1990 Nintendo World Championships – Gold Edition – $100,000

In 1990, the winners of three age groups in a 30-city gaming tournament were given a special grey Championship cartridge. The ultra-special gold version was sent out to those who had won a promotional contest in Nintendo Power magazine. Only 26 were produced, which means you probably won’t find one online. If you do, expect to pay $100,000.

1990 Nintendo World Championships – Grey Carts – $25,000

These cartridges were used and given to each of the finalists in the World Championships. They had a print run of about 90, meaning there are still a few out there, laying dormant in someone’s attic or basement. Have a look around online: one of these puppies sold for a staggering $25,000 in May of 2017.

1991 Nintendo Campus Challenge – $21,100

The 1991 Nintendo Campus cartridge was created by Nintendo as part of a video game competition. It held three games: Super Mario 3, PinBot, and Dr Mario. Within six minutes, players had to get the most points in all three games. After the comp, the games were supposed to be destroyed. Clearly, they weren’t!

Stadium Events – $30,000

Released by Bandai in 1987, Nintendo bought the rights to Stadium Events and its Fitness mat in 1988 and renamed them as World Class Track Meet and the Power Pad controller. To avoid any confusion, they pulled all copies of Stadium Events from shelves. That is, they pulled all but the 200 cartridges that had already been sold, which have since been flogged for the high price of $30,000!

Atlantis II – $6,000

Atlantis doesn’t get the same respect as Pac-Man or Donkey Kong even though it should. This game was all the rage when it first came out in 1982. Unfortunately, its sequel was not so beloved. Atlantis II wasn’t widely distributed, meaning those who own a copy, don’t know how lucky they are. Copies of this game have sold for $6,000.

Air Raid – $3,000

There’s a lot of lore surrounding Air Raid. First off, some say it was the only game produced by a company called “Menavision”. Second, no one’s certain that Air Raid is the actual title, given that there’s no name on the label. Both these things only help ramp up the second-hand price to the decidedly high $3,000. Also, the cartridge occasionally comes in a rare blue instead of black.

Star Wars Ewok Adventure – $1,680

Do you remember Ewok Adventure? You definitely don’t, as it was never released. The Parker Brothers’ marketing department thought a game about Ewok’s flying a hang glider over Endor, trying to blow up an Imperial base was too goofy. The game’s designer, Larry Gelberg, gave the only prototype to a friend’s son, who sold it for $1,680.

Kizuna Encounter – $13,500

If you wanna see a collector fall to their knees and cry out for mercy, say the words “Kizuna Encounter”. This 1996 fighter, echoing the likes of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, is by no means groundbreaking, it was just produced in tiny quantities. Word on the street is only 15 copies were made, which explains its high resale price.

Ultimate 11 – $10,000

Ultimate 11 was the final game in the Super Sidekicks series, a pretty popular franchise of soccer games. For some reason, only ten copies are known to exist, making it a huge target for collectors. Finding a copy of Ultimate 11 is tricky. Real tricky. Like soccer, patience is key. Nothing happens for what seems like days and months. And then? Hopefully – Score!

Little Samson – $6,000

While the exact number is unknown and likely lost to history, it is generally agreed that Little Samson’s publisher Taito did not produce that many copies of the game. Rumour has it that as few as 10,000 had been manufactured. This has led to a promising resale price of $6,000 to be exact. No, we’re not joking: having a copy of Little Samson means a big payout.

Donkey Kong Jr. Math – $5700

Donkey Kong Math Jr. was not a truly educational game targeted at children. It actually depended on recycled assets and the game engine from the original Donkey Kong Jr. game. It sold poorly and is considered to be one of the worst in the NES’ library of titles. Naturally, it is now worth a fortune. Expect a ballpark zone of over $5,000 for this.

The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak – $3,500

As the NES drew its last breaths, publishers like Taito released many of their games to game rental companies, largely bypassing the conventional retail market. You know what that means, don’t you? The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Park is a rarity! And one that has sold for $3,500, remarkably!

Bonk’s Adventure – $3700

A.I. Co worked with Red Entertainment, who originally developed Bonk’s Adventure, to port it over to the NES for a 1994 release. The NES port had the colors downgraded thanks to hardware limitations but it still looked pretty decent overall. Copies have sold for, no joke, $3,700 in the past few years. That is serious money.

