A sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System has sold for $660,000 USD ($862,000 AUD) at auction, shattering records for the highest price paid for a video game.
The game, graded at Wata 9.6, is the highest quality game ever to have professionally been graded for auction. Originally bought as a Christmas present in 1986, it spent 35 years unopened in a desk drawer before being rediscovered, with the seller saying they “had never thought anything about it” since the day they bought it.
According to Heritage Auctions Video Games Director Valarie McLeckie, the game, produced in late 1986, was one of the earliest copies to be sealed with plastic shrink wrap rather than a sticker.
“By early 1987, Nintendo was producing a version that had another new variation to their original packaging (an additional ‘code’).
“Since the production window for this copy and others like it was so short, finding another copy from this same production run in similar condition would be akin to looking for single drop of water in an ocean. Never say never, but there’s a good chance it can’t be done,” she said.
The game’s rarity contributed to its high sale price, and Heritage also noted that it was not only the finest sealed copy with perforated cardboard of any black-box title the auction house has ever offered, but also the oldest sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. ever sold at Heritage.
“As soon as this copy of Super Mario Bros. arrived at Heritage, we knew the market would find it just as sensational as we did.
“Even so, the degree to which this game was embraced outside the market has been nothing short of exceptional, and that aspect of this sale has certainly exceeded our expectations. Though, I suppose we can’t be too shocked; who doesn’t love Mario?” said McLeckie.
The previous world record for a copy of Super Mario Bros. was $114,000 USD ($149,000 AUD), set by Heritage last July.
