The sealed cartridge sold at auction was a 1996 USA version of Super Mario 64 graded at A++ quality. “The condition of this copy is just so breathtaking that we’re really at a loss here,” the auction house said in its description of the product. Though copies of this game aren’t particularly rare, it is highly unusual to find a pristine version that has never been opened.
Super Mario 64 is a notable game for many reasons; not only was it the defining title of many millennials’ childhoods, it was also the top selling title offered on the iconic Nintendo 64 console and the first time fans got to experience the character Mario in a 3D environment. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that someone was willing to pay a huge figure for an incredibly rare piece of video game history.
Despite that, the sales figure was still considerably higher than similar past items we’ve seen. It appears that the value of high-quality retro game cartridges has skyrocketed over the past couple of years, at least when it comes to the collection market. If you have an unsealed, unblemished classic game still sitting in a box somewhere, now may be the time to dust it off and see what it’s worth.
Keyword: Super Mario 64 cartridge sells at auction for record-breaking $1.5 million