Summary
- Rare Nintendo games don't have to be popular to be valuable. Some, like promotional games and Not For Resale cartridges, fetch high prices averaging $3,000-$10,000.
- Earthbound for the SNES, Barbie Groom & Glam Pups for 3DS, and GoldenEye 007 are rare games with average prices ranging from $1420 to $2860.
- Games like Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Pokemon Box, and Mega Man (Five Screw Version) have unique functionalities, driving their prices to over $2,000 per game.
Nintendo has been in the video game industry for over 40 years, meaning there's been plenty of time for some games to become extremely rare and valuable. These games don't have to be good, popular, or even finished, to be valuable in the eyes of collectors. As other Nintendo consoles enter classic territory, the list of shockingly priced games grows longer.
Many rare Nintendo games were either promotional games, unlicensed games, or exclusive to rentals. Some of the most expensive games aren't even technically games. There are some games released for the general market, like Mega Man 5 & 6, that command a high price, but they are still way down the list in terms of overall worth and rarity.
The 13 Rarest Nintendo Consoles (& How Much They're Worth)
Collectors will spend a mint on rare, limited-edition consoles. These are the ten rarest Nintendo consoles and what they're worth.
Updated March 30, 2025, by Blaise Santi: It's only a few days until Nintendo reveals everything there is to know about the Nintendo Switch 2, meaning sooner or later, the Switch itself will become sadly obsolete. Nevertheless, consoles getting old isn't always a bad thing, since lots of games increase in value the older they get. To give gamers an idea of how a few years can spike a game's value on websites like pricecharting.com, here are a handful of rare games from Nintendo's history that are worth a pretty penny nowadays.
40 Pocky & Rocky 2
The SNES Sequel Is Loved But Hard To Find - Average Price: $1,273
Pocky & Rocky 2
- Released
- June 17, 1994
- Platform(s)
- SNES
The original Pocky & Rocky is one of the most fondly remembered shoot-em-up games for the Super Nintendo, so it's surprising that copies of its sequel are so valuable. Copies of the game have only increased in rarity as the years have gone on, with boxed copies valued at over $1,000, and even the manual all by itself valued at over $200.
At the very least, the rarity of Pocky & Rocky 2 is worth the struggle to find it. Reviews at the time felt it was a great expansion of the already-beloved shoot-em-up that was released only two years prior. It's worth far more than even its prequel, which is much more common among Super Nintendo sellers.
39 Rhythm Heaven Fever
Nintendo's Rhythm Franchise Can Fetch A Good Price - Average Price: $140
Rhythm Heaven Fever
- Released
- July 21, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo SPD, Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Wii, Nintendo Wii U
- Genre(s)
- Musical, Action
The most recent Nintendo Direct revealed that, at long last, the Rhythm Heaven franchise is returning to Nintendo Switch with Rhythm Heaven Groove. The last entry in the series, Rhythm Heaven Fever, was released on the now-obsolete Wii. Though it pales in comparison to the most valuable games on this list, it still fetches a decent price compared to its original value.
A decade ago, Rhythm Heaven Fever was barely worth $10, but by today's standards, a boxed version of the game averages at around $140, even as high as $190! Gamers who happen to have a spare copy of Rhythm Heaven Fever lying around the house are quite lucky. Check that it's in good condition, because it might be possible to make a good few bucks off it!
38 Devil's Third
No One Appreciated Ivan In The West - Average Price: $237
Devil's Third
- Released
- November 12, 2015
- ESRB
- Mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- Valhalla Game Studios, Nintendo SPD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action, Hack and Slash, First-Person Shooter
Devil's Third could potentially have been a big franchise, given how successful it was on the Wii U in Japan. However, its western release saw a lot of criticism. Granted, the Wii U was a pretty cursed console in general, so maybe its lackluster performance wasn't much of a surprise. Nevertheless, Wii U games will be incredibly valuable in the future, especially rarer ones like this underrated action title.
As of 2025, Devil's Third is valued at just over $200. This isn't a lot, but compared to its original $60 price tag on the Wii U, it's a huge increase. Back in 2022, the game was even valued at over $500, so maybe some day in the future, copies of this game will be even harder to come by.
37 Cubix Robots For Everyone: Showdown (DVD Bundle)
Enjoy The Game And Its TV Series - Average Price: $452
If someone doesn't have any memory of watching Cubix Robots for Everyone, that's probably because they didn't live in South Korea in the early 2000s. Some Westerners may have caught English dubs of it on Kids' WB, but others may have also seen a copy of its GameCube video game, Cubix Robots for Everyone: Showdown, in the west. However, certain copies of this are quite valuable as far as GameCube games go.
For many copies of Cubix Robots for Everyone: Showdown on GameCube, they were actually bundled with a DVD containing episodes of the show. These copies, assuming everything is still in good condition, can fetch between $400 and $800 on secondhand websites, but even the game without the DVD can still net a seller over $300.
