Gaming
Games
The rare games that can make you rich
Time to check your cupboards and lofts – you could be sitting on a goldmine.
As video gaming moves closer and closer to a purely digital software distribution service, retro games are become more and more collectible. To younger players weaned on Steam and iOS, the idea of having a game on a bulky cartridge or easily-scratched disc that you have to insert every time you want to play might seem like a throwback from the past, and even video gaming veterans will admit that aside from that warm fuzzy feeling you get from buying a physical product, there are a lot of advantages to being fully digital.
However, this move towards digital has created a situation where certain physical games are becoming more and more desirable. This could be down to the fact that it's impossible to play said game on modern systems, or it could be to do with the quality of the title itself, its packaging or simply the fact that it was produced in such limited quantities. The exciting thing about this growing market for old games is that you could well be sitting on a goldmine if you've been dutifully collecting for the past few decades. Below are some titles which could put a bit of spare spending money in your bank account – assuming you own them in the first place and you're comfortable parting with such a valuable item, of course.
Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
Value: c. $85/€75
Considered by some to be the Wii's swansong, Xenoblade Chronicles was a much sought-after release in the West, where it launched in limited numbers, particularly in North America. The reputation of the game – twinned with the recent release of its spiritual successor, Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U – has ensured that prices on the second-hand market have never been higher; this is impressive when you consider that the game was recently ported to the New Nintendo 3DS console, which should have lowered the resale value of the Wii original. One of the most recent titles on this list, this epic Wii RPG is only going to increase in worth.
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Sega Saturn)
Value: c. $400 /€360
The Sega Saturn had the misfortune of going up against the unstoppable force that was the original Sony PlayStation, and despite gaining a sizeable audience in its native Japan, it's regarded as a bit of a flop in the history books. That's not to say that Sega didn't try; when it became clear that all the big publishers and developers were flocking to Sony's machine, the Japanese veteran simply redoubled its first-party efforts.
Panzer Dragoon Saga was one such epic. Spread across four discs and rivalling Final Fantasy VII in terms of scope and brilliance, it saw a very limited release in North America and Europe, and is a game that's only going to increase in value, as Sega has reportedly lost the source files – which means even if there were enough demand for an HD remaster, the company doesn't have the means to do it.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PAL PlayStation)
Value: c. $200 /€180
Symphony of the Night is regarded as one of the best video games of the 32-bit era and certainly a highlight in the long-running and much-beloved Castlevania series, and while the title did robust business in Japan and North America – so much so that it was re-released as a 'bestseller' edition in both regions – it sank almost without trace in Europe, despite Konami bundling the game with a limited-edition artbook and a CD packed with tunes from the franchise.
It's speculated that only 15,000 copies were ever sold, and this – twinned with the quality of the game and the desirable items it was shipped with – have put a lofty price tag on this title. Symphony of the Night has been re-released several times, on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and as part of the PSP Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles package, but the original 32-bit version remains the most sought-after. The Japanese Sega Saturn edition – never released in the West – features additional content and is almost as valuable, but the quality of the game is inferior to the Sony original.
Stadium Events (NES)
Value: c. $38,000/€34,000
With only around 200 copies in existence, Stadium Events is considered to be the rarest North American NES title, with a value of around $38,000, depending on condition. Even a loose copy – just the cartridge – can fetch as much as $10,000. The reason for these insane prices? The NES was incredibly successful in North America and now that its players are all grown up, many are trying to complete their collections to rekindle their childhood memories – and that means spending top dollar to secure rare titles such as Stadium Events.
The actual game, which is a more 'active' take on the template laid down by Konami's button-bashing epic Track & Field, is unplayable unless you also own the Family Fun Fitness Trainer (also known as the Power Pad), a pressure-sensitive mat-like controller which pre-dates the same devices used in the home versions of titles like Dance Dance Revolution and Pump It Up.
Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss (SNES)
Value: c. $300 /€270
Sometimes, a game's value has more to do with its rarity and association than the actual quality of its gameplay, and that's certainly true of Vampire's Kiss – known as Dracula X in North America and Akumajou Dracula XX in Japan. Based on the excellent (and Japan exclusive) PC Engine CD-ROM title Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, Vampire's Kiss was an attempt by Konami to transfer the core game to the Super Nintendo.
It wasn't a complete success, with frustrating level design causing major issues – critics also savaged the title over the removal of the branching pathways which made the original game so appealing. Nevertheless, the release of the game late in the lifespan of the SNES meant it sold poorly, and as a result copies can change hands for as much as $300 – despite the fact that it's possible to download the game on the Wii U Virtual Console for almost no money.
Tetris (Mega Drive)
Value: c. $17,000 /€15,000
Quite possibly one of the rarest games ever made, the Mega Drive version of the insanely popular Russian puzzler Tetris shouldn't actually exist. Sega ported the game – which was based on its licensed arcade version – to its 16-bit console thinking it had obtained the home console rights, when in fact the licence had been given to Nintendo instead. Sega was forced to withdraw the game before it hit store shelves, but apparently 10 copies managed to escape destruction. If you're lucky enough to have one of these in your loft then it could be worth as much as $17,000. Beware of bootleg copies – the value of the original has generated a robust market for fakes.
Steel Battalion (Xbox)
Value: c. $150 /€130
Steel Battalion is one of gaming's greatest follies – a title which requires a joystick which looks like the control panel of a Boeing 737, has pedals for your feet and takes 15 minutes to screw together. Despite this, it's one of the most incredible gaming experiences you'll ever play, with each and every button on the controller operating some kind of function on your in-game robot (our personal favourite is the windscreen wipers).
Packed in a gigantic box which makes storage a nightmare, this was about as niche as it was possible to get during the Xbox era, and as a result you won't find many of these out there. However, if you were one of the dedicated few who not only bought the game at launch but have managed to find somewhere to store it over the past decade, then you're in luck – it's worth around $150 to $200 these days, depending on condition.
Trip World (Game Boy)
Value: c. $300 /€270
This cute platformer might not have Nintendo's name on it, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming one of the most valuable titles on the monochrome handheld. Never released in North America, Trip World's Japanese and European editions do brisk business on the secondary market, with a pristine, unopened (in particular a Euro copy) version being worth anything up to £1,000.
Sunsoft's quirky handheld title has since been released on the 3DS Virtual Console, but that doesn't seem to have diminished interest in the original cartridge release. Due to its relative level of anonymity among casual players, Trip World is one of those games which could potentially turn up in unexpected places, so keep an eye out.
Power Strike II (Master System)
Value: c. $280 /€250
The 8-bit Master System wasn't exactly famed for its 2D shooters – certainly not in the same way NEC's PC Engine was, at least – yet the stunning Power Strike and its sequel Power Strike II prove that Sega's forerunner to the Mega Drive was more than capable of hosting a good, old-fashioned blaster.
Released in Japan as part of the popular Aleste series, Power Strike II was unique in that it wasn't based on any other version of Aleste, and offered an all-new setting and gameplay style. The commercial failure of the Master System in both Japan and North America meant that it only saw the light of day in Europe, where the console remained popular even during the 16-bit era. Copies of Power Strike II can change hands for as much as £100, depending on overall condition. It's one of those games which is actually worth the asking price; a truly original shooter on a console which has no right to be offering up such intense blasting action.
Shenmue II (Dreamcast)
Value: c. $150 /€130
Sega made a lot of bad choices towards the end of their tenure as a home console maker, and Shenmue was perhaps the most costly. The game required a small fortune to produce and thanks to the tiny install base of the Dreamcast, it could never hope to recoup such costs. Nevertheless, a sequel was duly released on the console, but only saw the light of day in Japan and Europe – Sega of America decided against releasing it in that region.
Understandably, this caused the value of the European edition – which naturally had an English localisation – to skyrocket, and many Americans even went as far as to purchase European consoles to play it on. Despite being released on the Microsoft Xbox shortly afterwards, the Dreamcast original remains popular with collectors, and with the third game currently in development, that isn't going to change any time soon.
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