A rare copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 has broken the record for being the most expensive video game ever. As reported by Eurogamer, a sealed copy of the game was recently sold at auction for the hefty price of $156,000 (that's £117,000 for the British crowd), making it the most expensive video game title ever sold at auction.
The sealed copy of the game was sold by Heritage Auctions, a Texas-based auctioneer. Ironically, the previous record for the most expensive title was also held by a Nintendo title, Super Mario Bros., which sold for $114,000 (£85,000) in July of this year. That particular copy was also sold by Heritage Auctions, having been sealed for 35 years and left in pristine condition that made it primed for a high price tag. In fact, that particular copy was the highest graded Super Mario Bros. cartridge to ever be put up for public auction.
For this particular copy of Super Mario Bros 3, its hefty price-tag came from a combination of its packaging condition along with the formatting of the package design itself. Heritage Auctions took the time to explain how exactly the copy stood out, and stated that, "Exceedingly rare are sealed copies with the word 'Bros.' formatted to the left, covering one of Mario's signature white gloves," and that "Collectors have spent years looking for such a version - the earliest in the Super Mario Bros. 3 production history - and usually come up empty-handed."
No matter how you slice it, if you're looking for your own mint copy of a Super Mario Bros. title, it's increasingly looking like you'll have to be willing to pony up some serious dough.
If you're looking for a more affordable Nintendo experience, check out our list of the best Nintendo Switch games.
