The Commodore 64 is back in black, sort of. Retro Games and Plaion Replai released a limited edition redesign of the best-selling computer, called THEC64 – Black Edition. Like its name suggests, the console is a modernized version of the classic Commodore 64 in an all-black shell.
THEC64 – Black Edition will come with 25 pre-installed games, but unlike the company’s previous consoles, this one will feature “neo-retro” games from C64 developers who have designed new games on the old-school architecture. Once you finish all the new titles like Sam’s Journey, A Pig Quest and Hessian, you can plug in your own USB drive to play custom games. According to Retro Games, the updated redesign comes with four save slots per game, plug-and-play HDMI compatibility and a USB joystick.
If you want THEC64 – Black Edition to feel more like the original Commodore 64, you can plug in a keyboard through the USB port. However, Retro Games also designed a non-mini THEC64 that has a fully functional keyboard. The latest blacked-out version is now available on Amazon or Retro Games’ website for $119.99.
“Panic gave the platform a playful and friendly character from the start, and promoted an openness that other platforms simply don’t have, allowing anyone to cheaply and easily make games for it with a variety of different tools,” says Nicola Cocchiaro, a veteran developer and software engineer. After working on Red Dead Redemption 2, he set up his own studio Synaptic Sugar in 2022, “to explore options to make my own games: smaller in scope but still polished, centering around hopefully interesting mechanics.”
Alongside wife Kimberly, Cocchiaro is developing Agents of Groove, an upcoming “story-driven rhythm game” set to be a Playdate exclusive. “For us, the openness has represented an opportunity to dive in, learn how best to make a game together, and put our art out into the world,” he says. “The relative youth of the platform and its SDK, as well as its intended experimental nature, also put some roadblocks in our way on occasion. But I like to think that through our experience and collaboration with the developer community, we helped make the development tools and the platform stronger.”
Courtesy of Panic Inc.
Both the unique form factor and the restrictions of the Playdate hardware are part of the appeal for some developers.
“When I discovered the Playdate, I knew that its capabilities would leverage creativity,” says Ludovic Bas, founder of indie studio Lugludum. “Since I have succumbed to scope creep in the past, I thought Playdate could put me on the right track. A one-bit screen, no shaders and limited RAM are definitely part of appeal. It allows developers to focus on the gameplay instead of spending a lot of time in a very complicated art pipeline.”
Fittingly, Bas’ first game for Playdate, 2024’s The Scrolling Enigma, was highly experimental. A string of microgames that tap into vintage gaming memories, it’s also a puzzle box, challenging players to figure out which of Playdate’s hardware features, including the accelerometer and mic, to use to master each one. Bas calls it “not really marketable, a niche game on a niche platform,” but it’s also something that could exist only on Playdate. His newest game, Crankstone, continues that experimental streak, offering a Wild West shooter crammed with Warioware-style minigames.
Community Center
Another factor that has kept Playdate going strong over the past three years is a dedicated community. This is partly by design—Panic’s weekly rollout of games was intended to make for water-cooler moments as players discussed each week’s titles. It never quite panned out, as supply issues meant even early adopters didn’t necessarily get their consoles at once, and jumping in now means missing out on what I can only imagine was shared mass confusion over what season two’s cable-TV-channel-hopping sim Blippo+ even was.
A thriving fan scene emerged nonetheless, one vibrant enough to warrant at least two dedicated print zines, Uncrank’d and Cranko!, annual community awards, and regular themed game jams. The latter is especially important for developers, not only as a way to hone and showcase their talents but also because the Playdate fanbase is keen on putting money into creator’s pockets.
If much of that description sounds familiar to modern politics and culture, Matsuno would agree. The conclusion of his post reads: “Now in 2025—a time when inequality and division are still deeply rooted in our society—I offer this story once again.”
We Can Rebuild It
The Ivalice Chronicles may maintain the look of the original game, but it’s a re-creation developers had to complete from the ground up. The master data files and the source code don’t exist anymore; it didn’t become common practice in game development to hold on to those resources until later, meaning its team had to rebuild those core pieces. Maehiro says the team listed out the ways the first game felt “a little clunky or less intuitive,” then reconstructed those elements with improvement in mind. Part of that includes tweaks to the way battles play out, like a clear combat timeline for players to see whose turn is next.
The director says that the team considered different ways to modernize Final Fantasy Tactics, including following in the footsteps of Square Enix’s massive, multiyear remake of the original Final Fantasy VII. “It was an option on the table that we considered—to give [Final Fantasy Tactics] a full remake, as we did for FFVII,” he says. It’s one way to effectively revive an old game, he says, and it made sense to reinvent FFVII as it exists today. Once a single game with an ambitious plot, the experience has been broken out into three individual titles to do the original story service. Its blocky, PS1-era cast has been transformed into high-fidelity characters roaming a vast world. The first game, Final Fantasy VII Remake, for example, takes place entirely in Midgar—a city players where spent only a couple of hours in the original.
