Ahh, the Nintendo Leisure System (or NES, for brief). The console that modified the course of gaming historical past and introduced the US gaming market again from the brink of extinction. It established Nintendo as a family title and launched gamers to a number of the most iconic franchises and titles the medium has ever seen.
What it additionally did was have a number of uncommon video games. Owing to its age and the truth that the panorama of gaming was vastly totally different again within the Nineteen Eighties, discovering reasonably priced copies of those video games goes to be extremely laborious (if yow will discover the video games in any respect since many have in all probability been misplaced to the sands of time). Listed below are 10 of the rarest and most costly NES video games which may additionally require your arm and your leg if you wish to buy them.
All listed costs are courtesy of PriceCharting. Used costs are based mostly on the “Free Value” itemizing, whereas new costs are based mostly on the “New Value” itemizing (until in any other case famous). Entries are ranked from lowest to highest by their respective “new” value.
10. The Legend of Zelda (Check Cartridge)
N/A New | $7,530 Used
It ought to come as no shock {that a} take a look at cartridge lands on this checklist someplace. Very similar to the vaunted “Not For Resale” copies of video games, take a look at cartridges should not readily purchasable, which makes discovering them a process in and of itself. Seemingly meant to be little greater than a sport for take a look at facilities to verify consoles functioned correctly, it ought to come as no shock that the most costly one is among the system’s most influential video games, The Legend of Zelda.
In terms of cartridges like these, you’re not gonna discover a “new” copy, since its total goal – testing – would require it’s used at one level. With that stated, if you wish to discover an genuine cartridge (since there are numerous decoys), you’ll must pay some $7,530 to get it. Except you’ve a cash-burning gap in your pocket, there are much better (and cheaper) methods to accumulate the unique Zelda sport at this level.
9. Nintendo World Championship
N/A New | $22,682 Used
Most may be able to anoint this the highest spot on the checklist, however as there isn’t any “new” value for it, it’s happening the decrease finish. Relaxation assured, although, that the Nintendo World Championship cart is among the most iconic uncommon NES video games. These cartridges have been made solely for the 1990 Nintendo World Championship event, the place gamers confirmed off their finest Nintendo expertise and received a wide range of prizes.
All 90 finalists obtained one in every of these cartridges, whereas the winner (and 25 runner-ups in a Nintendo Energy contest) obtained gold variations of the cartridges. Sarcastically, the gray cartridges run for extra money than the gold, although each are definitely no small price; the gold cartridge runs for roughly $18,944, whereas the gray cartridges promote for about $22,682. Except ripping your pockets aside is one thing you discover pleasure in, the NES Remix titles on the Wii U provide you with an analogous expertise… and so they received’t price near your yearly wage.
8. Bubble Bathtub Babes
$1,345 New* | $1,218 Used
I really feel soiled even typing out that title. Bubble Bathtub Babes…*shivers*…may sound like the sport of each hormonal teenager’s goals, however it’s actually not. It’s merely a puzzle sport à la Tetris or Bust-a-Transfer, however there’s a unadorned lady mendacity on the backside of the display. And certain, finishing ranges earns you some small bits of erotica, however it’s a NES sport, so it’s fairly tacky. All of the nudity and intercourse attraction is superfluous and provides nothing of worth to the sport itself.
That stated, its standing as an adult-oriented title meant it didn’t meet Nintendo’s family-friendly pointers, and developer Panesian may solely ship it to video shops. Simply looking for a used copy units you again $1,218, whereas a “complete-in-box” copy (since there are apparently no “new” copies obtainable) would go for $1,345. That stated, the puzzle-based gameplay just isn’t unhealthy, so it might be price a discover. What may be higher is discovering its formally licensed model Mermaids of Atlantis, a less expensive model that additionally removes all of the erotic parts… Hey, sacrifices wanted to be made someplace.
7. Peek-a-Boo Poker
$2,000 New* | $1,666 Used
Talking of video games distributed by Panesian… this one! The writer was recognized for producing adult-oriented video games on the NES, and Peek-a-Boo Poker was one other instance. Because the title would have you ever consider, this was only a poker-based sport, however clearly, there was a twist: it was strip poker! So in case you’re somebody who performs poker for the, ahem, ”plot,” perhaps that is the sport for you.
Effectively… until the value turns you away, and it ought to. $1,666 will get you a used copy, whereas a “complete-in-box” model of the sport (as soon as once more, no “new” value was listed) runs for $2,000. That’s some huge cash to play strip poker with some NES sprites. So until you’re determined for a poker online game – or don’t have a really energetic social life – you may need to redirect your search elsewhere.
6. Sizzling Slots
$3,000 New | $1,454 Used
I promise that is the final time we’ll be mentioning Panesian on this checklist. Given their earlier video games, Sizzling Slots shouldn’t be obscure as a result of every thing you’ll want to learn about it’s within the title. It’s a slot-machine-based sport that’s sizzling… nicely, by the requirements of the NES, presumably. I imply, hey, if 8-bit women are your kind, go proper forward, I received’t choose.
What I’ll choose is the value, as a result of $1,454 for a used copy of the sport is already fairly ridiculous. Seemingly, that is the one Panesian sport that really has “new” copies of it obtainable, however in case you actually need one, you’ll must flush down $3,000 within the course of. That is the place you’ll have to find out whether or not it’s higher to blow $3,000 on an NES slot machine sport, or take $3,000 to an precise slot machine and gamble it down…selections, selections.
