A certified near mint condition copy of the timeless NES classic Super Mario Bros. has sold for $100,150 USD at an auction. This makes it the first-ever video game to sell for six-figures.
The reason it fetched such a high price is linked to the rarity. Between 1985 and 1986 in New York and L.A. at test market launches, Nintendo sold a total of two NES cartridges in "sticker sealed" boxes instead of the usual shink wrap. This version is one of the two original sticker copies and has never been opened.
According to US Gamer, the copy was purchased by a group on 6th February, comprised of various collectors and auctioneers. One of these individuals was Jim Halperin, who runs Heritage Auctions. He began auctioning Wata certified games himself at the start of 2019.
Certified classics have in the past sold for five-figures, but after this sale, auctioneers believe costs of games like this will only rise. Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen this particular title go for a high amount. In 2017, a copy of the same game sold on eBay for the much more affordable price of $30,000.
The original Super Mario Bros. release on the NES dates back to 1985 and has since sold more than 40 million physical copies worldwide. If you would like to play the original version of this game on the Nintendo Switch, you'll need to subscribe to the online service.
[source usgamer.net]
Comments 72
If I win the lottery, I will not buy fast cars or go on luxury holidays. I will spend the money on things like this.
I love games.
I’d much rather buy a copy of the game in a tatty box for £10 and play it
Yeah alright I love Mario and old school games as much as the next guy, but this is ridiculous. If you're just going to throw that much money away you might as well donate some to charity.
why??????????????????????????????? No i cannot think of anything more to sday Nintendo life.
They could have just subscribed to NES Online.
That only happens in America. Really. Especially with comic books. In other countries, the older the edition, the less interesting. People usually prefer the newest and best published copies.
I wouldn't pay that kind of money for any game. I want them because I love seeing them on the shelves, but also for using them.
@Spudtendo But it's not throwing the money away. The seller gets that money and gets to decide what happens to it next. That's how economics works. Money is rarely wasted, it's just passed to somebody else.
While I agree the price of this is ridiculous, it's not actually a waste of money per se. The game is an asset so it still has value, much like gold or stocks.
Waste of money. People are insane for purchasing this sort of thing for such obscene amounts of cash. It’s just plastic with a computer chip inside. -SMFH-
The terror is that the buyer knows it's probably a huge investment. This is unlikely to be a games lover. This will be a business transaction so they can sell it again in a decade or two for significantly more. The person probably couldn't give a damn about the game itself.
That's an absolute absurd amount of money.
Haven't they seen Toy Story 2? And what happens to things that are kept mint condition?
Sorry, but games are meant to be played.
It will rise in value. Doesn't make any gorsh dorn sense but it is literally a one of a kind item. A game that costs FREE if you have an online subscription fetches 6 figures
Oh to have this amount of spare money in my life. . . .
I wouldn't waste it on this game, but just to have this amount of money. . . .
The bitter queens in these comments...
..just FYI, "comprised of" is incorrect grammar. It should either be "composed of" or "comprising"
But I'm just an internet commenter, not a professional journalist, so what do I know?
If I win the lottery I'll buy this and put it straight in my NES and play it 😃
Games are meant to be played
If I had this spare money I would’ve payed off the mortgage
@OorWullie specifically you could pay for a yearly membership from now until the Year 7029. I bet that cartridge won’t be functioning then!
But... why?
Seriously, why would you do that...?
Do the people commenting about how you would have to be an idiot to buy this think the buyer is taking a mortgage out to purchase the game? They've got enough money that they can throw $100k at a collectable game but everyone in the comments is so much smarter 🙄
Had we all just not opened our toys back in the 80s, we'd be millionaires by now. But at what cost? My family wasn't wealthy enough to buy two of everything, but that would have ideally been the way to go looking back with 20/20
It belongs in a museum!
Makes NES Online look an incredible bargain.
@Toph6661 The cartridge may not be working in 7029 but I bet Nintendo are still trying to sell Super Mario Bros in some form.
Indiana Jones screams in storm: " IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM. "
@impurekind trust me been happy is more important and loved.it soon does go 100 k
but wouldn't spend it on 1 item 😅
@Spudtendo it's not so much that but original Super Mario Bros was bundled with the NES (and with classic Duck Hunt) so it's not even rare. Classic NES would be a far better use of money on a physical product. I also think of super Mario all stars + world which no idea wasn't on the super nes mini.
Who would even pay that kind of amount for a game? Go buy a house for people who doesn't have a house. Do something good with that money if you have. It's just a game. Not worth! You can't carry it to other world either. Everything you have is just temporary. Just a wakeup call for some of you
We need to file this under "More money than sense" section.
If i had the cash, I would do the same. ESPECIALLY if it was mario 3
Biggest waste of money even for the rich. I love video games but would never pay anything like this even if I did have that kind of money.
@Kienda So what if the game is not even in the box. Who would know since no one will open it?
