A sealed 1996 copy of Nintendo's Super Mario 64 was auctioned off for $1.56 million, making it the most expensive video game ever sold.
The game, which was sold Sunday, was a best-seller on the Nintendo 64 and was the first to feature Mario in 3D, Heritage Auctions said, according to CBS News. It is unclear who purchased the game.
The sale overshadowed another record-breaker, an original Legend of Zelda cartridge, which was auctioned for $870,000 on Friday at Heritage Auction.
"I had a lot of confidence in this game, and, yet, I still feel like the reality of today's bidding exceeded my vision of how it would play out," Heritage Auctions Video Games Specialist Valarie McLeckie said.
The previous record was set in April, when a copy of Super Mario Bros sold for $660,000. Just days prior, the internet went into a state of panic when rumors began to circulate that the beloved character, who made his debut 35 years ago in "Super Mario Bros," was going to die on March 31.
It all began in September 2020, when the "Super Mario Bros" franchise released two remastered classic games, "Super Mario 3D All-Stars" and "Super Mario Bros 35" in celebration of its 35th anniversary. Nintendo, the owner of the franchise, also released several 35th anniversary Super Mario products, according to CNN.
The new products were to be available until March 31. Fans could not understand why sales would all be stopped on that specific date and soon a theory emerged that Mario was going to be killed off. Fueling the speculation, Nintendo posted a note on its website reminding fans that the games and products released in recognition of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. would end or be removed from sale. The rumors ended up being untrue but for days fans braced themselves.
The popularity of Super Mario cannot be denied. In 2016, Super Mario Run became the fastest-selling iOS game ever after reaching 40 million downloads in just four days. Nintendo’s first-ever smartphone game sold quicker than any other game in the App Store’s history, according to CNET.
Despite some not being so happy with the cost of the app, the game still found a way to become the top-grossing app in more than 100 countries at the time.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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