5. Cheetahmen II
$3,452 New | $1,847 Used
Okay, we’re again in family-friendly territory… I hope. Cheetahmen II is a very unusual case as a result of this sport was by no means formally launched. The unique Cheetahmen was a part of the notorious Motion 52 cartridge, and whereas the sequel was being deliberate, it was by no means formally revealed. Nevertheless, 1,500 copies have been present in a warehouse in Florida, and so they have been finally put up on the market.
You’d be proper in pondering a sport that was by no means formally launched can be fairly costly. In the event you’re keen to get a used copy, you’ll have to surrender “solely” $1,847, however a “new” copy (how is {that a} factor for a sport like this?) involves $3,452. A hefty tremendous for a sport that doesn’t look like all that good, because it appears to be like prefer it’s little greater than a copycat model of the basic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games. Thus, it’d in all probability be higher to check out a number of the newer, much better Ninja Turtles video games we’ve gotten recently.
4. The Flintstones: The Shock at Dinosaur Peak
$10,700 New | $1,464 Used
Now I can extra confidently say we’re in family-friendly territory. Chances are you’ll not suppose a sport like The Flintstones: The Shock at Dinosaur Peak can be extraordinarily uncommon given the recognition of its franchise… nicely, till you notice it was an NES sport launched in 1994, three years after the American launch of the Tremendous NES. However hey, feels becoming for the prehistoric franchise to launch on a system that was already feeling fairly prehistoric. And if you wish to really feel much more prehistoric, the sport was allegedly a rental-only sport completely obtainable at Blockbuster (that sounds acquainted), which makes it an excellent hotter commodity.
A used copy will drain $1,464 out of your pockets, whereas a brand new copy will ship you down $10,700. That’s an asinine quantity, and it’s a disgrace the value is so excessive as a result of it appears to be a reasonably enjoyable little NES platformer. More often than not, these uncommon and costly video games should not all that good, and solely soar in value as a result of there are so few copies of them. However right here, we even have a reasonably good sport, one which will really be price your cash… nicely, okay, not for that amount of cash.
3. Little Samson
$17,400 New | $2,100 Used
Hey, take a look at that: one other entry on the checklist that really appears to be a very good sport! Sure, Little Samson is a popular NES platformer that, in some circles, may even land on the decrease finish of some “Greatest NES Video games” lists. Sadly, the sport’s rarity stems from its poor gross sales, the place a hurricane of unhealthy components negatively affected its gross sales. A late 1992 launch date (a 12 months after the Tremendous NES’s launch), some noticeable similarities to the rather more common Mega Man, and writer Taito not with the ability to market the sport extraordinarily nicely led to it dropping by the wayside.
Nonetheless, if yow will discover a duplicate of it within the wild, it may be price grabbing… simply not for that value. $2,100 used and a whopping $17,400 new can be an unbelievable quantity even when this was one of many best video games ever created. If yow will discover a value for one thing a LOT cheaper, you may need to pounce on it. You may be rewarded with a reasonably stable platformer.
2. Household Enjoyable Health Stadium Occasions
$33,109 New | $16,100 Used
That’s proper, Nintendo had a noteworthy health sport earlier than Wii Match was cool. Stadium Occasions is one in every of two video games within the Household Enjoyable Health sequence, and it was an try by Bandai to advertise its Household Enjoyable Health mat accent. After its preliminary launch, Nintendo rebranded it in America as World Class Observe Meet to advertise the Energy Pad accent, which meant copies of the unique model of the sport turned a a lot higher rarity.
Even simply discovering a used copy will put you down $16,100, however in order for you a brand new copy, you higher get able to take out a mortgage, since you’ll must pay $33,109 for it. For a very long time, this seemed to be the rarest, most costly NES sport available on the market. Even when it’s not on the high anymore, it’s nonetheless an unbelievable quantity for, actually, something. The excellent news is that there are many cheaper train video games price your time, so that you received’t must dig into your belief fund to pay for one thing like this.
1. Mega Man (5-Screw Cartridge)
$156,100 New | $10,993 Used
On the high, we get to a relatively unusual instance of a sport that will not appear too uncommon, however there’s a particular circumstance in play. Early within the lifetime of the NES, cartridge shells had 5 screws holding them collectively. For no matter cause, although, Nintendo would swap to solely utilizing three screws on cartridge shells, and video games that beforehand had five-screw cartridges obtained new three-screw shells. Mega Man occurred to be one in every of them, which meant its five-screw variant turned a large rarity.
If you wish to discover a used copy, you’ll must pay $10,993, however in order for you a brand new copy… take a deep breath in for a minute… you’ll must cough up a whopping $156,100. You’ll be able to exit proper now and purchase a home for that amount of cash, and that’s saying one thing given the present housing financial system. All that cash for nothing greater than a distinct shell, for the reason that precise sport was in any other case the very same.
It certain is an efficient factor the unique Mega Man has been re-issued since as a result of that amount of cash is absolute nonsense. You may be paying for additional screws, however actually, it’s the customer that might really get… screwed… by it… okay, I’ll see myself out now.
However earlier than I do, what are another exceedingly uncommon and costly NES video games you’ll be able to consider? Tell us within the feedback beneath.