Nintendo's 8-bit console is home to a slew of exceedingly rare, expensive games. Despite their age and archaic nature, there are ample titles that remain coveted and often cost loads more than flashy games of the modern era. Thanks to its seasoning and several unique and obscure games, NES remains a platform of choice for collectors looking to show off their rare gaming artifacts.
Much like the software embedded in plastic, many of these carts themselves come with rather interesting backstories, which often explain how they became so scarce and valuable. While there are plenty of rather expensive titles, a handful of them are truly in their own league when it comes to rarity and price, especially in-box.
Updated January 5th, 2023, by Stephen LaGioia: Collecting rare video games is a hobby that continues to grow in the gaming community. This is especially true as gamers rediscover popular retro classics of the Atari, NES, and Genesis era, consoles that have increasingly ridden the nostalgic wave.
And in an age where digital is increasingly becoming the norm, there's something to be said about having a physical disc or cartridge, which can be proudly showcased on one's gaming shelf, or, if valuable enough, sitting in glass displays. With this in mind, and given the fluctuating prices, we decided to revisit this list of the rarest, most valuable NES games for collectors.
19 Stack Up
- Loose (game only) price: $170
- CIB (complete in box): $1,162
Back when the American market was still hesitant to take on gaming again after the Atari crash, Nintendo decided to position their NES as more of a toy. Enter the clunky, slow-moving R.O.B. the Robot, an accessory that was to work in conjunction with certain games. One of the premiere titles was this strange block-sorting "game."
Stack Up has a professor stepping on arrows to arrange blocks by color and patterns, which R.O.B. would robotically obey. But while it's hard to find too much fun in this game (which feels more like a demo), it's at least an interesting gimmick — and a valuable one!
As one can imagine, this premise didn't quite wow gamers even in the '80s, when such tech may have been considered more cutting-edge. This made the game particularly tough to get ahold of, especially when included with the clunky robot. The in-box version of Stack Up is particularly rare, fetching over a grand.
18 Sqoon
- Loose price: $138
- CIB: $1,175
Crafted by the obscure Japanese studio Home Date (now Magical Company), Sqoon is a side-scrolling shooter where players fend off invading aliens from Neptune. In an effort to feast on "man-ham livestock," they destabilize earth by melting the polar ice caps and of course, sending minions to attack pink submarine fighters.
While made into a Manga, this one never quite took off, particularly in the US. It probably didn't help that technical inquiries had to be handled by another studio (Broderbund), since Sqoon's publisher didn't have an American branch.
17 Donkey Kong Jr. Math
- Loose price: $168
- CIB: $3,780
It's hard to imagine a game featuring Nintendo's prized ape mascot being so obscure, but (at least for boxed copies) that's the case for Donkey Kong Jr. Math. "Edu-tainment" is a style that hadn't quite taken off in the 80s, as the genre didn't tend to do either aspect too well... Some studios have begun to make some interesting efforts these days, though.
It's not surprising that this math-based spin-off to a less-popular sequel didn't light the sales charts on fire. The game proved sluggish, inconsequential, and not terribly educational with its basic equations. At least its complete-in-box value is more exciting, with an asking price close to four grand.
16 Cowboy Kid
- Loose price: $413
- CIB: $1,086
Drawing inspiration from Konami's Goemon series, this even-more obscure romp features a cowboy firing and hacking away at foes across stock Western settings. Cowboy Kid is competent enough, especially with its wild co-op mode. Yet, its subject matter of clashing with Native Americans is... questionable at best.
As is the bizarre American cover art, which resembles a cheesy Western b-movie more than a game. Its highly spotty hit detection and rather imbalanced progression could also be a culprit with regard to its lack of success and why a boxed game now fetches over $1,000. It's not exactly a gold rush, but it's in the top tier when it comes to CIB copies.
15 Mighty Final Fight
- Loose price: $260
- CIB: $872
Fans of Capcom's street brawler will likely point to the gritty realism when it comes to the franchise's appeal. In this sense, then, this odd spin-off doesn't really showcase the spirit of the mainline Final Fights. Rather, it features rather comical, cartoon-like caricatures instead.
