Games We Love (12/13/22) - High-Grade Games
Games We Love - High-Grade Games
If collecting high-grade games is your passion, we here at Standard Gaming have a number of high-grade games across all eras ready for you to add to your collection. As a high-grade chaser myself, it can be daunting to go through countless auctions, only to have a game swiped out from under you! We take the guessing work out of buying graded video games of all grades, making it easy for collectors to find what they truly love.
The Nintendo Entertainment System’s Super Mario Bros helped launch a video game empire. This era-defining platformer game sold 1.2 million copies within a month of its Japanese release in September 1985. By 1994, over 40 million copies had been sold worldwide. Super Mario Bros is one of the best-selling video games of all time. Despite these sales numbers few were left unplayed and high-grade copies of this game can be hard to come by and can be extremely pricey as well.
This sealed 9.4 A WATA-graded copy is a true sight to behold. Rumor has it there are less than 1000 factory-sealed copies of this game still in existence, making this a holy grail piece for many collectors. Per WATA’s August 2022 population report, only 190 sealed copies have been graded thus far. The one-year average on similar 9.4 copies is at an impressive $53,486, while 9.8 graded copies have a one-year average of $121,800. This is the game to collect for nearly every single video game fan.
It’s nearly impossible to talk about collectible video games without mentioning Pokemon. From the first edition card game to the latest Nintendo Switch video game, Pokemon is here to stay. The first Pokemon video games released, Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, and Pokemon Yellow have sold over 31 million combined units worldwide. As a whole, the franchise has sold well over 400 million video games, making it the second best-selling video game franchise of all time.
This sealed 9.8 A++ WATA-graded copy is as good as it gets. Factory-sealed copies of this game are incredibly hard to come by, with only 165 other sealed copies being graded per WATA’s August 2022 population report. The one-year average for similar 9.8 graded copies is $74,200. This is a holy grail item for collectors across multiple genres, and will be in demand for a long time!
Arguably one of the best video games of all time, Doom for the Super Nintendo brought the first-person shooter computer game to players who prefer consoles. Initially released for MS-DOS in 1993, the game was brought to the SNES in 1995 alongside the Sony Playstation. Doom would go on to spawn a number of sequels, with the most recent, Doom Eternal, being released in 2020. Due to its graphic violence, the 32X release was the first video game to ever receive an “M for Mature” rating. Controversy creates press, and Doom would go on to sell over 3 million physical copies across multiple platforms by 1999.
This sealed 9.8 A+ WATA-graded copy is one of the most visually enticing graded games I’ve seen. This nearly perfect grail video game is perfect for a number of collectors, especially for long faithful Doom fans! Finding a copy in a condition like this is rare, so if you’re looking to splurge on something unique, look no further.
In 1999 Nintendo released Pokemon Snap for the Nintendo 64. Bringing the popular franchise to the console was a wise choice, but this isn’t the Pokemon game players had become accustomed to on the Game Boy. This game took players around Pokemon Island, where they would have to capture images of Pokemon. Players would then present the photos to Professor Oak, who would award them points on a variety of criteria. As a child, this game entertained me for hours, as it was an easy and calming game. Pokemon Snap was ported to the Wii and Wii U, and can now be played on the Nintendo Switch’s N64 expansion pack. A sequel, New Pokemon Snap, was released for the Switch in the spring of 2021 and features all-new Pokemon and updated graphics.
This sealed 9.6 A+ WATA-graded copy is bright, vibrant, and would look great in any collection. While it is a relatively easy-to-find game if looking or just a cartridge, finding a high-grade sealed copy is difficult. This copy presents beautifully, and would be a wonderful addition to any Pokemon or Nintendo fans collection!
“It’s morphin’ time!” was a common phrase my sister and I would yell in the early 1990s. We were obsessed with Power Rangers, based on the Japanese Super Sentai series Zyuranger. While Super Sentai had been popular in Japan for almost two decades, Power Rangers became a force of its own when it premiered in America in 1993. Power Rangers morphed into comic books, a live stage show, movies, toys, and of course video games. In 1994 Mighty Morphin Power Ranger was released for the Sega Genesis, the Game Gear, the Sega CD, Super Nintendo, and the Game Boy. The Genesis version is a one-on-one fighting game similar to Street Fighter. The game wasn’t well received for a number of reasons, but for a fan of the show, it was a must.
This sealed 9.4 A+ WATA-graded copy is hard to find sealed in any grade. The cover for this game features the initial five rangers against a black background with the logo at the top, making this one of the best-looking covers I’ve seen thanks to its simplicity – the colors absolutely pop on this copy! This game is great for a number of collectors, including cross-platform fans, Super Sentai fans, Power Ranger fans, and of course nostalgia geeks.
Looking For More General Information on Graded Games?
· If any of the terminology used in this guide was confusing or new to you, please refer to our convenient glossary of terms here.
· Need more information about graded games in general? Check out this intro to the different types of certified video games here.