For The Ivalice Chronicles, however, Maehiro vetoed that idea. Part of the allure of the original he says, was “the very charming pixel style artwork, as well as the 3D isometric maps you’re on for battles. I felt those were things that gave Final Fantasy Tactics its identity.” Maehiro didn’t want to lose that.
Other versions of Final Fantasy Tactics have been ported over or made for older consoles. That includes Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, a 2007 title made specifically for the PlayStation Portable. Notably, it added new jobs and extra playable characters, such as Balthier from Final Fantasy XII. Because these features were not part of the original game, Maehiro and his team opted to leave them out.
“Our first and foremost goal here really was to recreate the original game,” Maehiro says. That being said, he knows fans want features introduced in War of the Lions. Maehiro says that while he “cannot make any promises,” there’s a possibility the team will explore adding additional content if the game does well.
More than that, Maehiro says, it could lead to more games down the line. “If [The Ivalice Chronicles] were to become a success,” he says, “I do feel that that would then lead to discussions around potentially bringing out sequels, for example, or newer tactical RPGs.”
I’m here to make friends, bask in the kind, accepting glow of internet comments, and speak the dark truth you’ve all long known to be true: The N64 controller, Nintendo‘s infamous trident joypad for its third home console, is, and always was, awful.
You may think you like it. If you’re of a “certain age,” there’s a fair chance you have fond memories of being huddled around a TV screen, screeching with fury as you got hit by a blue shell in Mario Kart 64; losing yourself in the frenetic chaos of multiplayer Super Smash Bros.; or exploring Hyrule with wide-eyed wonder in Ocarina of Time.
Nostalgia is a powerful force, though—and those warm fuzzy memories of what is undeniably one of gaming’s golden eras blinds you to the fact that you were doing all that with an abomination of a controller wedged into your hands.
Hate’s a strong term to level at a video game controller, but I hate the N64 controller with a passion that must be unhealthy to direct at a bundle of plastic and wires. And, being of that certain age, it’s a hatred I’ve carried since childhood. Yet, as time passed, the hatred had subsided, or at least moved to the background. This week, however, my rage has been brought back to the fore.
Analog Days
The reason for this renewed odium? The reveal of the Analogue3D, an upcoming third-party console that not only plays original Nintendo 64 game cartridges, but makes them palatable on a modern 4K TV screen. Unlike the string of “mini” consoles released over the last few years, such as the SNES Classic Mini or Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Mini, Analogue’s gear doesn’t rely on emulation of games, but rather runs those original cartridges and uses an FPGA chip to—essentially—emulate the hardware of the original console.
It’s not Analogue’s first attempt at reviving classic hardware, having previously launched the likes of the Analogue Pocket, a Game Boy–shaped handheld that plays original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance carts. It can also be kitted out with adaptors to handle Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color, TurboGrafx-16, and Atari Lynx carts, too, making for a retro game collector’s dream system.
The Analogue3D looks to be a promising bit of tech too. Analogue says it’s built around “a 220k LE Altera Cyclone 10GX, the most powerful FPGA Analogue has ever used in a product,” offers region-free support for N64 cartridges from anywhere in the world in NTSC or PAL format, an inbuilt version of the Nintendo Expansion Pak (an N64 accessory that doubled the console’s available memory from 4 MB to a whopping 8 MB, improving performance on select games), and outputs in 4K, or original display modes maintaining “true CRT reference quality” with “immersive scanlines and shadow masks.”
GARDEN CITY, Long Island — The annual Long Island Retro Gaming Expo aims to preserve and celebrate video games from the 1980s,’ 90s and 2000s.
The dedicated group of retro-gamers transforms the Cradle of Aviation Museum into a giant arcade filled to the brim with classic computers, consoles and games. The museum’s rooms and hallways are packed with fans going hands on with treasured, forgotten and obscure video games from the early days.
Many older enthusiasts come for nostalgia, but plenty of young people show up to experience a bygone era. Jay Rivera loves modern video games and credits his parents with showing him the value of retro video games early. “It’s a passed down thing from my mom and my dad. For me it’s where everything kind of started. Like the forefathers of video games.”
Pokémon fans are especially fond of the show. One of the most popular exhibits is the Poké Lab, where players can bring their old Game Boys to catch rare, legendary Pokémon from yesteryear.
n addition to the exhibits, there are special guests and panels as well as retro and retro-inspired items for sale. Long Island Retro Gaming also holds a table-top game expo in the spring.