The silly, minimal art style, coupled with an ill-fitting experience system, made this offshoot an afterthought for both the studio and fans alike. But while the original NES cart is obscure, the game saw new life by way of a 2006 rendition for the Game Boy Advance, Capcom Mini-Mix.
14 Wacky Races
- Loose price: $395
- CIB: $870
Not to be confused with the colorful PlayStation romp from 2000—this NES game by Atlus was somewhat doomed from the start when it came to success, being based on a fairly obscure Hanna-Barbera cartoon by the same name. It didn't help that the title was a bit deceiving. After all, this is a platformer rather than a driving game.
But while it was no Super Mario, the game offered some competent and often tricky platforming across an expansive trio of regions. Players assume the role of the chuckling dog Muttley, who can hop, bite, and even use his tail to glide across large gaps as he collects bones and clashes with other racers.
13 Power Blade 2
- Loose price: $762
- CIB: $1,975
Even in their more prominent 8-bit days, studio Taito had a knack for yielding fairly small quantities of game carts for NES. This testosterone-fueled action romp is one of many casualties on this front.
Just like its 1990 predecessor, this more robust sequel takes a page from the Mega Man playbook with grind-it-out shooter gameplay. Players adorn a super-powered "cyborg" suit and fend off various foes, eventually nabbing suits that allow them to swim, gain armor, and even climb ceilings.
12 Zombie Nation
- Loose price: $455
- CIB: $1,125
In the "distant dystopian future" of 1999, an alien has crash-landed on earth by way of meteorite, wreaking havoc and turning the US population into zombies. Enter the bizarre floating-head protagonist, Kamakubi, who's tasked with blasting through treacherous city streets and recovering a samurai sword to destroy the alien source. While the dark, bizarre themes should raise some eyebrows, the crux of the gameplay is pretty much a horror-tinged R-Type.
Between its gruesome themes and punishing gameplay, it's no surprise that Zombie Nation never saw any real success on Nintendo's family-friendly console. However, the game has risen from the dead with a Switch and Windows re-release in October 2021.
11 Bubble Bobble Part 2
- Loose price: $400
- CIB: $985
While the original Bubble Bobble was a decent hit on NES when it released just after the console's US debut, the sequel was sort of a case of "too little too late." Not only was the gameplay more lukewarm, but the cart was also one of the last to be made for the NES before developers shifted their focus to SNES.
Thus, it was unlikely gamers would find one unless visiting a rental store that happened to be selling them, as Taito's games were reportedly more abundant at these outlets.
10 The Flintstones: Surprise At Dinosaur Peak
- Loose price: $1,632
- CIB: $3,250
This platformer, based on the hit Hanna-Barbera cartoon, arrived late on the NES scene, releasing years after Super Nintendo had launched. This made the somewhat crude experience seem all the more prehistoric. On top of this, the game was reportedly exclusive to Blockbuster Video for most of its run, further alienating itself from the market.
Still, the few who did manage to get their hands on this antique were mostly surprised to find a pretty rock-solid platformer. The game offers some colorful locales, decent mechanics, and the fun ability to swap between Fred and Barney; each of whom have different weapons and abilities.
9 TMNT: Tournament Fighters
- Loose price: $225
- CIB: $1,158
Before the Super Smash Bros.-inspired romp that was, TMNT: Smash-Up, there was this charming fighter that bore some hallmarks of Street Fighter with a Turtles overlay. This NES game had the misfortune of being released well after the Super Nintendo launched and was overshadowed by the brawler classic Turtles In Time.
On top of this, there were various skews for Tournament Fighter, along with regional releases. In a rare role reversal, Japan never got a release of this NES Turtles game, further adding to its scarcity.
8 Snow Brothers
- Loose price: $272
- CIB: $990
It's a shame this converted arcade game has been relegated to obscurity, as it contains some simultaneous co-op that's quite enjoyable. Yet, apparently, most gamers in 1991 didn't quite think so, as it never really took off, getting lost amidst a sea of great NES games.
It was also followed by the hyped SNES around the time of its release and overshadowed by the similar Bubble Bobble games. These factors, coupled with developer Toaplan filing for bankruptcy and closing its doors in '94, led to a short, limited run of the NES version of Snow Brothers.
