Retro game and console collecting is not a new phenomenon. People have been buying and selling these devices for many years. Online stores like eBay have become the ideal meeting ground for people to share valuable and rare items. The value of older video games has grown considerably in the past few years and shows no sign of stopping. Whether it’s for the Atari 2600 or the original Nintendo Entertainment System, there’s a market that caters to all interests.
As retro game collecting becomes more common, an increase in prices is inevitable. The supply of goods is low, but the demand is increasing every day. That increases the value of these retro items, at times to unreasonable levels. While there are many ways of playing these games, many prefer to enjoy them on the original hardware. Others are simply interested in growing out their collection to create the ultimate gaming room. Whatever your reason, there’s denying the joy of finding a vintage item that would make any collector jealous.
So with all that said, we have compiled some of the more expensive and rare retro gaming items. Our focus is on video games and console accessories. There were hundreds of items to choose from that could’ve made a good entry on here. Since there was less localisation of games back then, Japanese exclusives tend to be of high value. The Atari 2600 also has quite a few expensive titles due to how old the console is. The stock of these games was already limited during the time of release. It’s no surprise they are even rarer now. That being said, it’s time to prepare your wallet.
30 Game: Superman (Atari 2600)
This won’t apply to all versions of the game. The copy in question is the Tele-Games version with yellow text on the cartridge. It’s a specific detail but that’s what it often comes down to when looking for rare games. A boxed version of this game was actually sold for $10,000 on eBay. That’s an insane amount of money for a single video game.
The game itself isn’t spectacular. It’s pretty much what you would expect from an Atari game. Simple, but with a strange charm to it. However, as you’ll see in the rest of the list, the value of a video game often has nothing to do with the quality of it.
29 Game: Iron Commando (Super Famicom)
One of the first Japanese versions of a game to be on the list. Iron Commando is a beat-em-up in the vein of Final Fight. It was supposed to have a global release, but that was cancelled. So, the only option was to purchase the Japanese version. This meant paying up to $1000 dollars to secure a copy.
In recent times, the value has dropped a little. There are legitimate reproduction carts for the NTSC regions which are sold for around $45-$55. Even with a slight decrease in price, the original Iron Commando is quite a prize.
28 Accessory: Nintendo 64 DD Keyboard
This was a keyboard accessory for the Nintendo 64 DD and released exclusively in Japan. The idea was to use it for chatting and sending mail via the internet. Suggesting that the Nintendo 64 was going to have some form of Internet connectivity. Knowing the trend with these things, that probably would’ve been a Japan-only feature.
Since the DD hardware extension and keyboard are rare items, it’s no surprise that these items have high value. However, there are few (if any) records of these items being purchased on sites like eBay. Which is why you won’t see the prices for some of these console additions.
27 Game: Ninja Masters (SNK Neo Geo)
The Neo Geo wasn’t a popular console so naturally, the games on the system would become rare over time. Ninja Masters is one of the more harder to find titles and can reach prices of up to $2000. This one is definitely for the hardcore collectors.
Ninja Masters is a fighting game which is no surprise as SNK are really good at making them. It’s actually considered to be a bit of a hidden gem on the system. However, whether that makes it worth a couple thousand dollars is up to you.
26 Game: Stadium Events (NES)
The NES has a few insanely expensive games and this is actually one of the cheaper ones at around $8000. The game is like a prototype of the Wii Fit system and even comes with fitness pad of sorts. So, why the price hike?
Stadium Events was recalled shortly after released which means there wasn’t enough time for the game to circulate. Since few copies were sold, the current price for this game is way higher than it should be.
25 Accessory: Sega Channel Adapter
The Sega Channel was a subscription service to play Sega games. For a monthly fee, you could access certain games and demos. While this concept isn’t new now, it was more of a big deal in the 90s.
The Adapter is like a cartridge and is used to access the Sega Channel, via a TV cable. The item has become quite a vintage piece and can go for some high prices on eBay. Although it probably won’t have much use other than a nice item for display.
24 Game: Little Samsom (NES)
Little Samson is another hidden gem lost to the harsh flow of time. This may have gone under the radar during its initial release, but the game will set you back $1000+ now. At the time, the developers (Taito) weren’t able to give it the marketing required for better sales. If only they could see it in action now.
No doubt more people are interested to try out the game. That’s one of the positives of retro collecting. You never what people are going to unearth.
23 Game: DarXide (Sega 32X)
The 32X is an add-on for the Sega Genesis that had its own games. DarXide is one of the games that actually made the most of the extra hardware, surpassing the quality of games on the Genesis or SNES.
The game is PAL-only though, which makes it a rare find. It also means the price can get quite high, easily surpassing the $1000 mark. DarXide may not be for everyone, but it’s a good addition to any game collection.
22 Accessory: PlayStation Happy Diet Stepper
This is another one of those strange controller peripherals that don’t make much sense. This was is supposedly a good way to exercise. Although you’d be better off actually going outside or to the gym to get fit. The Happy Diet Stepper is still a cool novelty item.
The price for this has reached around $500. However, this may be an overstated value since there aren’t many sellers for the product. If more people owned it, it wouldn’t have been nearly as expensive. Which applies to everything on this list.
