While you can pick up many NES games for next to nothing, there are several cartridges that fetch eye-watering prices these days, especially in good condition. Just last month a mint, unopened copy of the original Super Mario Bros. sold for over $100,000.
That's all well and good, but Super Mario Bros. carts are ten-a-penny; it's the rarities like Stadium Events or the Nintendo World Championships cartridge that really get our juices flowing, and it seems that a copy of the latter has surfaced in the wild.
The cartridge was produced in very limited numbers for finalists of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships in the USA. Two variants exist, gold and grey, and they're among the most sought-after items for video game collectors, occasionally cropping up and commanding impressive prices.
The video below from retro gaming YouTuber Metal Jesus details the latest super rare find:
The gamer in question, Tim, found the game in his attic and contacted Metal Jesus for advice. His brother apparently played in the tournament which explains how it came to be in his possession. Heading to Pink Gorilla Games in Seattle, he got the cartridge authenticated and it appears to be legitimate.
There's still time to raid the piggy bank if you need this unique piece of Nintendo history in your life. You'll need one hell of a piggy bank, though - according to the video, Tim has already had an offer of $23,000 for the cart.
If you'll excuse us, we're off to double and triple check that none of our siblings played in the Nintendo World Championships before casually tossing their prize in the loft for 29 years.
Have you ever come across something like this in the wild? Do you have any rarities in your game collection? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 45
Holy crap! That is old and worth a lot of money, I wish I found it in my attic.
I'm packing right now my BOTW copy to reopen it 29 years later. I'm a genius.
and soon someone will discovered the Nintendo World Championship 2015 Disc/Cartridge
Mark my Words!
but it's a nice find overall!
I recently saw a gray NWC cart at SoCal Retro Gamers Expo. I asked the resellers how much it cost, and they told me that they turned down an offer of $18,000. Tim got extremely lucky.
Neat! Had someone in my area before that put a listing up on Kijiji for NES Stadium Events for ONLY $10. And of course a lot of people, including my dad since I was just a young kid, contacted this person, who did not knew the value of the game.
(Of course we didn't get it.....)
Just saying something that is somewhat related to this topic with expensive NES games that I felt like sharing.
@ReaderRagfihs Kelsey is part of His team. She is the owner of Pink Gorilla Games
Interesting. I wonder if any other copies still exist?
Man... I don't have the words. I really need to double check my closet and parents' attic to double check for ANYTHING that could be worth thousands. I usually was never that lucky to come across anything rare or of rare value from way back when... but ya never know....
I never really got things being valuable solely because they're rare. Paying a fortune for something that isn't particularly good, just because not many people have it, makes no sense to me.
I remember entering a contest for the gold variant of this cart when I was a kid in Nintendo Power. As always, I didn't win haha. There is roughly 90 grey carts, and only 26 gold carts. Would have been great to add to my collection, thats for sure.
That would require more than one Giant's Wallet!
@ReaderRagfihs Kelsey is dope and runs 2 great stores, one in Seattle (and I think the other is in Portland). Pink Gorilla. She's super legit AF and has great videos on identifiers for fake GB and ADV carts, etc - has a ton of expertise "in the details" of the manufacturing of games that Metal Jesus doesn't.
Still holding onto my e-reader, some day it will be worth a ton.
@BionicDodo Supply and demand. There's a good amount of people who want to collect every NES game, this is one of the rarest games, and if they're really avid collectors, they're willing to pay that much. They've probably paid more for the rest of their collection combined. Now the gold cartridge, that's where the real money is, but I believe only a dozen or so of them exist.
@Octane I understand the concept of supply and demand, it's just the demand part doesn't always make much sense to me. I get why people buy things like this as an investment (even if I don't understand why they're valuable in the first place), but I don't really get why people want to pay lots of money for something that only really stands out due to its rarity. It's like when people buy fakes and don't even know. Does it even matter if you think you've got what you want? Like a sealed game that never gets opened. May as well have a piece of wood in the case where the cartridge should be.
@BionicDodo It's rare and many people want it; there's the concept of supply and demand; low supply and high demand, so people are essentially competing against each other which drives up the price. I mean, that sounds perfectly reasonable to me. The concept at least; I personally wouldn't pay that much for a game, even if it's rare.
@Yorumi Years ago, I once got $900 for a copy of Dynastic Hero (for the TurboDuo/TurboGrafx-16 CD). It was opened and had its UPC code cut out (for a rebate). Someone in Spain bought it.
