Originally Published: Sept 25, 2009.
Updated: May 3, 2018
The Super Nintendo has a ton of rare video games and quite a few super expensive games too. Below is a list of the rarest and most expensive Super Nintendo games and what makes them so valuable.
The list is ranked by highest recorded loose cartridge price.
Nintendo Powerfest 1994
New Price: N/A | Used Price: $23,000 | See Current PricesPowerfest 1994 was a nation wide video game competition Nintendo hosted to market their Super Nintendo console. For this competition Nintendo made a unique cartridge with three games on it. The game had Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, and Ken Griffey Jr Baseball on it. Players would compete to get a high score by beating the first level of Mario World, finishing the first track of Mario Kart, and hitting as many home runs as possible in Ken Griffey.
Only two of these cartridges are known to exist today. All the rest were destroyed by Nintendo after the competition was finished. The first cartridge was originally found at a epic garage sale and then sold for $10,000 to a collector. The second cartridge was sold on eBay for $23,000.
Nintendo Campus Challenge 1992
New Price: N/A | Used Price: $4,000 | See Current PricesNintendo sponsored a video game competiton on 60 college campus in the US. Competitors had a fixed time to get 50 coins in Super Mario World, complete two laps in F-Zero, and lang targets in Pilot Wings. An overall score was calculated and a nationwide winner was determined. In order to run this competition Nintendo made custom SNES cartridges.
All of these cartridges were supposed to be recycled by Nintendo after the event, but only two NTSC versions of the game exist. One was found at an the same garage sale mentioned above and the other was kept by an employee helping with the original event.
Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge
New Price: N/A | Used Price: $1,425 | See Current PricesIn 1995 Blockbuster held the "Blockbuster Video Game Championship II" at all their stores across the world. As part of this competition Nintendo made a special Donkey Kong Country cartridge (a Sega Genesis game was made for this competition too). DKC Competition has eight levels and only allows five minutes of play before giving a score. High Scorers at each store were given prizes and eventually a winner was crowned in San Francisco.
After the competition was completed the cartridge was sold through the Nintendo Power catalog. The description in the catalog said 2,500 copies were made.
Exertainment Mountain Bikerally & Speed Racer
New Price: $4,800 | Used Price: $1,300 | See Current PricesNintendo and LifeFitness teamed up to develop a stationary bike that was compatible with Super Nintendo games. You would pedal the bike and move your character faster on the game and could steer using specially designed controllers that attached to the handle bars. Only two games were developed for the bike though: Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally and Exertainment Bike Rally & Speed Racer combo.
The combination cartridge was officially licensed by Nintendo but never made it to stores. Most of the copies available today were found at a Nintendo warehouse. The exact number of copies available isn't known, but there are probably fewer than 1,000 to 2,000.
MACS Multipurpose Arcade Combat Simulator
New Price: N/A | Used Price: $1,200 | See Current PricesM.A.C.S. (Multipurpose Arcade Combat Simulator) was developed for the US Army to help train soldiers on M16 accuracy. The game included a gun that was identical in weight and size to a real M16, but uses the same technology as the Super Scope so it can be used on a TV.
The exact number of copies originally made is unknown. The game comes up for sale very infrequently but when it does, it fetches top dollar. The last sale was for $1,200.
Starfox Super Weekend Competition Cartridge
New Price: N/A | Used Price: $1,100 | See Current PricesAnother cartridge made for a Nintendo competition. The Starfox Competition cartridge was hosted at toy stores across the country when StarFox was released on the Super Nintendo in 1993. The game allows only four minutes of play time and includes three levels. Two of the levels are shortened versions of Corneria and Asteroids, but the third is a level designed just for the cartridge.
After the competition was complete Nintendo sold the cartridges to Nintendo Power subscribers through a catalog. The game sold for $45 when original released and now sells for $400. There are roughly 2,000 copies assuming Nintendo only made enough for the stores that held the competition. That makes it the rarest officially released game on this list.
Aero Fighters
New Price: $4,200 | Used Price: $627 | See Current PricesAero Fighters is a vertical side-scrolling shoot-em up. You control a fighter jet from one of four countries (USA, Japan, Sweden, and UK) and shoot your way through seven stages. After beating these stages the difficulty level gets much harder as you play through again.
Aero Fighters was one of only two games released by publisher Mc O'River. They released Hyper V-Ball for Super Nintendo in June 1994 and Aero Fighters in November 1994. V-Ball is easy to find but Aero Fighters is extrememly rare.
