You won't believe the prices collectors are willing to pay for your old and not so old video games. From early classics such as Zork to mega-desirable rarities and recent smashes such as Fortnite, click or scroll through our pick of treasured titles that are worth a fortune. Note that many of the highest prices are for US versions of the games. All dollar values in US dollars.
If you own an original Xbox, you should have a look for a copy of Futurama: The Video Game while you're at it. The game's relative rarity means collectors will pay a premium to get their hands on a copy, up to $150 (£110) in fact. The Sony Playstation 2 version is worth even more – it can sell for up to $260 (£190) on eBay.
Likewise, you might want to hunt through your games collection to check whether you have a copy of Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast. The perennially popular Sega racing game is prized by collectors and your copy could net you up to $200 (£145).
A platform fantasy game set in the fictional kingdom of Allegoria, Black Lamp was released in 1988 by Firebird Software. The version for the ZX Spectrum computer, which sold like hot cakes in the UK, is now worth up to $270 (£195).
Reviews and sales for Suikoden II were dire following its release in 1999 and the role-playing game flopped big-time, but the title is now regarded as a cult classic and one of the best role-playing games (RPGs) of the 32-bit era. Copies in decent condition are worth a pretty penny, and in some cases more than $200 (£145) each on leading auction sites. Complete copies in their box can sell for more than $300 (£215).
Spelunker is a platform cave-themed game that was lauded by critics following its release in 1983. Having spawned several sequels across a variety of computers and consoles, the original Commodore 64 title is worth a tidy sum these days, up to $300 (£215).
Not for the faint-hearted, Haunting Ground is a survival horror title that follows a young woman who wakes up in a creepy dungeon after a car accident. Copies are somewhat few and far between – the game didn't sell well – and complete copies in good condition go for up to $370 (£265) apiece these days.
One of the rarest Xbox games, Steel Battalion is a collector's favourite. The original release was restricted to just 2,000 copies and came with a gigantic controller with wo joysticks with copious buttons, switches, and levers. If you're fortunate enough to own one, you'll be pleased to know it's worth up to $400 (£290) today.
This survival horror game for the Playstation 2, which is set in a mansion in ancient Kyoto, received mediocre reviews and as a consequence was released in limited quantities outside Japan. These days, collectors will pay from $450 (£325) to $780 (£560) to get hold of a North American or European copy.
Inspired by the underdog fighter who floored Mike Tyson in 1990 and stole his heavyweight crown, James Buster Douglas Knockout Boxing is a nifty side-scrolling boxing game. The Sega Master System title is most valuable. Copies in good condition sell for up to $900 (£650) each on eBay and similar auction sites.
The rarest and most technically unique Atari 5200 game, Bounty Bob Strikes Back! is the sequel to the classic Miner 2049er and is notable for boasting 25 levels, which was a big deal back in 1984. Today, collectors will part with up to $900 (£650) to acquire a copy of the game.
Ninja Five-O was released in 2003 to critical acclaim but the action platform title failed to fly off the shelves. Due to the game's poor commercial performance, relatively few units were manufactured, which explains the high prices copies attract today. Used examples can go for $320 (£230) but pristine copies can sell for more than $1,000 (£720).
The original discontinued disc version of the immensely popular Fortnite game is like gold dust these days. The free Battle Royale online version has sparked a global craze and garnered millions of young fans worldwide, which explains why hardcore gamers are prepared to pay around $1,000 (£720) for the 2017 standard edition on disc.
Hard to come by, Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire was only available via the New York Pokémon Center and its online store. In Europe, gamers could only score a copy through Nintendo's loyalty programme or by snapping up the Pokémon Colosseum Mega Pack. Nowadays, a used copy sells for up to $410 (£295) while factory-sealed specimens are worth up to $1,300 (£935).
Amazing Tater is a kooky puzzle game that was released for the original Game Boy in 1992. Atlus produced the title in limited quantities and these days copies are worth insane amounts of money. One sold on eBay in 2016 for an eyebrow-raising $1,700 (£1.3k).
Another ridiculously valuable potato-themed Game Boy classic, Spud's Adventure, which like Amazing Tater was produced by Atlus in limited quantities, is a Zelda-like puzzle game – Amazing Tater is actually a sequel to the title. It commands prices of up to $2,100 (£1.5k) at auction.
The most sought-after Game Boy Color game, Shantae tanked following its release in 2002. Be that as it may, a fairly respectable 25,000 units of the game were shifted, so there's a chance you might own one. If you do have a copy floating about somewhere, and it happens to be in box fresh condition, you could be able to sell it for more than $2,300 (£1.6k).
A ground-breaking title, Zork was one of the first interactive fiction video games and is regarded as one of the best games of all time. While it was available on a plethora of platforms, the pre-Infocom Apple II version is the rarest and fetches the highest prices. A copy in good condition can sell for up to $2,500 (£1.8k) these days.
Aside from the atrocious E. T., Karate may be considered the worst Atari 2600 game of all time but the title's current value is a major consolation for gamers who struggled to play it back in the early 1980s. Copies of the rarer original Ultravision release, which was designed by black belt Joseph Amelio, fetch up to $4,000 (£2.9k) a piece.
Rare but not extremely scarce, Little Samson is one NES game you may just have gathering dust in your collection. The action platform game had very little promotion attached to it and sold poorly, particularly in North America, hence its high value today. Collectors are likely to spend between $2,000 (£1.4k) and $5,000 (£3.6k) on a copy, depending on its condition.