Power Blade 2 – $2700

The original Power Blade was a Mega Man rip-off that nevertheless managed to satiate the appetites of gamers. Power Blade 2 was a milquetoast follow-up by comparison. Still, for whatever reason, in the last few years, it has soared in value. Expect to pay north of $2,700 for this bad boy.

Panic Restaurant – $2000

Panic Restaurant is a quirky little platformer designed by the late Kenji Eno that puts you in the body of Chef Cookie, who attempts to tame his restaurant full of aggressive food products. It’s not hard to see why this wacky and whimsical game holds a special place in the hearts of collectors today, commanding a value of $2000.

Athletic World – Family Fun Fitness – $2000

The first game in the Family Fun Witness series for the NES, Athletic World is a rare find these days, particularly the North American version with the original packaging. The cartridges are easier to find but you have to look for the extra Family Fun Fitness part above the main title. Find that, and you’ll be looking at a pricetag of $2000.

Kid Klown in Night Major World – $1160

Who remembers this game? The way Kid Klown could use those circus balloons as a springboard to higher places? And the parachute? And that weapon that can be thrown in eight different directions? Wowza. This candy-coloured title was a revelation back in 1993. Thirty years later, it’s a collector’s dream, which explain its resale price of $1160.

Stack Up (with pieces) – $2,000

A few years ago, you could find Stack Up for a cool $15 on a good day. In 2023, a good day will have the price at something closer to $2,000. Yep. Bear in mind, we’re not just talking about the Stack Uo cartridge here. We’re talking about the complete packaging with all the little pieces included.

Zombie Nation – $1,000

Originally released in Japan as Abarenbou Tengu, Zombie Nation fuses zombies and samurai. Players had to summon a lot of patience and technical skill to get through this one back in 1990. A long way off from being one the best shooters on the NES, Zombie Nation has turned into a bit of a cult classic over the decades, and is nevertheless still worth $1000.

Cowboy Kid – $1,265

Influenced by Konani’s Ganbare Geomon series, Cowboy Kid had humble beginnings at a small developer called Pixel. A mix of beat ’em up gameplay and RPG, it’s an entertaining side-scroller of a game and one that has proved valuable in recent years. If you possess it, don’t hesitate to throw it on eBay, as you might take home $1200.

Bubble Bobble Part 2 – $1,240

Any old-school gamer loves the Bubble Bobble franchise. Bubble Bobble Part 2 was released in 1993, towards the end of the NES’ lifespan, but it still proved a hit among fans, probably because it was fairly indistinguishable from the first game. It can sell for as high as $1,240 secondhand believe it or not.

Wacky Races – $1,130

Sadly, this was a platforming game based on the classic cartoon series and not a racing game. Developed and published by Atlus in 1992, it’s pretty hard to beat. Thankfully, the familiar and vibrant characters make you feel a lot better as you struggle. You can find this for as much as $1,130 secondhand.

Sqoon – $1,237

Unlike other games on this list, Sqoon has always been a rare find in its complete form, and as a result, it has always been pretty expensive. From 2021 to 2022, mint complete copies increased by over five times in price. Recently a copy of this game sold on eBay for a whopping $1,237.

Dragon Fighter – $925

In Dragon Fighter, you play as a warrior and at one point a flying dragon, working your way through tough spots and tougher bosses. Based purely on the gameplay, Dragon Fighter shouldn’t be anywhere near its current price tag, but a collector is gonna collect. Released in 1992, some thirty years later, this game is now worth $925 on a good day.

Gun Nac – $1015

Rivalled only by Recca Summer Carnival and Crisis Zone, Gun Nac was one the fastest and most intensely-paced shooters on the NES. Its rise up the ranks of obscure and difficult-to-find games has been impressive to watch throughout the last decade. In 2013, you could buy a copy for $20. Since then, it has been known to sell for as high as $1015 on the likes of eBay.

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out (with five screws) – $900

Premium copies of iconic NES games, like Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out, have been growing in value over the last couple of years. The variant we’re talking about here is the cartridge that used five screws to keep the plastic cartridge shell together. We know. But to collectors, this is a big deal and can skyrocket an ordinary game’s value up to $900.

