Super Mario 64 might be over 25 years old, but the game is still setting records to this day. A sealed copy of the game has just sold for $1.56 million dollars--the most ever for a video game. The reason behind the demand and staggering price of this version of Super Mario 64 was due to its near-immaculate condition. Sealed, and officially rated a 9.8 by grading company Wata Games, meaning it's almost as pristine as the day it left the factory, Heritage Auctions claims that this is the highest-graded copy of Super Mario 64 in the world.

Super Mario 64 - Wata 9.8 A++ Sealed, N64 Nintendo 1996 USA. Well -- we're a bit speechless on this one. What can we even say that would do this copy the justice it deserves? The cultural significance of this title and its importance to the history of video games is paramount, and the condition of this copy is just so breathtaking that we're really at a loss here. If you have had your heart set on obtaining the highest graded copy of the single best-selling video game on the Nintendo 64 -- the first 3D adventure of Nintendo's mascot, Mario -- we only have one piece of advice: this is not an opportunity to waste.

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[Foxi4]

It just says "near-immaculate condition [...] this is the highest-graded copy of Super Mario 64 in the world" but that absolutely does not explain why someone would shell out 1.5 freaking million freaking dollars on it. This market is batshit insane.

The kicker is that this game will *never* be opened and played. Y'know, like it was intended to. It will never, ever fulfill its intended purpose - that cartridge will never reach video game valhalla. One of the many reasons why I hate the "collectors" crowd - I collect myself, but I always actually use the games and consoles I buy, it's what they're for. Preservation ain't worth a damn if you don't get to use the technology you're preserving. I'll get the cheapy copy with the scratched label, please - it's just as good.

 

[osaka35]

I umm...i have...my original pokemon red manual? and strategy guide? 1st edition base set Venasaur and a few pre-releases?

when do I get my million bucks?

Joking. I was a tiny kid when these came out, so I obviously ripped open the box and never looked back. Treated the cartridges right, but...well, watcha gonna do. It is curious as to how many undiscovered sealed games are floating around on this planet of ours.

 

[Foxi4]

I umm...i have...my original pokemon red manual? and strategy guide? 1st edition base set Venasaur and a few pre-releases?

when do I get my million bucks?

Joking. I was a tiny kid when these came out, so I obviously ripped open the box and never looked back. Treated the cartridges right, but...well, watcha gonna do. It is curious as to how many undiscovered sealed games are floating around on this planet of ours.

All of my cardboard boxes and manuals are folded along the edges and safely stored in a dry box in the basement. No joke, this includes my Game Boy Color box. I was such a happy kid when I got mine that I didnt have the heart to throw out anything, not even the silly ads that came with it.

 

[fadx]

Hmmm, what if, some salty employee back in the day who packaged this in the assembly line, switched out the game and kept it for him/herself?

We will never know since it's sealed and probably be never opened, just saying.

Schrödinger's Super Mario 64

 

[BitMasterPlus]

All of my cardboard boxes and manuals are folded along the edges and safely stored in a dry box in the basement. No joke, this includes my Game Boy Color box. I was such a happy kid when I got mine that I didnt have the heart to throw out anything, not even the silly ads that came with it.

I wish I was a smart as you when I was a kid. I'm not joking either, since it's good to try and save that stuff as carefully as possible.

 

[weatMod]

The one and only reason that Cubic Ninja was ever worth money was that it was used as an entrypoint in early to mid 3DS hacking, otherwise no one would have given two shits about that game

true but it was als0 supposed to be a rare title to begin with

 

[SG854]

So was it for charity, or...?

Yes its for charity for Toad

It's to provide medical help for that mushroom shaped tumor growing on the top of his head.

 

[JuanMena]

........why?

Just like in the Fine Art world... Millionaire bets such as this are often used for money laundering.
The owners rarely sees the money.

 

[weatMod]

Schrödinger's Super Mario 64

that's why it sold for 1.5mil , they are planning on using it as the main CPU in a quantum "computer"

 

[Catastrophic]

Would you rather:

-Pay 200 dollars for a boxed copy of Super Mario 64 in good condition

OR

-Pay 1.56 million dollars for the same thing except the cardboard box has one fewer scratches on it


idk guys seems like a pretty difficult choice to me...

 

[pedro702]

All of my cardboard boxes and manuals are folded along the edges and safely stored in a dry box in the basement. No joke, this includes my Game Boy Color box. I was such a happy kid when I got mine that I didnt have the heart to throw out anything, not even the silly ads that came with it.

i wish i was like you, my kid version ripped and trowed away every box i had of gbc,n64 and gba games, only plastic boxes lived so i only have boxes from ps1/gc/ps2 and up.

i whishi didnt destroyed and trowed away my boxes of old games :S

 

[Deleted member 323844]

How a 12 million units sold videogame worth 1.56 millions in a mint condition is beyond me.

There must be tons of those.

 

[Foxi4]

I wish I was a smart as you when I was a kid. I'm not joking either, since it's good to try and save that stuff as carefully as possible.

i wish i was like you, my kid version ripped and trowed away every box i had of gbc,n64 and gba games, only plastic boxes lived so i only have boxes from ps1/gc/ps2 and up.

i whishi didnt destroyed and trowed away my boxes of old games :S

I mean, at the end of the day they're just cardboard. They have some sentimental value, but the real treasure are the memories you have with the device and the games - the sleepless nights playing Pokemon under the covers with a flashlight aimed at the screen, the sick combos you pulled off in Bloody Roar: Primal Fury, wrecking your buddy in Smash Bros. Melee or beating Rainbow Road in Mario Kart: Super Circuit. They're just possessions, it's the memories that you can't put a price tag on...

...certainly not $1.56 million dollary-doos, at least. :V

 

[Deleted member 471305]

Okay, anybody want my used copy of SOCOM II US Navy Seals? Price starts at 2 million. It's a bit steep and the disc is broken in half but it comes with the original manual, so it's worth it.

 

[MarkDarkness]

We are reaching uprecedented (in modern history) levels of accumulation of capital in the hands of a few... and I say that as a capitalist. These things don't usually end well.

 

[DarkCoffe64]

Ayo, I too have a perfect mint boxed and sealed copy of Maruo 69 bought day 1 when it released in 1420, it's absolutely not a blank cartridge I downloaded the rom into, can I have my coommillion dollars now?

 

[Crazynoob458]

uhhh... WHAT?

 

[BraveDragonWolf]

What do you plan to do after you've done spent your rent, car payment, bills, food, gas, lights, child support, college, and house on a damn box that hasn't been open since 96...?

 

[DCarnage]

Lol dumb, I bought mine for $49.99.

 

[Ryukiza]

Well -- we're a bit speechless on this one.

Yes, I'm also speechless at their stupidity.

 

[K3Nv2]

View attachment 269791

A sealed copy of The Legend of Zelda was recently sold for $870k as well iirc.

They would make you buy them lunch also