The group’s museum coordinator, Bredan Bailey, compares people’s appreciation for early video games to that of classic films. He says, “It’s kind of like old black-and-white movies, how people still go back and watch those. They’re timeless classics.”
The night before Cecil’s Defcon talk, Maselewski wrote in a final email to WIRED that he believes those alleging that he cheated are using faulty tools with an incomplete picture of Diablo‘s complexities. “Dwango is out to tell a story. Did I cheat? No,” Maselewski writes. “But what is true or not does not matter at this point, because the wonder of exploration has already overstayed its welcome for a small group of people, and the script has already been written.”
When WIRED reached out to the Guinness Book of World Records to ask if it would take down Maselewski’s record, a spokesperson responded noncommittally that “we value any feedback on our record titles and are committed to maintaining the highest standards of accuracy.” An administrator for Speed Demos Archive or SDA, another speedrun record-keeping website where Maselewski holds a similar Diablo record, seemed to be more persuaded by Cecil’s evidence. That administrator, who goes by the handle “ktwo” and asked that WIRED not include their real name, says that SDA hasn’t officially reached a verdict and is still waiting to hear Maselewski’s explanation.
Things are not looking good for groobo, however. “To be clear, we have made a preliminary decision, based on the available information,” ktwo writes “The staff agrees that the analysis raises questions about the validity of the run that need to be addressed, or else the run will be unpublished from SDA. The admin team is currently discussing these questions with the runner. Once that discussion has concluded, a final decision will be made.”
Cecil’s involvement in investigating gaming records began in 2017, when the speedrunner Eric “Omnigamer” Koziel, who was writing a book about speedrunning, began re-examining a record set by Todd Rogers for the Atari 2600 racing game Dragster. Rogers’ record time, 5.51 seconds, had persisted for a remarkable 35 years. But when Koziel reverse engineered Dragster’s code to try to understand how Rogers had achieved that time, he found that tricks Rogers said he’d used—such as starting the game in second gear—wouldn’t have provided the advantage Rogers claimed.
“The goal was never to point to someone and say, ‘Hey, they’re cheating,’” says Koziel. “It was to try to find the truth.”
Cecil, who knew Koziel from the speedrun community, offered to help develop a tool-assisted speedrun they could replay via TASbot on a real Atari 2600 to show that, even on that original hardware, Rogers’ record was impossible. They found that TASbot’s theoretically perfect performance was 5.57 seconds, slower than Rogers’ alleged time. Despite Rogers’ objections, his three-and-a-half-decade-old record was erased from the annals of the gaming records keeper Twin Galaxies—along with all his other records on the site—and Guinness stripped his world record for “longest-standing video game record.”
“Although I disagree with their decision, I must applaud them for their strong stance on the matter of cheating,” Rogers wrote in a lengthy public Facebook post responding to the Twin Galaxies decision.
Classic titles may get a lot of flack, but their designs were second to none, so we’ve decided to rank them! These posters highlight some of the best classic titles out there – along with some beautifully recreated and original illustrations.
For the sake of transparency, ‘retro’ has been defined here as anything that was released before the eighth console generation. So, before the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch’s release.
It might sound scary, but some of your favorite titles might be just considered ‘old-school’!
Image Source: 2K
Image Source: 2K
Image Source: 2K
The success of the Borderlands series is reason enough to pick up a copy of any of its titles. However, the consistently awe-inspiring key art used in its box cover and promotional marketing is a very close second.
Borderlands‘ success has rested on the amazing gunplay, witty dialogue, and excellent character designs of its cast of heroes (and villains!)
As such, it makes sense that if posters were to be made to symbolize the whole series, then who better to place front and center than a Psycho. The Psycho enemy has become the face of the series in some respects – having appeared on almost all the games’ cover art in one way or another.
Using the iconic, provocative imagery from the games’ cover art for the title, marketing for all of 2K’s Borderlands has received heavy backlash. However, the visually striking use of color and instantly recognizable design of the series has since become synonymous with the franchise.
Image Source: Sega
Image Source: Sega
Image Source: Sega
Releasing in arcades in 1994, and being ported to Sega’s own Saturn system in 1995, Virtua Fighter and its much-beloved sequel were a graphical tour de force.
Hailing from a time when titles couldn’t hide with flashy, pre-rendered cinematics, these titles laid everything bare. Sega was sure that the visuals it had to deliver were of that high a standard.
Posters like this one by AudricDemers project that same self-confidence, consisting of minimal background design and characters in action poses. Simple, effective, and impressive.