21 Game: Mountain Bike Rally + Speed Racer Combo (SNES)
This special dual combo didn’t even make it to retail. The copies being circulated are likely from old warehouses and they can fetch you a small fortune of a few thousand dollars. This combo deal has much greater value than the single copies of the games.
Both of these titles are racing games, although they are better suited as collector’s item. There are better choices for the system like F-Zero. Regardless, this is still an expensive retro game. You could say that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
20 Game: Bangai-O: Prize Edition (Sega Dreamcast)
There are only five copies of this version which were prizes in a Japanese competition for the highest scores. It even has a signature from the lead designer of the game, Hisashi Fujita. Even though there are only five copies, this one barely reaches the $1000 mark.
Normally when something is so limited in supply, you would expect a higher price point. Perhaps this particular game simply isn’t as desirable to collectors. In any case, it’s still quite expensive and the rarest game on this list.
19 Accessory: Outback Joey Heartbeat Personal Trainer
This is a special edition of the standard Sega Mega Drive and exclusive to North America. This already makes it a rare item for collectors. On top of that, the system had some extra hardware, like motion sensors, for use with this specific version.
It appears that the health-awareness trend for gaming started a while back. The current iterations of Wii Fit and other “exercise” games are just evolutions of the Heartbeat Personal Trainer and other strange devices from the 90s.
18 Game: Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance (Nintendo GameCube)
The two Fire Emblem games on the Nintendo GameCube are both rare and expensive. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is the more valuable of the pair though. During the time of release, the franchise was still in the process of growing and didn’t have a large audience.
The result is a lack of supply and has become a bit of collector’s dream in recent times. It’s a solid tactical RPG and is praised as one of the best entries in the franchise. If you can somehow secure a copy, give it a try. You won’t be disappointed (your wallet might be though).
17 Game: Rendering Ranger (Super Famicom)
Once again the Super Famicom provides us with a rare game worth a lot of cash. It’s a simple run-and-gun type game but is a huge deal among collectors as even box-less copies can fetch almost $700. If you have the box as well, you can get a couple thousand dollars from Rendering Ranger (assuming good condition).
Japanese import games from the past tend to have a lot of value now. Hundred of games never got localized in the past, some of which are genuinely good. That makes it all the more elusive for potential buyers.
16 Accessory: PlayStation Keyboard And Mouse Adapter
Even in the past consoles tried to get some form of PC controls on their system. The PlayStation solution was to make an adapter for a keyboard and mouse. This adapter can be pretty pricey on the resale market, but like other accessories, there aren’t many reliable records.
Sony had the right idea with this. Instead of making a mediocre keyboard/mouse combo, who not just make an adapter? That way, consumers can use their own devices for a more comfortable experience.
15 Game: 1990 Nintendo World Championship Gold Edition (NES)
The Nintendo World Championship was a major gaming competition from the 1990s. It involved three games (Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and Rad Racer) that were altered to fit a more tournament style of play.
This special gold cartridge was distributed to only 26 people living in North America. As you would expect, the value for this game has skyrocketed. It has a maximum price of about $50 000, which is enough for a decently luxurious car. This will always be a special piece of gaming history.
14 Game: Metal Slug (SNK Neo Geo)
Metal Slug can be found on various other platforms and is a great 2D side-scroller. The Neo Geo version, however, is a very rare item and thus can yield some high prices. This particular version can cost collectors up to $3000 which is a decent bit of cash.
The main reason for the high price is that Metal Slug didn’t get a lot of copies for the Neo Geo. The age-old economic principle of scarcity driving up the price has resulted in this mess. Still, it’s a much sought-after item for Neo Geo collectors.
13 Accessory: Nintendo Power N64 Controller
This is a special edition of the Nintendo 64 controller to celebrate the 100th issue of the Nintendo Power magazine. It’s an incredibly limited edition piece of hardware that only a handful of lucky magazine subscribers managed to get.
The controller itself is a sweet gold color with the Nintendo Power logo on the top. This ensures you won’t confuse it with the standard gold colored controllers that aren’t nearly as valuable.
12 Game: Magical Chase (TurboGrafx 16)
Magical Chase is a shoot-em-up for the TurboGrafx 16, a genre the console is renowned for. Some may categorize it as a “cute”-em-up because of the bright and colorful graphics. Whatever you call it, there’s no denying that $2000 price tag.
The TurboGrafx 16 wasn’t a huge hit like Nintendo and Sega consoles, but it has a respectable library of games. That’s what makes it so valuable to people who love expanding their collections with new and exciting content.
11 Game: Nintendo Campus Challenge (NES)
This is similar to the Nintendo World Championship cartridge but with a different set of games (Super Mario 3, PinBot, and Dr. Mario). There is only one copy of this game left in the whole world. One known copy anyway. It was sold for $20 000 which is a lot of money, but not as much as the gold Championship game.
It would be cool to see Nintendo try something like this with the Nintendo Switch. Maybe we can get a trio of Splatoon 2, Mario Odyssey and Super Smash Brothers. That would be an awesome compilation.