7 Bonk's Adventure
- Loose price: $765
- CIB: $1,820
The rarity of Bonk's Adventure can mostly be attributed to the several versions and ports that make each skew more scarce than it otherwise would have been. The original platform, and really, the main focus for Bonk's was the TurboGrafx-16 console. By the time it was ported to NES, the odd Mario imitator, which starred a cave boy with a large head, was sort of an afterthought and never widely distributed.
It did see a renaissance, however, as it was one of the first games to kick off Nintendo's Wii Virtual Console in 2006. This more recent port ironically gave it far more exposure and players than its original NES release.
6 Panic Restaurant
- Loose price: $917
- CIB: $2,100
It's perhaps easy to see how a tricky platform game featuring a kitchen crawling with food monsters might not light the sales charts on fire. Though, there's more to its rarity other than its lack of appeal.
This Taito-developed title had the misfortune of releasing on the aged 8-bit console from Nintendo several months after their SNES was released, making them a bit late to the dinner party. This translated to sales (or lack thereof) and stands as the main reason so few carts were produced.
5 Little Samson
- Loose price: $2,257
- CIB: $4,110
Gaming collectors would have hit the jackpot if they happened to be a fan or collector of Japanese publisher Taito. Getting one's hands on a Taito-published game produced near the end of the NES's life seemingly ensures one will get a highly rare and sought-after cart.
Unlike many of its ilk, Little Samson actually was given an official wide release, but just didn't manage to find an audience. Its late 1992 release date and lack of promotion by the publisher probably didn't help, nor did the similarity to the far more successful Mega Man.
4 Cheetahmen 2
- Loose price: $1,835
- CIB: $3,585
This odd sidescroller could be considered a failed "off-brand" TMNT knockoff that's only known today by older NES diehards. The Cheetahmen franchise is more of a curiosity in gaming history than a functional game. The programmers behind it were reportedly in over their heads when developing it, and it comes across in its barely functional mechanics and bugs.
The original can be found as part of another rare NES game known as Action 52. A sequel was planned and partially developed but never carried to completion. In fact, no official finished game carts exist, with the roughly 1,500 in circulation housing the incomplete game in bare plastic. The bare cart merely has a simple gold sticker with the title slapped on. And good luck finding the box, which is even rarer!
3 Stadium Events
- Loose price: $19,423
- CIB: $55,000
It's funny to think that a sort of spiritual predecessor to Wii Fit, one of the most successful games ever, would be one of the rarest, most obscure games on NES — and maybe as a whole. So why is it that this cheesy, basic sports game and its cheap dance pad often go for over $10,000, and is one of the most coveted treasures by NES collectors?
Well, the credit (or blame?) lies with Nintendo, as they essentially poached the Bandai-made original and rebranded it as World Class Track Meet. It's virtually the same game but with a new name and far more common prints.
2 Nintendo World Championship
- Loose price: $22,680
- Lose price (Gold): $18,950
This cart, which features a hodgepodge of timed stages from different NES games, was made for the purpose of a single event — hence why this is one of the most sought-after artifacts for collectors. In 1990, a Nintendo-based contest was held, where fans could compete in various game events and be awarded some impressive prizes, including a flashy new convertible and a gold-painted Mario trophy.
These game trials were then housed in carts and produced in highly limited numbers as part of future contests. There were only about 400 of the grey carts manufactured, while the gold Zelda-themed carts are even more scarce and have sold for a whopping $18,000!
1 Nintendo Campus Challenge
- Current price range (1991 edition): $17,100 - $29,200
It's tough to get rarer than this, as there exists only one cart that's accounted for. Similar to Nintendo World Champions, this strange cart was made for the singular purpose of playing segments of Nintendo games used for a special event. This occasion, named the Nintendo Campus Challenge, was a Nintendo-sponsored competition held in '91 and '92, in which the Japanese developers toured dozens of college campuses in the US.
One lucky gamer managed to score the only known cart at—of all places—a garage sale. He took advantage of its massive exclusively and flipped it on Ebay for over $20,000!