Sealed Copy of Super Mario 64 sells for $1.56 Million

July 13, 2021

Credit: Heritage Auction

A sealed copy of Super Mario 64 sold for $1.56 million at auction this past Sunday, therefore making it the most expensive sale for a video game ever. This is the first time a single video game has ever sold for more than $1 million.

The unopened game auctioned through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas broke the previous record for a video game sale. Which was set just two days prior by an extremely rare copy of The Legend of Zelda which sold for $870,000.

A new world record for a video game sale! A sealed Super Mario 64 just sold for $1,560,000 @HeritageAuction. Watch Sophie Duncan with the call. pic.twitter.com/grpeoJPxjy

— Tommy Noel (@TommyNoel) July 11, 2021

“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 Auctions Video Games Specialist Valarie McLeckie in a promotional statement for the auction.

Why so much!?

What would make a copy of Super Mario 64 worth $1.56 million you might ask? Well to start rarity, Heritage Auctions says there are fewer than five known sealed copies in the same exceptional condition.

Another reason is the condition of the game which was given a 9.8 A++ rating on the Wata Scale. The 9.8 A++ means that the game was in Like New Condition by Wata Games standards.

Wata Games seal and grade video games much like other services that seal and grade comic books or baseball cards.

Credit: Nintendo

According to Wata, a “Wata certification reveals the true value of your treasured video game. It eliminates uncertainty, measures the game’s condition against an absolute scale, and gives buyers and sellers complete confidence in their transaction.”

The auction was making headlines before it began on July 9 because of its $100k starting price. The auction ended on July 11 with its record-breaking bid of $1.56 million.

Super Mario 64 was released in 1996 and was the first Mario game to feature 3D gameplay. The game was revolutionary for its time and ushered in the 3D graphics generation.