Vintage games are being pulled from lofts, garages and storages boxes and are having their moment in the sun. Whether it’s nostalgia, a love for classic mechanics or the thrill of collecting, vintage video games are skyrocketing in value. Limited releases, pristine packaging and historical significance have all contributed to a booming market for classic titles.
We’ve scoured the internet to unearth the most profitable video games – including cartridges, complete-in-box sets and factory-sealed treasures. We also teamed up with Roy Raftery, trading card and video games specialist for Ewbank Auctioneers, to see which games are worth holding onto for a pixel payday.
Yearning for the past: top games
For many, retro games aren’t just cartridges and discs – they’re a portal back to childhood. It’s a way for people to relive their glory days of gaming, countless hours with controller in hand in front of a box-shaped TV.
Nostalgia plays a huge role in the rising value of vintage games, with collectors and gamers willing to fork out top dollar to reclaim a piece of their past. Add limited supply and rising demand, and it’s clear why retro gaming could be having a boom.
But not all copies of a game are worth the same. When it comes to valuation, condition is king. Retro games typically fall into three main categories:
Loose games where only the cartridge or discs remain without a box or manual.
Complete in box (CIB) which includes the original packaging, manual and inserts.
Graded or sealed games which are professionally graded and factory sealed.
Loose but lucrative: the most valuable unboxed games
Many of us dream of finding a mint-condition, factory-sealed classic hidden in a drawer or a box in the loft. But the reality is that most childhood video game packaging doesn’t survive the overexcited unboxing. They were played, traded and then tossed aside without their box when the next hottest game came along.
But don’t worry. Even the most well-loved cartridges and discs can still fetch an eye-watering sum. So, which ones should you be looking out for?
If you live in the UK, they’re especially rare, since the unboxed games fetching the most are NTSC games. That means they fall under America’s gaming region. The Nintendo World Championship Gold cartridge tops the list, thanks to its rarity. Only 26 copies were ever distributed as prizes to winners of Nintendo Power magazine’s “Player’s Poll Contest” in 1990.[1]
You can potentially earn a cool £14,964 if you can get your hands on one of these gold case cartridges. In second and third is Nintendo Powerfest 1994 and Campus Challenge 1991, which sold for £13,864 and £13,495 respectively. These vintage video games were also limited-run competition games making them almost impossible to find.
But UK collectors have games valuable games to hunt for too. PAL-region titles - meaning they can be found in Europe - also command a high price. If you can find (or happen to already have) the Grand Theft Auto Complete Collection on PlayStation 2, you could find yourself £1,718 richer.
Special editions of Dark Souls III and Dark Souls Trilogy also fetch great prices among collectors - worth £1,717 and £1,076 respectively. So, if you have an old box of games gathering dust, it might be time to take a closer look.
The whole package: complete in box games
Most gamers unwrapped their new games, played them endlessly, and it never crossed their mind to hold onto the boxes they came in. But for those who did, that decision could be worth thousands today. Complete in box (CIB) games still include their original box, manual, inserts and any extras that were packaged with the game at release. So, they have been opened and used, but everything’s been kept.
Topping the list is Metal Slug for the Neo Geo AES, a game that has reached £47,005 when sold completely. This game was already considered a luxury item back in the 90s and was produced in lower quantities. So, finding one with its original box and manual is rare.
Nintendo fans, you might be in luck. Leading the PAL-region is Zelda Majora’s Mask (Adventure Set) which can rake in an impressive £3,715 for a full box. Special editions like this – especially ones with additional packaging and extras – often become the most valuable. Even if a game isn’t factory-sealed, a well-preserved CIB copy with all its original materials can sell for significantly more than a loose copy.
Most valuable new games
For video game collectors, finding a factory-sealed classic is like unearthing buried treasure. While loose games and CIBs can bring in a surprising amount of cash, brand new copies in their original plastic wrapping are on another level entirely.
Finding sealed classics in an attic is probably unlikely. But the money that you might make could be life changing. If you get your hands on Family Fun Fitness Stadium Events, a game already rare in loose form and almost unheard of when factory-sealed, you’ve struck gold. This game had a short product run and was sold in limited stores. So, it’s no surprise that the 1987 release would make you a staggering £132,733 richer.
In the PAL region, Zelda Majora’s Mask (Adventure Set) proves that special editions and collector’s sets hold serious long-term value when kept sealed. In fact, if you had kept your packaging on, you would have made £10,271 more than a CIB edition.
The most expensive graded games
For serious collectors, graded video games represent the gold standard. Graded games mean they have been professionally evaluated, authenticated and assigned a number based on their condition.
