Collecting rare and valuable pop culture items must be a hard hobby to grasp. Most of the time, you're never sure what's going to skyrocket in value until it's already there. The same rules apply when it comes to collecting old video games. Unless something comes out in a special edition, the value of a game only goes up once it is already hard to find. There's a certain bit of luck that can come into collecting old games. And it almost certainly has nothing to do with the quality of the game itself.

Nintendo, being that they are one of the most revered and longest-lasting video game companies around, have had some titles on their consoles that are now considered rare gems. While games on their disc-based systems are (relatively) cheap to come by, the further one goes back, the higher the prices tend to get. The rarity of their cartridges can vary based on a number of things. The condition of the cart is obviously something a collector takes into account. But if the game is still in the box (and better yet, never opened), it can go for a staggeringly high amount of money.

Whether they were seen only during promotional events, only released in certain locations, or just downright didn't sell well upon initial release, any collector should be ecstatic to have these games in their collection. Although, it's more likely your Nintendo haul consists of the others. Here are 15 Nintendo games worth a fortune and 15 that are worth next to nothing.

30 Worth A Lot: Bonk's Adventure (NES)

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The NES was absolutely packed with incredible platforming games like Super Mario Bros. and Mega Man. But not all of them could reach those popular heights.

Bonk’s Adventure is one of the games that didn’t take off in the same way.

It was originally for the TurboGrafx-16 before it was ported to the NES. But this port was (for some reason) released in 1993, a couple of years after the SNES release. Naturally, it didn’t sell well and is now very hard to find. A boxed version can go for around $1,000 but an unopened one can go for $2,800.

29 Not Worth A Lot: Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt (NES)

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Just like how your old copy of Wii Sports will never be worth anything, so too will your old copy of these two classic games packaged together. The reason being that they came boxed with multiple NES systems later in its lifespan.

One of the first bundles in gaming sold incredibly well, so there are a lot of copies still floating around.

You can find copies online for around $5 to $15 dollars. But you better make sure you also have the Zapper Light Gun. Otherwise playing Duck Hunt won’t be very fun.

28 Worth A Lot: Hagane: The Final Conflict (SNES)

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Here we have a case of a game’s rarity being based entirely on rumor. The rumor being that when this game was released in 1994, it was only available at Blockbuster so there weren’t that many copies, to begin with. That rumor was entirely false.

But that didn’t stop the action platformer from gaining a rare legacy. It didn’t sell super well, to begin with, and the rumor most-likely made collectors horde copies. Pricecharting.com values a cartridge at around $500, but if you’ve got one sealed in the box, it could sell for upwards of $3,500.

27 Not Worth A Lot: Star Fox (SNES)

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When Star Fox was released for the Super Nintendo, its 3D visuals were groundbreaking for the time. And while its graphics may look objectively bad by today’s standards, it blew everyone’s minds in 1993. Which means it sold fairly well.

Because of this, it is one of the easier SNES games out there to find. You could currently grab the cartridge on eBay for $5. A brand new, factory sealed box is valued at $64, which is nothing next to the majority of other games in the system’s library.

26 Worth A Lot: Yoshi's Story "The International Version" (N64)

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We all have games from our childhood collections that we wish we never would’ve sold, but in the case of this next one, it was probably never possible for us to have it in the first place. Yoshi’s Story for the Nintendo 64 is one of the cutest games on the platform.

But before it was released, Nintendo sent demo copies to US stores for players to test out before buying. The text is all still in Japanese and it wasn’t meant for resale. That didn’t stop some people from acquiring it, and it can now sell for around $1,200.

25 Not Worth A Lot: Hey You, Pikachu! (N64)

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While the quality of the game doesn’t usually factor into the rarity, Hey You, Pikachu! is a title where it was partially responsible. It was received very poorly, but it was still released at the height of Pokémon’s early popularity, meaning it sold well.

It was meant to replicate for kids what it was like caring for a real Pokémon and it came packaged with a microphone so you could talk to Pikachu. That microphone is probably one of the only reasons an unopened box is valued at $85, but the cartridge can be bought for $5.

24 Worth A Lot: The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask Adventure Set (N64)

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When it came time for Nintendo to release a sequel to Ocarina of Time, a monumental achievement in gaming, fans were no doubt ecstatic. And to commemorate that release, a limited-edition Adventure Set was made for Majora’s Mask.

However, only 1,000 were made and it could only be found in Europe.

The bundle came with a certificate of authenticity, a t-shirt, the soundtrack, and other nifty little things. But collectors snatched these up quickly. Upon release, you could find one for seventy pounds. But these days, they can sell for $2,500 - $3,000.

23 Not Worth A Lot: Tetris (NES)

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The Tetris craze hit the world in the mid-80s but it feels like it never really stopped. There was something so satisfying about building up those blocks and eliminating a row. So rewarding was this style of gameplay that Nintendo eventually ported their console version to the Game Boy.

Tetris was a best-seller for both the NES and the Game Boy, so the cartridge can be found for extremely cheap. Both could be bought for around $5 - $7. But an unopened box for the NES is actually cheaper than the Game Boy. It is valued at $50.

22 Worth A Lot: Little Samson (NES)

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Nintendo released a few titles for the original NES while the SNES was already on shelves. It was a smart move, guaranteeing sales for a console so many owned. But some games, because they were only available on the older system, didn’t sell too well.

