15 Highly Valuable Retro Video Games Every Collector Should Know

04 Abr 15 Highly Valuable Retro Video Games Every Collector Should Know

Recent games usually have a reasonable price close to their recommended retail price, while older titles often sell for very little money. However, if a game is special—perhaps hard to find or a beloved classic, for example—prices can skyrocket over time. If you own one of these games, you might be sitting on a goldmine, especially if you had the almost impossible foresight never to play it or take it out of its box.

GoldenEye 007
“GoldenEye 007” is widely considered one of the most important first-person shooter (FPS) games in video game history. While it may not be the best available today, it proved that developers could create fun FPS games on consoles—specifically on the Nintendo 64. The game also laid the groundwork for the multiplayer focus of future shooter games.

Although “GoldenEye 007” is digitally available for Nintendo Switch, on October 29, 2021, Heritage Auctions (a name that will appear repeatedly in this article) sold a sealed copy of the N64 game for $192,000. The cartridge and manual were still in perfect condition in their original packaging, hence the high price. While Heritage Auctions has sold many copies of “GoldenEye 007,” the only one that came close to this price was a July 2020 auction that reached a mere $19,200.

Final Fantasy
The “Final Fantasy” series was the lifeblood of Square Enix even before Squaresoft and Enix merged to form the company we know today. The franchise began with the original “Final Fantasy” for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). While this game is not the best turn-based RPG on the market, it laid the foundation for key franchise mechanics and recurring narrative elements in later “Final Fantasy” games.

“Final Fantasy” is one of several games available in both digital and physical formats as part of the “Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster,” but on July 9, 2021, Heritage Auctions sold a sealed NES copy of “Final Fantasy” for an incredible $204,000. The game box was in such pristine condition that no other auctioned copy of “Final Fantasy” has come close to its price; most, if not all, have yet to surpass a winning bid of $10,000.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Although “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” was not the first game in the “Legend of Zelda” franchise, it is undoubtedly one of the most popular. This game not only successfully transitioned the franchise formula into a 3D world, but many players still fondly remember its story. “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” holds the honor of having the highest score on Metacritic, surpassed only by “SoulCalibur” and “Grand Theft Auto IV.”

On July 11, 2021, Heritage Auctions sold a near-perfect condition boxed copy of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” for $228,000. This sale was notable not only for its price but also because Heritage Auctions had never sold a copy of the game with a Wata preservation rating of 9.0 or higher. On January 28, 2022, Heritage Auctions sold another boxed copy of “Ocarina of Time” in similar condition, but this one only reached $168,000.

Super Smash Bros.
The original “Super Smash Bros.” popularized the concept of the “mascot fighter” video game genre, where players control various mascots, usually from the same company. The game was so popular that Nintendo has made it a point to release a sequel with each new console since the Nintendo 64.

On August 5, 2022, Heritage Auctions sold a perfectly preserved copy of “Super Smash Bros.” for $240,000. According to the auction site, of the 63 copies of the game previously auctioned, none had received a preservation rating higher than Wata 9.4. Since then, several other sealed copies of “Super Smash Bros.” with Wata 9.8 ratings have been sold, but their sales did not exceed $100,000.

Resident Evil
“Resident Evil” for Sony PlayStation is considered the quintessential survival horror title, in part because it popularized the genre on consoles. The game was remade in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube and later ported to other consoles and PC, and rumors persist that Capcom is remaking the remake.

Although the (arguably superior) remake of “Resident Evil” is available digitally for modern platforms, many fondly remember the original PlayStation version and would pay a fortune for a copy. On October 29, 2021, Heritage Auctions sold a first-production sealed copy of “Resident Evil” for $264,000. Unlike most PlayStation discs, the auctioned game came in a longbox ridged case instead of the standard jewel case, increasing its rarity and value. Heritage Auctions sold another perfectly preserved longbox copy of “Resident Evil” on August 5, 2022, for $192,000.

Mario Bros.
Although “Super Mario Bros.” was the launch title for the NES in the United States, Japanese players had to wait two years to get the game. Their first experience with Mario Bros. was simply titled “Mario Bros.” This game was an adaptation of an arcade game where players cooperated and competed to eliminate crabs, turtles, and other enemies from the sewers.

Although “Mario Bros.” predates the “Super Mario Bros.” game and franchise, the latter is not worth as much at auction. But it still holds great value. To date, the highest price for a sealed copy of “Mario Bros.” was $264,000. This sale took place on November 4, 2022, once again conducted by Heritage Auctions. The organization previously sold another sealed copy of “Mario Bros.” on July 9, 2021, for $156,000.

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
“Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!” is an adaptation of two Nintendo arcade games: “Punch-Out!!” and “Super Punch-Out!!” for the NES. While the console version is not as graphically robust, it is arguably more famous than the original arcade games. People still play the NES version and continue to discover secrets 30 years after its release. Unlike the arcade machines, “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!” features Mike Tyson as the final boss.

On October 29, 2021, Heritage Auctions sold a sealed copy of “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!” for $312,000. The game had a Wata rating of 9.8 and was, at the time, the only copy of the title in such good condition. That same day, another “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!” was sold for $216,000, but it only had a Wata rating of 9.4. The next copy of the game with a Wata 9.8 rating only reached $78,000.