The Rarest Nintendo Games (& How Much They’re Worth)

Summary

• Rare Nintendo games don’t have to be popular to be valuable. Some, like promotional games and Not For Resale cartridges, fetch high prices averaging $3,000-$10,000.
• Earthbound for the SNES, Barbie Groom & Glam Pups for 3DS, and GoldenEye 007 are rare games with average prices ranging from $1420 to $2860.
• Games like Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Pokemon Box, and Mega Man (Five Screw Version) have unique functionalities, driving their prices to over $2,000 per game.

Nintendo has been in the video game industry for over 40 years, meaning there’s been plenty of time for some games to become extremely rare and valuable. These games don’t have to be good, popular, or even finished, to be valuable in the eyes of collectors. As other Nintendo consoles enter classic territory, the list of shockingly priced games grows longer.

Many rare Nintendo games were either promotional games, unlicensed games, or exclusive to rentals. Some of the most expensive games aren’t even technically games. There are some games released for the general market, like Mega Man 5 & 6, that command a high price, but they are still way down the list in terms of overall worth and rarity.

Updated March 30, 2025, by Blaise Santi: It’s only a few days until Nintendo reveals everything there is to know about the Nintendo Switch 2, meaning sooner or later, the Switch itself will become sadly obsolete. Nevertheless, consoles getting old isn’t always a bad thing, since lots of games increase in value the older they get. To give gamers an idea of how a few years can spike a game’s value on websites like pricecharting.com, here are a handful of rare games from Nintendo’s history that are worth a pretty penny nowadays.

40

Pocky & Rocky 2

The SNES Sequel Is Loved But Hard To Find – Average Price: $1,273

The original Pocky & Rocky is one of the most fondly remembered shoot-em-up games for the Super Nintendo, so it’s surprising that copies of its sequel are so valuable. Copies of the game have only increased in rarity as the years have gone on, with boxed copies valued at over $1,000, and even the manual all by itself valued at over $200.

At the very least, the rarity of Pocky & Rocky 2 is worth the struggle to find it. Reviews at the time felt it was a great expansion of the already-beloved shoot-em-up that was released only two years prior. It’s worth far more than even its prequel, which is much more common among Super Nintendo sellers.

39

Rhythm Heaven Fever

Nintendo’s Rhythm Franchise Can Fetch A Good Price – Average Price: $140

The most recent Nintendo Direct revealed that, at long last, the Rhythm Heaven franchise is returning to Nintendo Switch with Rhythm Heaven Groove. The last entry in the series, Rhythm Heaven Fever, was released on the now-obsolete Wii. Though it pales in comparison to the most valuable games on this list, it still fetches a decent price compared to its original value.

A decade ago, Rhythm Heaven Fever was barely worth $10, but by today’s standards, a boxed version of the game averages at around $140, even as high as $190! Gamers who happen to have a spare copy of Rhythm Heaven Fever lying around the house are quite lucky. Check that it’s in good condition, because it might be possible to make a good few bucks off it!

38

Devil’s Third

No One Appreciated Ivan In The West – Average Price: $237

Devil’s Third could potentially have been a big franchise, given how successful it was on the Wii U in Japan. However, its western release saw a lot of criticism. Granted, the Wii U was a pretty cursed console in general, so maybe its lackluster performance wasn’t much of a surprise. Nevertheless, Wii U games will be incredibly valuable in the future, especially rarer ones like this underrated action title.

As of 2025, Devil’s Third is valued at just over $200. This isn’t a lot, but compared to its original $60 price tag on the Wii U, it’s a huge increase. Back in 2022, the game was even valued at over $500, so maybe some day in the future, copies of this game will be even harder to come by.

37

Cubix Robots For Everyone: Showdown (DVD Bundle)

Enjoy The Game And Its TV Series – Average Price: $452

If someone doesn’t have any memory of watching Cubix Robots for Everyone, that’s probably because they didn’t live in South Korea in the early 2000s. Some Westerners may have caught English dubs of it on Kids’ WB, but others may have also seen a copy of its GameCube video game, Cubix Robots for Everyone: Showdown, in the west. However, certain copies of this are quite valuable as far as GameCube games go.

For many copies of Cubix Robots for Everyone: Showdown on GameCube, they were actually bundled with a DVD containing episodes of the show. These copies, assuming everything is still in good condition, can fetch between $400 and $800 on secondhand websites, but even the game without the DVD can still net a seller over $300.

36

Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon

This Indie Darling Only Hit Shelves For A Short While – Average Price: $699

The Bloodstained series has become one of the biggest success stories in the indie game world. Inspired by the likes of Castlevania, the franchise began properly in 2019 with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. However, it was predated by one of its Kickstarter goals: a more primitive companion game, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, which had a very limited release in physical copies.

