Being a gamer is an expensive hobby. From keeping up with the new consoles, upgrading your hardware or just trying to stay on top of the latest $80 AAA titles to be released, this is a passion that can take a toll on your wallet.
And that's not even touching upon video game collectors.
Video game collectors are the most passionate of the passionate. Taking a hobby and turning it into an obsession. Whether they are collecting for the sake of hoarding and having a nice bookshelf of fancy, expensive things, or a deeper need to preserve trinkets of video game history, the work they do is important for the legitimacy of video games as something more than a toy.
Video games are works of art, and when you see how much people are willing to pay to own some of these pieces of art, I think you will start to see it that way too. At the very least you will start to see just how much value can be held in what might seem like a simple plastic container loaded with code.
At some of these price points, we've gotta ask ourselves, would anyone even want to play a game this valuable? It's remarkable how many vintage video games have garnered a reputation with collector's that make them worth their weight in gold. Here is our list of 30 extremely rare video game collectibles. Good luck searching!
30 Sega Genesis: Tetris ($1,000,000)
Tetris in itself is not a very rare game. Countless iterations of this Soviet block dropper can be found on everything from arcade machines to home consoles, and even cell phones.
The Sega Genesis version is extremely rare, rumors have it that there are only 10 copies in existence. Selling one of these would be enough to make you a fortune, but selling one signed by the Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, then you've got an extra $1,000,000 in your pocket.
29 1990 Nintendo World Championship Gold Cartridge ($100,000)
The 1990 Nintendo World Championships saw a competition across 29 cities pitting the best gamers against each other. Up for grabs was a trophy, a shiny new television, and the ultimate bragging rights.
But the biggest prize to come out of the competition would be one of 26 golden NES cartridges which were given to the finalists.
Becoming the most valuable and rare NES collectible, it is easy to see how an item this treasured would sell for $100,000.
28 Gamma Attack ($500,000)
Gamma Attack is a rarity because there is only a single copy of it in existence for the Atari 2600. Thereby making it one of the rarest games in existence.
Anthony DeNardo, the lucky guy who owned that copy, valued it at $500,000 and put it up for that ridiculous price on eBay.
Unsurprisingly, nobody took DeNardo up on his offer and since then the studio which made the game re-released several copies thus ending Gamma Attack's reign as the most expensive game.
27 E.T. Extra-Terrestrial ($108,000)
The source of video game legend since the 8-bit era of the Atari 2600, E.T. will forever be remembered as a huge flop that could only be covered up in a desert.
What people might not know, is that 881 of these buried cartridges were unearthed in 2015 to sell for a total of $108,000.
We have all heard the adage that one man's trash is another man's treasure but this is taking it to a whole other level.
26 Air Raid ($30,000)
Dubbed as one of the rarest games in video game history, Air Raid will blow you away with how expensive it is to collectors.
It turns out collectors will want to buy any piece of garbage so long as there are only a few in existence. I doubt this game ever held any sentimental value for anyone but that doesn't stop it from selling for over $30,000 at auction. The cartridge alone has sold for $3,575 while a complete set of the cartridge, manual and box sold for a stellar $33,433.30.
25 Stadium Events($42,000)
Like the other items on this list, Stadium Events is notorious for only being available for a limited time. Not too long ago, in 2017, a near perfect, factory sealed copy of the game was put up for auction.
Unfortunately, bidding has ended for the item, with the spoils of victory going to the winning bid of $42,077.
This particular copy was even examined by the Video Game Authority who awarded it a grade of 85+ out of 100. A fine copy in pristine condition. Worth $42,000? That remains to be seen.
24 Neo Geo Double Dragon Euro Version ($11,000)
Neo Geo games are disgustingly expensive if you can manage to find them at auction. That is because the Neo Geo itself is an incredibly rare console, with such a wonderful selection of games that are well known enough that everyone would want to get their hands on them.
Take for example this auction for the European Version of Double Dragon going for $11,000. Currently the most expensive Neo-Geo game on eBay right now. Though, I think I'll save my $11,000 for something else thanks.
23 Wrecking Crew NES ($4,000)
Wrecking Crew was bundled for the NES upon release and didn't really make much of a splash on the home video game market. This game featured everyone's favorite mustached plumber Mario in a new adventure consisting of smashing your way out of a bind using a giant hammer. The game would become an item among collectors due to its rarity and it featuring Nintendo's mascot in a less famous role. Anybody looking to complete their Mario collection can find it on eBay for $4,199. Pocket change compared to some of the other items on this list.
22 Blockbuster World Video Game Championship II ($3,601)
In the same vein as the Nintendo World Championships, Blockbuster (remember them?) also had the bright idea to throw gaming's best into the ring against each other. These cartridges were not given to contestants like the Nintendo ones were, these were only used for the tournament and were supposed to be destroyed afterward.
