24 Nov HHW Gaming: An Original Sealed Copy of ‘Super Mario Bros.3’ Sells For Record Amount During Auction

Source: BEHROUZ MEHRI / Getty

Even in the middle of a pandemic, someone has plenty of coins to spend to own a piece of video game nostalgia.

One video game collector/ Mario fan didn’t hesitate to open up their wallet, dropping a mindblowing $156,000 on a sealed copy of the classic Nintendo game Super Mario Bros.3 in an auction. The game’s opening bid began at $62,500, with 20 bidders vying to get their hands on it.

#heritageLive: WORLD RECORD!! Super Mario Bros. 3 – Wata 9.2 A+ Sealed [“Bros.” Left, First Production], NES Nintendo 1990 USA brings $156,000 – more than five times its estimate and the highest price ever paid for a video game. #AuctionUpdate #VideoGames #SuperMarioBros pic.twitter.com/7v3wykH63u

— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) November 20, 2020

According to The Verge, the collector’s item now has the honor of being labeled as the most expensive game ever sold.  The game took a big Mario leap over Super Mario Bros, which was previously held the record after it was sold to a bidder for $114,000 back in July.

Why does this game cost so much? Well, it has to do with the game’s rare box design. The word “Bros” is usually located on the right, but in this case, it is located on the left, covering some of Mario’s glove. The game is in excellent condition earning a Wata 9.2 A+ rating for box quality and sealing. It also happens to be one of the earliest versions of Super Mario Bros.3 made during the title’s production history.

That wasn’t the only game that broke records. An original copy of Pokémon Red Wata 9.8 A++.rating became the most expensive Pokémon game sold during last week’s Heritage Auctions event. It fetched $84,000 from one lucky bidder.

Two graded and sealed Pokemon Game Boy games sold for $84,000 and $78,000 today in @HeritageAuction video game auction, both records for price paid for a Game Boy collectible. pic.twitter.com/wBP4ybeKxN

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 20, 2020

It must be nice to have funds to drop on classic games like this. We will just be going to GameStop to fulfill our retrogaming needs and nostalgia.

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Photo: BEHROUZ MEHRI / Getty