Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System is one of the most abundant games around, as it was all but required for any Nintendo fan in the ’80s. However, one particular copy of the game is far more special, and it managed to sell for more money than any other video game in history.
Still sealed in the plastic after 35 years, a mint condition copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for $114,000 via Heritage Auctions this week. Not only does this beat out the previous record for the game, which fetches exorbitant prices if sealed and in mint condition, but it now has the record for most expensive video game sale in history.
A sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. just sold at auction for $114,000, which is a new record for the sale of a single game. Bet the owners of the $100,000 one, which is an earlier printing, feel great today. pic.twitter.com/lVdcla8d19
— Chris Kohler (@kobunheat) July 10, 2020
The rare video game market has exploded over the last decade, with prices more than doubling on the top end. Back in 2010, the extremely rare Stadium Events on NES sold for just over $41,000.
At the time, it held the record for most expensive video game sale. Of course, Stadium Events is almost impossible to find in any condition as it was re-released in North America as World Class Track Meet and the first version fell into obscurity. Nintendo World Championships, a cartridge made for a competition of the same name in 1990, has also eclipsed $100,000 at auction.
If you want to play Super Mario Bros. on NES for free, it’s available through the Nintendo Switch Online service along with its two NES sequels, plus Super Mario World and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island.
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