Players desperate to play Curse of the Moon can download it on Steam or their console of choice’s online store. But a physical copy will likely cost upwards of $600. It’s also included in Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Chronicles, a physical version that contains both the game and its sequel, which is much more common, but the solo physical copy only ran for a limited time.

35

Earthbound

This Influential RPG Is Hard To Come By – Average Price: $2,150

It may seem surprising to newer Nintendo fans just how rare the original iteration of Earthbound is for the SNES, but the game’s acclaim was quite delayed. It’s easy to find versions of it to play through Nintendo Switch Online, but as for the actual cartridge, it usually sells for hundreds of dollars, and even closer to $1,500 for the complete box.

Even Mother 3, the Earthbound sequel that’s never seen a Western release, typically sells for much cheaper than the localized version of its predecessor. Even years after its release, Earthbound remains one of the best and most valuable Nintendo IPs of all time.

34

Barbie Groom & Glam Pups

Barbie Fetches A Pretty Penny – Average Price: $2,198

If there are any head-scratchers on this list, it’s Barbie Groom and Glam Pups. On the surface, there’s nothing particularly special about this game, in which players get to pick a pooch and get them ready for beauty competitions. Although it was originally released for the DS and Wii in 2010, the 3DS version from 2013 often sells for quite a lot of money.

Many theorize the reason why Barbie Groom and Glam Pups is particularly rare is that, in North America, it only saw a wide release in Canada, so actual physical copies of the game are hard to come by. That being said, even the most diehard collectors agree that this game is not good enough to be valued this highly, despite the popularity of the Barbie figure.

33

GoldenEye 007 (Not For Resale)

An Iconic Shooter’s Rare Cartridges – Average Price: $899

GoldenEye 007 is one of the most iconic shooter games of all time, originally released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64. It’s seen a lot of ports and re-releases since then, but some fans of the OG game may be enticed by the rare “Not For Resale” version, which sells for over $1,000 on online markets.

Other than the possibility of encountering beta content that isn’t in the final release, there’s not much value to this rare cartridge aside from completing a “Not For Resale” collection. However, considering it’s a must-have for the Nintendo 64, even casual video game fans might be starstruck by this limited edition version of Goldeneye.

32

Donkey Kong Jr. Math

Nintendo’s Foray Into Edutainment – Average Price: $3,500

Nintendo’s ventures into educational games haven’t always been successful, mainly because of games like Donkey Kong Jr. Math. An offshoot of the iconic retro title for the NES, Donkey Kong Jr. Math utilizes similar mechanics to the original Donkey Kong Jr., albeit requiring players to solve simple math problems by climbing towards numbers or mathematics symbols.

Despite selling in cartridge form for over $2,000, Donkey Kong Jr. Math has made several appearances on Virtual Console, and as of 2024, it has made its debut on the Nintendo Switch Online service. Still, even as far as educational games go, this was a huge misfire from Nintendo, but one that’s still valued by collectors nonetheless.

31

Pokemon Box

A NYC-Exclusive With A Special Function – Average Price: $2,085

At first glance, the extremely rare Pokemon Box seems like a simple Pokemon storage simulator, but it’s much more than that. The GameCube title was sold in limited quantities at Nintendo World in New York City, and was also sold in a bundle with the GameCube itself in Europe.

While the main advertisement for this game is its functionality as a storage system for Pokemon from GameBoy games like Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen, it also included an emulator for Ruby & Sapphire, making it one of the few ways to play a mainline Pokemon game on consoles like the GameCube or Nintendo Wii before Pokemon Sword & Shield, which holds a lot of value for some fans by itself.

30

Mega Man (Five Screw Version)

The Blue Bomber’s First Game – Average Price: $6,595

The original Mega Man was a bit overlooked when it first appeared on store shelves. This is partly due to its infamously terrible box art. Another reason was that anyone who played the game was quick to point out the high level of difficulty to others. A sequel wasn’t even planned, and it only received one thanks to the team of developers who completed it in their spare time.

The first batch of NES games were held together with five screws. This was replaced with a cartridge that replaced two of the screws with plastic clamps. The original five screw Mega Man commands a fair price on the modern vintage video game market.

29

Donkey Kong 64 (Gray Cartridge)

The Gray Cartridge Version Is The One You Want – Average Price: $1,999

The vast majority of people who own Donkey Kong 64, for the Nintendo 64, own the version with a yellow cartridge. There were a few promotional copies that had a gray cartridge. These versions also have “Not For Resale” printed on the label, and the ESRB rating is RP (rating pending) rather than E (everyone).

These gray versions of Donkey Kong 64 are extremely rare, hence the greatly increased price versus the yellow cart. The official value of this game hovered around $400 until October 2022, when it ballooned to around $1,500.