@Octane I fully get the concept of supply and demand, I'm merely saying that I don't know why people are willing to pay a fortune for something just because it is rare. It's similar to when a newly discovered painting may or may not be by a famous dead artist. One way it's worthless the other it's ridiculously valuable. Personally, I'll pay what the picture is worth based on its merits as a piece of art, not based on who painted it.
That owner's getting a brand new fancy car or something....
How much are my unopened WiiU Darksiders and BOTW gonna go for in 20 years?!?
something that will not get a reprint will obviously climb up there in value. thinking your sealed game of today will go up in the thousands will never happen.
Just remember this.
Unopened BOTW after more than 20 years = No Updates to fix some issues, No additional costumes for Link, No Season Pass added.
@BionicDodo £20k to you isn’t the same as 20k to the next guy. Obviously I don’t think many people without that extra cash laying around would buy this. And those who do know there are people with extra cash laying around who’ll pay more for it in a few years than they did. It’s like investing in art.
@ReaderRagfihs That girl is one of his friends and the owner of the store in this article...
@Anti-Matter It's not like opened copies installed the downloaded update on the card so what's the difference?
@kyleforrester87 My point isn't really even about the money and I do of course get the investment thing. My point is why do people want a game, that I'm guessing isn't particularly good, just because it is rare? Basically, I don't get people who wouldn't want an item if there were 50,000 copies floating around and it was going for £3, but desperately want it if it's rare and expensive.
@BionicDodo For some, their validation as a person comes from what they own. Or what they wear, how they look, what school they went to, etc. In basic terms, it makes some people feel better about themselves.
I love the Metal Jesus channel, specially when he talks about his time in Sierra Entertainment, and just when he shows classic games and rare finds, you can tell that this guy LOVES gaming. Everyone should check his 64DD videos.
@BionicDodo well, they have money sitting around, it’s a curiosity and they know it’ll increase in value - so it’s a case of why not, I suppose. I guess we can all imagine spending £50 on something we have a vague interest in that we know will be worth £100 in a year. So if you’re someone with £20k sitting about it’s understandable.
@Sakura I don’t think that’s fair tbh. Some people have interests and are fortunate enough to be able to persue those interests more than others.
For the supply and the demand thing: just start buying copies of a cheap game you know had large printis. Eventually you’ll get most of them, then burn all of them but one. Bam, you’ll have a goldmine.
There are some really salty and jelly people in this thread. Congrats to the guy for finding such a rare item. If you watch the MJR video, he plans on giving the money to his brother.
@Daloblast I wish I found it in your attic, too.
@ReaderRagfihs Ah, Internet. Don't ever change.
This is an amazing find! As much as I like to collect video game memorabilia, I couldn't pass up making over 20k over a NES cartridge regardless of which one it was. I wonder how many more hidden gems are left in the wild.
@kyleforrester87 Yes, absolutely. Some people just like to have stuff because of what the stuff, whatever that is, means to them. Others, though, do use possessions (and other things) to confirm a sense of their identity. Sometimes, it is "I have this rare/beautiful thing and that makes me acceptable (to themselves and then others)".
Actually, it's less often possessions than it is constructs like wealth, perfect body, "nice girl/boy", intelligence, "character"... It often comes from infancy when for whatever reason, they find validation as a "good" child only when they behave in a particular way. It then becomes, "I'm only acceptable if... I have lots of things/lots of money/a fit body/continually profess my intelligence/am ruthless/don't show emotion/whatever. But, it's only one way of looking at things and people are often combinations of constructs.
I was just trying to give an indication of what it might be, why silly money can be spent sometimes. Certainly not saying that's how it always is. I work in trauma and so am probably over-sensitive to seeing things from an attachment theory and trauma perspective. Just one perspective, though, and I attach no judgements to it.
What's on it? Need to know if it's worth the money.
@Euler It comes with Super Mario Bros, Rad Racer and Tetris. You can find a video HERE.
Got over my collecting habits as it became more like hoarding. In the I’ve kept a small hoard. And I eith buy digital or physical and trade when done. I just don’t see the point anymore.
@mantez Same here. I can understand why people are willing to pay for such things and there is an sense of joy in owning it. I paid £140 for my boxed copy of Terranigma and despite never playing it, I am happy that I own it.
But so am getting past the point of buying so much and keeping a lot as it takes up space and the all important time is becoming more finite.
I was in the 1990 Nintendo World Championship and still have my original cartridge!
@iamrosegold ..What #?
@PurinPuff ..I would turn down an offer for $18K for mine as well ..
@DreamStar I did not expect a new comment replying to mine after over a year, lol.
@PurinPuff ..lol ..I own a Grey NWC,but it is not for sale ..
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