Top 10 most valuable video games of all time

Valuable video games command significant prices at auction, as childhood nostalgia and historical provenance transform classic cartridges into alternative assets. Driven by professional grading houses that evaluate packaging condition and seal integrity, these traditional collectables now rival vintage sports cards and fine art.

The valuations recorded at auction are strictly governed by rarity, print variant, and preservation state. While standard played cartridges remain accessible to casual collectors, factory-sealed first production runs from the 1980s and 1990s routinely attract seven-figure bids at auction houses such as Heritage Auctions.

Here is an analysis of the ten highest-recorded video game sales that define the upper limits of the market.

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Top 10 most valuable video games of all time

1. Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1985): $3.0 million (approx. £2.4 million)

Holding the record for the highest price paid for a video game at public auction, this sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. sold at Heritage Auctions in June 2026 for $3.0 million. The cartridge features a gloss sticker seal adopted briefly by Nintendo in early 1986 before the transition to plastic shrink-wrap. With only three known sealed examples of this specific production run confirmed to exist, this copy received a Wata 9.6 grade after remaining preserved inside an unopened console bundle for four decades.

2. Super Mario 64 (N64, 1996): $1.6 million (approx. £1.1 million)

Demonstrating the market strength of 64-bit platformers, a sealed copy of Super Mario 64 sold at auction in July 2021 for $1.6 million. As the launch title that established 3D navigation standards for the Nintendo 64, the game holds significant historical relevance. Despite high production volumes during the 1990s, surviving copies in Wata 9.8 A++ condition are uncommon, making this the first Nintendo 64 software to cross the million-dollar threshold.

3. The Legend of Zelda (NES, 1987): $870,000 (approx. £630,000)

In July 2021, a sealed copy of the original The Legend of Zelda achieved a record valuation of $870,000 at public auction. This specific gold cartridge is an early “No Rev-A” production variant, indicating it was manufactured during a limited initial production run in late 1987 before Nintendo modified the retail packaging. As the inaugural release of a major gaming franchise, early production variants in high grades are sought after by collectors.

4. Super Mario World (SNES, 1990): $360,000 (approx. £260,000)

When the Super Nintendo launched in North America, Super Mario World was frequently distributed as a console bundle pack-in. Consequently, factory-sealed standalone retail boxes are difficult to source in high preservation states. In 2021, a first-print standalone copy sold for $360,000, confirming solid collector demand for 16-bit software variants.

5. Pokémon Red Version (Game Boy, 1998): $300,000+ (approx. £230,000)

The 1998 release of Pokémon Red Version represents the origin of a major global media franchise. Because Game Boy software was distributed in cardboard cartons that were prone to crushing and wear during standard use, well-preserved packaging is scarce. High-grade Wata 9.8 examples have commanded over $300,000 in private transactions, while mid-to-high grade copies routinely achieve upwards of £60,000 at public auction.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998): $228,000 (approx. £165,000)

Ocarina of Time transitioned the Zelda series into 3D polygon graphics in 1998. In 2021, a sealed Collector’s Edition copy—distinguished by its gold cartridge and foil box presentation—achieved a final valuation of $228,000 at auction. High-grade examples of limited Collector’s Edition releases remain a primary target for Nintendo 64 software collectors.

7. Final Fantasy (NES, 1990): $204,000 (approx. £150,000)

The North American release of Final Fantasy on the NES established the role-playing genre on home consoles. Due to the extended playtime of RPG titles, most original retail copies were opened and played, leaving very few first-production boxes intact. A sealed first-print copy sold for $204,000 at auction, reflecting the scarcity of unopened foundational RPG titles.

8. Contra (NES, 1988): $150,000 (approx. £110,000)

Contra is recognized for its high difficulty and for popularising the Konami button code in home console software. A factory-sealed copy of the 1988 NES release achieved $150,000 at auction, driven by collectors seeking high-grade examples of historically prominent action titles.

9. Stadium Events (NES, 1987): $41,300 to $100,000+

While standard Nintendo releases derive value from condition and brand recognition, Stadium Events is noted for absolute production scarcity. Briefly distributed by Bandai in 1987 for use with a physical floor mat, Nintendo subsequently acquired the rights and recalled the retail stock to rebrand the software as Power Pad. With most copies destroyed during the recall, fewer than twenty complete examples are documented. A factory-sealed copy recorded a $41,300 sale in 2010, and modern market valuations for sealed specimens exceed $100,000.

10. Air Raid (Atari 2600, 1982): $33,433 (approx. £25,000)

Air Raid represents one of the rarest software distributions for the Atari 2600 console. Produced by a short-lived developer named Men-Vision, the cartridge was housed in an unusual blue case with a distinctive T-shaped handle. With roughly twelve copies confirmed to exist, the only known specimen retaining both its original retail box and instruction manual achieved $33,433 at auction.