36 Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon
This Indie Darling Only Hit Shelves For A Short While - Average Price: $699
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
- Released
- May 24, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
The Bloodstained series has become one of the biggest success stories in the indie game world. Inspired by the likes of Castlevania, the franchise began properly in 2019 with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. However, it was predated by one of its Kickstarter goals: a more primitive companion game, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, which had a very limited release in physical copies.
Players desperate to play Curse of the Moon can download it on Steam or their console of choice's online store. But a physical copy will likely cost upwards of $600. It's also included in Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Chronicles, a physical version that contains both the game and its sequel, which is much more common, but the solo physical copy only ran for a limited time.
35 Earthbound
This Influential RPG Is Hard To Come By - Average Price: $2,150
Earthbound
- Released
- June 5, 1995
- Developer(s)
- HAL Laboratory, Ape Inc.
- Platform(s)
- SNES, Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Genre(s)
- RPG
It may seem surprising to newer Nintendo fans just how rare the original iteration of Earthbound is for the SNES, but the game's acclaim was quite delayed. It's easy to find versions of it to play through Nintendo Switch Online, but as for the actual cartridge, it usually sells for hundreds of dollars, and even closer to $1,500 for the complete box.
22 Games Inspired By Earthbound
There are a lot of amazingly good games out there that were inspired by the iconic Earthbound. Here's a look at some of the best.
Even Mother 3, the Earthbound sequel that's never seen a Western release, typically sells for much cheaper than the localized version of its predecessor. Even years after its release, Earthbound remains one of the best and most valuable Nintendo IPs of all time.
34 Barbie Groom & Glam Pups
Barbie Fetches A Pretty Penny - Average Price: $2,198
|
Platform |
3DS |
|---|---|
|
Release |
August 15, 2013 |
|
Developer |
Mattel |
|
Genre |
Simulation |
If there are any head-scratchers on this list, it's Barbie Groom and Glam Pups. On the surface, there's nothing particularly special about this game, in which players get to pick a pooch and get them ready for beauty competitions. Although it was originally released for the DS and Wii in 2010, the 3DS version from 2013 often sells for quite a lot of money.
Many theorize the reason why Barbie Groom and Glam Pups is particularly rare is that, in North America, it only saw a wide release in Canada, so actual physical copies of the game are hard to come by. That being said, even the most diehard collectors agree that this game is not good enough to be valued this highly, despite the popularity of the Barbie figure.
33 GoldenEye 007 (Not For Resale)
An Iconic Shooter's Rare Cartridges - Average Price: $899
GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye 007 is one of the most iconic shooter games of all time, originally released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64. It's seen a lot of ports and re-releases since then, but some fans of the OG game may be enticed by the rare "Not For Resale" version, which sells for over $1,000 on online markets.
Other than the possibility of encountering beta content that isn't in the final release, there's not much value to this rare cartridge aside from completing a "Not For Resale" collection. However, considering it's a must-have for the Nintendo 64, even casual video game fans might be starstruck by this limited edition version of Goldeneye.
32 Donkey Kong Jr. Math
Nintendo's Foray Into Edutainment - Average Price: $3,500
|
Platform |
NES |
|---|---|
|
Release |
December 12, 1983 |
|
Developer |
Nintendo Research and Development 2 |
|
Genre |
Education |
Nintendo's ventures into educational games haven't always been successful, mainly because of games like Donkey Kong Jr. Math. An offshoot of the iconic retro title for the NES, Donkey Kong Jr. Math utilizes similar mechanics to the original Donkey Kong Jr., albeit requiring players to solve simple math problems by climbing towards numbers or mathematics symbols.
Educational Games On Steam That Are Actually A Lot Of Fun
Who said learning can't be fun? These games all offer great entertainment while also educating players along the way,
Despite selling in cartridge form for over $2,000, Donkey Kong Jr. Math has made several appearances on Virtual Console, and as of 2024, it has made its debut on the Nintendo Switch Online service. Still, even as far as educational games go, this was a huge misfire from Nintendo, but one that's still valued by collectors nonetheless.
31 Pokemon Box
A NYC-Exclusive With A Special Function - Average Price: $2,085
Pokemon Box
At first glance, the extremely rare Pokemon Box seems like a simple Pokemon storage simulator, but it's much more than that. The GameCube title was sold in limited quantities at Nintendo World in New York City, and was also sold in a bundle with the GameCube itself in Europe.
While the main advertisement for this game is its functionality as a storage system for Pokemon from GameBoy games like Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen, it also included an emulator for Ruby & Sapphire, making it one of the few ways to play a mainline Pokemon game on consoles like the GameCube or Nintendo Wii before Pokemon Sword & Shield, which holds a lot of value for some fans by itself.