10 Most Expensive Super Nintendo (SNES) Games

Elias Rodriguez  December 9th, 2022

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The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) came out on November 21, 1990. In its 30-year lifespan, it still holds out as being one of the most well-titled video game consoles to have ever been created. This is because the console had a plethora of the most influential video games to have ever been released, proudly earning it the super in its name.

The advent of professional third-party authentication and certification of video games from companies like WATA and CGC alongside sales from reputable auction companies and websites like Standard Gaming, allows us to catalog and track the most expensive Super Nintendo titles ever publicly sold. 

This article is updated quarterly and serves to provide readers with the 10 most expensive SNES titles ever sold.

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10. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars ($45,600)

 

This copy of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, released in 1996 by Nintendo, sold for $45,600 in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions. The price it sold for, actually, feels somewhat low knowing the significance of the title and the grade it received. This sealed copy got a WATA 9.8 A+ rating. This makes it extremely close to being perfect in how both its shrink-wrap seal and box are preserved. 

This game created the structure for Mario RPG games that came after its inception. This was also the last game that Nintendo and Squaresoft worked on together before they separated. It’s a treat in what it represents in gaming along with its presentation.

9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time ($50,400)

This copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, released in 1992 by publisher Konami, sold for $50,400 in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions. This first production sealed copy received a WATA 9.8 A+ rating. The near-perfect box score along with the first production status makes it a treasure.

The TMNT games first started as arcade beat’em ups but have since gained notoriety away from the arcade scene as they made their way into people’s homes. The continuation of the series in the modern era such as with the creation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge in June of 2022 helps TMNT titles retain their relevance today.

8. Chrono Trigger ($54,000)

This copy of Chrono Trigger, released by SquareSoft in 1995, sold for $54,000 in a Goldin Auction. This game is like a piece of art that’s frame has not been tarnished in the slightest. That is further expressed in the fact that this sealed copy of Chrono Trigger received a WATA 9.6 A++ rating. An A++ seal rating is the highest seal rating assigned by WATA and CGC making it perfect or as near to perfect as humanly possible.

Chrono Trigger’s known as a game that introduced bosses in a way that felt like a cinematic experience in their unveiling. It was also released late into SNES’s lifetime making it one of the most visually stunning games on the system. These factors add to the desire collectors have for this title.

7. Mega Man X3 ($73,202)

This copy of Mega Man X3, released domestically in 1996 by Capcom, sold for $73,202 in an auction conducted by Goldin. This game was graded by Video Game Authority (VGA)--not WATA–and given a score of NM85+ out of 100. This means that the game is in a near-mint stage of preservation.

This game is special as it serves as the last Mega Man game to have been created for the Super Nintendo. It is also the first time in the series that gamers have ever been able to play as Zero who has since been featured in some of his own games in the series.

6. Mortal Kombat ($79,200)

This copy of Mortal Kombat, released domestically in 1993 by Acclaim, sold for $79,200 in an auction conducted by Goldin. This game was rated 9.8 A+ by WATA, meaning that when it comes to both its box and shrink wrap seal it’s just one small step away from perfection.

Mortal Kombat for the Super Nintendo and Genesis were wildly popular ports of the arcade sensation of the same name. The original Mortal Kombat was quickly followed up by Mortal Kombat II in arcades in 1993 and again for the Super Nintendo and Genesis in 1994, making production runs of the original title much lower than its successors, thereby contributing to this title’s scarcity in high states of preservation.

5. Final Fantasy III ($96,000)

This copy of Final Fantasy III, released domestically in 1994 by Squaresoft, sold for $96,000 in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions. The copy was graded 9.4 by WATA with an A+ seal rating. This is an extremely rare copy of this game as there aren’t many that remain sealed.  

Known as Final Fantasy VI in Japan due to the US receiving fewer titles in this series, this techno-futuristic RPG is a classic Super Nintendo title. It is regarded as one of the best RPGs for the console. Today Final Fantasy III is still appreciated as one of the best titles in this ultra-popular franchise.

4. John Madden Football ($102,000)

This sealed copy of John Madden Football, released domestically in 1991 by EASN, sold for $102,000 in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions with a 9.6 A+ WATA  rating. The first port of this game was for the Sega Genesis, but this is still the first Madden game to have ever been on a Nintendo console making it special in its own right. 

This game also happens to be in magnificent condition for being over 30 years old. So far, this is the most pristine version of this specific title that is known to exist on the market. This is a special piece of history for many collectors as it brings up the nostalgia of playing a Madden game for the very first time and positively accentuates the many years it's been around.

3. Donkey Kong Country ($132,000)

This first production copy of Donkey Kong Country, released domestically in 1994 by Nintendo, sold for $132,000 in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions. This title has a 9.6 A+ WATA rating. It is a first print that includes the ESRB rating above the universal product code (UPC)--the barcode on the back. It is fully written saying “Kids to Adults” and includes a “Mild Animated Violence” warning. 

Everywhere the player looks there is a part of the past to behold on this title. The packaging appears to have an original price tag labeled on it that has not been altered. It’s also the first game in the Super Nintendo Donkey Kong series which changed the trajectory of Nintendo’s originally antagonistic gorilla.

2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ($182,000)

This first production copy of Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, released domestically in 1992 by Nintendo, sold for $182,000 in an auction conducted by Goldin. There are four different variants that exist of this particular Legend of Zelda game and this copy happens to be the rarest one available. This sealed copy also has a 9.8 A+ WATA rating making it wildly close to being in perfect condition. 

All of these first production copies were made in Japan and included a V seam instead of an H seam in how they were sealed. According to experts, this is the highest-graded copy of this game that they know to exist. It’s surreal in presentation and the quality that it retains.

1. Super Mario World ($360,000)

This copy of Super Mario World, released domestically in 1991 by Nintendo, sold for $360,000 in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions. The sealed copy is a true gem in the SNES video game collectors world as it has a 9.4 A+ WATA rating. This rating might not seem like much in comparison to other titles on this list, but this specific variant of the game is matchless in rarity. 

The non-Player's Choice version of this game is most likely unparalleled in rarity because most Super Nintendos came bundled with just a cartridge of this title, making boxed early print sealed copies extremely rare. This meant that a lot of people probably never even saw this sealed title at the time. Super Mario World’s overwhelming popularity and place among the greatest video games of all time, make sealed copies of this title a true collecting grail.

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Top Ten Recap:

1. 1. Super Mario World ($360,000)
2. 2. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past ($182,000)
3. 3. Donkey Kong Country ($132,000)
4. 4. John Madden Football ($102,000)
5. 5. Final Fantasy III ($96,000)
6. 6. Mortal Kombat ($79,200)
7. 7. Mega Man X3 ($73,202)
8. 8. Chrono Trigger ($54,000)
9. 9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time ($50,400)
10. 10. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars ($45,600)

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Note! The games listed above are all in an extremely pristine state of preservation, in many cases nearing museum quality. Copies of just the game cartridge alone may be worth only a few dollars. Standard Gaming is an avid buyer of all rare video games. If you have any games that you believe to be rare and would like to sell please contact us here.