An NES Mario Classic Just Became the Most Expensive Game Ever Sold

[RW YuukiKING]

 

A sealed copy of 1985's Super Mario Bros. has broken the world record for the most expensive video game ever sold at auction, fetching a staggering $3 million. This particular copy of Super Mario Bros. caught the attention of collectors for several reasons, most notably its high-graded Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) certification, which essentially makes it the finest known example among its variants.

 

Super Mario Bros. was originally released for the NES in 1985. It is widely regarded as one of the pioneering games of the platformer genre and, as the first entry in the Super Mario series, holds a special place in the hearts of many fans. As of this writing, only three known copies of the gloss-sealed version of Super Mario Bros. have been graded by services such as PSA. On June 12, 2026, Heritage Auctions set a new world record for the most expensive video game ever sold at auction, with a PSA 9.6 A++ copy of Super Mario Bros. selling for $3 million.

 

The auction house described it as "the most significant video game ever offered," and there are several reasons why. This particular copy is currently the highest-graded known example of the game. The only other graded copies of the gloss-sealed variant are a Wata 9.4 A++ copy and a VGA 80 copy. The gloss sticker seal confirms that it comes from the cartridge's second production run. As a result, it is also one of the oldest known copies of Super Mario Bros. in near-perfect condition.

 

 

Although paying breathtakingly high prices for rare video games is a relatively new trend, a clear pattern has emerged among many of these record-breaking sales. Most games that have sold for six- and seven-figure sums are classic Nintendo titles. For example, one of the biggest deals in recent years involved a copy of The Legend of Zelda that sold for about $870,000. Another notable sale saw a rare copy of Super Mario World fetch $144,000. Nintendo also co-owns the Pokemon franchise, which is well known for its appeal among collectors. Pokemon collectibles, particularly Pokemon Trading Card Game items, regularly sell for eye-catching amounts.

 

It remains to be seen whether the current record for the most expensive video game will be broken any time soon. However, collectors would likely be willing to pay even more for a sealed first-production copy of Super Mario Bros., assuming one still exists. The record-setting sale also makes people wonder whether any of today's AAA video games will become highly sought-after collector's items 40 or 50 years from now.

 

 

Sursa