Whether you're a console gamer or a PC player, there is an abundance of video games for you to choose from in the modern age. We have hundreds of thousands of titles at our fingertips, with many indie releases and fan projects driving that number up even further. It may surprise you but it was a pretty similar situation when video games first started to take root.

No, there weren't a seemingly endless supply of NES games, but there were many titles popping up that people hadn't even heard of. Whether it was poor marketing, rental exclusivity, or just a lack of interest, a lot of these retro releases went unnoticed. You also had a flood of titles that were just plain awful. These games were either hastily crafted as a cash-grab or were simply bad from a design standpoint.

What's even more shocking is that fact that retro games are still insanely collectible. It doesn't seem to matter how horribly bad these games are, there are still people battling each other in online auctions. In fact, notoriously bad games seem to be collectible based on the fact that they're notoriously bad. The more infamous a particular retro title is, the more collectible it becomes.

We scoured the web to find 25 AWFUL Retro Games That Are Worth A Fortune Now. Do you own any of these games? Don't be embarrassed, they're work bank nowadays.

25 Action 52 ($200 - $800)

Let's just go ahead and get this out of the way. I can't stand to talk about this steaming pile of mediocrity for more than a few minutes. Perhaps mediocrity isn't the best word to describe Action 52 (NES). This "game" is far, far worse. A term like "dumpster fire" is much more appropriate when labeling this Active Enterprises flop.

Let's just be honest, this was the early 1990s version of a cash grab. The creators cranked out this horrible cartridge in the hopes that gamers would salivate at the opportunity to own 52 games for the price of one. Thankfully, not many people fell for this $199 retail ruse.

Yet, thanks to its notoriety, Action 52 has become a highly valuable collector's item. Loose copies sell for around $200, while a sealed version will fetch around $800.

24 Nintendo World Championships 1990 ($10,000+)

We understand that we may get a little backlash from this, after all, it's Nintendo history we're talking about here. Still, as important as retro games were to the future of gaming, the Nintendo World Championships 1990 cartridge is an astronomical waste of money from a logical standpoint.

Back in (you guessed it) 1990, Nintendo held its famed contest across 29 cities, calling on competitors to post their best possible scores across three well-known NES titles. When the contest ended, the cartridges used fell into obscurity. There were two versions (grey and gold) with a very limited supply of each. This item is insanely collectible, but in reality, it only features a small fraction of Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris. These games were tweaked to be time trials and challenges, for the contest.

Grey cartridges sell for over $10,000, while a recent gold cartridge fetched $100,088 on eBay.

23 Trip World ($300 - $1000)

Remember when you first loaded up Tetris or Super Mario Land on your Game Boy? The famous Nintendo handheld console gave us something to do on long car trips but earlier Game Boy games weren't exactly pretty. Developers were limited to a black and white color scheme, with 8-bit processors to boot.

At first glance, you wouldn't think Trip World (Game Boy) was created during this time period. It's absolutely gorgeous (by comparison) and features an array of beautifully designed backdrops and characters. Unfortunately, it's also incredibly short (can be beaten in 20 minutes) and rather easy. It's not a horrible game by any means but it finds its way onto this list for its demo-like length.

It was never released in North America, which has skyrocketed prices. Loose copies sell for as much as $300, while new complete versions see $1000.

22 Mr. Gimmick ($600 - $1200)

This one is a bit like Trip World, so we figured we'd place them together. Once again, it's not that Mr. Gimmick is a terrible game, it's simply a matter of value. This platformer can be beaten rather quickly, although it is considerably harder than Trip World. In fact, some gamers have complained about its difficulty, touting it as one of the hardest games to release for the NES.

Mr. Gimmick is beautifully designed and features an amazing soundtrack. Sadly, that wasn't enough to justify its retail price when it released in 1992. What makes this particular port so valuable is its scarce worldwide stock. Mr. Gimmick never saw a North American release. In fact, it only released in Japan and in short supply in Scandinavia.

Loose cartridges of this release will set you back $600. Expect to pay around $1200 if you want a new copy.