As one Reddit user fondly remembers;
‘The graphics were god-tier at the time that I could just sit there at the arcade and watch the demo for hours on end’
The Metal Slug series is renowned for crazy arcade action, and sleek and beautiful pixel-art sprite work. Wow, that’s a lot to fit onto a poster!
As such, the best posters of the Metal Slug franchise choose to encapsulate all of these aspects in a single image. For example, this one which uses the cover art for Metal Slug X.
The series’ hyper-stylized designs, along with the eponymous tank, are depicted in loving detail. Redbubble designer Mysteriosshop has arranged the game’s artwork and produced a highly collectible poster.
Image Source: SEGA
Image Source: SEGA
Image Source: SEGA
Sonic the Hedgehog is a beloved video game character; running beyond his games to television shows, highly-successful movies, and merchandising since his original title. However, he has gone through many design alterations since his 1991 game debut.
Sega landed on a classic look recently that has pleased old and new fans alike. While the lanky-legged, smart-talking design of ‘modern’ Sonic still exists, this ‘classic’ design has curried favor with many long-time fans.
Referencing Sonic the Hedgehog’s blazing speed and classic 90s design, posters like this minimal yet explosive artwork will surely please Sonic fans from any stage of the blue blur’s gaming career.
Image Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Image Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Image Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
While it seems like we were waiting for years for a return to form for Crash Bandicoot, the recent resurgence in Crash Bandicoot’s popularity can be seen with the release of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.
Regardless if it’s playing the original titles or the newest in the series, it feels good to be back in control of everyone’s favorite orange video game mammal (sorry, Daxter!)
This modern interpretation of the classic cover art for the PS1 title Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back showcases the classic title, while embracing the aesthetic of the newer art style. As such, you can enjoy it on posters and other themed merchandise.
Perhaps that is why it’s so endearing. The seamless blending of the original title with one which a new generation of fans has become familiar with. This is especially potent considering the continued success of the series’ recent remasters.
After the success of the North American box art for Grand Theft Auto III after an impromptu last-minute change, Rockstar consolidated their key art under one style. They proceeded to use Bliss’ stylings as cover art, loading scenes, and promotional work for the title from that point on.
Posters like this stylish one from mattilynn succeeds on the merit that it places Bliss’ artwork front and center.
Image Source: Nintendo
Image Source: Nintendo
Image Source: Nintendo
If there’s one thing The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is, it’s unusual. Its dark tone and unnerving visuals confounded gamers at the time, alongside Nintendo’s macabre twist of the Zelda formula.
This poster by orioto continues this trend by emphasizing the darkness of the setting along with the scale of the game’s moon. The starlight and falling meteors in the background of the poster also highlight the shadows of the clock tower and surrounding mountains.
As such, the scale of the task given to you in Majora’s Mask is made apparent. Beyond that, the repercussions if you don’t succeed are put into perspective.
The title has been included on the company’s Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass service. As a result, more people are playing classic Zelda titles than ever. Whether you’re new to the perils of Termina or have saved the world time and time again, this illustrated poster is sure to delight you.
Image Source: Atari
Image Source: Atari
Image Source: Atari
Centipede is a game that needs no introduction. Published by Atari in 1981, the arcade title is one of the formative titles for the entire video game industry.
Even 40 years ago, the appeal for this title was obvious. Many marketing and promotional works were commissioned to broadcast this latest Atari title. As a result, many gamers were inducted into spending as much as they could in the arcades.
Posters like this retro metal decoration highlight the original arcade cabinet’s aesthetic through its presentation of the illustrated centipede design.
It could be argued that George Opperman alone could be credited with the centipede design. However, as stated in Video Games magazine, June of 1983: ‘It is his responsibility, along with a 12-person staff, to create and produce all artwork for Atari’s arcade games’.
The poster design has had such a lasting impact that American rock band The Strokes incorporated it well beyond its 1981 release. In 2003, they released their hit song ‘Reptilia’ – which has a familiar insect emblazoned on its single artwork.
Image Source: Nintendo
Image Source: Nintendo
Image Source: Nintendo
When decorating a room with videogame paraphernalia, you only want to represent the best of the best.
As such, it’s no surprise that a stylish poster of Super Mario Bros. 3 is no doubt high on your list. One of the best Mario games of all time, even 36 years after its original release, Super Mario Bros. 3 revolutionized the series in the eighties.
From all-new power-ups, a connected series of levels on a world map, and incredible graphical power for the Nintendo Entertainment System – Super Mario Bros. 3 amazed.
In 1988 players all around the world thought that game developers had maximized the potential of what the NES hardware. Then Super Mario Bros. 3 released.