The most valuable PC game, World of Warcraft Collector's Edition is held in high esteem by gaming geeks the world over. Released in 2004 as a limited edition, this boxed CD version of the multibillion-dollar grossing game commands prices of up to $4,300 (£3k).
Exceptionally rare, platform title Outback Joey was bundled with the Sega Genesis Heartbeat Personal Trainer, which was limited to a run of just 1,000. Even fewer copies of the game are thought to exist today, with one selling not that long ago for a cool $7,000 (£5k).
The rarest Neo Geo AES titles are renowned for achieving absurdly high prices at auction. Take Neo Turf Masters. The arcade-style golf game, which was released in 1996, is a must for the most serious (rich) collectors. They are more than happy to hand over as much as $10,000 (£7.2k) for a copy.
The tile-matching puzzle game that conquered the world, Tetris was never actually released on the Sega Genesis platform. Copyright issues with Sony thwarted its launch but not before a bunch of copies were produced. Only 10 are thought to exist today, with each of them worth up to $25,000 (£18k).
A near-mythical game among collectors, Air Raid had a super-limited distribution and only 12 copies of the shoot 'em up are thought to exist today. Out of those 12, just three complete games have survived. The most valuable sold for just under $33,500 (£25,600) in 2012, while an unopened version sold for just over $10,500 (£7.5k) this July.
Another exceedingly rare NES game, sports fitness title Stadium Events was rebranded in North America as World Class Track Meet shortly after its release in 1987. An unknown number of copies slipped through the net, but experts believe a maximum of only 20 remain. These specimens are now worth big bucks, with one selling for $35,000 (£25k) at auction in 2015.
The highest graded copy of boxer Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! ever sold by Heritage Auctions fetched an impressive $50,400 (£39.2k) in July 2020. The game was the first by Nintendo to be endorsed by a celebrity and subsequent editions featured Mr. Dream rather than the then-world heavyweight champion.
Tetris was a launch title for the Nintendo Game Boy system, and was included with the console, so not many people actually needed to buy a copy of the game when it was released three years after the console. Therefore it's seen as a rare buy by some collectors, and a copy of Tetris sold at Heritage Auctions for $78,000 (£56.5k) on 11 July. The high price was down to its sealed, pristine condition (rated a fairly high 9.6 A by video game collecting firm Wata), with other, less well-preserved copies of the game in the auction sold between $1,000 (£725) and $5,000 (£3.6k).
This particular example of the Pokémon Red game for Game Boy sold for a record $84,000 (£60.9k) in November 2020, the highest price ever for a Pokémon title and four times its pre-sale estimate. The sealed copy had a Wata 9.8 A++ rating, meaning it was "like new", but its top sale price is also down to the fact that this title is hard to come by in the US. Other complete copies of the game have sold for between $170 (£125) and $355 (£260) in the past year.
Nintendo Power Magazine held another Nintendo World Championship competition in America back in 1990. The prizewinners, who numbered just 26, each received a shiny gold cartridge. The holy grail of NES games, these ultra-scarce cartridges command crazy prices – a copy sold for just shy of $100,000 (£76.5k) on eBay in 2014.
A pristine copy of Final Fantasy VII for Playstation 1 sold for $144,000 (£105k) at auction on 11 July. The copy attracted such a high sale price as it didn't have a drillhole in the packaging, which means it was originally a rarer promotional or employee copy. The game sold tens of millions of copies when it was first released, so typically the game doesn't sell for such high prices. Recently, complete copies have been selling for around $50 (£35) each.
A sealed copy of Contra that Heritage Auctions described as the most "immaculate example of this game" sold for $150,000 (£109k) on 9 July this year. The game had a 9.8A+ rating by video game collecting firm Wata, meaning that it was almost new. However, not all copies of the game sell for this much, and several less perfect but complete copies have sold between $150 (£109) and $250 (£180) in recent online sales this year.
As we'll see, old copies of Super Mario games can be worth a fortune if they've been kept as new in their original packaging. In 2020, a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. 3, described as in “remarkable” condition, swept in and took the title of priciest game ever sold. It started with an opening bid of $62,500 (£44.9k) but eventually sold for $156,000 (£112k) in November through Heritage Auctions.
In April this year, the record for highest video game price went to a game that had spent almost 35 years in a desk drawer after its owner forgot about it. While it has since been surpassed as the most expensive in the world, the sealed copy of Super Mario Bros, which was bought as a Christmas gift back in 1986, sold for an incredible $660,000 (£474k) through Heritage Auctions. Copies of this game have set record after record in the gaming auction world, with a mint edition selling for $100,150 (£75.6k) in February 2019, and another pristine edition fetching a winning bid of $114,000 (£81.9k) last July, also at Heritage Auctions.
A copy of The Legend of Zelda briefly became the most expensive video game ever sold on 9 July this year when it sold for a sensational $870,000 (£625k) through Heritage Auctions. The sealed game was one of a limited number of copies released in an early production run that lasted for a few months in 1987, but it didn't hold its title for long...
Two days later, an unopened copy of Super Mario 64 beat the record for the sale of a video game at auction, selling for $1.5 million (£1m) on 11 July. The video game had been given a 9.8 A++ rating by video game collecting firm Wata, meaning that it is "like new" and in near-perfect condition. Another copy of Super Mario 64 that had a slightly lower rating of 9.6 A++ sold at the same auction for $13,200 (£9.5k).
Now read: Old computers and game consoles that are worth a fortune today