The Rarest NES Games Ever (And Why They’re So Rare)

Nintendo‘s eight-bit console is home to a slew of exceedingly rare, expensive games. Despite their age and archaic nature, there are ample titles that remain coveted and often cost loads more than flashy games of the modern era. Thanks to its seasoning and several unique and obscure games, NES remains a platform of choice for collectors looking to show off their rare gaming artifacts.

Much like the software embedded in plastic, many of these carts themselves come with rather interesting backstories, which often explain how they became so scarce and valuable. While there are plenty of rather expensive titles, a handful of them are truly in their own league when it comes to rarity and price, especially in-box.

Updated September 28, 2024, by Stephen LaGioia: Collecting rare video games is a hobby that continues to grow. This is especially true as gamers rediscover retro classics of the Atari, NES, and Genesis eras. Services like Nintendo Switch Online and their classic libraries have helped spur this renaissance, but for many, collecting retro nostalgic gems has been a passion long predating this. And in an age where digital technology is becoming the norm, having a physical disc or cartridge, that can be proudly showcased on one’s gaming shelf, brings a certain charm. With this in mind, and given the fluctuating prices, we decided to refresh this list of the rarest, most valuable NES games for collectors.

All prices were taken from PriceCharting.com, and were accurate at the time of publication.

23 Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers 2

Capcom Could Not Rescue It From Poor Sales

Tapping into the nostalgia of many ’80s and ’90s kids, this charming and whimsical platformer, based on the Disney cartoon features two crime-fighting chipmunks as they traverse many colorful, wacky locales. In what can be a seen as a Disney-fied Mario knockoff, players must essentially get from A to B as they walk, hop, duck, and nab objects while avoiding a slew of unique foes fans will recognize.

The game takes a more linear approach than its predecessor and features multiplayer, clearly going for more accessibility — though this didn’t quite work like Capcom hoped. A sequel to the 1990 game, this one was a latecomer to the NES library, like so many now-valuable NES relics, as the Super Nintendo was well into its life when it hit Western shores in 1994. The platformer was actually well-received by most of the few who played it, though it was considered pretty straightforward.

22 Sqoon

This Game Was Alien To Most NES Players

Crafted by the obscure Japanese studio Home Date (now Magical Company), Sqoon is a side-scrolling shooter where players fend off invading aliens from Neptune. To feast on “man-ham livestock,” they destabilize Earth by melting the polar ice caps and of course, sending minions to attack pink submarine fighters.

While made into a Manga, this one never quite took off, particularly in the US. It probably didn’t help that technical inquiries had to be handled by another studio (Broderbund), since Sqoon‘s publisher didn’t have an American branch.

21 Myriad 6-In-1

A Myriad Of Duds

This peculiar compilation can be described as a gaming fever dream which has shades of obscure Atari romps rather than NES. The package was developed by Taiwanese NTDEC (aka Caltron Industries), which went defunct only a year after this title’s 1992 release. The cart contains six distinct games which include the corny sci-fi shoot-em-up Cosmos Cop and the bizarre Balloon Monster.

These separate games had already been released before this bundle, but the studio, to add appeal, packaged them into this even more obscure 6 in 1 cart. ‘Quantity over quality’ seems to have been the mantra here, though this diverse lineup didn’t stop critics from panning the lot of them for being “barely first-generation NES quality.”

But while knocked for offering cheap-feeling NES and arcade clones, this cart’s now ironically among one of the most valuable loose.

20 Kid Klown In Night Mayor World

Kemco’s Klown Game Didn’t Cut It

In this platform shooter, Kid Klown, also oddly known as Mickey Mouse, scurries forward while using his trusty balloons that are used for high jumps, floating, as well as basic attacks. He must rescue his family while en route to the circus, and confront the amusingly-named “Night Mayor”.

The game throws a handful of unique thematic stages with various critters looking to end Klown. These stages are followed by an even more wild bonus level after each, as well as several boss fights. Largely a victim of being released late, in an oversaturated platforming market, this colorful Kemco game didn’t quite register for most NES gamers. After all, many had moved onto the SNES during its April 1993 release.

19 Duck Tales 2

Owners Of A New Copy Could Be Diving In Piles Of Cash

Tapping into the Saturday morning cartoon hype of the early 90s, Capcom likely expected this sequel to Duck Tales to perform at least moderately well in sales. Yet the rather stiff controls and non-linear progression tempered the hype, as that formula started to age by the time it hit the scene in late 1993.