21 Rule Of Rose ($200+)

Buckle up, we've got controversy abound with this PlayStation 2 release. Rule of Rose hit Japanese store shelves in January of 2006. It was planned for a global release later that year but hit a few speed bumps thanks to its rather controversial content. The Silent Hill-like game focused on children (which is enough to cause concern) which some felt were being sexualized.

These themes forced a cancellation in the United Kingdom. The controversy and limited North American stock have caused prices to rise in recent years, not the title's stellar design. At its core, this is a horror survival game that is much more horrific than anything else. The gameplay is pretty rotten, though the plot is somewhat interesting. Copies of this rare port are selling for $200+ on eBay (it'll get more expensive with time).

20 We're Not Even Going To Say The Name Of This One ($600)

Don't get your hopes up, Softp**n Adventure (DOS, Atari 8-Bit, Apple II) isn't nearly as tantalizing as it sounds. Released in 1981, this sexy adventure was comprised completely of text. Sadly, there were no "scenic views," unless you count the rather odd-looking box art.

We will admit, even if it's a bit funky, Softp**n Adventure is a pretty funny text-based title. Designer Chuck Benton did a good job infusing comedic values into this seedy hooker-filled quest. You'll spend a lot of time solving obscure puzzles and you'll even have the opportunity to get the "atomic clap." This game actually inspired the Leisure Suit Larry series of adult games, although we aren't sure if that's a good thing.

If you happen across this rarity at a local garage sale, be sure to snag it. Recent copies have sold for upwards of $600.

19 Wide Boy 64 ($500+)

This one's a bit sneaky on our part (since it's not actually a game) but we felt like we had to feature it on this list after discovering its purpose and price. The Wide Boy 64 was a strange peripheral developed for the Nintendo 64 to help promote and create Game Boy Color titles. What makes this item so unique is that it was never released to the general public. It was only available to game creators and members of the press (video game magazines and the like).

So why exactly does it belong on this list? Because back when it released, Nintendo was charging an insane $1400 for this peripheral. Sure, it allowed users to see Game Boy Color games on a television screen but that hardly justifies over a thousand dollars.

Due to its historical nature and development-based usage, these things are selling for $500+.

18 Panic Restaurant ($500 - $1600)

What's more fun than holding right on the directional pad and mashing the attack button? A lot of things are more fun than that, but it seems that developer EIM never got the memo. Panic Restaurant (NES) is as generic as they come. It's a basic platformer filled to the brim with annoying enemies that croak after a gentle tap from a Chef's frying pan.

An attempt was made here, with brightly colored sprites and a pleasing color pallet. Unfortunately, Panic Restaurant doesn't do enough to separate itself from all of the other cookie cutter platformers that spewed onto the NES in the early 1990s. In the end, it's just another short-winded release with a portly mustachioed man as its protagonist.

However, that hasn't stopped collectors from paying steep prices to own this rare release. A boxed copy can cost upwards of $1600.

17 ClayFighter: Sculptor's Cut ($400 - $4000)

This one will rub a few of you the wrong way, considering ClayFighter has quite the cult following. To us, it's simply not that great of a game. For one, it borrows a lot of elements from other fighting games, poking fun at them with its tongue-in-cheek brand of humor. We love "claytalities" just as much as the next person but the Teen Rating and cartoony graphics made these finishers rather lackluster.

ClayFighter's gameplay gets stagnant quickly, with the sound teetering towards annoying right out of the gate. This one simply missed the mark for us. That said, it hasn't missed the mark with collectors, specifically when it comes to ClayFighter: Sculptor's Cut. This update to ClayFighter 63 1/3 was only released as a Blockbuster rental exclusive. A loose copy costs over $400, while new-in-box versions are a staggering $4000.

16 Birthday Mania ($35,000)

No, that isn't a typo, we actually mean around $35,000. There isn't much to say about Birthday Mania (Atari). The game only features a title screen and an endless shooting gallery where you play as a disembodied head, blowing out candles as they slide down a conveyor belt. It's hard to justify paying this much for a cruddy Atari game. After all, that price is higher than most automobiles.

