The original Nintendo Entertainment System console took the video game world by storm when it launched in 1985. It sold 61.91 million units and remained Nintendo’s best-selling home console until the Wii surpassed it in 2009. The popularity of the NES is one reason why ’80s arcades died a slow death. Many years after the NES fad, collectors are still clamoring to own the nostalgic console that started it all.
So, what is the original NES actually worth today? A complete NES with the original box and all its documentation can go for over $200 today. Even if you just have a loose NES console without the box, you can still sell it for close to $100, depending on its condition. If you’re lucky enough to have an entirely new, unopened NES, that could be worth close to $1,000, if not more.
Some of the weirdest Nintendo products were novelty peripherals for the NES, like the Zapper light gun. This could be used with certain games to point and shoot at enemies or objects displayed on the TV. There was also R.O.B., a toy robot that would move in response to on-screen gameplay. If you have either of these accessories, you can add roughly $100 or $300 to the console’s worth, respectively.
Your original NES game cartridges are also worth a lot today
If you’re surprised at how much your original NES is worth today, wait until you find out what someone might pay for your collection of games. Some of the console’s biggest hits, like “The Legend of Zelda” and “Super Mario Bros.,” are worth $15-30 per cartridge. If you have these classics complete-in-box, you’re looking at $180-280 each. Other games, like “DuckTales 2,” can go for as much as $300 just for the cartridge. That figure more than doubles to $700 or above for the complete package.
There are also stories of absolutely legendary cartridges going for tens of thousands of dollars. One of the holy grails for NES collectors is the sports game “Stadium Events,” which became unbelievably scarce after Nintendo rebranded it as “World Class Track Meet.” The original “Stadium Events” easily goes for more than $20,000 when a copy goes up for auction.
With prices being what they are, it’s becoming increasingly common for gamers to use other gaming consoles for retro emulation. There is an argument to be made, though, that the rise of emulation raises awareness of nostalgic collectible games. People who discover retro classics through digital means might seek out physical media for the sake of preservation, not to mention the satisfaction of hunting down original hardware. If you have an original NES lying around, you can make a collector’s day and get some serious cash in the process.