At the top of the list is the legendary Family Fun Fitness Stadium Events. A graded copy pushes the price even higher, meaning you could demand a whopping £146,007. Other lucrative games on the list include Clay Fighter Sculptor’s Cut and Metal Slug, which can bring in £138,250 and £103,411 respectively.
In the PAL market, beat-em-up Streets of Rage on the Sega Mega Drive clobbers the competition - selling for £39,898. Meanwhile, Zelda Majora’s Mask [Adventure Set] holds strong value across multiple categories, pulling in a cool £15,384 when graded.
Factors like sealed condition, box integrity, condition and overall completeness are taken into account before the games are sealed to preserve their condition. But why do these games sell for more? Because it has a guaranteed condition, buyers know exactly what they’re getting thanks to the professional verification.
Top of the vintage wish list
For retro gaming fans, some titles will never lose their appeal - and demand can drive up prices fast. We tracked the games that feature on Price Charting, an online video games price guide that tracks user wish lists. That way we were able to identify the nostalgic favourites and hot collectibles. So, if you’ve been considering selling, now might be the perfect time to cash in on your collection - or hold out for a higher price.
At the top of the wish list leaderboard is EarthBound for the Super Nintendo console, with over 2,000 collectors hoping to secure a copy. Paper Mario and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness aren’t far behind, featuring in 1,993 and 1,856 wish lists respectively.
When it comes to the most yearned for games, Nintendo’s dominance is clear. GameCube, N64 and SNES classics make up the bulk of the most sought-after games. Classic titles like Chrono Trigger, Conker’s Bad Fur Day and Selda: Twilight Princess continue to hold their value. So, whether you have a few of these classics tucked away or you’re on the hunt, keeping an eye on wish list trends could help predict the best time to buy or sell.
The most profitable collections per console
When it comes to collecting video games, it’s not just about the rarest titles. The overall value of a console’s entire collection (including games, accessories and hardware) can fluctuate over time. Some systems have seen a massive surge in value, while others have started to decline.
So, collecting vintage games isn’t just about nostalgia - it can be a smart investment. Over the last five years, PAL Xbox games, accessories and systems have seen the biggest surge in value - rising a whopping 128%.
Sega Saturn (104%), GameCube (91%) and Xbox 360 (88%) collections have also seen impressive returns.
On the other hand, PlayStation Vita (-23%) and Nintendo 3DS (-31%) collections have declined, suggesting that these systems may not hold their value as well in the long run. In the NTSC market, the Atari 7800 (107%), GameCube (104%) and Game Boy Color (99%) have been among the strongest performers over the past decade, as their median price has consistently risen.
Meet the expert
Roy Raftery
Trading Card and Video Games Specialist for Stanley Gibbons // Baldwins, Roy is a 30-something Londoner, valuer and auctioneer specialising in trading cards, video games, comics, and 80s and 90s toys.
He’s also a former professional Magic the Gathering player.
——————————————————————————————————
Vintage gaming collections aren’t just a trip down memory lane. They’re part of a thriving market. Whether you’re uncovering forgotten treasures or holding onto your prized collections, the value of retro games and consoles continues to climb.
And while not all of us are rushing into stores and ripping the hottest new games off the shelves like gamers of old once did, the excitement of diving into upcoming games with the right gear is just as strong.
And it’s a great time in gaming. PS5 and additional PS5 accessories are enhancing the experience. Mechanical keyboards are giving gamers more control. While headsets like Meta Quest are pushing gaming into new dimensions. It’s clear that the love for gaming, both past and future, is here to stay.
——————————————————————————————————
Methodology
All available data for the consoles and systems was downloaded from Price Charting. The most valuable games from each were then combined into one list to determine the most valuable overall for each condition. This was completed for PAL and NTSC games and systems.
The values were then converted into GBP using a 0.79 exchange rate.
To get the value appreciation/depreciation over the years, the median price for January 2020 was compared to January 2025.
Condition description according to Price Charting
Graded always brand new and sealed, but its condition has also been graded by a game grading authority like VGA.
New always means brand new, still sealed in the original box. If a listing contains words like "New", "Sealed", or other similar words we classify it as "New".
Complete means the item comes with the original box and manual. If the listing contains words like "Complete", "CIB", "Item, Box, and Manual", or other similar word patterns we classify it as "Complete".
Loose means the item does not include the original box and/or manual. If the listing contains words like "loose", "game only", "disc only" or other similar words in the title or description. "Loose" also includes all listings where we cannot determine the condition based upon the title. "Loose" is the default because often times that is what the listing includes if more descriptive words are not in the title. And loose is our lowest condition rating.
Further information on how they collect their prices can be found here: https://www.pricecharting.com/page/methodology