Mighty Final Fight – $1,200

Initially a hit in arcades, Mighty Final Fight received a Super Nintendo port in 1991. In 1993, Capcom made some graphical changes to bring it to the NES. The result is a “chibi”, an art style that resembles a parody of the Final Fight series. Collectors go nuts for this kind of thing, shelling out well over $1000 to take a copy home.

Duck Tales 2 – $1,200

Released in 1993, there was a bizarre gap between the original Duck Tales game and its sequel, but the wait was arguably worth it. While not a threat to the prestige of the original, Duck Tales 2 is a fun NES game. If you own a copy from way back when you could be in the money, as this title has sold for $1,200 in the past.

Zen Intergalactic Ninja – $920

Zen Intergalactic Ninja is a decent game with a wide variety of graphics and catchy tunes. Cartridges are hard to find in shops but often crop up online through second-hand venues such as eBay. When they do, they come with a steep price. Zen Intergalactic Ninja has previously sold for $920.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament Fighters – $900

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament Fighters was released in 1994 and boasts the tag of Konami’s final NES title. The developers had been banking on the success of the Ninja Turtle movie in 1993 only for it to bomb. As such, the game was not even released in the likes of Japan. That subsequent rarity has given it a $900 price tag.

Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers 2 – $650

Don’t laugh at the silly name, the OG Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers 2 is one of the best games in NES history. Just one thing: it was unveiled in 1993, when the NES was on its last legs, meaning Rescue Rangers 2 was already in limited syndication. That means it’s rare, and it being rare means it’s expensive. Hoe expensive? Around $650.

The Jetsons: Cogwell’s Caper – $710

The Jetsons: Cogwell’s Caper is by no means a legendary or even good game. But it was released in 1992 and for collectors that means something. And by “something” we mean “a lot of money.” You could be looking at a price tag of around $710 when purchasing a secondhand copy of this bad boy online.

Sword Master – $640

This side-scrolling action platformer was developed by Athena in 1990 and released by Activision in 1992 to much praise. Ten years ago, a loose copy of Sword Master could fetch $30. Collectors will have noticed that it has now increased in price tenfold. Recent copies of this game have sold for the likes of $640 on the World Wide Web.

Swamp Thing – $865

Released in 1992, Swamp Thing is a game based on a comic book and an infamous B-movie. While slated for its repetitive gameplay, it has also gained a cult following among Nintendo fans. Around 2020, the value of Swamp Thing boomed. While it’s possible to grab a copy for around $200, you may instead end up coughing up closer to $865.

Wayne’s World – $810

The Wayne’s World NES game has never been that cheap but it went under the radar as a collectible for many decades, which has only added to its current value. If you bought a complete copy in 2012, you probably paid $20 to $30. If you bought a complete copy in 2021, you probably paid $1,500. No, seriously – somebody paid this amount in July of that year.

Color a Dinosaur – $930

Color a Dinosaur was released in 1992 to teach kids about colours, shapes, and basic arithmetic. Players control a young dinosaur named Rex, who must solve puzzles to earn points and progress throughout the game. This was a slow burner in the rare game market, not reaching its current price until around 2018, but now it sells for around $930.

Mega Man 5 – $930

Mega Man 5 wasn’t too well received. Fans were tired of the franchise by the point of its release, as it had seemed to stop trying in the difficulty department. Every level bar the final showdown of the game could be completed by a toddler. Still, the game is now worth a considerable sum on the right corners of the internet.

Bucky O’Hare – $900

Starting out life as a comic and then a TV series, Bucky O’Hare received the video game treatment in the early 90s. Finding a complete copy with all the inserts has proved a challenge for collectors and sellers. Those who have gotten their hands on a complete copy have been paid handsomely, though. In May 2021, a complete but open copy sold for $1,200.

Snow Brothers – $550

This puzzle platformer was released in 1991 and wasn’t as beloved upon release as it is today. You could pick it up for around $49 just a few years ago. God only knows what has happened in the meantime but its price has pretty much quadrupled. On eBay, a copy of Snow Brothers has sold for as much as $550.

Metal Storm – $800

Published in 1991 by Irem, Metal Storm has you play as a robot that can switch gravity around like it’s nothing to them. Packed with great futuristic aesthetics, this game nevertheless sold poorly on release. Nintendo later blamed the poor sales on issues with low distribution. However, all that has done is make it extra rare and expensive secondhand.