The ten rarest and most valuable video games worth up to £1.6million – do you have one? | The Sun
IT'S worth having a dig out in your attic as old video games from your childhood could be worth more than a few quid.
Like any collectables, the value of video games can vary hugely from as little as £100 to even millions of pounds.
So if you're having a clear out or spy a game in your local charity shop, you could be in the money.
Whilst consoles are desirable in their own right, the real value is often in the games, according to the experts.
Tim Weeks is an auctioneer and toy specialist at Wessex Auction Rooms and is an expert in all things valuable.
He told The Sun: "As an auctioneer of many different toys and collectables, we have seen an increasingly stronger focus on the retro video game market.
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"These childhood video game consoles and their associated games are proving more and more popular as the prices achieved continue to increase."
It can be tricky to know what's valuable and what's not in the world of video gaming.
Tim says that the auction house often receives enquiries from member of the public keen to know if their game could bag them some cash.
"My advice is always the same – 'don’t dispose of them – get them in auction, you might be in for a pleasant surprise'," he said.
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If you’re happy to go it alone, a huge number of retro games are also sold on eBay too.
They don't even have to be in mint condition either.
Tim explained: "Whilst the record-breaking video games that make the news are often mint and sealed example, yours don’t have to be.
"From Nintendo to Sega and Sony to Atari, they will all have value even without the boxes in many cases."
According to the expert, the most valuable games tend to be from Nintendo in the late 1980s and 90s.
But, even if you don't have one of the most rare items you could always find cash in a variety of retro games.
He added: "Let’s forget those huge headline hammer prices for a minute… how does £100 sound for a couple of dusty old games you’ve just found in the attic?
"There is always, always, always, value in retro gaming – and my job is to find that value through the thousands of collectors from around the world who bid live online in our specialist auctions."
So what are collectors looking for? The Sun picked Tim's brain to find out the full list of most rare and valuable video games and what they sold for.
1. Super Mario Bros – 1985 – £1.6m
At the top of the list is the original Super Mario Bros, released back in 1985, and first hitting the UK in 1987.
It was the successor to the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros, and the first game in the Super Mario series.
Back in 2021 one lucky gamer managed to bag a whopping $2million (£1.6million) for a retro addition of the game.
It broke the record for the most expensive video game sale ever.
Tim said of the sale: "As ever, condition is king, with sealed, mint copies of games most likely to achieve headline prices."
The game had been unopened since its original purchase and was made for Nintendo's first ever console.
2. Super Mario 64 – 1997 – £1.29m
Closely following Super Mario Bros. is the platform game from the same series Super Mario 64.
It was first released in 1996 in America before coming to the UK in 1997, and it was the first in the series to feature 3D gameplay.
A 1996 addition of this particular game sold for a whopping $1.56million (£1.29million) at auction back in summer 2021.
The sale set records at the time before being beaten out by the Super Mario Bros. sale later that same year.
3. Legend of Zelda – 1987 – £725,000
The Legend of Zelda, originally released in 1987, is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo.
The game sold over 6.5 million copies, launching a major franchise series.
Tim says it is one of the "classic" Nintendo games that have been brought forward to auction in recent years.
The highest he has seen it sell for is a whopping £725,000.
Another copy of the Legend of Zelda sold for $870,000 (£712,342), previously as well.
At the time this was the biggest sale of a video game, before the Super Mario 64 game knocked it off its pedestal.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog – 1991 – £350,000
Sonic the Hedgehog is a recognisable cartoon character for generations of people.
But before the little blue guy had movie franchises and action figures, the series started out with a video game.
Launched in 1991 for SEGA the game quickly became one of the best selling video games of all time, selling a huge 24million copies.
According to Tim if you have one of these wedged in a box in the loft, you could be in for a huge £350,000 pay out.
5. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out – 1987 – £260,000
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out is a 1987 boxing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the NES console.
It was part of the Punch-Out series, it is an adaptation of the arcade game Punch-Out (1984).
This addition of the game featured the heavyweight champion in the final round.
Experts have described the game as "retrospectively one of the greatest video games of all time".
If you have one of these lying around it could fetch you a pretty hefty cash boost of £260,000, according to Tim.
6. Resident Evil – 1996 – £220,000
Coming in at number six of the most valuable video games is Resident Evil.
The game was first released for Sony's PlayStation in 1996 and is the original game in the Resident Evil franchise.
By December 1997, it had sold about 4million copies worldwide and made hundreds of millions of pounds.
One of these games from its year of release could see you receive £220,000 at auction.
7. Final Fantasy – 1987 – £170,000
Final Fantasy is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1987.
It too kickstarted its own gaming series and was originally released for the NES before being remade for other consoles too.
As of 1994 the game had sold a whopping 1.3million copies worldwide.
Tim reckons one of these cartridges could see you take home as much as £170,000 at auction.
8. Super Mario Bros 3 – 1991 – £130,000
Another Super Mario Bros. addition could also see you win big at auction.
The third instalment of the game was released by Nintendo back in 1991 to the UK after hitting Japan and the US.
It is the third-best-selling NES game, with more than 17 million copies sold worldwide.
If you happen to stumble across one of this particular game it's best to hold onto it.
Tim says that it could get you as much as £130,000.
9. Twisted Metal – 1995 – £130,000
In second to last place is PlayStation's Twisted Metal.
The 1995 vehicular combat video game was published by Sony for the original PS but has since appeared on the PS2, PSP, and the PS3.
Coming across one of these in a box of old games or perhaps still stuck inside your old console could be very lucky.
Tim says that one of the original additions of Twisted Metal can fetch up to £130,000 in his experience.
10. Contra – 1988 – £125,000
Contra is a "run and gun" video game developed and published by Konami.
It was originally developed as a coin-operated arcade video game in 1986.
Two years later it hit homes in a version released for NES as well as computers too.
It is said to be pretty rare, which is key to propping up a collectable's value.
Tim said: "Sealed examples of scarce video games will also achieve great prices – a good example is that of Konami’s ‘Contra’, which sold for over £125,000.
"The clean and mint condition box, along with the scarcity helped it reach this price."
How to make money from your old video games
Old video games can be sold on eBay, via Amazon, or on any number of specialist websites.
To find out how much an old game might be worth do some research first.
Checking the same or similar games under "sold listings" on eBay.
On eBay in particular bear in mind that some buyers pull out after an auction has ended, so the game may not have actually sold for the price it says it did.
Compare your video game to other higher selling auctions and ask yourself if it’s in a similar condition? Is is authentic? Does it have its original packaging?
If it’s in mint condition then it might be worth selling it through an auction house or directly to a collectables website.
If it’s not in mint condition, it’s probably worth sticking it on eBay for a moderate sum.
But in both cases check for any fees involved and find out what percentage of any sale an auctioneer may take.
It's important to remember that your game is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay.
If you know you have something valuable, Tim says the best way to maximise your profit is through a specialist auction.
Wessex Auction Rooms hold several specialist auctions every year and offer collections from around the UK.
For any enquiries or to work out how much your retro video game could be worth email [email protected]
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