Sealed Super Mario Bros. Breaks Collector’s Value Record

A sealed copy of “Super Mario Bros.” from 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) has just broken the record for the highest-value sale of a video game collectible either. Through Heritage Auctions, the unopened copy of the game sold for a whopping $660,000 at auction. The listing is still active and users can make offers to the current owner.

This selling price puts this title well over the previous record of a collectible sale. A prototype of the Nintendo Play Station sold for $360,000 in 2020. As for records specific to the video games themselves, a copy of “Super Mario Bros. 3” held the record of $156,000 in November 2020. 

Now, the older Mario title has beat both those records by a landslide. The sealed copy is, in fact, so old that it predates the trademark symbol that later copies had to the right of “Nintendo Entertainment System.” This copy also didn’t have the “Game-Pal NES-GP” code on the box. Nintendo added both of these printings in early 1987 and onwards.

In addition to this vintage value, the copy has its original retail hangtab, an A+ seal rating and a 9.6 Wata rating, which assigns values to the item as a collectible. A 9.6 is hard to come by, which contributed to the record-breaking auction price. Of course, these games are incredibly difficult to find in general, so these unique factors boosted the price significantly.

The Power of Nintendo

Though this record-breaking sale and the previous two records in 2020, it’s clear that Nintendo is still on top of its game. As it continues to be a successful platform, its older content increases in value. If you happen to get your hands on an unopened copy, you can see just how much it will go for.

The Mario games are particularly valuable. The Mario series has spawned countless titles across numerous Nintendo platforms throughout the years. With so much content out in the world, it’s entirely possible that a Nintendo product could once again break the record in the future. One day, an unopened copy of a game as new as “Super Mario Odyssey” could reach similar values.

As for new Mario content, there are rumors circulating of a new “Super Mario Bros. 3” game coming, but Nintendo hasn’t confirmed anything as of yet. The continued hype goes to show the longevity of the series as well as of Nintendo. 

Old Games, Same Impact

Whether it’s playing new games for the first time or buying rare vintage games that you used to live, the impact is the same. The record-breaking copy of “Super Mario Bros.” shows that, no matter what, video games still excite people and get that unique spark going. 

What’s your favorite Mario game to play?