@Spudtendo it's been purchased as an investment. The game will never be played & only go up in value.
@Crono1973 it’s like Schrödinger's cat theory.
Either way, knowing me, I’d probably open it and ruin the price of it.
Good thing they didn't sell it on ebay. Alot of people bid high but then never pay lol.
$100,150 USD is a lot to spend on one game. so is the much more affordable price of $30,000 the most money.
i think I'll spend my tons of money on my professional photography career instead. working in professional photography costs a lot of money, but at least you get something in return unlike a unused game or system that you may never look at again later it gets added to your collection.
@sleepinglion quick, lets jump into a time machine and correct the past! LOL
my partner still regrets smashing his R.O.B to this day rofl, i still have my classic stuff but they are not sealed or anything because i play them.
Whoever bought this is a genius, it'll be worth twice that in due time.
Wish it was me making that kind of money. That would be awesome!
@huyi Still have my childhood ROB, but he's yellow-y from being in the attic for years
This belongs in a museum
open it like a boss
@sleepinglion that comes with age unfortunately.
@Moroboshi876 Are you seriously trying to say only Americans collect or buy old things? Because there are 2000 antiquarian booksellers in Britain who would beg to differ.
@JasmineDragon No, I just said paying this kind of money for a mint condition anything is mostly American. You can find really good condition complete Super Mario Bros copies in Europe and they don't go nearly as high as this one.
I agree this game is worth this price it goes for, most of the versions I seen of the original SMB was either on compilation or as specialize edition, never had I seen this game by itself in its original cartridge form.
No disrespect meant to Nintendo, but I can think of several things I'd rather do with $100,000, instead of buying a copy of the first "Super Mario".
@Kienda Why NOT do BOTH!
@GravyThief Maybe the owner has another Opened Copy that he could play!
@Spudtendo You might be making a wrong assumption that the people that purchased it are using the money that would have went to charity. Usually people will not decide to buy and valuable collectible and not donate to charity because of it! Maybe they donated much more to charity!
@Moroboshi876 There are rare coin and art collectors in every country that spend Millions on a single painting or coin. I do think this happens all over.
@chardir Right on! Just a different type of wiget. Some people like Gold and others love video games enough to buy a historic piece like this!
@VHSGLITCH The Mona Lisa is just a canvas with paint on it, Action Comics #1 (Sold for $3.4 Million) is just a piece of paper with some print on it. If you think it is just plastic then you minimize the thousands of hours that the artists put in to make that game so you would have a little joy! It is a national treasure!
@Gravitron You get it! And I agree with you!
@Alucard83 Again, You are assuming the money for this purchase is coming from a pile that was allocated for charity. That is not a good assumption. And imagine how much they could give if it sells for $1,000,000 which it will in the future!
@andykara2003 I agree with you!
@Rareusgold Of course. I meant in video games and comic books.
@The_Legged_One There is a good Chance that this does end up in a museum. But, it will first be shared with the Retro Gaming community at Video Game Conventions across the country.
@stevenw45 Purchase one of a kind video game or invest in Steven's photo career. Yea, I can see how that is a toss up on investment decisions!
@Mayor_Haggar I don't care how much money people have. This is never considered a drop in the bucket. But, it does have to be put in perspective. There are people with some disposable income!
@Der I like the way you think! I will probably be worth much more in the future!
@Rareusgold
being a professional photographer and a video game enthusiast, i am not sure of how i should be taking that grand complement. either way i am very flattered.
it is to bad that you can't get Nintendo themed camera cases and camera equipment. just imagine having Mario and Peach being together holding hands on a wide-angle camera lens.
or maybe peach, bowser, and Mario on a wide-angle lens. mario one one side, with bowser and peach on the other.
@Rareusgold your commentary is irrelevant. One is fine art made by a creative genius that endured for thousands of years, the other is a block of plastic, made in a factory, with obsolete tech. Step off with your lunacy.
@Ovedo because people are fools, obviously.
@VHSGLITCH if that’s the way you think then yes I can see your comments. But you are wrong in my opinion. Because a Block of plastic does not have a website built around it that cases you to spend time commenting on it. I sold a yellow guitar. It was just some wood with some electronics and some paint. What do you think that was worth? It sold for more then this game! It was owned and used by Prince! But that was just wood! Don’t be a hater. Just watch and learn how a niche collector market evolves into a true collector market! Video games ARE an extremely undervalued art form! When a Banksy brings millions for a lithograph! This is a bargain! Trust me!
@Rareusgold bugger off, kid. No one cares.
@Rareusgold you didn’t sell anything worth dirt; go away, troll.
Lol! Good come back! I did sell it and I do own That Super Mario! Your the troll! Lol
@Rareusgold you can’t spell worth darn, your posts aren’t worth a darn, frankly you’re not worth a darn. Take a hike, dunce.
Is Darn a word! Lol
Well Mario is the leader game player in Nintendo and the best first game so duh Mario is so darn rich...
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