David Dickinson, eat your heart out. We've all heard about rare paintings, jewellery or ancient artefacts turning up at the local church jumble sale, but what about silicon-based entertainment?
Fact is, those old games your mum keeps telling you to chuck out could be worth a small fortune, and because Nintendo's been in the business since the year dot, it's your NES, SNES and import games that are most likely to be worth eBay gold.
We could've filled the entire list with antique Game & Watch titles alone (they're manna from heaven for collectors), but for the sake of balance here's a list of some of the most valuable games across Nintendo's entire portfolio.
So before you throw out any 'junk' boxes from the loft, best check they don't contain any of these 25 rare classics.
Harvest Moon (SNES, US) - £60
The SNES version of Harvest Moon is still considered the best among fans of the whimsy-heavy farming/courting sim. It doesn't come up very often on eBay, and when it does you can expect to pay at least £60 for a good boxed copy. The N64 version was released soon after, accounting for the SNES game's initial lack of popularity.
Banjo-Tooie (N64, PAL) - £60
Rare's first Banjo-Kazooie game was extremely popular, but Banjo 2 got stuck in development and ended up coming out towards the end of the N64's lifespan. Although you may be able to pick up a copy cheaper, a good boxed version will set you back at least £50, and sealed copies have been known to go for as much as £100. You'll probably see these prices rise when more news of Banjo-Kazooie 3 on Xbox 360 emerges.
Dracula X (SNES, US) - £70
The final Castlevania game released on SNES wasn't as popular as previous iterations, but the series has gained great cachet with gamers more recently, especially since prices for Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night skyrocketed on PS1. Dracula X is unlikely to go down in value.
Sin & Punishment (N64, jpn) - £70
While the version released on Virtual Console has adversely affected the original's price, this N64 classic is still a jewel in the crown for any Nintendophile. This Treasure shooter was designed for the N64 analogue stick and is always best played on its host hardware. A good investment and a collectable game you'll actually bring out from time to time.
Naruto: Clash of Ninja (GameCube, PAL) - £75
Although it's worth very little in America and Japan, the PAL release of Naruto Clash Of Ninja didn't see wide distribution and it's been known to fetch up to £75 on eBay. Expect other GameCube titles such as Chibi-Robo and Baten Kaitos to increase in price because of their limited numbers.
Earthbound (SNES, US) - £80
This Japanese hit was released in the US but failed to make much of an impression. Now it's lauded for its RPG in-jokes and humorous take on American culture. Again, rumours abound that EarthBound is to be re-released on Virtual Console, which may bring the price down on this US import.
Paper Mario (N64, PAL) - £80
Another rare PAL gem. Though Paper Mario continues to be one of the most popular titles on Wii's Virtual Console, collectors will still fork out good money for this great mix of platforming and puzzling in its original guise. Until recently, copies of this SNES classic could still be found in many second-hand game stores.
Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh - (N64, jpn) - £80
If you thought the Dreamcast version of Bangai-O was good, you should check out the original N64 version with its sublime analogue controls. Only 10,000 copies were released in Japan and it's been going up in price ever since. Find a mint, boxed copy and you'll have collectors knocking your door down.
Chrono Trigger (SNES, US) - £90
Chrono Trigger isn't rare by any standards - indeed, thousands of copies are on the market. However, the game is so good, and has built up such a reputation, that people are willing to pay upwards of £100 for a sealed, boxed SNES copy. You can even get it as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles for PS1, but still the collectors pay big money for it. Rarity isn't really the main consideration, we guess.
Ninja Gaiden Trilogy (SNES, US) - £150
Even though this comprises all three of the Ninja Gaiden games released on NES with a graphical update, it didn't sell very well when it first came out in 1995. But since the next-generation Ninja Gaiden games were released, Tecmo's star has risen, enhancing the price of this cart considerably.
Final Fight 3 (SNES, PAL) - £180
The PAL version of Final Fight 3 is a hidden treasure waiting to happen. Let's face it, unless you're a collector you're unlikely to know its true value and this is your best chance of picking up a gem at the local car boot sale. A naked cart is probably only worth £40, but if you can find a good boxed copy then you're likely to achieve £180 to £200. And it's a decent game, too, containing two extra characters in Dean and Lucia Morgan.
Space Invaders (Virtual Boy, jpn) - £200
A good boxed copy of Space Invaders on Virtual Boy can now fetch £200. It's notable because it's one of the better games on the system, and so long as you don't play it too much (giving yourself a much-warned-about migraine) you'll get some fun out of it. Virtual Boy games have shot up in price in the last five years and this trend doesn't look like abating. It may be a good investment for the future...
The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak (NES, US) - £200
As the NES drew to the end of its lifespan, publishers began releasing their games exclusively to game rental companies, bypassing traditional game shops. The Flintstones II is typical of this, and although it's a little easier to track down in Europe than elsewhere, it can still demand high prices. United States copies can go for £200, though finding ex-rental games in good condition is like finding a joke in an episode of My Family.
Starfox Super Weekend/Donkey Kong Country Competition Carts (SNES, US) - £200
These two separate carts were manufactured specifically for use in Blockbuster in-store competition promotions. Only about 2,500 were made of each but they were initially sold off in stores for a knock-down price. Because of their rarity you can expect to see them sell on eBay for around £200, depending on what kind of condition they're in.
Rendering Ranger R2 (Super Famicom, JPN) - £200
This run-and-gun classic came from the makers of Turrican, so Lord knows why a game of such pedigree was only released in Japan. It's unusual for a rare game in that it's actually very playable today. A cart-only copy might still sell for £80, but find it boxed and complete you're looking at a sum of £200.
