wata 8.5 Chrono Trigger for Super Nintendo at $28,800. Even the lowest figure on the list is a lot more than most cartridges bring.

What To Do Before You Sell Your Own

Wata is a professional grading company, and the grade on a case is a big part of the price. A grade such as 9.8 means the item is in nearly perfect shape, which is why those copies bring far more.

Flip the cartridge over and note the title, the system and whether it has its original box and seals. Then look up recent sold listings for your exact game, since the prices above are for graded copies.

Remember that the values above are for professionally graded copies, mostly the cream of the crop. Condition, completeness and a factory seal all push a price up, and their absence pulls it down.

If you think you have something special, ask a reputable grading service or a licensed dealer before you list it. A loose copy of a common game will not bring these numbers.

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