But despite its “more of the same” approach, Duck Tales 2 proved a competent enough platformer in its own right. It brought some impressive, vibrant visuals (for NES) and fairly deep platforming that encouraged gamers to explore the cartoony scenes.

18 Stack Up

Stack Up Countless Bills With A New Copy

Back when the American market was still hesitant to take on gaming again after the Atari crash, Nintendo decided to position their NES as more of a toy. Enter the clunky, slow-moving R.O.B. the Robot, an accessory that was to work in conjunction with certain games. One of the premiere titles was this strange block-sorting “game.”

Stack Up has a professor stepping on arrows to arrange blocks by color and patterns, which R.O.B. would robotically obey. But while it’s hard to find too much fun in this game (which feels more like a demo), it’s at least an interesting gimmick — and a valuable one!

As one can imagine, this premise didn’t quite wow gamers even in the ’80s, when such tech may have been considered more cutting-edge. This made the game particularly tough to get ahold of, especially when included with the clunky robot. The in-box version of Stack Up is particularly rare, fetching over a grand.

17 Donkey Kong Jr. Math

The Math Just Doesn’t Add Up

It’s hard to imagine a game featuring Nintendo’s prized ape mascot being so obscure, but (at least for boxed copies) that’s the case for Donkey Kong Jr. Math. “Edu-tainment” is a style that hadn’t quite taken off in the 80s, as the genre didn’t tend to do either aspect too well… Some studios have begun to make some interesting efforts these days, though.

It’s not surprising that this math-based spin-off to a less-popular sequel didn’t light the sales charts on fire. The game proved sluggish, inconsequential, and not terribly educational with its basic equations. At least its complete-in-box value is more exciting, with an asking price close to three grand.

16 Cowboy Kid

A Gun-Slinging Hoot

Drawing inspiration from Konami’s Goemon series, this even more obscure romp features a cowboy firing and hacking away at foes across stock Western settings. Cowboy Kid is competent enough, especially with its wild co-op mode. Yet, its subject matter of clashing with Native Americans is… questionable at best.

As is the bizarre American cover art, which resembles a cheesy Western B-movie more than a game. Its highly spotty hit detection and rather imbalanced progression could also be a culprit for its lack of success and why a boxed game now fetches well over $1,000. It’s not exactly a gold rush, but it’s in the top tier when it comes to CIB copies.

15 Mighty Final Fight

It Hasn’t Aged Too Mightily

Fans of Capcom’s street brawler will likely point to the gritty realism when it comes to the franchise’s appeal. In this sense, then, this odd spin-off doesn’t really showcase the spirit of the mainline Final Fights. Rather, it features rather comical, cartoon-like caricatures instead.

The silly, minimal art style, coupled with an ill-fitting experience system, made this offshoot an afterthought for both the studio and fans alike. But while the original NES cart is obscure, the game saw new life by way of a 2006 rendition for the Game Boy Advance, Capcom Mini-Mix.

14 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters

Commands A Bodacious Price With Its Box

Before the Super Smash Bros.-inspired romp known as TMNT: Smash-Up, there was this charming fighter that bore some hallmarks of Street Fighter with a Turtles overlay. This NES game had the misfortune of being released well after the Super Nintendo launched and was overshadowed by the brawler classic Turtles In Time.

On top of this, there were various skews for Tournament Fighter, along with regional releases. In a rare role reversal, Japan never got a release of this NES Turtles game, further adding to its scarcity.

13 Wacky Races

Collectors Race To Retail Shops To Get This One

Not to be confused with the colorful PlayStation romp from 2000 — this NES game by Atlus was somewhat doomed from the start when it came to success, being based on a fairly obscure Hanna-Barbera cartoon by the same name. It didn’t help that the title was a bit deceiving. After all, this is a platformer rather than a driving game.

But while it was no Super Mario, the game offered some competent and often tricky platforming across an expansive trio of regions. Players assume the role of the chuckling dog Muttley, who can hop, bite, and even use his tail to glide across large gaps as he collects bones and clashes with other racers.

12 Power Blade 2

Button-Mashing Masculinity

Even in their more prominent 8-bit days, studio Taito had a knack for yielding fairly small quantities of game carts for NES. This testosterone-fueled action romp is one of many casualties on this front.

Just like its 1990 predecessor, this more robust sequel takes a page from the Mega Man playbook with grind-it-out shooter gameplay. Players adorn a super-powered “cyborg” suit and fend off various foes, eventually nabbing suits that allow them to swim, gain armor, and even climb ceilings.