There IS a reason that Birthday Mania is worth so much (albeit a dumb reason). This game was never actually sold on store shelves, but rather, through a special mail-in service. This would allow developers to add the name of the birthday recipient to the title screen of the game. As you can imagine, this concept didn't sell very well. In fact, some speculate there are less than 10 of these games in existence.

15 Super 3D Noah's Ark ($150 - $450)

Think about the last time you played Wolfenstein 3D for the SNES. Nintendo heavily censored the release, changing the Nazi stuff and taking away the blood, but it was still a pretty fantastic first-person shooter at its core. You could probably make a list of things that could make this adventure even better. We'd be willing to bet that "adding animals and changing the protagonist to Noah" isn't one of them.

Sadly, that's exactly what developer Wisdom Tree did. Super 3D Noah's Ark is Wolfenstein with a Christian Bible theme. Noah acts as the main character for this title, so instead of shooting at bad guys, you'll launch food into the mouths of some hungry animals. We aren't saying it's a bad game for its themes, we're simply saying a game called Wolfenstein already existed.

Loose cartridges run around $150, while new-in-box is $450.

14 Caltron 6-In-1 ($200 - $300)

You would think the swift failure of Action 52 (NES) would send multi-cart developers fleeing from the NES. Caltron didn't let the monumental flop phase them, which is why they pushed out Caltron 6-In-1 a year later. Perhaps this was the multi-cart that NES fans were looking for. Spoiler alert, it wasn't.

Caltron 6-In-1 was rather similar in its design. It only featured six titles instead of 52, but it is important to note that the quality of these six games was far better than anything Action 52 had to offer. That said, none of the six games could stand up to 1992 NES releases.

I know it's probably shocking to hear, but Caltron 6-In-1 didn't sell very well. Yet, it's prized by collectors. $200 will get you a loose copy and you'll have to fork over $300 if you want it new.

13 Myriad 6-In-1 ($1300 to $3000)

Have you even been at a party or in a social situation and you tell a really good joke but no one seems to hear it so nobody really laughs? Then that one jerk nearby steals your thunder by telling the exact same joke but a little bit louder, which results in uproarious laughs and thunderous applause? That's exactly what happened when Myriad purchased all of Caltron's extra 6-In-1 stock (except people still weren't buying the game).

That's a pretty dick move, to be honest. Taking someone else's hard work and turning it into your hard work by slapping your label on it. That's not metaphorical, it's literally what Myriad did. Sadly, they didn't even do that well, as the sticker was too small and didn't adequately cover up Caltron's old logo. They didn't even bother to change the title screen, it still says Caltron on it.

Who knew a simple label could be worth $1300?

12 Cheetahmen II ($1000 - $3000)

While we're on the subject of terrible multi-cart games and horrible company decisions, we might as well talk about Cheetahmen II (NES). If you managed to make it through 51 of Action 52's horrible games, you were rewarded with Cheetahmen. Don't be fooled, this title was just as agonizing as all the rest but it struck a chord with players. Perhaps it was the fact that Action 52 was attempting to cash in on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' fame by birthing another series of anthropomorphic crime-fighting creatures.

The result was a disaster, and unfortunately, a teaching moment that went untaught. Active Enterprises decided to turn Cheetahmen into a full-size game, so they got to work on Cheetahmen II. Unsurprisingly, the title was never finished, but around 1500 copies were located in a warehouse.

Collectors salivate over this unfinished heap. The only copies available on eBay are selling for thousands of dollars.

11 Zombie Nation ($300 - $600)

Video games are an incredible creative outlet that allow developers to breathe interactive life into their imaginative stories and characters. The type of imagination and the characters that come from it can sometimes form a rather weird experience. Case in point, Zombie Nation, an NES title where you take control of the head of a disembodied samurai. This side-scrolling shoot-'em-up is horrifying (from both a visual and difficult standpoint).