28

Power Blade 2

Overlooked To Overvalued – Average Price: $3,524

Not many gamers noticed Power Blade 2 back in the day. The reason for this is simple: it was released for the NES a year after the release of the Super Nintendo console. Gamers had already moved on from the NES and were playing games on the Sega Genesis, SNES, and Turbografx-16.

Power Blade 2 is s side-scrolling action platformer, and a good one at that. The fun factor of the game and the game’s rarity have both contributed to a steady increase in value over the past decade. However, it wasn’t until around mid-2021 that the price began spiking to its current $1,000 value.

27

The Legend Of Zelda, Majora’s Mask (Holographic Label)

It’s Worth The Price For Its Art Design – Average Price: $397

The odd one out in a vast family of games, Majora’s Mask always enjoyed a cult following but was never a fan favorite. It’s the only game in the entire franchise that’s a direct sequel to the one before it in a series that’s known for a wonky, non-linear timeline. Critics raved about the game’s graphics and the compelling story even if fans were undecided.

The game has stood the test of time and is currently enjoying a resurgence. New and sealed copies are going for more than a thousand dollars and the price is rapidly going up, especially for any special or collectors editions that are rare and hard to find. The example given here is the one with the holographic label, which is currently on top in terms of rarity and value.

26

Myriad 6-In-1

Six Average Games In One Expensive Cartridge – Average Price: $1,489

This is an unlicensed compilation cartridge for the NES. This game was originally titled Caltron 6-in-1, but when Caltron went out of business their remaining stock was purchased by Myriad Inc. and resold as the Myriad 6-in-1. The 6 games on the cart are clones of popular games – like Space Harrier and Buster Bros.

The Caltron version is rare, but the Myriad version was limited to 888 copies. Each copy was numbered, and for those who had a copy with matching serial numbers (for the cart, instructions, and box) the value significantly increased. A copy of the Myriad 6-in-1 commonly sells for about $1,200.00, but a complete-in-box copy goes for about $3,500.00.

25

Hagane: The Final Conflict

A Valuable Hidden Gem – Average Price: $2,840

A game that’s currently enjoying a resurgence thanks to the nostalgia factor, Hagane: The Final Conflict is a classic side-scroller that mimics other favorites like Ninja Gaiden. Like so many other games that were released on the SNES platform in the mid-1990s, it arrived too late to make an impact before the N64 arrived and sucked all the air out of the gaming room.

Circulation was limited; few copies are still available for collectors. Old-school platformers are riding a trend right now as it is, and this game is fairly rare, which adds even more to its value. New and sealed copies are selling for about $7500, with prices for loose and used copies also trending upwards.

24

Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages & Seasons – Limited Edition

Both Versions Of The Game In One Box – Average Price: $2,860

These were games for the Gameboy Color, and not many people seem to remember them when discussing Zelda games. These two games featured gameplay and a graphical style very similar to the original Legend of Zelda title. The game incorporates the changing of the seasons into the gameplay; with some areas only accessible during a certain season.

There were only 500 copies of the Limited Edition released, which included both games as well as promotional items – like a shirt and an actual, working boomerang. The price is currently around $1,200.00, but a complete-in-box copy can fetch about $2,200.00.

23

M.A.C.S.: Multipurpose Arcade Combat Simulator

A Training Simulator Worth Thousands – Average Price: $3,551

These cartridges are exceptionally rare since they were made specifically for professional target audiences and training practice. The game came as a complete package that included the entire Super Nintendo Entertainment System, a loose version of the game, and a training rifle.

Only loose versions are currently available, as the game was never intended for resale or retail display, and these are going for a nice chunk of change at just over $2,500. If a complete package were ever to become available, or an unsealed one, the price would be exponentially more, as they probably don’t even exist.

22

Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally/Speed Racer Combo

Two Games For One High Price – Average Price: $2,510

Speed Racer is already a beloved game and one of the more famous early Nintendo titles. This Super NES cartridge combines two popular racing games and plenty of fans seek out the ROM just to experience the games if they can’t find the cartridge.

With a price tag of more than $11,000 for a new, sealed copy, it’s not a surprise that the cost of this game is out of reach for most. Complete used copies sell for over $5,000 and even loose copies are priced at $2500. Nostalgia value combined with the rarity of the game has kept the price fairly steady.

21

Peek-A-Boo Poker

An Unlicensed Game With Adult Themes – Average Price: $3,000

This is one of those games that just can’t be made anymore, which is one of the reasons that it’s valuable. Peek-A-Boo Poker isn’t just a card game for the original NES. The player’s opponents are all women, and they spend most of the game flirting in various states of undress. Complete copies cost $1600, and loose copies for $1200, which is a lot for the cartridge on its own.

Other reasons for the high price include that it was an unlicensed game, and it contained some raunchy content that Nintendo would have rejected out of hand because of its “family-friendly” philosophy. It’s a dicey investment since the price tends to fluctuate, but if collectors keep their eyes on the market, the resale value is worth it.