Hagane: The Final Conflict
New Price: $500 | Used Price: $100 | See Current PricesHagane is a side-scrolling action game for the Super Nintendo and very similar to the Ninja Gaiden series. The game is extremely difficult and does not have a save feature, which only adds to the difficulty. You need to beat the game in one sitting.
Hagane was only available at Blockbuster stores so not as many copies were produced as wide-release games.
Pocky & Rocky 2
New Price: $1,700 | Used Price: $270 | See Current PricesPocky & Rocky 2 is an action game with many elements from shoot-em up games. Enemies and bosses appear on the screen and you shoot in one of 8 directions to kill them. Unlike most shoot-em up games, you don't control an airplane. You instead control a human, Pocky, or one of several player 2 options.
Pocky & Rocky 2 was released in November 1994 and is a sequel to Pocky & Rocky for SNES. Like many sequels for the Super NES, it is harder to find than the original and fetches a premium price too.
Final Fight Guy
New Price: $1,900 | Used Price: $230 | See Current PricesFinal Fight was a launch title for Super Nintendo in 1991. Final Fight Guy was released three years in 1994 with a few minor changes. The character Cody was replaced with Guy and four difficulty settings were added.
Final Fight Guy was originally available as a rental only through Blockbuster Video. It later received a limited release for sale, but the limited distribution makes the game hard to find today.
Metal Warriors
New Price: $2,500 | Used Price: $205 | See Current PricesMetal Warriors is a side scrolling platformer. You play as a human who controls a mech and fights other mechs. You can exit your mech at times to get into smaller areas and switch to different mechs.
Metal Warriors was released exclusive in North America in 1995. It never received a Japanese or PAL release.
Mega Man X3
New Price: $1,400 | Used Price: $203 | See Current PricesMega Man X3 is an action platformer similar to the standard Mega Man series. You play 8 different levels in the order you desire and get special weapons from beating each stage. Like Mega Man X2, X3 included a Cx4 chip which allowed it to display some 3D vector graphics, an advanced feature for the time.
Capcom produced limited quantities of Mega Man X3 after supply and demand in balances in fall of 1995. X3 launched with a premium price of $74 (compared to $50 for most SNES games). Both of these factors make Mega Man X3 a rare title today.
Wild Guns
New Price: $850 | Used Price: $185 | See Current PricesWild Guns is a sci-fi/western themed shooting gallery game. You move a cursor around the screen to shoot at enemies. It is similar to light gun games but you use the controller to aim and must dodge the enemy attacks.
Wild Guns was released in fall of 1995 after a delay from fall of 1994. The delay came at the last minute because reviews for the game came out in 1994. It was considered one of the best shooters on the SNES and remains a cult classic for a very niche genre.
Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus
New Price: $330 | Used Price: $180 | See Current PricesBronkie the Bronchiasaurus is an educational platformer. The game tries to teach kids abou asthma while playing. The world is covered in dust causing asthma in the dinosaurs. The characters can get short of breath from cigarette smoke and furry animals. At times you are taught how to use an inhaler and quizzed on facts about people with asthma.
The odd premise of the game probably limited sales when it released late in 1995. The game received poor reviews and is not very good, but that doesn't lower its price any for collectors.
Earthbound
New Price: $455 | Used Price: $129 | See Current PricesEarthbound is a cult classic RPG for the Super Nintendo. It has a very devoted following of fans who go to great lengths to buy the game and its sequels (both of which were unreleased in the USA but fully translated by fans). The game is full of funny characters, interesting dialog, and uses unconventional weapons like yo-yos and frying pans.
The game has never been re-released on virtual console or available anywhere but the Super Nintendo. The unique nature of the game makes it very popular with collectors while the devoted following keeps supply low. Both of which keep this game selling for more than $120.
Super Turrican 2
New Price: $500 | Used Price: $90 | See Current PricesSuper Turrican 2 is an action game, very similar to Contra. You get gun upgrades to improve your weapons and defeat bosses at the end of each level. The game was released during Christmas 1995, near the end of the Super Nintendo's life.
Because it was released so late in the console's life it didn't sell that well, but is still well regarded by collectors. The game has been re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2008 but resale prices have only increased since then.
Other Expensive Super Nintendo Games
- Castlevania Dracula X - Used Price: $176
- EVO: Search for Eden - Used Price: $170
- Space MegaForce - Used Price: $157
- Harvest Moon - Used Price: $157
- Incantation - Used Price: $152
- Zero: Kamikaze Squirrel - Used Price: $150
- Super Copa - Used Price: $148
- Ninja Gaiden Trilogy - Used Price: $129
- Hurricanes - Used Price: $125
- R-Type III - Used Price: $124
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