Matthew Carmosino & Nicholas Limon, ‘The Best Super Mario Bros. Games: All 20 Ranked’
Who wouldn’t want a poster of the platforming plumber after all that? Luckily, the cover art for Super Mario Bros. is as simple and stylish as it was back in 1988.
With that in mind, many still hold a special Pokemon-shaped place in their heart for the original titles and Nintendo is very aware of this.
The original Pokemon creature designs are referenced and revered in almost every aspect of Pokemon media – ensuring that every Pokemon fan knows them all by name!
As such, this Pokemon poster is an excellent decision for those who love the original 151 pocket monsters or are just fans of the series overall. Featuring artwork from the series’ original artist Ken Sugimori, this Kanto-based poster is a league above the rest.
Image Source: Microsoft
Image Source: Microsoft
Image Source: Microsoft
When excited gamers in 2007 picked up their copies of Microsoft’s latest installment in the Halo franchise, they were met with a beloved added extra.
The much-appreciated miniature poster, featuring artwork from artist Ashley Wood, was bundled into all early copies of the title – with the controller layout on the reverse side. Posting on his blog on September 25, the day of Halo 3’s release, he proclaimed: ‘I was lucky to be part of the legend in a very small way’.
This piece, while small, has continued to be adored by fans new and old. So much so that it was celebrated with a limited print-run of the artwork being recreated through Displate, last year.
Redbubble user pharaoh618, has elegantly formatted Wood’s original piece and has made it more readily available through this poster.
Image Source: Bethesda Softworks
Image Source: Bethesda Softworks
Image Source: Bethesda Softworks
Incorporated into the title’s promotional work and even used as the game’s box art, Doom is a classic retro poster design if there ever was one.
Designed by the prolific science fiction and contemporary artist Don Ivan Punchatz, his mastery of the craft is generally acknowledged even by those outside of the video game industry.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the memorable sequel to the much-beloved original Metal Gear Solid title on the PlayStation 1. Where Sons of Liberty diverges from the original is in its controversial sidelining of the first game’s protagonist in place of the new character, Raiden.
Many fans have since come around to Raiden’s inclusion and the superb quality of Sons of Liberty as a sequel. As such, we have been able to appreciate posters like this one.
The minimalist poster – arranged by PFCpatrickC – features the original artwork for the title from series illustrator Yoji Shinkawa.
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In the original, Mario and his friends are flat planes with black outlines, to give the impression they’re drawings rather than computer graphics. While that design is still present in the remake, you can also see a faint hint of a white highlight around the edges of the character model, much like you’d see on actual paper cutouts. It’s subtle but pervasive, and it contributes to the sense that these models really were cut out by hand.
Every piece of the world has this attention to detail. When you first enter Rogueport, there’s a platform in the main square with a noose on it. In the original, the wooden steps are straight and flat, and everything is at a right angle. It’s fine for a background element, and the flat noose cutout sways in the wind, so the effect works.
In the remake, however, the steps are a little crooked and janky. The side pieces of the steps look bent, like a child accidentally forced it too hard while slotting in the step pieces. It’s standing, but only barely. A mild gust of wind might blow the whole thing over. It might seem unimportant, but details like this make it easy to get drawn into Paper Mario’s world.
This is one situation where the improved graphics of a more modern console augmented the design choices from the original game. Switch graphics might mean Mario and his pals can look more realistic, but in this case that just means they look more handmade, like a paper craft model of the Mario from Super Mario 64.
The rich detail that the remake adds—with more complex models, better lighting and reflection systems, and higher resolution textures—makes the illusion so much more immersive and delightful. It’s apparent in every new setting how much effort was put into re-creating every aspect of the game.
Quality-of-Life Upgrades
Faithful re-creation isn’t always the most ideal way to approach a remake, and thankfully Nintendo agrees. This new version of The Thousand-Year Door comes with a few features that aren’t present in the original but would’ve been welcome additions.
The most useful of these, in my opinion, is the Partner Ring. In the original game, you had to open up a menu to swap between different members of your party. It wasn’t difficult per se, but it was tedious. In the remake, you can hold L and tilt the control stick to rapidly swap partners. It’s a shortcut that doesn’t fundamentally alter the game, but is a welcome convenience.
Similarly, there’s a new option when you fail a battle. Previously, if you lost a fight, you would have to reload from the last time you saved, which could sometimes be annoyingly far from where you were. In the remake, when you lose, you’ll see a new “Try again” option that will bring you back on the most recent section of the map, cutting down on huge amounts of tedious backtracking.
It’s a shame that two of the best retro gaming consoles in recent years, the NES Classic Mini and the SNES Classic Mini, have been discontinued. Both feature great designs with a miniaturized look that’s true to the originals, silky performance, and strong game lineups of Nintendo’s greatest hits. You can still buy them online (usually from third-party resellers), but prices are seriously inflated. The SNES Classic Mini, for example, was $80 at launch, but a reseller has it for more than $300 on Amazon right now. You might have better luck buying one used.
