Modern Games
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
Super Mario Bros by Nintendo
Intro
Spectacular advances in electronics are paving the way for increasingly complex video games. Publishers must take a position between the arcade game and the personal computer. The American market, led by Atari, overestimates the user expectations, leading to a collapse by overproduction in 1983.
Nintendo had been developing since 1981 a console with interchangeable cartridges. Distributed from 1985, the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) responds perfectly to the needs and ensures in two or three years to the Japanese company the lasting control of this world market.
The NES is launched with 18 titles of which the best selling is Super Mario Bros. This game, which can be replayed with increased difficulty, is inspired by the Mario Bros. arcade game of the same brand. The player takes the role of Mario with controls much effective for that time, and manages a war against creatures that can change their shape.
The practical details remained to be defined, in particular for the packaging of the cartridge. The plastic film supersedes the sticker closing. The first wrapped copies still include a cardboard hangtab which is early abandoned because it was superfluous under the plastic wrap.
The condition is graded by Wata with a double scale, up to 10 for the game and from C to A++ for the quality of an original seal.
Nintendo had been developing since 1981 a console with interchangeable cartridges. Distributed from 1985, the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) responds perfectly to the needs and ensures in two or three years to the Japanese company the lasting control of this world market.
The NES is launched with 18 titles of which the best selling is Super Mario Bros. This game, which can be replayed with increased difficulty, is inspired by the Mario Bros. arcade game of the same brand. The player takes the role of Mario with controls much effective for that time, and manages a war against creatures that can change their shape.
The practical details remained to be defined, in particular for the packaging of the cartridge. The plastic film supersedes the sticker closing. The first wrapped copies still include a cardboard hangtab which is early abandoned because it was superfluous under the plastic wrap.
The condition is graded by Wata with a double scale, up to 10 for the game and from C to A++ for the quality of an original seal.
1
1985 1-Code
2021 SOLD for $ 660K by Heritage
On April 2, 2021, Heritage sold for $ 660K a 1985 sealed 1-Code mid production Super Mario Bros with a perforated cardboard hangtab, graded 9.6 A+ by Wata, lot 93028.
2
1985 3-Code
2022 SOLD for $ 720K by Heritage
On November 4, 2022, Heritage sold for $ 720K a 1985 sealed 3-Code mid production Super Mario Bros with the hangtab, graded 9.6 A by Wata, lot 28064.
3
1987 Pre Rev A
2021 SOLD for $ 680K by Goldin
On September 18, 2021, Goldin sold a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros for $ 680K, lot 21. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
It is identified through the hangtab, the NES code, the pre Rev A issue and the Nintendo seal of quality that it is an early production copy made in 1987. It is graded 9.2 A by Wata.
On October 29, 2021, Heritage sold for $ 490K a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros, lot 28072. It is a rare mid production copy from the 1987 2-Code variant with the hangtab under the plastic seal. In pristine condition, it is graded 9.4 A by Wata.
It is identified through the hangtab, the NES code, the pre Rev A issue and the Nintendo seal of quality that it is an early production copy made in 1987. It is graded 9.2 A by Wata.
On October 29, 2021, Heritage sold for $ 490K a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros, lot 28072. It is a rare mid production copy from the 1987 2-Code variant with the hangtab under the plastic seal. In pristine condition, it is graded 9.4 A by Wata.
1987 The Legend of Zelda by Nintendo
Intro
The Legend of Zelda, edited by Nintendo, is a major hit in the wonder world of the entertainment video games. In February 1986 the original Japanese version is released to be played with a new Famicom peripheral. The American version is prepared in 1987 for the Nintendo NES.
The thrill of the one-player game is mixing adventure, exploration and enigma, by which the hero named Link fights villains and creatures to free Princess Zelda. It marks a big improvement from all previous video games by the complexity of the playing strategy and the fineness of characters and scenery.
The original American version, before the attribution of a revision number, was made in two subsequent runs in late 1987, the exceedingly rare NES TM variant and the highly rare NES R variant. TM refers to these letters printed on the bottom right front cover.
Nintendo sold more than 6.5 million copies of that first opus of the Zelda series.
The thrill of the one-player game is mixing adventure, exploration and enigma, by which the hero named Link fights villains and creatures to free Princess Zelda. It marks a big improvement from all previous video games by the complexity of the playing strategy and the fineness of characters and scenery.
The original American version, before the attribution of a revision number, was made in two subsequent runs in late 1987, the exceedingly rare NES TM variant and the highly rare NES R variant. TM refers to these letters printed on the bottom right front cover.
Nintendo sold more than 6.5 million copies of that first opus of the Zelda series.
