Super Mario 64 copy sold for $1.56M from Heritage Auctions becomes the most expensive video game

Unopened 1996 copy of Nintendo’s Super Mario 64 becomes the most expensive video game in history after selling for $1.56M at auction

  • Sold by Heritage Auctions, its’ the most ever paid at auction for a video game   
  • Game was listed under pristine condition by market experts
  • Legendary game marks Mario’s 3D debut on the N64 console 
  • The previous record was a sealed copy of The Legend of Zelda sold for $870,000 
  • Other top sellers in Heritage’s first video game auction included a copy of Super Mario Bros. for $660,000 and Super Mario World for $360,000 

An unopened copy of Nintendo´s Super Mario 64 was sold for $1.56 million on Sunday in a Texas auction.

Heritage Auctions, based in Dallas, said that the 1996 game broke its previous record price for the sale of a single video game.

The beloved game was listed at a grade of 9.8 A by Wata Games, the highest possible rating for a game’s condition.  

This photo provided by Heritage Auctions shows an unopened copy of Nintendo’s Super Mario 64 that has sold at auction for $1.56 million. Heritage Auctions in Dallas said that the 1996 video game sold Sunday, July 11, 2021, breaking its previous record price for the sale of a single video game. (Courtesy of Heritage Auctions via AP)

A spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry about who purchased the game.

‘It seems impossible to overstate the importance of this title, not only to the history of Mario and Nintendo, but to video games as a whole,’ said Heritage Video Game Specialist Valarie McLeckie in a statement. ‘This is Mario’s debut appearance in a 3D world, and it was the most popular – best-selling – video game for the N64. Considering this, and the fact that there are fewer than five sealed in this grade according to Wata, this copy is a true prize for any serious collector.’

The sale follows an unopened copy of Nintendo´s The Legend of Zelda selling at auction Friday for $870,000. Valarie McLeckie, Heritage´s video game specialist, said the auction house was shocked to see a game sell for more than a $1 million two days after the Zelda game broke its past record.

In April, the auction house sold an unopened copy of Nintendo´s Super Mario Bros. that was bought in 1986 and forgotten about in a desk drawer for $660,000.  

Vintage video games are becoming an increasingly valuable commodity among collectors.

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions auctioned off an unopened copy of The Legend of Zelda for $870,000, the most ever paid at auction for a video game

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions auctioned off an unopened copy of The Legend of Zelda for $870,000, the most ever paid at auction for a video game

The copy auctioned off is a rare No Rev-A Round SOQ model, which was produced in late 1987, before being replaced by the Rev-A variant in 1988

The copy auctioned off is a rare No Rev-A Round SOQ model, which was produced in late 1987, before being replaced by the Rev-A variant in 1988

A sealed copy of the original 1985 Super Mario Bros. game, with a 9.0 rating, sold for $228,000, one of just several high sellers at Heritage's first video game auction

A sealed copy of the original 1985 Super Mario Bros. game, with a 9.0 rating, sold for $228,000, one of just several high sellers at Heritage’s first video game auction

Heritage also auctioned a copy of Konami's 1987 scrolling shooter Contra for $150,000

Acopy of Final Fantasy from 1990 with a 9.8 rating that went for $204,000.

Heritage also auctioned a copy of Konami’s 1987 scrolling shooter Contra for $150,000 and a  copy of Final Fantasy from 1990 for $204,000

In July 2020, Heritage sold a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. 3, graded Wata 9.0 A, for $38,400.

In November, it auctioned off another copy for $156,000 at auction, a record at the time.

By April 2021, though, that record was shattered when a copy Super Mario Bros sold for $660,000, The Verge reported.