Nintendo fans keen on some classic gaming action might be better served by snagging a Switch and buying a Nintendo Switch Online membership ($20 for a year) to access more than 100 NES and SNES titles (here’s the full list). Add the Expansion Pack ($50 for a year) and you can get these N64 games too. If you’re craving some old-school pocket-sized Nintendo fun, check out the revived Game & Watch ($50) line. They are limited to a couple of games each, but when those games are Super Mario or Zelda titles, that can be enough for hours of fun.
The Analogue Mega SG ($200) (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is expensive, and it doesn’t come with any games or controllers (they cost $25 apiece). But it can play old Sega Genesis cartridges, so it’s a solid choice if you have a box of them in the basement. Thanks to an FPGA chip, this console runs the original games just as you remember them.
If you have Valve’s Steam Deck, check out the comprehensive EmuDeck to emulate a wide variety of old systems in style.
PC gamers also have an enormous choice of emulators. I like RetroArch because it emulates multiple systems, but if you have a favorite old console and want to get close to that original experience, you can likely find a tailor-made emulator to scratch that itch.
The Panic Playdate ($199) (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t strictly a retro console, but it is fun, creative, and quirky, and it has a distinct retro feel. It even has a crank for an all-new way to interact with games!
The Analogue Duo ($250) (6/10, WIRED Review) makes TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine games look incredible on any HDMI screen. It boasts HuCARD and CD-ROM functionality, so existing games work regardless of media, region, or other requirements. Sadly, it’s pricey, controllers cost extra, and there’s no openFPGA support.
Mario gave a healthy injection of life to the gaming industry in 1985 with the first Super Mario Bros. on the Famicom (NES) in Japan. Since then, Mario has introduced many new consoles and has pushed tech-forward into the 3D space and even jumped into space itself.
There’s hardly a more rich and historically significant legacy than Mario in gaming, so collectors have naturally held great interest in the storied franchise. Here are 10 of the rarest and most expensive Mario games that will empty your pockets.
Like our previous lists, PriceCharting is the source used for new and used game values. We’re ranking these Mario gems using the New Price listings, from lowest to highest. We include the average used price as well based on the “Loose Price” from PriceCharting. Console bundles are not included since they typically top these lists and skew individual game values.
10. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES)
$1,156 New | $38.86 Used
Image Source: Nintendo
Nintendo’s follow-up to Super Mario World didn’t come until the Super Nintendo was four years old. The game is titled Super Mario World 2 despite not starring Mario as the main character. This title was contentious to players since Yoshi’s Island is a prequel to existing Mario games and only featured Mario as a baby. regardless, Nintendo considers it as Super Mario World 2, and its quality certainly reflects that.
The title is not the only thing that put some players off of Yoshi’s Island. The Super Nintendo was nearing the end of its life cycle when Super Mario World 2 was released. Some players were already fixated on Nintendo’s leap to 3D with the upcoming Nintendo 64, and as a result, Yoshi’s Island became one of a handful of games to become somewhat rare and underrated.
Despite the name confusion and release so close to Nintendo’s new 3D console, Yoshi’s Island remains one of the most beloved Mario games. Yoshi’s Island’s quality can be attributed to Nintendo EAD spending a full 4 years to develop the game, an unprecedented development cycle back then. Now, sealed copies of this Super Nintendo classic fetch a premium with recent sales eclipsing $1,000.
9. Mario Kart 64 [Player’s Choice]
$1,189 New | $39.75 Used
Image Source: Nintendo via TheVideoGameCavern
Releasing at the dawn of 1997 in America, Mario Kart 64 realized Nintendo’s push for 3D in high-octane kart racing form. The Nintendo 64’s emphasis on multiplayer games introduced four controller slots to consoles for the first time. Every 90s kid remembers just how fun get-togethers were with all the four-player party games the Nintendo 64 had in its lineup.
As such, the console capable of rendering 3D environments and four simultaneous players sold remarkably well. Mario Kart 64 would go on to hold the number two position in terms of Nintendo 64 game sales with a whopping 10 million units sold as of November 2023. But there’s one edition of the game that became a bit less common.
Player’s Choice was a label Nintendo used to advertise games that sold the most copies on the console. As such, these copies often came later in the console’s life cycle after the initial fervor of the game died down. The relative scarcity of Mario Kart 64 Player’s Choice Edition help make it one of the most expensive Mario games with a recent example being sold for $2,500 in April 2023.
8. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
$1,700 New | $18.44 Used
Image Source: Nintendo
The West didn’t get Super Mario Bros. 3 until early 1990, a full year and a half after the initial Japanese release of the game. Despite being released close to the new Super Nintendo console, Super Mario Bros. 3 proved to be one of the all-time greats in terms of quality and sales.
Super Mario Bros. 3 marked the moment the series came into its own. It firmly takes everything that came before and does a masterclass with it. Levels no longer followed each other in a locked linear pattern. Mario 3 instead gave players a lively overworld dotted with branching paths and hidden secrets. The explorative nature of Super Mario Bros. 3 became a definitive carryover for the games that followed, including the wildly popular Super Mario World.
Because of its reputation as one of the all-time greats in the series and its progressive popularity in the West, North American sealed copies of Super Mario Bros. 3 fetch the highest price of them all.
7. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)
$1,916 New | $89.99 Used
Image Source: Nintendo
Releasing just four months before the Nintendo 64 console was the new Mario RPG co-developed by SquareSoft on the Super Nintendo. Everything about this game was bizarre and amazing in equal measure. This would mark the first time Nintendo collaborated with RPG giant Square while they were at the height of their craft.
Because of the late release and the unconventional genre coming from Nintendo, Super Mario RPG became a very rare and hot item on the collecting scene. This is one of those games that even sells well used. If you have a beat-up old copy of this game for Super Nintendo lying in a closet like I do, you could easily get $100 for it.
The new Super Mario RPG Remake of the same game has since boosted awareness of the old Super Nintendo classic. Now, sales for the game are projected to increase even more than they were before. A new copy of the SNES game sold for $1,532 the same month the Remake was released.
6. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)
$2,375 New | $21.92 Used
Image Source: Nintendo
Super Mario Bros. 2 was actually based on a prototype tech demo for the Family Computer Disk System. Presented at the Yume Kōjō ’87 media technology expo, Doki Doki Panic used festival theming for the characters and environments. Super Mario Bros. 2 would develop from this prototype, eschewing the difficulty of Lost Levels and creating a much more polished and unique game.
Like most video games released before the year 2000, the true sequel to the first Super Mario Bros. came to the West after its initial Japanese launch. Today, English versions of Super Mario Bros. 2 sell for over $2,000, granted it’s a sealed copy of the game. Out of all the games on this list, Super Mario Bros. 2 has been one of the most consistent sellers with continuous sales at the thousand-dollar mark month after month.
5. Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)
$2,557 New | $32.36 Used
Image Source: Nintendo
Long considered one of the most revolutionary games of all time, Super Mario 64 launched with the forward-thinking Nintendo 64. Super Mario 64 rendered complex platforming stages in full 3D and yet somehow still retained that Nintendo quality we’ve come to rely on.
Well, collectors love it just as much as we gamers do, as the English edition has become one of the most valuable Mario games. A bit part of the reason for its high value can be attributed to the simple fact that Mario’s first foray into 3D generated much hype and popularity. Super Mario 64 is the best-selling game on the Nintendo 64 console, and finding a sealed copy is like running into a gold mine today.
4. Mario Bros. Arcade Classic Series (NES)
$3,259 New | $32.02 Used
Image Source: Heritage Auctions
The original Mario Bros. on the Atari 2600 wasn’t the revolutionary hit that Super Mario Bros. would go on to be, but it was still popular. Mario Bros. wasn’t a platformer at all, but rather a bout of combat in a vertical arena. Versions of Mario Bros. would be included in many Nintendo games to come such as the Mario All Stars version of Super Mario. Bros 3.
While the original Atari Mario Bros. is worth a pretty penny averaging around $800 for a new copy, its NES sibling version would go on to be truly valuable. The Nintendo Entertainment System released a series of classic arcade games with touched-up visuals and controls titled the Arcade Classic Series. Mario Bros. was one such game to grace the lineup and has since rocketed in value becoming the fourth highest-selling Mario game on the market.
3. Super Mario Bros. YM-901 (Game & Watch)
$3,487 New | $750 Used
Image Source: Ebay via samuraisellercooljapanc.t
This one’s wild. Most gamers today know Game & Watch from Smash Bros. The odd character’s stilted movements echo the hardware it was based on. Game & Watch was a portable machine used to play first-party arcade games with a watch built in to tell time and set alarms to. It became a hot seller in Japan due to the nature of commuting and the need for handheld devices.
