The world's most rare, and valuable video games

[Justin Kahn]

As some of you know, the buying and selling of rare video games has become more popular over the years with hard-to-come-by titles fetching upwards of $20,000. While there are highly valuable and sought after games from many of the vintage gaming systems of the past, many of the rarest gems come from the Atari 2600.  

Originally called the Atari VCS, the 2600 has garnered an iconic status among gamers in the nearly 40 years since its original release back in September of 1977. There a huge number of now very low cost titles that were made for the console, but there are also a few extremely valuable ones. 

There were only 100 cartridges of Red Sea Crossing produced and complete copies have an estimated value of between $10,000 and $14,000. Another extremely rare title is Air Raid, with only two known in existence, the oddly shaped blue cartridge has sold for $14,000 and $33,400 on eBay and the game auction site GameGavel.

On top of a few other valuable titles in the $18,000 to $35,000 range like Atlantis II and Birthday Mania (only 1 copy verified to exist), the rarest and most expensive title for Atari 2600 (or any console for that matter) is Gamma Attack. Some reports suggest only one copy was produced and other suggest a handful, but either way there is only one known copy in existence. The best estimates on this title put it at a value between $20,000 and $50,000, making it arguably the most valuable game in history.

Some other extremely valuable games come from the NES and Neo Geo libraries as well like the well known Nintendo tournament cartridges. With 26 of them awarded to the winners and runner-ups of a Nintendo Power contest, 1990 Nintendo World Championships: Gold Edition, which has tournament versions of Super Mario Bros, Tetris and Rad Racer, has an estimated value of between $15,00 and $21,000. Another Nintendo tournament cartridge, 1991 Nintendo Campus Challenge, which contains Super Mario 3, PinBot and Dr. Mario went for $20,100 in 2006.

Some other notable mentions include an unreleased Genesis title and a couple rare NeoGeo games: Ultimate 11/Super Sidekicks 4 for at up 10 $10,000 and King of Fighters 2000 has a value of as much as $6,000. Sega Genesis never actually saw an official release of Tetris but the game's creator has since confirmed the existence of Tetris for Sega and there are only about 10 out in the wild at an estimated value of between $3,000 and $16,000 a piece, according to reports.

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[TomSEA]

I don't get how only one or two copies can exist. Does that mean that's all that were made, or all the rest have been lost, thrown-away, destroyed?

 

[VitalyT]

This is pure sickness. Apple's iTunes is full of games far better and more unique, ones that nobody really wants because the market is overflowing.

Some people are like cockroaches, building up their own disposal yard, stuffing it with crap they find online.

 

[davislane1]

I don't get how only one or two copies can exist. Does that mean that's all that were made, or all the rest have been lost, thrown-away, destroyed?

More are probably out there but unknown. In rare cases there will be a few limited run items, but most of the price run up comes from the scarcity created by the destruction and disposal of previous stock. In essence, they're no different from any other collectible.

 

[davislane1]

This is pure sickness. Apple's iTunes is full of games far better and more unique, ones that nobody really wants because the market is overflowing.

Some people are like cockroaches, building up their own disposal yard, stuffing it with crap they find online.

Which is why I only support the collection of Ferraris, Mediterranean condos, yachts, fine wine, Rolex watches, cigars, and women*.

*between the ages of 20 and 25 only

 

[Cycloid Torus]

My Dutch friends in the flower and bulb business assure me that the values are certain to keep growing.

 

[cliffordcooley]

And all of them are as worthless as any other game of that era. Only a few select idi.ots would place great value on such trash.

 

[GhostRyder]

I don't get how only one or two copies can exist. Does that mean that's all that were made, or all the rest have been lost, thrown-away, destroyed?

It can mean a multitude of things, as a game collector myself it sometimes runs as one of the following:
1: Only Test Cartridges exist (Which can either have just basic labels or full on labels)
2: Recall before sales and only a few missed destruction or what not
3: Not many were made and only a few surfaced which happens with games over 30+ years old. This happened recently with the famous Stadium events where it was viewed as being almost non-existent and then someone found one. After that more started appearing because people started searching once they saw its value.
4: Company went broke and only some test versions exist (Or company had Insert Financial Trouble here and the game never got far out).


There are many other ways as well but that's a normal set of ideas that happens in cases of rare games.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

You've gotta be joking... Never in my wildest dreams would I ever consider spending so much money on an old title, even if it's as rare as rocking horse faeces that nobody's ever heard of when I'm already extremely allergic to paying RRP for a newly released AAA title that a lot of people have convinced themselves is a bargain.

 

[slamscaper]

I would love to have an original Neo-Geo system with most of the games. I mean the cartridge based system and not the Neo-Geo CD system that ended up replacing eventually (they did this to lower the price of the games, which were astronomically high at the time). The CD based system is plagued by insanely long load times and wasn't well regarded at all, not to mention that it's far more common and not worth nearly as much as the original system.

I'm not a game collector and I would never pay those kinds of prices for antique games. The Neo-Geo system holds a special place in my heart though. I can remember how great it was compared to Nintendo and Sega's systems at the time. It was the first time gamers could experience true arcade quality games at home. But at $650 USD for the system and $200 per game cartridge, very few people could afford this luxury back then.