10 Retro Games That Are Worth A Fortune
Retro video games have been making a comeback within the last few years. More people are now collecting retro games than ever before. Believe it or not, some of these old games are worth hundreds of dollars while a few are thousands! Here are a few retro games that are now rare and/or expensive.
1. Rule of Rose
Horror games have a tendency of raising in price as time goes by. Many have low print runs due to the selective audience. Rule of Rose is known as the holy grail on the PlayStation 2 for horror and Ps2 game collectors alike. The game had a low print run and was almost not released here in America due to the story’s subject matter.
The game is a survival horror game that is based around an orphanage and young children. This was very controversial during the early 2000s. Rule of Rose has some very disturbing and graphic parts in it which caused the Japanese publisher to only make a small number of copies here in the United States. Now the game runs anywhere from 300 to 350 dollars for a complete copy. The disk alone can run up to 215 dollars!
2. The Misadventures of Trone Bonne
The Misadventures of Trone Bonne is a perfect example of how a game with a limited release can become expensive and rare overtime. The game came out very late in the PlayStation 1’s lifespan in 1999 and was overshadowed by more mainstream games and the release of the PlayStation 2.
The game is part of the Mega Man Legend series and follows the anti-hero Tron Bonne. The game differs from the other Mega Man Legend games by focusing on a mech element during the combat. Many Mega Man Legends fans skipped out on the game due to lack of press and how different it was from the other games. The game now runs around 250 bucks for a complete copy and 90 bucks for a disk only copy.
3. Exertainment Mountain Bikerally/Speed Racer Cart
This Super Nintendo game isn’t the best game in the world but is another holy grail for retro game collectors. It is another perfect example of a low print run game that everyone skipped out upon its release. The game is actually 2 games on one cart. The first game is Exertainment Mountain Bikerally and the other one is Speed Racer.
Both games are pretty bad but super rare. A complete copy of this game is over 2,500 dollars and a loose cart will cost you well over 1,000 dollars! As stated before, both games are pretty much garbage unless you’re an avid retro gaming fan. If you see this at a flea market or pawn shop for cheap, make sure to pick this up.
4. Aero Fighters
This super rare Super Nintendo game is a vertical shoot’em up that came out in 1993 in the United States. It is a pretty good game that only a few people picked up back in the early 1990s. The game added some unique mechanics that many shoot’em ups did not have during that time.
Aero Fighters is sought after by both SNES and shoot’em up collectors making the demand for it astronomical. This demand and rarity of the game has driven up the price in recent years. Aero Fighters will cost around 1,500 dollars for a complete copy and 550 for just the cartage. The game is definitely worth playing if you are into retro games so pick it up if you can find it for a reasonable price.
5. Little Samson
Little Samson might be the most sought-after video game for the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). If you ask any NES collector what game they wish they had, most will say Little Samson. While it might not be the rarest game for the console, it is definitely one of the most talked-about and expensive games for the system
This game is another example of a great game that sold poorly because of its late release in the NES lifespan. Since it is a good game and had a limited release, the price has skyrocketed in the last 15 years. A complete copy of Little Samson will run anywhere from 2,700-3,000 dollars for a complete copy and over 1, 000 for the cartage. The manual alone goes for over 450 bucks!
6. Panzer Dragoon Saga
This game is probably the best game on the list by far. Anyone who knows about Panzer Dragoon Saga knows it is one of the best JRPGs ever made and one of the greatest video games of all time. The only problem with the game is it was only released for the Sega Saturn (which failed horribly) and it was one of the last games released on the console.
Panzer Dragoon Saga was released in 1998 and was Sega’s response to the incredible Final Fantasy 7 released for the PlayStation 1. Unfortunately, the game sold poorly since the Sega Saturn was failing even though it was an amazing game. The game is one of the best games in video game history so the demand for it is very high causing the game to be very expensive. Now the game sells for 700 dollars complete and 350 for a disk only copy.
7. Family Fun Fitness Stadium Events
Family Fun Fitness Stadium Events, better known simply as Stadium Events, is another game known for its rarity and high price. This gives Little Samson a run for its money by being the most sought-after game for NES collectors. This game is legendary just by being rare and expensive.
Stadium Events is a simple sports game that lets players play a variety of Olympic games. Players do movements on a mat that controls the characters. Think of it as a very simple and weird version of Dance Dance Revolution. The game was actually recalled due to copyright reasons shortly after its release. This makes the game EXTREMELY rare.
Only a handful of complete copies are known to exist here in the United States. A complete copy of Stadium Events has sold on average for 25,000 dollars! A loose copy costs around 9,000 dollars which isn’t much better. The game is pretty much garbage but that hasn’t stopped collectors from hunting down this goldmine of a game.
8. Red Sea Crossing
This game is one of the strangest rare and expensive games on this list. Red Sea Crossing is a game for the Atari 2600 that was not sold in regular video game stores or magazines. The game was only sold in Christian based magazines making this game very rare.
The game is about the Bible story of Moses crossing the Red Sea. You play as Moses and help people cross the Red Sea. That’s the whole game. While the game might not be that great, it is still another holy grail for game collectors. Only 2 copies are known to exist in the world! One recently sold on eBay for 10,000 dollars. This is another example of a bad game costing tons of money.
9. Birthday Mania
Birthday Mania barely qualifies as a video game. It is more of an electric happy birthday card for the Atari 2600 than anything. Regardless, it has built up a reputation for being one of the rarest games of all time. It is another game that was not sold in game stores and only in specific magazines. The developer only made the game upon order so only a few were ever made.
The game consists of a handful of mini-games where the player pops balloons and blows out candles. There is only 1 known copy of Birthday Mania in existence during the time of writing this article. It is hard to put a price on a game so rare but it is said to cost anywhere from 15,000 to 35,0000 dollars. The game did not have a box so the price is for the cartridge only.
10. Gamma Attack
Gamma Attack is more of a legend than a video game. The game is an arcade shooter much like space invaders, but you play as the invaders. You shoot enemies from your ship until you continue to the next level. Many people didn’t believe this game existed until recent years. Only 1 copy is known to exist and is owned by a hardcore collector named Anthony DeNardo.
Anthony DeNardo once put Gamma Attack on eBay for a buy it now price of 500,0000! It did not sell but still is worth a pretty penny to collectors. Some people have offered up to 50,000 dollars for the game but DeNardo still hasn’t sold it. Gamma Attack is probably the rarest game out there.