1
NES TM variant
2021 SOLD for $ 710K by Heritage
A sealed copy of the 'TM' first production run of The Legend of Zelda was stirred to the surface by the great result of the R variant sold for $ 780K by Heritage in July 2021. Graded 8.0 A by Wata, it was sold for $ 710K by Heritage in Dallas on October 29, 2021, lot 28036. No-Rev-A refers to its predating of the first revision of the cartridge.
A story on Twitter narrated that a kid got it as a gift but left it sealed because he already had one.
Only two other copies were known as of 2021 in this very early configuration. One of them is graded 9.4 A+ by Wata and the other one had not yet been graded.
A sealed copy of the 'TM' first production No-Rev-A run of The Legend of Zelda has been graded 9.2 A by CGC. It was sold for $ 375K by Heritage on August 23, 2024, lot 28014.
A story on Twitter narrated that a kid got it as a gift but left it sealed because he already had one.
Only two other copies were known as of 2021 in this very early configuration. One of them is graded 9.4 A+ by Wata and the other one had not yet been graded.
A sealed copy of the 'TM' first production No-Rev-A run of The Legend of Zelda has been graded 9.2 A by CGC. It was sold for $ 375K by Heritage on August 23, 2024, lot 28014.
2
NES R variant
2021 SOLD for $ 870K by Heritage
On July 9, 2021, Heritage sold at lot 28030 for $ 870K a sealed very early 'No Revision' copy of the Legend of Zelda. It is graded 9.0 A and labeled as a No-Rev-A R variant by Wata. Only one sealed TM example was known to Wata at that time.
1993 Magic
2023 SOLD for $ 615K by Heritage
Released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast, Magic: the Gathering is a tabletop card game for which 20,000 card varieties have been issued. The magical energy or mana emanates from lands.
The top of the range in terms of game incentives and rarity is the Black Lotus designed by the illustrator Christopher Rush. One of the five colors beside white, blue, red and green, black represents power, death, corruption and sacrifice, drawing the mana from swamps.
Wizards made a limited beta run for visualizing the effect before production. Two examples of the beta Black Lotus were sold by Heritage on March 24, 2023.
Lot 36014 with a blank back has been signed by Rush on front side as an artist's proof. It is graded NM/Mint+ 8.5 by CGC with sub-grades as follows : centering 8.5, surface 9, corners 8.5 and edges 8.5. It was sold for $ 615K.
Lot 36003 has a printed trademark back and is not signed. It is graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS with all sub-grades also 9.5. It was sold for $ 187K.
Later in 1993 the alpha edition Black Lotus had a print run of about 1,100. Gem mint alpha Black Lotus cards overcame $ 500K on eBay in 2021 and at PWCC in 2023.
The top of the range in terms of game incentives and rarity is the Black Lotus designed by the illustrator Christopher Rush. One of the five colors beside white, blue, red and green, black represents power, death, corruption and sacrifice, drawing the mana from swamps.
Wizards made a limited beta run for visualizing the effect before production. Two examples of the beta Black Lotus were sold by Heritage on March 24, 2023.
Lot 36014 with a blank back has been signed by Rush on front side as an artist's proof. It is graded NM/Mint+ 8.5 by CGC with sub-grades as follows : centering 8.5, surface 9, corners 8.5 and edges 8.5. It was sold for $ 615K.
Lot 36003 has a printed trademark back and is not signed. It is graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS with all sub-grades also 9.5. It was sold for $ 187K.
Later in 1993 the alpha edition Black Lotus had a print run of about 1,100. Gem mint alpha Black Lotus cards overcame $ 500K on eBay in 2021 and at PWCC in 2023.
1996 Super Mario 64 by Nintendo
1
2021 SOLD for $ 1.56M by Heritage
The fifth generation of video game consoles starts in 1994. Sony's PlayStation and Sega's Saturn dominate that market. The 32 bit standard enables the 3D, a novelty that captivates the players : the real time in an environment that matches the three dimensional reality of a real world. The realism of the obstacles is superseding the profusion of the characters.
In the everlasting run ahead, Nintendo releases in 1996 the N64 console with a 64 bit standard. Three games are available for that new equipment. The most popular is Super Mario 64 with a total over time of nearly 12 million sold copies. The character is capable of an unprecedented freedom of 28 movements including many special jumps and picking objects.
A sealed Super Mario 64 was sold for $ 1.56M by Heritage on June 12, 2021, lot 28137. It is in pristine condition, graded 98 by Wata with a perfect A++ sealing. According to the pre sale release, Wata states that there are fewer than five sealed copies of that title in that grade.
In the everlasting run ahead, Nintendo releases in 1996 the N64 console with a 64 bit standard. Three games are available for that new equipment. The most popular is Super Mario 64 with a total over time of nearly 12 million sold copies. The character is capable of an unprecedented freedom of 28 movements including many special jumps and picking objects.
