A sealed copy of Super Mario 64 was recently auctioned for a record-breaking $1.5 million, in yet another example of outdated video games earning money. The previous record-holder, an early-production Legend Of Zelda cartridge that sold for $870,000 following a heated bidding war, was only a few days ago.
Before that, the most expensive video game sold was an unopened copy of the original Super Mario Bros, which went for $660,000 at Heritage Auctions in April. Last November, a copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 set a new record with a final price of $156,000. Nintendo’s winning run appears to have continued, as another Mario game was just auctioned off as the most expensive gaming cartridge ever sold.
According to Kotaku, an untouched edition of Super Mario 64 was just sold at Heritage Auctions for a staggering $1.5 million, the same auction house where all previous record holders were discovered.
The copy in question is claimed to be one of just five unopened copies of the Nintendo 64 classic. It was previously evaluated at 9.8 on the WataScale, a system for estimating the potential value of video game discs at auction. The auction ran from July 9 through today, and even before the ultimate price was set, the $100k starting price for the Super Mario 64 cartridge was causing a stir.
This unexpected sale happens to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Super Mario 64, one of many Nintendo assets celebrating anniversaries in 2021. Super Mario 64, which was first published in 1996 and has gone down in history as one of the finest and most innovative video games of all time, introduced Nintendo’s legendary plumber into 3D.
Even now, enthusiasts continue to transfer the 64-bit platformer, and conduct speed runs, with emulators allowing gamers to play it in their web browser – at least until Nintendo pulls them down. The ultimate price of this sealed edition of Super Mario 64 is incredible in and of itself. Still, the fact that it comes so soon after the previous record for the most expensive video game sold at auction is absolutely incredible.
It’s impossible to say whether or not the $1.5 million price tag on today’s Super Mario 64 cartridge will be surpassed. Still, considering how regularly this record appears to be broken, it’s anyone’s guess what the next piece of gaming gold will be.
