Mama Mia! A copy of Super Mario 64 It just became the most expensive video game ever sold at auction.
The sealed original of the beloved ’90s Nintendo 64 game was snapped up for $1.56 million on Sunday at Heritage’s Video Games a discount. The three-day auction brought in more than $8.4 million overall.
The auction house said it was the first time in history that a game hit seven numbers. The sale slipped — one increment, if you will — a record set just two days ago, when another Nintendo Classic happened the legend of zeldaIt sold for $870,000 at the same auction.
After the record-breaking sale of the first game in Zelda In Friday’s series, the potential to top $1 million in a single video game seemed like a target that needed to wait for another auction. “We were shocked to see that they were in the same place.”
Released in 1996, Super Mario 64 It is based on the first installment of the series that debuted in 1985 and was the first game to feature Mario in 3D. It was an instant hit and became the best-selling video game on console. To date, it has sold nearly 12 million copies worldwide and spawned countless follow-up games.
This particular example is immaculately sealed and never ran. It also achieved the highest possible A++ rating from video game rating company WataGames.
Of course, selling is about more than just the state of the game. Enduring love for Super Mario has made vintage collectibles and nostalgic merchandise extremely rare. In fact, prior to last weekend’s auction, the title of the most expensive video game belonged to a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros which sold for $660,000.
This is Heritage’s first independent video game auction. And after the great results, it’s not likely to be the last.
“We are proud to be a part of this historic event, and we look forward to being at the forefront of the video game hobby and serving such a dedicated community of collectors in the years to come,” McClekey added.
Stay tuned, ’90s gamers.