Still sealed in its plastic and without its rear tag punched out, a copy of Super Marios Bros for the NES has sold for a whopping $30,000. Expected to be just one of a handful of global copies in that condition, the game was picked up by a collector on auction site Ebay and the payment has now gone through, confirming that all is well with the game.
Although Super Mario Bros is a classic game from the NES era and not one that is hard to find for a few dollars, the nature of this version in that it was sealed, inside the original plastic wrap from the 80s and that the box itself was in perfect condition. That meant that it really is something quite special. Owned by retro retailer, DKOldies, for a number of years now, they claimed (via Kotaku) that the game had come in as part of a batch several years before, with the then-owner having now idea of the value of what they had traded in.
Considering what it reached, it seems unlikely that DKOldies knew how much the game would ultimately sell for, but they are no doubt celebrating now, as a $30,000 sale price makes this title one of the most expensive games ever sold.
Traditionally such prices can only be found for exceedingly rare games which saw limited print runs or were never officially released, like Nintendo World Championships or Stadium Events, but a copy of Super Mario bros can now join that hallowed hall of the world's most costly games, simply by virtue of being in fantastic condition.
It goes to show, if you have a retro collection, it's worth keeping it neat and tidy, you never know what it might be worth one day.