Similar to Bonk’s Adventure, Little Samson was such a game. It was another action platformer, so it didn’t exactly stand out from the crowd. Paired with the fact that it wasn’t heavily promoted, and it has now become a hard-to-find game. Cartridges can go for a grand, but an unopened box is valued at $4,500.

21 Not Worth A Lot: The Legend Of Zelda (NES)

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A classic in its own right, the original The Legend of Zelda began what would become an extremely popular franchise. And while Zelda has never outsold Mario, the first in the series was still one of the best-selling games on the NES.

Despite its shiny gold cartridge, The Legend of Zelda isn’t very rare. You can find the cartridge on eBay for $15 or in the box for $50. The respect of the series has made an unopened box be valued at $275, but that isn’t much compared to a multitude of other NES games.

20 Worth A Lot: ClayFighter Sculptor's Cut (N64)

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ClayFighter was a mildly successful fighting game with a couple of sequels that could never match up to the likes of Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. Its last entry was ClayFighter 63 1/3 for the Nintendo 64. And the most noteworthy thing about that game was its special edition.

ClayFighter Sculptor’s Cut was a North America Blockbuster exclusive that came with new characters and gameplay elements.

Since Blockbuster usually sold cartridge games in their pre-owned cases, one of these in the original box is extremely hard to find. The cart nets $350, but an unopened box can go for $4,000.

19 Not Worth A Lot: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)

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There was a time when licensed games were actually taken seriously by players as something other than a cash grab. There was also a time when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were seen as the coolest property around. And from both of these instances, several well-received games starring the heroes in a half shell were released.

The first of these games for the NES is one of the cheaper games you can find today. The cartridge can be purchased for $5 - $7, with the box and manual for $30, and unopened for $150.

18 Worth A Lot: M.A.C.S.: Multipurpose Arcade Combat Simulator (SNES)

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It should surprise no one that a game not made available to the public is now worth a ton of money, but this game is still one of the weirder.

This particular game was made in partnership by Sculptured Software and the US Army to train new recruits on rifle usage and even came with a specially made rifle. The cartridge itself can currently be found on eBay for $4,500. But pricecharting.com lists it at $1,100 with the complete set at $3,000.

17 Not Worth A Lot: Perfect Dark (N64)

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Rare’s spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007 is certainly worth your time, though that doesn’t mean it’s worth a lot of money. It wasn’t nearly as popular without the selling point of James Bond, so copies of it can still be found for extremely cheap.

The cartridge alone is valued on pricecharting.com at $8, though it can be found a bit cheaper on eBay and, strangely, GameStop. Even an unopened box is only valued at $40, making it one of the all-around cheapest games to buy on the console.

16 Worth A Lot: Super Copa (SNES)

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Sometimes, figuring out a game’s rarity is a bit more complicated than limited quantities. In the case of Super Copa for SNES, it is due to licensing issues. Essentially, the game was a South American version of a US game called Tony Meola’s Sidekick Soccer.

It was distributed by a company called Playtronic, though another version with different artwork and without their logo is valued from $400 (cartridge) to $7,000 (unopened box). Because of this, some think it received a US release and exact value can be hard to nail down. Though even Playtronic’s version, unopened, is valued around $2,800.

15 Not Worth A Lot: Star Wars Episode I Racer (N64)

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Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing may have gotten all the racing glory on the Nintendo 64, but Star Wars Episode I Racer still offered a lot of fun. Since there hadn’t been a theatrical Star Wars release since 1983, and since this was released a couple of weeks before fans could form an opinion on The Phantom Menace, Racer sold extremely well.

And selling well is the antithesis to a game gaining “rare” status. The cartridge is valued at $7, though can be found online for cheaper. And an unopened box is valued around $50.

14 Worth A Lot: The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages And Seasons Limited Edition (Game Boy Color)

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The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Seasons were two games developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Color that players could purchase separately. Unless they were one of the lucky few who happened to snag the limited-edition bundle that came with both.

This bundle also came with skins for the Game Boy Color, a t-shirt, badges, and a promotional boomerang.

Unfortunately for most of us, only 500 were made. Fortunately for collectors, the bundle is now valued around $4,000 and one sold in 2013 as such.

13 Not Worth A Lot: Pac-Man (Game Boy)

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Outside of limited editions bundles, however, the majority of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games can be found for fairly cheap. One of the cheapest is one of the most popular games in arcade history.

Pac-Man has been ported to multiple consoles, not just Nintendo's.

But the Game Boy version meant taking the game wherever you went for the first time. The cartridge is valued at $6 but can be bought on eBay for $2. And an unopened box is only valued at $32.

12 Worth A Lot: Nintendo PowerFest 1994 (SNES)

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In the early 90s, Nintendo liked to hold promotional competitions for players to earn prizes and Nintendo Powerfest 1994 was one of those competitions. The competition came through several big cities and was based around players being able to score as many points as possible on a special game pack.

Players were tasked with either finishing a level in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, finishing five laps in Super Mario Kart, or hitting homeruns in Ken Griffey, Jr. Presents Major League Baseball. This game pack is highly sought after by collectors and can net $10,000 - $12,000.

11 Not Worth A Lot: Dr. Mario (NES)

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With Tetris being the major success that it was, Nintendo knew they needed to find their own quick-thinking puzzle game similar in nature. Once they had the formula, they logically attached their most popular mascot and the game sold like hot cakes.

Many people who owned an NES also owned Dr. Mario, so it can still be commonly found.

You could buy the cartridge on eBay for cheaper than it’s valued ($6), or you could buy a brand new, unopened box for around $60.