A copy of the original Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System has achieved a record-breaking sale of $3 million USD at auction. The sale was conducted by Heritage Auctions last Friday, with the game receiving a 9.6 A++ rating from grading company PSA. This price surpasses the previous Super Mario Bros. auction record of $2 million set in 2021.
This particular copy is described as a "holy grail" for video game collectors. It was found as part of an intact Control Deck NES Bundle, having remained untouched for approximately 40 years. The anonymous buyer also acquired the original NES bundle in which the game was discovered.
The game itself is a specific variant from the title's second production run, identified by a unique gloss sticker on its box. Heritage Auctions noted that this specific variant had never before been offered for public auction in sealed condition, highlighting its extreme rarity. The auction house drew a parallel to a 2019 private sale of a similar second-production copy, which was the first video game to sell for six figures and significantly altered perceptions of the collectible market for historically important games.
According to Heritage Auctions, only three such certified gloss sticker second-production examples are confirmed to exist, making opportunities to acquire one exceptionally uncommon. PSA, which took over video game grading from its subsidiary WATA last year, assigned the game its high rating. WATA has faced scrutiny in recent years, including accusations against its founder for allegedly breaking company rules by selling graded stock in 2022. Nevertheless, WATA-rated games have historically commanded substantial prices through auction partners like Heritage Auctions.
Heritage Auctions has overseen a series of high-value game sales. In 2020, a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. rated 9.4 by WATA sold for $114,000, and in 2022, another sealed 9.6 WATA-rated copy achieved $660,000.