A copy of video game Super Mario 64 has been sold for more than $1.5m (£1.1m), in a world record breaking deal, shattering other known records. This makes it the most expensive video game ever to be sold in gaming history. Super Mario 64 as widely seen as an important game in video game history as It marked Mario’s first move into three dimensions, distinct from his side-scrolling origins.
This game cartridge dates back from 1996. At the US auction house heritage Auctions, it had a very high demand because of its “historical significance, rarity and condition” since there are “fewer than five copies” in such good condition.
The Super Mario 64 cartridge being a launch title for the Nintendo 64 console was one of the most influential early 3D platformers.
According to Valarie McLeckie, a video games specialist for Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale, she said;
“It seems impossible to overstate the importance of this title, not only to the history of Mario and Nintendo, but to video games as a whole,”
“This is Mario’s debut appearance in a 3D world, and it was the most popular – bestselling – video game for the N64,” McLeckie added. “Considering this, and the fact that there are fewer than five sealed in this grade according to Wata, this copy is a true prize for any serious collector.”
Super Mario 64 remains one of most critically acclaimed video games of all time, with its three-dimensional platforming helping to sell millions of Nintendo 64 consoles upon its launch
On Sunday, the cartridge sold received a 9.8 A++ rating by a video game collectible firm known as Wata, which means it is “like new”, in near-perfect condition and with an intact seal.
The deal is said to have a sale value which nearly doubles that of a former record-breaker which was an original ‘The Legend of Zelda Cartridge’ for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) from 1988. It was set just two days before at $870,000 (£744,000).
The auction house has also confirmed that there were “fewer than five” copies in such good condition. The new development is said to have truncated hopes for another record-breaker which is an original Legend of Zelda cartridge whose auction was set just two days before.
Neither of the two games was bought for the rarity of its game play experience but instead, they were bought just as physical memorabilia, in the same way as rare trading cards are.
Much of the attention had been on the rare Zelda cartridge even ahead of the auction. Everyone thinking it will make greater sales.
The 9.0 A-sealed copy of 1988’s The Legend of Zelda being the first game in the series, and has gone ahead to be one of the best-performing and most critically-acclaimed in Nintendo’s entire catalogue.
Video game collectables have been fetching higher and higher prices, leading some to question whether the market is over-inflated.
This week’s record-breaking auction saw a huge range of collectable games being auctioned for higher prices. Amongst them is a copy of Final Fantasy III for the Super Nintendo sold for $96,000, likewise a copy of Zelda: A Link to the Past.