Retro Video Games Pricing Guide: NES, SNES, N64, and Game Boy Values for the Holidays

Retro video games are one of the biggest December sellers in resale. Common loose cartridges for the NES, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy sell for $5–$30, tested consoles bring $50–$150, and a handful of titles like EarthBound and Chrono Trigger bring $150 or more loose. Complete-in-box copies and working, cleaned consoles sell fastest as gifts. Get them tested and listed by early November.

Why Retro Games Peak in December

Retro gaming is a gift category with a built-in story: a parent buys the Nintendo they had as a kid to share with their own children, or a partner hunts down a favorite childhood game. Those buyers want something that works the moment it is unwrapped. A console with both controllers, the cables, and two or three games sells faster than the same items listed separately, and often for more.

How to Identify and Test

• Read the label and the back. Real Nintendo cartridges have the Nintendo seal and model numbers on the back label, such as NES-SM-USA for Super Mario Bros.
• Check the circuit board. On Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games, the board should be stamped Nintendo with a date code. Fakes often have a black blob chip and no Nintendo marking.
• Test every game. Clean the contacts with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab, then play long enough to reach the title screen and start a game.
• Check save batteries. Older RPG and Zelda carts hold saves on a small battery. A dead battery is common and fixable, but disclose it.
• Test consoles fully. Every controller port, every button, the reset and power switches, and the video output.

Retro Game Price Ranges (2026 Sold Prices, Loose Unless Noted)

Consoles (Tested, With Cables and One Controller)

• NES (original toaster style): $60–$120
• Super Nintendo: $80–$150
• Nintendo 64: $70–$130
• GameCube: $80–$150
• Original Game Boy (gray): $50–$100 with a clean screen
• Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance: $50–$100
• Sega Genesis: $40–$80
• PlayStation 1 or PlayStation 2: $40–$90
• Untested or for parts: usually 30–50% of the tested price

Games

• NES common sports and pack-in titles: $3–$10
• NES The Legend of Zelda (gold cart): $20–$40
• NES Mega Man series, Castlevania, Kirby's Adventure: $20–$60
• SNES Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country: $15–$35
• SNES Super Metroid, Zelda: A Link to the Past: $35–$60
• SNES Chrono Trigger or EarthBound: $150–$300
• N64 Super Mario 64, GoldenEye, Mario Kart 64: $25–$50
• N64 Zelda: Ocarina of Time (gold cart): $40–$80
• Game Boy Pokemon Red, Blue, or Yellow (authentic): $25–$50
• Game Boy Advance Pokemon Emerald (authentic): $60–$120
• Common PS1 and PS2 discs: $3–$15

Boxed and Sealed

• Complete in box (game, box, manual): often 2–4x the loose price for Nintendo titles
• Console in the original box with inserts: add $40–$150
• Factory sealed games: wide range; graded sealed copies are a separate collector market

Fakes and Reproductions

Reproduction cartridges are the biggest problem in retro games. Pokemon titles for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance are faked by the thousands, along with high-dollar SNES and N64 games. Warning signs:

• A label that is too glossy, slightly blurry, or misaligned.
• The wrong screws, or a cartridge shell that feels light or flexes.
• A circuit board without Nintendo markings, or a single black epoxy chip.
• On Pokemon Emerald, a save that does not hold or a clock that never runs.
• A pile of expensive games at low prices from one seller.

Always open or inspect high-value carts before you pay real money. Selling a reproduction as original, even by accident, will cost you the sale and possibly your seller account.

When and Where Retro Games Sell Best

Get consoles tested and cleaned in October and listed by early November. Online, demand builds through Black Friday and Cyber Monday and stays strong until about December 12. Ship with tracking and pack consoles in a box, not a bag.

In a booth, retro games are a strong draw, but they need a locked case. Put tested consoles in a clear bin with a printed “tested and working” tag. A shelf of $5 and $10 loose games near the register sells to browsers and makes a good add-on. Bundle a console with a few common games at a round price for gift shoppers; the bundle is easier to buy than picking parts.

January is the slow month for consoles because people received them as gifts. It is also a good time to buy: lots of people sell old systems after upgrading.

Bundles, Accessories, and Small Extras

Accessories add up. Original controllers, power supplies, and video cables are some of the most requested items in December because gift buyers discover their old console is missing a piece. Price them separately:

• Original NES, SNES, or N64 controller: $10–$30
• N64 Expansion Pak or Rumble Pak (genuine): $15–$45
• NES Zapper light gun: $10–$25
• Original power supplies and AV cables: $8–$20
• Game Boy carrying cases and link cables: $5–$20
• Strategy guides (Nintendo Power, Prima, BradyGames): $5–$40

When building a gift bundle, include everything someone needs to play on Christmas morning: console, power, video cable, at least one controller, and a game. Many modern TVs no longer have the old composite inputs, so a note that says “works on TVs with red, white, and yellow inputs” saves headaches. Some sellers include an inexpensive HDMI adapter and price it in, which removes the biggest worry gift buyers have.

Clean everything. A yellowed console still sells, but a dusty one with sticky controllers does not. Wipe consoles down, clean controller buttons, and polish cartridge labels gently.

Handhelds and Screens

Original Game Boys are popular gifts, but the screen decides the price. Check for dead pixel lines across the screen, scratches on the lens, and a faded or dim display. A Game Boy with vertical lines is worth much less than one with a clean screen. Modded Game Boys with backlit screens and new shells sell well too, often for more than an original, but they should always be listed as modified. Game Boy Advance SP models with the brighter AGS-101 screen sell for more than the original SP. Check the battery cover and the charger on any handheld before you price it; missing covers and chargers are the most common complaints.

Common Pricing Mistakes

• Listing untested consoles at tested prices.
• Pricing loose carts at complete-in-box prices.
• Missing a reproduction among a stack of real games.
• Selling a bin of sports games and PS2 discs at $1 each without picking out the few that are worth $20 or more.

Know What a Stack of Carts Is Worth

Bought a shoebox of games at an estate sale? PocketPrice prices each one from a photo, tuned to where you sell. See our electronics price guide and vintage board games guide for more gift-season stock.