Hunting for Value (10/5/22) - Super Hero Titles
Hunting for Value (10/5/2022)
Staff writer Lauren Sisselman digs through the Standard Gaming inventory and highlights a handful of retro-graded games that may be worth a deeper look.
Whether you're new to the hobby of graded video games or a seasoned veteran, everyone likes to get a good deal. Prices on games can vary widely depending on where you look and games on marketplaces like eBay are often listed without context. At Standard Gaming, we have games for every type of collector, all available for immediate purchase. Below are a few titles that stand out, and may help you as you Hunt for Value in the graded video game market.
Batman is one of the most recognized superheroes of all time – he’s been the subject of countless comic books, toys, movies, cartoon shows, household items, and of course video games. Batman Returns for the Super Nintendo is a single-player side-scrolling fighting game, where you play as Batman. Fighting games of this nature were very popular with the SNES and were genuinely fun to play. The game is very straightforward – all the player needs to do is beat up various bad guys from the movie. The reviews were hit or miss depending on who reviewed the game, but overall Batman Returns is a fun game.
This WATA graded 7.5 complete in box copy still has the original shrink wrap intact, although it has been opened. WATA gives the box a 7.0, the cartridge an 8.5, and the manual a 7.5. Comparatively, a sealed WATA 7.5 typically sells for over $500, with higher grades fetching into the thousands. This game does display beautifully. The box features Batman front and center, with the Penguin, Catwoman, the Batcave, and the Batmobile surrounding him. This game would be perfect for Batman fans, SNES fans, and comic book fans.
Spider-Man is known to do whatever a spider can, and players did just that with the 1990 release of The Amazing Spider-Man for the Nintendo Game Boy. While this wasn’t Spider-Man’s first time as the star of his own video game, this game was the first time the web crawler was featured for a Nintendo game. This side-scrolling platform action game from LJN and Rare is a ton of fun to play, and holds up to this day. The graphics were good and made me feel like I was pulling Spider-Man right out of the comic. The game was also well received by critics and fans alike, becoming a rather popular game during its release. Due to this, two sequels followed: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and The Amazing Spider-Man 3: Invasion of the Spider-Slayers.
Graded 8.0 by WATA this CIB breaks down as follows: the box is an 8.5, the cartridge is an 8.0, and the manual is a 7.0. By comparison, a sealed copy in WATA 7.5 sold for $552 in September of 2021, and higher graded sealed copies sell for over $2K each. This affordable copy is brightly colored and looks beautiful in its case. This is great for Spider-Man collectors, Nintendo fans, Game Boy fans, and of course, comic book fans!
Captain America and the Avengers $775
One of my favorite arcade port games is Captain America and the Avengers. The game had been ported for the Super Nintendo and the Game Boy as well as the Nintendo. Unlike its counterparts, the NES version is very different from the original – but that’s not a bad thing! This side-scrolling platform action game is still fun to play. Players can pick to fight as either Captain America or Hawkeye, and you must save The Vision and Iron Man from the Mandarin and Red Skull. While it doesn’t give you the character variety that the arcade version does, you do get to play as two different key Avengers. The box art by legendary artist John Romita Sr. absolutely pops and looks like the cover of a graphic novel.
This WATA CIB 8.5 is beautiful. With a box grade of 8.5, a cart grade of 9.0, and a manual grade of 8.5 this game displays exceptionally well. This game when sealed commands thousands of dollars, making this an incredibly affordable and collectible game. This game would look good in a myriad of collections, including superhero collections, NES collections, John Romita Sr. collectors, completionist sets, and more – I can’t stress enough how many collections this would be perfect for!
1989’s The Uncanny X-Men brought the famed powerful mutants to the Nintendo for fans of all ages to enjoy. Published by LJN, this game didn’t exactly make waves when it came out but has grown in popularity over the past few years due to its crossover appeal. The Uncanny X-Men has some historic importance, as it was the last game LJN put out before being bought by Acclaim Entertainment, as well as being an early Marvel video game. The plot for this action platformer is as straightforward as they come – Magento is trying to take down the human race, and only The X-Men can stop him.
This WATA CIB 8.5 features a box grade of 8.0, a cartridge grade of 9.0, and a manual grade of 8.0. The box is still bright and eye-catching, reminiscent of the comics these characters came from. Similarly graded sealed games typically sell for over $1200, with prices increasing every time this game becomes available. This is perfect for a variety of collectors as well – Marvel fans, NES fans, X-Men collectors, and more.
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.
