The Nintendo NES was the first video game system for many gamers and is dear to their hearts because of the great gaming memories it provided. A few of those NES games are also rare and sell for quite a bit of money today. Below is a list of the ten most rare Nintendo games and why they are so expensive.
1. Nintendo World Championsip Gold – $10,000 – Gray – $4,000
Nintendo World Championship is the most expensive video game of all time. It was made as part of a nationwide video game contest Nintendo ran in 1990. The winners of the content received the Gold cartridge, so there are only 26 in existence. The gray cartridge was used to run the contest and there are 90 of those available. Both games are sought after collectibles and fetch a huge premium on the resale market.
2. Bubble Bath Babes – $1,000
An unlicensed game made for the Nintendo system. The game was published by Panesian and for adults only. Nintendo didn't approve them for release but Panesian made it anyway. It was sent via mail-order only and probably sold fewer than 1,000 copies.
3. Peek-A-Boo Poker – $950
Another unlicensed adult game for the NES. The game is a basic poker game with some adult themes. It was sold only through mail-order too and is nearly as popular as Bubble Bath Babes. The games are known to be very bad, but they are still coveted by collectors because they are so rare.
4. Myriad 6 in 1 – $800
Myriad made a collection of six games on one cartridge and published it without Nintendo's approval. The company went bankrupt during production and never produced many copies. The same game was also re-released as Caltron 6-in-1. It has different packaging but is just as rare.
5. Cheetahman II – $400
The last of the unlicensed games to make the list, Cheetahman II was a sequel to a game that didn't sell very well. The company never officially released the 1,500 copies they made but were sold to the public eventually. The game is well renowned for being one of the worst games ever made, but it still sells for hundreds of dollars because it is so rare.
6. Stadium Events – $400
Stadium Events was released to the general public but recalled soon afterwards so Nintendo could release the game themselves as “World Class Track Meet”. Only several hundred copies of this game ever made to gamers before they were sent back to the publisher and destroyed.
7. Bubble Bobble Part 2 – $80
Bubble Bobble Part 2 was released at the very end of the NES's life, two years after the Super Nintendo was released. Because it came out so late the game didn't sell very well. Most gamers had already moved on to the newest games.
8. Little Samson – $70
A very good platforming game, like Super Mario Bros, Little Samson never found an audience when it first came out and sold poorly. Gamers now know how good the game is and pay a premium for the chance to play this great game.
9. California Raisins – $65
California Raisins was finished by its developer in 1991 but was never commercially published because the Raisin's had lost their popularity by then. A few copies eventually made it out in the open, but it is very rare.
10. Dragon Warrior IV – $55
The last Dragon Warrior game made for the NES system, IV's sales were hurt because it came out after people had moved on to the Super Nintendo. Nintendo Power rated the game the 2nd best release the year it came out but that wasn't enough to help sales.
Now that you know the most rare and expensive games for the Nintendo NES, go check your collection and scour garage sales looking for these gaming rarities.
