The original Legend of Zelda sold for $870,000 in an early production sealed copy, making it the most expensive game ever sold. This surpasses the previous record of $660,000 established by a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros.
This copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was one of the first copies ever made. It had previously been auctioned for $110,000. This “NES R” variation of the cartridge, released in late 1987, was one of the earliest versions of the game before it was superseded by the “NES R” variant “Variant “Rev-A.”
Only the “NES TM” model, of which only one sealed TM cartridge is reported to exist, although its whereabouts on the market are unknown, is more valuable. Because of this position, it was given the moniker of “a holy grail of games.”
The rare Legend of Zelda cartridge sold for $870,000 on July 9th, according to Heritage Auctions. As a result, the Legend of Zelda cartridge is the best-selling game of all time. This is the second time this year that the most costly game record has been shattered, following the aforementioned Super Mario Bros. cartridge sale in April. This cartridge’s buyer is presently unknown.
Despite this incredible achievement, another valuable cartridge on the market, one near the same value as the Legend of Zelda cartridge, can overtake it. Another desired “holy grail” in gaming is a golden NES Nintendo World Championships cartridge.
Only 26 gold cartridges are reported to have been made, with less than 20 remaining today. In June, the cartridge was placed up for sale on eBay for $1 million, and it’s still on sale, waiting for a brave buyer.
#HERITAGELIVE #WORLDRECORD!! Bidding frenzy drives The Legend of Zelda – Wata 9.0 A Sealed [No Rev-A, Round SOQ, Early Production], NES Nintendo 1987 USA to $870,000 – most ever paid for a video game at auction, at #HeritageAuctions! https://t.co/PRhOICeMlV#LegendofZelda pic.twitter.com/7TSYYmt8Ik
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) July 9, 2021
This record might be beaten again this year, either by the Nintendo World Championships cartridge or by other means. Auction sales continue to break sales records year after year. Pokémon cards, for example, have risen in value to the point where some retailers have had to remove them off the shelves to prevent scalping.
It may only be a matter of time until a genuinely big video game sale, potentially over $1 million, surpasses this new record. The day a limited video game sells for $1 million, whether it’s a limited NES cartridge like the Nintendo World Championships, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, or something else, it’ll be a day to remember.