A sealed Super Mario 64 was sold for $ 1.56M by Heritage on June 12, 2021, lot 28137. It is in pristine condition, graded 98 by Wata with a perfect A++ sealing. According to the pre sale release, Wata states that there are fewer than five sealed copies of that title in that grade.
2
2021 SOLD for $ 800K by Goldin
Another sealed Super Mario 64 in the same Wata grade 9.8 A++ as the example above was sold for $ 800K by Goldin on September 18, 2021, lot 3.
Pokémon
Intro
Young people expected new games to be compatible with electronic techniques in all their diversity. Pokémon was developed in Japan in 1995 by Nintendo. Trading cards are just one part of their global success.
The first cards are edited in November 1996 by Media Factory. Topsun publishes in March 1997 a series of trading cards to be added in the packs of Top-Seika apple flavored chewing gum. For 60 yen, the greedy collector had two pieces of gum and two cards in his pack. These images are not yet for gaming. A Charizard card by Topsun with blue back, graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA, was sold for $ 490K by Goldin on January 30, 2021, lot 195.
The name "Pocket Monsters" appears in English on the cover of the package amidst the Japanese inscriptions. The cards in this series are characterized by a blue back and by the absence of numbering of the figures. Among about fifty monsters, the stars are Charizard (aka Lizardon) and Blastoise, as in the video game.
The copyright dated 1995 corresponds to the trademark registration of the video game and is carried jointly by Nintendo, Creatures Inc and Game Freak Inc. The numbering of the monsters will appear in May 1997 and the holofoil printing with a prismatic effect in June 1997.
The first cards are edited in November 1996 by Media Factory. Topsun publishes in March 1997 a series of trading cards to be added in the packs of Top-Seika apple flavored chewing gum. For 60 yen, the greedy collector had two pieces of gum and two cards in his pack. These images are not yet for gaming. A Charizard card by Topsun with blue back, graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA, was sold for $ 490K by Goldin on January 30, 2021, lot 195.
The name "Pocket Monsters" appears in English on the cover of the package amidst the Japanese inscriptions. The cards in this series are characterized by a blue back and by the absence of numbering of the figures. Among about fifty monsters, the stars are Charizard (aka Lizardon) and Blastoise, as in the video game.
The copyright dated 1995 corresponds to the trademark registration of the video game and is carried jointly by Nintendo, Creatures Inc and Game Freak Inc. The numbering of the monsters will appear in May 1997 and the holofoil printing with a prismatic effect in June 1997.
1
1998 Illustrator Pikachu
2022 SOLD for $ 840K by Heritage
The applications of Pokémon are unlimited, including the constitution of complete sets, fights, contests. Of course, the production run of some cards is much lower. Such variation in the scarcity had already been managed from 1993 in sports cards, with Topps serialized Refractors.
39 “Pikachu Illustrator” holo cards were awarded in a series of three illustrator contests through the monthly Coro-Coro Comics in 1998. It is the only Pokémon card to display the "ILLUSTRATOR" heading. It features Pikachu surrounded by illustration art. The artwork is by Atsuko Nishida, who had designed several of the most effective Pokémon characters including Pikachu. Winners received also their winning artwork on a promo card.
A Pikachu Illustrator graded Mint 9 by PSA was sold for $ 840K by Heritage on June 11, 2022, lot 36167. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
7 other copies have been certified at the same grade by PSA. Only one is graded higher by them. The professional wrestler and boxer and social media celebrity Logan Paul acquired that unique Gem Mint 10 example for $ 5.275M in a private deal in 2021 and wore it around his neck when he entered the ring at WrestleMania in April 2022. Teaming with The Miz, Paul won the fight.
Three copies of the Pikachu Illustrator have been graded Gem Mint 10 by CGC. One of them was sold for $ 495K by Heritage on September 23, 2023, lot 36085.
A Pikachu Illustrator graded Mint 9 by CGC was sold for $ 360K by Sotheby's on September 24, 2024, lot 27. This copy is the only Pikachu Illustrator with the signature of Akabane, one of the three starters of the Pokémon franchise. That autograph has been authenticated by CGC.
39 “Pikachu Illustrator” holo cards were awarded in a series of three illustrator contests through the monthly Coro-Coro Comics in 1998. It is the only Pokémon card to display the "ILLUSTRATOR" heading. It features Pikachu surrounded by illustration art. The artwork is by Atsuko Nishida, who had designed several of the most effective Pokémon characters including Pikachu. Winners received also their winning artwork on a promo card.