Game & Watch was usually packed with just one or two games installed, which entailed many many versions tailored for specific games. One particularly popular Game & Watch title was Super Mario Bros. No, not that Super Mario Bros., a completely unique Game & Watch version with all the stilted animation and quirkiness that comes with it. It’s a completely different game from the classic we’ve come to know, as can be seen in this playthrough of the game:
Super Mario Bros. for the Game & Watch still retained that eight world platforming structure the original had, but everything from platforms to Mario himself was designed in the Game & Watch style. The YM-901 release of Super Mario Bros. had a unique yellow “Mr. Famicom” game case with googly eyes on the front. Only 10,000 of these limited edition Game & Watch copies were printed, and could only be obtained by winning Nintendo’s Japanese raffles from 1987.
2. Super Mario Bros. (NES)
$3,692 New | $13.33 Used
Image Source: Nintendo
The game that legitimized video gaming as a thing, Super Mario. Bros single-handedly saved the gaming crash of the 80s. It was one of the first platforming games to connect dozens of unique levels across a single campaign. Most games up to that point were known for their brevity and short-term playability from the arcade format. Super Mario Bros. gave players a lengthy game with unique design from start to finish right from the comfort of their home.
This popularity would continue on into the 2000s when the earliest sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. was sold for a whopping $2 million on the Pawn Stars show. While that $2 million price was in fact an anomaly based on the first edition grading of the cartridge, sealed copies of the game still sell well over $3,000. As of 2023, NES copies of English versions of Super Mario Bros. sell for $3,500 new.
1. Super Mario World (SNES)
$4,200 New | $16.50 Used
Image Source: Nintendo
Super Mario World introduced the world to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1991 as a launch title. The game would outsell every video game at the time. Not only has Super Mario World stood the test of time on the resell market, but it’s held up as one of the best platforming games of all time.
Whether it’s because of its popularity on the Super Nintendo, or because Super Mario World is still highly regarded as the best Mario game today, copies sell for insanely high amounts new. Super Mario World is a very rare game to find unopened because it was such a darn fun game that demanded to be played. Because of this, the discrepancy between new and used prices is laughably wide. Used copies of Super Mario World can be found in every retro game store imaginable fetching prices as low as $15, yet sealed copies remain a distant dream for collectors demanding $4,000 and up.
That sums up the top 10 rarest and most expensive Mario games we’ll never get our hands on. What are some valuable games you own? Check out our other rare games lists here on Twinfinite.
About the author
Matthew Carmosino
Matthew Carmosino is a freelance writer for Twinfinite. He started gaming in the mid-90s where his love for SquareSoft RPGs like Chrono Trigger changed him forever. Matthew has been working in the game industry for two years covering everything from story-rich RPGs to puzzle-platformers.
Listening to piano music on a rainy day is his idea of a really good time, which probably explains his unnatural tolerance for level-grinding.
HONG KONG, January 9, 2019 (Newswire.com)
– SMOS, the most advanced gaming controller for Android phones, launches today on Kickstarter, available now here:
Smartphones have ushered in a mobile gaming revolution, and everyday games get more impressive. But one persisting problem is the fact that mobile phones are difficult to play games on. Today that changes with the release of SMOS – the most advanced game controller available for Android phones.
Mobile gaming has become serious business, and now innovative companies have responded with game controllers that give phone users arcade-like quality, finesse, and control. SMOS is equipped with 18 different configurable keys, two thumbsticks, D-pads, and two paddles, along with an array of buttons that deliver ultimate control for any gaming action. Answering consumer desires for a high-quality controller that can handle the latest Android mobile games, the team at SMOS set out to create a phone controller that would rival consoles and arcades.
“We are not just engineers and makers; we are also mobile gaming enthusiasts. Like many people, we enjoyed mobile games but lacked the proper control to achieve a high level of play. Our goal was to create a controller that had the same performance as the best console controllers on the market, yet was light, portable, and stylish. After 3 years of research and development, we are ready to bring SMOS – the ultimate Android game controller, to the world,” said Steven Li, the CEO of SMOS.
Unlike other mobile gaming controllers, SMOS is the first controller made for Android phones with universal game compatibility. As long as the game is available on your phone, it will work with SMOS with no phone root or modification needed. With SMOS, you get into the action fast with plug-and-play simplicity.
What makes SMOS different is the high quality, precision, mechanical keypad, and control design. The thumbsticks have the same quality, feel and finesse of PlayStation and use the same ALPS sensor that Sony puts in their controllers. SMOS uses the latest mechanical triggers with short key travel distance and buttons with low resistance that result in faster input actions.
This design improves input recognition and eliminates dead-zones. The SMOS buttons feature advanced circuitry for instant reaction with no lag time, and the hollow case design allows airflow through the controller that makes long-term gaming comfortable and cool. With 18 keys, two thumbsticks, and D-Pads, SMOS can perfectly control every possible gaming function. This controller is comfortable, ergonomic, and designed for maximum efficiency.