11 Zombie Nation

A Spooky Premise And Spookier Price

In the “distant dystopian future” of 1999, an alien has crash-landed on Earth by way of a meteorite, wreaking havoc and turning the US population into zombies. Enter the bizarre floating-head protagonist, Kamakubi, who’s tasked with blasting through treacherous city streets and recovering a samurai sword to destroy the alien source. While the dark, bizarre themes should raise some eyebrows, the crux of the gameplay is pretty much a horror-tinged R-Type.

Between its gruesome themes and punishing gameplay, it’s no surprise that Zombie Nation never saw any real success on Nintendo’s family-friendly console. However, the game has risen from the dead with a Switch and Windows re-release in October 2021.

10 Bubble Bobble Part 2

A Hidden Multiplayer Gem On NES

While the original Bubble Bobble was a decent hit on NES when it was released just after the console’s US debut, the sequel was sort of a case of “too little too late.” Not only was the gameplay more lukewarm, but the cart was also one of the last to be made for the NES before developers shifted their focus to SNES.

Thus, it was unlikely gamers would find one unless visiting a rental store that happened to be selling them, as Taito’s games were reportedly more abundant at these outlets.

9 The Flintstones: Surprise At Dinosaur Peak

A Dinosauric Value

This platformer, based on the hit Hanna-Barbera cartoon, arrived late on the NES scene, releasing years after Super Nintendo had launched. This made the somewhat crude experience seem all the more prehistoric. On top of this, the game was reportedly exclusive to Blockbuster Video for most of its run, further alienating itself from the market.

Still, the few who did manage to get their hands on this antique were mostly surprised to find a pretty rock-solid platformer. The game offers some colorful locales, decent mechanics, and the fun ability to swap between Fred and Barney; each of whom has different weapons and abilities.

8 Snow Brothers

Bubble Bobble – But With Snowballs

It’s a shame this converted arcade game has been relegated to obscurity, as it contains some simultaneous co-op that’s quite enjoyable. Yet, most gamers in 1991 didn’t quite think so, as it never really took off, getting lost amidst a sea of great NES games.

It was also followed by the hyped SNES around the time of its release and overshadowed by the similar Bubble Bobble games. These factors, coupled with developer Toaplan filing for bankruptcy and closing its doors in ’94, led to a short, limited run of the NES version of Snow Brothers.

7 Bonk’s Adventure

Finding This New Would Be An Adventure

The rarity of Bonk ‘s Adventure can mostly be attributed to the several versions and ports that make each skew more scarce than it otherwise would have been. The original platform, and really, the main focus for Bonk’s was the TurboGrafx-16 console. By the time it was ported to NES, the odd Mario imitator, which starred a cave boy with a large head, was sort of an afterthought and never widely distributed.

It did see a renaissance, however, as it was one of the first games to kick off Nintendo’s Wii Virtual Console in 2006. This more recent port ironically gave it far more exposure and players than its original NES release.

6 Panic Restaurant

A Fever Dream Of Food-Based Platforming

It’s perhaps easy to see how a tricky platform game featuring a kitchen crawling with food monsters might not light the sales charts on fire. Though, there’s more to its rarity other than its lack of appeal.

This Taito-developed title had the misfortune of releasing on the aged 8-bit console from Nintendo several months after their SNES was released, making them a bit late to the dinner party. This translated to sales (or lack thereof) and stands as the main reason so few carts were produced.

5 Little Samson

Little Protagonist; Massive Price

Gaming collectors would have hit the jackpot if they happened to be a fan or collector of Japanese publisher Taito. Getting one’s hands on a Taito-published game produced near the end of the NES’s life seemingly ensures one will get a highly rare and sought-after cart.

Unlike many of its ilk, Little Samson actually was given an official wide release, but just didn’t manage to find an audience. Its late 1992 release date and lack of promotion by the publisher probably didn’t help, nor did the similarity to the far more successful Mega Man.

4 Cheetahmen 2

TMNT, This Is Not

This odd sidescroller could be considered a failed “off-brand” TMNT knockoff that’s only known today by older NES diehards. The Cheetahmen franchise is more of a curiosity in gaming history than a functional game. The programmers behind it were reportedly in over their heads when developing it, and it comes across in its barely functional mechanics and bugs.

The original can be found as part of another rare NES game known as Action 52. A sequel was planned and partially developed but never carried to completion. In fact, no official finished game carts exist, with the roughly 1,500 in circulation housing the incomplete game in bare plastic. The bare cart merely has a simple gold sticker with the title slapped on. And good luck finding the box, which is even rarer!