Thracia may sound like a disease you'd pick up in a Bulgarian brothel but this is actually a super-rare Fire Emblem collectors' pack. As it was only released in Japan in limited numbers, you're unlikely to find it at the local car boot, but it shows that you should always keep your eye out for limited edition releases - and keep all the gubbins that comes with them.
Bubble Bath Babes (NES, US) - £250
Panesian was a company that produced several adult titles for the NES, including Peek-A-Boo Poker, Hot Slots and Bubble Bath Babes. For obvious reasons the games didn't get Nintendo's seal of approval and ended up being distributed via mail order catalogues or rental shelves, hence their scarcity. Interestingly, they didn't come in NES boxes but VHS-style cartons, so many are still undetected. The limited graphics make the sauciness factor rubbish, though.
Mountain Bike/Speed Racer Combo (SNES, US) - £300
This SNES combo underlines the fact that combining two or more games onto one cart for a limited print run is always going to have rarity potential. Good boxed copies have generally only come out of Nintendo's own warehouses and if you can find one with the strange LifeFitness Bike peripheral then you're looking at a price in excess of £1,000. It's a cart that will always go up in value, but it's worth around £300 today.
Myriad six in one (NES, US) - £350
This is the rarest unlicensed NES game and consists of six titles: Bookyman, Adam And Eve, Cosmos Cop, Magic Carpet 1001, Balloon Monster and Porter. Its rarity is due to the fact that Myriad Games put out fewer than 1,000 carts and they were individually numbered. Games collectors speculate that there are only 100 left in existence, but only 15 have ever surfaced.
Virtual Bowling (Virtual Boy, JPN) - £400
Only 22 games were ever released on Virtual Boy, although some collectors believe there could be rare prototypes hidden away that didn't make it to retail. Virtual Bowling is actually a pretty good bowling sim, offering practice and tournament modes, but the lack of a save battery means your scores are wiped when you switch off. Fortunately, passwords save the day. Not to be mistaken for Nester's Funky Bowling, which is much more common.
Flagman (Game & Watch) - £450
There are plenty of rare Game & Watch titles we could have listed, including the obvious competition-only Super Mario Bros YM-901 (just trips off the tongue), or the eminently collectable The Legend Of Zelda Game & Watch, but it's likely to be the less well known titles that will surface down at your local flea market. A boxed Flagman could bag you a small fortune.
Stadium Events (NES, US) - £500
Though common in PAL territories, Stadium Events is one of the NES's most collectable games in America. Although it's a terribly average fitness game, its value is due to Bandai printing a test run of the game that was sold in Woolworths stores for a very short period before Nintendo bought the rights. Rumours suggest there are only 10 complete copies on the market, and even unboxed Stadium Events carts can sell for £400.
Virtual Lab (Virtual Boy, jpn) - £500
It's all too easy to look back on the Virtual Boy debacle and laugh, especially at the poor souls who thought it looked cool to wear a pair of heavy, red goggles and bellow, 'come on Mario, you can do it!'. But who's laughing now? Some Virtual Boy games are fetching massive prices, including this J-Wing developed Japanese puzzle game. The fact 'Nintendo' is charmingly spelt 'Nintenndo' on the back of the box only adds to its value.
Balloon Fight Crystal (Game & Watch) - £600
This has to be one of the rarest Game & Watch titles, and boxed, good condition units have been known to fetch up to £600. Released towards the end of the series' run for the Crystal Screen range, Balloon Fight's simple gameplay is reminiscent of Williams' Joust and has since gone on to make an appearance in Animal Crossing.
I bought a boxed version of Paper Mario for only £20 on ebay a couple years back! I'd seen some going for £50, but I was no way prepared to pay that much. I thought that in addition to Banjo-Tooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day was also quite rare. I have been tempted to sell both (and I have boxes and manuals for each) but I can't bring myself to do it!
I've actually got a boxed mint copy of Mario Crystal from the Game and Watch series, I've always been reluctant to put it on ebay so its buried somewhere in my attic.
I've also got the far superior Donkey Kong twin screen jobby. Its missing the battery cover though and its completely battered (through love ).
If you want rare/valuable look no further than wii fit! Retails at £69.99 but any copy complete with balance board is likely to fetch upwards of £120 on ebay.
I can't believe no one has stooped this low on the thread yet!?
If you want rare/valuable look no further than wii fit! Retails at £69.99 but any copy complete with balance board is likely to fetch upwards of £120 on ebay.
I can't believe no one has stooped this low on the thread yet!?
Cool! I got the PAL version of Naruto! It was a bit of a bitch to find though... As far as I can tell it never actually came out in the UK. I had to get a french copy, that has french on the box but english ingame text and voices. I couldn't get rid of it a couple of months ago, now I may keep hold of it for a bit.
about the the rarest games I've got excluding the 200 games i've got for the C64 (i'm sure there's a gem in there somewhere...) must be my boxed copies of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask for the N64.........cartridges both signed by Shigeru Miyamoto
Yes, but the article was already edited by the time you read it. Take a closer look at the post you initially quoted..
Banjo-Tooie (SNES, PAL) - £60
£60 for a game that never existed? Bargain!
That is what the article said at first, and that is what you failed to pick up on when you read NGM Cube's post.
In all, this is a pretty pointless argument. Because people like to pick up on editor mistakes, please be more careful next time someone says something like that.
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
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plus most of there games are ebay gold!
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i sold a boxed copy of banjo tooie for 50p 2 weeks ago at a car boot sale! WHY CRUEL WORLD!?!?
