It’s a fascinating idea that certain games could slowly be lost to time since many of the game consoles are starting the process of switching to digital-only consoles. It’s so easy to open Steam or the PlayStation Store and just buy and download a game. But it wasn’t like that twenty years ago.
Currently, we see old game cartridges on eBay selling for thousands. We only see recent gaming items sell for a high price when they are collectors’ editions. So, we’ve decided to put together a list of rare non-collector editions of video games that you can physically own.
8
Red Sea Crossing
Value: $10,500
Red Sea Crossing is an Atari 2600 game released in 1983. It was developed by an independent programmer and advertised once in a magazine. The game came with a coloring book and a cassette tape explaining it.
The gameplay sounds exactly like it sounds. It’s a side-scrolling game in which you must help Moses cross the Red Sea, avoiding obstacles like giant clams to escape the Egyptians. There are only two verified copies of Red Sea Crossing, which makes it one of the rarest video games to own.
7
Birthday Mania
Value: $40,000
Birthday Mania was supposed to be a made-to-order game, meaning if this game had a full-scale release, it would have been customizable to your name and birthday, and upon starting the game, it would play a little happy birthday tune. It was developed by Atari in 1984 and the gameplay is similar to Space Invaders.
Only ten copies of Birthday Mania were ever released, and it is thought that only two were ever sold. There is only one verified copy, which has been valued at $40,000, making it extremely rare.
6
Stadium Events
Value: $45,000
Stadium Events was released in 1986 by Nintendo but was quickly recalled. Now, it is mostly known as World Class Track Meet, as Nintendo wanted to do a rebrand to label it as a first-party game. It was then re-released with the exact same gameplay, where you compete against an AI contestant to try and beat them in multiple track events.
The original version of Stadium Events is quite rare now, and it is unclear how many there are out in the wild, but it is certainly something to keep your eye out for.
5
Tetris
Value: $15,000
While Tetris by itself is certainly not rare, the version for Genesis definitely is. Originally, Sega was going to release their own version of Tetris based on Sega’s Japanese one. Unfortunately, there had been a licensing issue between Nintendo, Sega, and Tetris.
Instead, Nintendo secured the rights to Tetris and Genesis never got to mass produce their Tetris game. There are, however, ten copies in existence of the Tetris game Sega had developed. A signed copy of this game went for 1 million dollars, but the other copies are priced at around $15,000.
4
Air Raid
Value: $33,000
Air Raid is a shoot-em-up originally developed for the Atari 2600 and released in 1982. The cartridge itself is also unique with a baby blue color and a T-shaped handle. There are only 12 copies that are known to exist, and only one of these copies has been sold as a complete set with the box and manual.
Related
7 Classic Arcade Games That Need A Comeback
We hope to see these classic arcade games again one day.
While playing Air Raid, it is your duty to defend Manhattan from the oncoming enemy bombers who are out to destroy the city. It was made by Men-A-Vision, its debut and only title.
3
Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru
Value: $2,250
Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru is a side-scrolling action game where you play as a ninja and a bounty hunter. You’re hired to fight demons and save a girl who has been kidnapped. It was made for the Sega Saturn and was highly praised upon its release.
Unfortunately, Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru had very limited printing due to its developers, Time Warner Interactive, shutting down. It was released in 1997 in Japan, with only 7,500 copies made, making it one of the rarest games produced for the Sega Saturn.
2
Pepsi Invaders
Value: $5,000
Pepsi Invaders is a spin-off of Space Invaders that was made in 1983. The game was commissioned by Coca-Cola and was handed out at one of their meetings to the salespeople. There were only 125 of these games made, making them pretty special.
In a good twist of humor, the Coca-Cola employees had to shoot letters that spelled out PEPSI instead of the usual alien creatures. Pepsi Invaders was also altered so that the player could never lose, as instead of the aliens diving, they just move passively from left to right.
1
Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle
Value: $300,000
Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle is a game on the Neo-Geo that was released in 1996. It is the sequel to Savage Reign, where there is a tournament held to see who is worthy of fighting with King Leo. In the second game, King Leo organizes a second tournament.
While the Japanese packaging of Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle isn’t rare, the European cartridge certainly is. Only five of the European cartridges were ever made for the Neo-Geo home platform. It is currently on sale for $300,000, but, is it worth it?