Clearly, we have someone to thank for not doing their job because these cartridges have shown up on auction sites. They are so rare that they have fetched a pretty penny, valued at more than $3,000.
21 Super Mario Bros ($30,000)
As far as gaming artifacts go, nothing could be more important than an original sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. for the NES. Not only is this the game that kickstarted gaming's most eternal franchise, but it is also the game that shipped NES's off store shelves like hot cakes.
A sealed copy of the original Super Mario Bros. sold at auction for $30,000.
Further cementing Mario's place in the annals of game history, this sale is just a reminder of Mario's lasting appeal and his place among the greats.
20 Red Sea Crossing ($10,400)
In today's video game market of excessive violence and low humor, it is nice to see a game with sensible values still being worth something. Notably, a game about the Bible, complete with its own coloring book.
Red Sea Crossing is popular, not so much for its subject matter, but because it is so rare that nobody knew it existed until 2007. The lucky chap who sold it for $10,400 discovered it at a garage sale and didn't immediately know what he had on his hands. Some quick research revealed that he had a gold mine on his hands.
19 River Patrol ($1,500)
What might sound like an innocent enough ride at Disneyland, is actually a game of you saving people from an array of dangerous obstacles. River Patrol joins the legion of extremely rare Atari 2600 games, with only a handful of copies known to currently exist.
If you own a copy, still in good condition you might be able to sell it for $1,500, its estimated current value. Time to dig through the attic!
18 Atlantis II ($5,000- $6,000)
Atlantis, the underwater clone of missile command, had a sequel that not everybody might not know about. In fact, it was a secret beholden only to those who have obtained a high score in Atlantis and sent a picture of their high score to the developers.
That lucky group then got a special version of Atlantis, dubbed Atlantis II, featuring tougher enemies for the ultimate challenge. Since this edition was so limited in its release, owning a copy could fetch you as much as $6,000.
17 Kizuna Encounter Euro Version ($5,400-$13,500)
Another Neo Geo classic that never saw much of the light of day, Kizuna Encounter featured intense player-vs-player combat akin to Marvel vs. Capcom. What makes this particular European edition such a collector's item, however, is the fact that there are only roughly 10 copies of this version in existence.
One eBay seller managed to get 500 Euros for it, but there have been eBay auctions going higher. Much higher. Of note, is a copy of the game sold for $12,500. Not bad for a game that nobody remembers much of.
16 Ewok Adventure ($1680)
Ewok Adventure is very similar to the Star Wars Christmas Special. Something we all would be better off pretending never existed. Ewok Adventure, on the other hand, never really saw the light of day, to begin with. Loosely based on Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Ewok Adventure saw players taking the reins of an Ewok, because that's why we play video games.
Fortunately, it was never actually released. Instead, the only known prototype was given to the son of one of the designers who later sold it for $1680. At least someone got some value from this mess of a game.
15 Mangia ($1,500)
Mangia, besides being what sounds like something your dog might catch, is notable for only being available through mail order. Like the other games we have seen which have only been available through mail, or through certain conventions, that increases the price of it to crazy levels.
Spectravision, the company which put out Mangia, put out all their games through mail order and Mangia is the rarest of them all. Don't know if I would pay $1,500 to catch Mangia though.
14 Metal Slug ($6,500-$14,000)
Metal Slug is hands down one of my favorite games growing up as a kid. That being said, as much as I would like to, I don't think I could dish out enough dough just to own a copy of it for the Neo-Geo. There is a constant trend of Neo-Geo games being exorbitantly expensive (see some of the items above) and Metal Slug keeps that trend going.
If you happen to find a complete package with the game and packaging in decent condition then you can consider yourself about $6,000 richer if you can find a buyer. The price of buying back your childhood, priceless.
13 Eli's Ladder ($1,600)
Eli's Ladder is an educational game released for the Atari 2600. This fun gem tasked kids with practicing their arithmetic skills through appropriate challenges. Does that sound fun? No, but is it an expensive collectible? Definitely.
$1,600 is the value for a complete set of the game complete with box and manual. The game also came with a wall chart and various stickers to help motivate children, even rarer than the game itself.
12 Color Bar Generator ($4,000)
If you thought that the last game didn't sound very fun, well we managed to have it beat for fun factor. Color Bar Generator can hardly even be called a game since it simply generates the color bars needed to calibrate a tv.
Not exactly revolutionary, but still essential for tuning your settings just right. The complete set of Color Bar Generator's box, manual and cartridge can run you $4,000. All for a color test.
11 The Music Machine ($1,800)
The Music Machine saw its sales through the Christian bookstores that it was sold in. Following Steve and Nancy as they try to catch all the letters that make up good values such as love, patience, and gentleness.
Unfortunately, if you want to play this game then you are going to have to partake in some greed. A complete version of this game is valued at $1,800 meaning you might have to rob some banks to learn these values.