It's also highly collectible. It's not difficult to imagine why NES fanatics would want to get their hands on this supremely strange game. In Japan, this title is often referred to as kuso-gē, which translates to "crap game" in English. It may be crap in pixelated form but it still fetches a high price. Loose copies are selling all over eBay for $300 a pop.

10 Zelda's Adventure ($400)

We won't sugarcoat it, it's difficult to understand why anyone in their right mind would ever want to own this game, let alone play it. Zelda's Adventure belongs to the notoriously bad trio of Legend of Zelda games developed for the Philips CD-i. Of the infamous grouping, it's probably the worst (and that's saying a lot). You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who played Zelda's Adventure and actually enjoyed it.

Yet, strangely, this title is highly collectible. It's most likely due to the fact that it's so agonizingly awful that people want to collect it based purely on the fact that it's a physical disc-shaped manifestation of vomit. If you're feeling especially masochistic and need to find a new way to punish yourself, you can scour eBay for a copy of this universally panned nightmare. Just be aware that it's going to set you back $400 or more.

9 Stadium Events ($15,000 - $35,000)

Next up we have another NES game that you could easily trade for a car, or two. If this game looks familiar, it's because it was actually quite common in 1987. Most of you will remember seeing it as World Class Track Meet. What you may not know, is that it was originally called Family Fun Fitness Stadium Events. That mouthful of a title was originally crafted by Human Entertainment and published by Bandai, along with the Family Fun Fitness Mat.

Nintendo caught wind of this particular game's proposed success and immediately took it upon themselves to rebrand the release, giving it a new title in the process. World Class Track Meet was sold with the Power Mat accessory. In reality, they're the exact same game. The scarcity of the "original game" has caused it to sell for astronomical prices in the modern age. Expect to pay $15,000 for a loose cartridge.

8 Batman Forever Woolworths Box Set ($900 - $1300)

If you're an avid retro game collector, you've probably seen quite a few Batman Forever SNES cartridges for sale at local shops. Don't go running just yet. Those particular copies are absolutely worthless. After all, Batman Forever for the SNES was quite the letdown. It was a huge graphical upgrade compared to its predecessors, but the horrid combat and bland gameplay fell flat.

It's probably pretty easy to find an old copy of this terrible port laying around for about $5. In fact, that are probably people around who would pay you to take it off their hands. If anyone ever offers to sell you this game, you should probably run, unless it's in a fancy Woolworths box. The PAL edition Woolworths box set sells for anywhere between $900 and $1300. This is probably due to the fact that many people who owned this game tossed it in a trash can.

7 Starcraft 64 ($50 - $600)

Don't panic, this isn't a dig at Starcraft. Blizzard's beloved RTS franchise is one of our favorites. At its core, Starcraft 64 is still the same Starcraft that everyone knows and enjoys. It featured all the missions from the base game, as well as the expansion, Brood War. On top of that, there were a few Nintendo 64 exclusive missions.

This boils down to an issue of a PC port moving to console. To be fair, developers did a great job giving console players the necessary tools to enjoy the Starcraft experience. Unfortunately, as expected, it feels stiff and awkward. This was an experience that was best enjoyed on a PC. Still, it's much easier nowadays to enjoy an RTS on a modern console. If you're itching for some sluggish Starcraft, you can find copies of this Nintendo 64 oddity for as low as $50 for a loose cartridge.

6 The Flintstones: Surprise At Dinosaur Peak ($700 - $2500)

For the most part, modern age video games based on cartoons and movies are pretty terrible. It wasn't always like that. Many retro games based off other entertainment IPs found great success in the early 1990's. In 1994, Taito took a crack at reviving love and adoration for The Flintstones, with its NES title The Flintstones: Surprise At Dinosaur Peak. We'll be honest, this game looks pretty great on the surface, and to be fair, it has a lot going for it.

It's a solid platformer with decent art and gameplay. It's also pretty unforgiving. There is a fairly deep difficulty spike and you'll often find yourself smashing the continue button (thankfully you get unlimited opportunities). What killed this release the most was the fact that Taito released it approximately two years after the SNES released. The gaming world had already moved on. This title is worth around $700.