A Pikachu Illustrator graded Mint 9 by PSA was sold for $ 840K by Heritage on June 11, 2022, lot 36167. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
7 other copies have been certified at the same grade by PSA. Only one is graded higher by them. The professional wrestler and boxer and social media celebrity Logan Paul acquired that unique Gem Mint 10 example for $ 5.275M in a private deal in 2021 and wore it around his neck when he entered the ring at WrestleMania in April 2022. Teaming with The Miz, Paul won the fight.
Three copies of the Pikachu Illustrator have been graded Gem Mint 10 by CGC. One of them was sold for $ 495K by Heritage on September 23, 2023, lot 36085.
A Pikachu Illustrator graded Mint 9 by CGC was sold for $ 360K by Sotheby's on September 24, 2024, lot 27. This copy is the only Pikachu Illustrator with the signature of Akabane, one of the three starters of the Pokémon franchise. That autograph has been authenticated by CGC.
2
1999 complete Base Set
2021 SOLD for $ 680K by Goldin
Wizards of the Coast, created in 1990 in the suburbs of Seattle, ensured the transition with the prehistory of video games through the acquisition of Dungeons and Dragons in 1997. In 1998 they obtained the franchise for the edition of Pokémon cards in the United States.
The 1st Edition Gaming Card Base Set was published in January 1999 with 102 monsters irregularly distributed in the packs. The stars are Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur and the unmissable Pikachu.
These cards are divided into several groups. 1 to 16 display figures in full activity, printed on holofoil. At number 4, Charizard is one of the two most powerful in the series with 120 hit points. 17 to 69 are secondary characters, 70 to 95 are the Trainers which define the actions in the game, 96 to 102 define the various types of Energy.
The packs of eleven were made of one rare card from the ranges 1 to 22 and 70 to 79, three uncommon cards and seven common cards. The rare item was a holographic card in approximately one of every three packs. Cheaters weighed the packs for reselling the sealed packs which did not have a holographic card.
The Base Set is complete if it includes the two variants of the 58, the Pikachu with yellow cheeks and the Pikachu with red cheeks which was a printing error. On January 30, 2021, Goldin sold for $ 680K as lot 33 such a complete collection including the two 58's. Each of these 103 cards has been individually graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA.
The rarest card from the Base Set is the holo # 4 featuring Charizard, a monster inspired by the European dragon whose fighting qualities are Fire for attack and Flight for defense. Beware the Charizard : it means Charcoal Lizard, unfortunately not Charming Lizard. A Charizard graded GEM-MT 10 by PSA was sold for $ 400K by Goldin on March 6, 2021, lot 23.
The high rhythm of diversification ensures the success. Jungle added 64 cards in June 1999 and Fossil 62 cards in October of the same year. Meanwhile, in September, Wizards was acquired by Hasbro for around $ 325M.
The Pokémons have been able to multiply their species and variants so that the games are continuously relaunched and to include codes to be scanned to discover hidden games. Since 2016, Pokémon-Go designed for mobile phones has been a social phenomenon, including a few applications that compete with social networks.
The 1st Edition Gaming Card Base Set was published in January 1999 with 102 monsters irregularly distributed in the packs. The stars are Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur and the unmissable Pikachu.
These cards are divided into several groups. 1 to 16 display figures in full activity, printed on holofoil. At number 4, Charizard is one of the two most powerful in the series with 120 hit points. 17 to 69 are secondary characters, 70 to 95 are the Trainers which define the actions in the game, 96 to 102 define the various types of Energy.
The packs of eleven were made of one rare card from the ranges 1 to 22 and 70 to 79, three uncommon cards and seven common cards. The rare item was a holographic card in approximately one of every three packs. Cheaters weighed the packs for reselling the sealed packs which did not have a holographic card.
The Base Set is complete if it includes the two variants of the 58, the Pikachu with yellow cheeks and the Pikachu with red cheeks which was a printing error. On January 30, 2021, Goldin sold for $ 680K as lot 33 such a complete collection including the two 58's. Each of these 103 cards has been individually graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA.
The rarest card from the Base Set is the holo # 4 featuring Charizard, a monster inspired by the European dragon whose fighting qualities are Fire for attack and Flight for defense. Beware the Charizard : it means Charcoal Lizard, unfortunately not Charming Lizard. A Charizard graded GEM-MT 10 by PSA was sold for $ 400K by Goldin on March 6, 2021, lot 23.
The high rhythm of diversification ensures the success. Jungle added 64 cards in June 1999 and Fossil 62 cards in October of the same year. Meanwhile, in September, Wizards was acquired by Hasbro for around $ 325M.
The Pokémons have been able to multiply their species and variants so that the games are continuously relaunched and to include codes to be scanned to discover hidden games. Since 2016, Pokémon-Go designed for mobile phones has been a social phenomenon, including a few applications that compete with social networks.
