What to know
- A new ranking by PlayCasino.com has identified 10 rare retro video games that could be worth thousands of dollars, based on completed eBay sales tracked by PriceCharting.
- Little Samson, a 1992 NES game, tops the list, with a complete copy estimated at $7,010 CAD. Other valuable titles include EarthBound ($3,576), Bubble Bobble Part 2 ($2,187), and Mega Man X3 ($1,957).
- Pokémon fans may also want to check their old collections, as complete copies of Pokémon Emerald and Pokémon Crystal are estimated to be worth $1,050 and $879, respectively. Unopened games can fetch even higher prices, with a sealed copy of Pokémon Red recently selling for US$3,500.
- Experts advise collectors to keep original boxes and manuals, which can double or triple a game’s value, check completed sales rather than asking prices, and authenticate games to avoid reproduction copies.
If you have any video games collecting dust in your basement, some of the rarer ones could be worth thousands of dollars.
Some rare titles from the 1990s and early 2000s have become highly sought-after collectibles, with one 1992 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game recently selling for about $7,000.
According to a new ranking by gaming experts at PlayCasino.com, a complete copy of Little Samson, an action-platformer, is now the most valuable among 10 rare video games that could still be sitting in Canadian homes. Little Samson itself came out in 1992, meaning many millennial gamers could still have it hidden away, unbeknownst to them that they could be sitting on thousands of dollars.
The figures are based on recent eBay sales tracked by PriceCharting, a video game price guide that monitors the industry’s resale market.
Little Samson was produced in relatively small numbers, helping make it one of the most valuable retro games today.
A complete copy, including its original box and manual, sold for $5,000 USD, which is about $7,010 CAD, on April 2, 2026. The cartridge alone is estimated to be worth around $3,505.
Another major collectible retro game is EarthBound, a role-playing game that was released on the Super Nintendo for North American audiences in 1995. A complete copy is valued at approximately $3,576 USD, while a factory-sealed version could bring in more than $11,000 USD.
Pokémon fans might also want to check their old Game Boy collections. Pokémon Crystal and Pokémon Emerald also both made the top 10, with complete copies of the Gen II and III games estimated to be worth more than $800 each.
Several other recognizable titles also made the ranking, including Chrono Trigger, Mega Man X3, and Mega Man 7.
Sealed video games could be worth even more
While complete copies can ring up for significant amounts online, unopened games can be worth even more to collectors.
A factory-sealed copy of Pokémon Red sold on eBay for $3,500 USD on Oct. 6, 2026, according to playcasino.com. It added a sealed first-print copy of Super Mario 64 sold for $2,000 USD on Oct. 11, despite a loose cartridge out of the packaging only being valued at about $56 by game experts.
PlayCasino.com cautioned that collectors should pay special attention to original packaging and manuals when trying to resell, which can sometimes double or triple a game’s value.
The experts also advised that owners should check completed sales rather than advertised asking prices when looking to estimate what their games might be worth.
Additionally, reproduction copies are also common, especially when it comes to highly valuable titles. Because of this, it’s important to always authenticate the game’s legitimacy.
Full list of rare, valuable games
Here is the full list of 10 of the most valuable retro video games, based on their estimated prices for complete copies.
The amounts will be estimated in CAD.
1. Little Samson (NES, 1992)
- Complete copy: $7,010
- Cartridge only: $3,505
- Recent eBay sale: $5,000 USD on Apr. 2, 2026 according to playcasino.com.
2. EarthBound (Super Nintendo, 1995)
- Complete copy: $3,576
- Cartridge only: $539
- Recent eBay sale: US$2,649.99 on Oct. 18, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
3. Bubble Bobble Part 2 (NES, 1993)
- Complete copy: $2,187
- Cartridge only: $690
- Recent eBay sale: US$1,500 on Sept. 24, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
4. Mega Man X3 (Super Nintendo, 1996)
- Complete copy: $1,957
- Cartridge only: $480
- Recent eBay sale: US$1,499.99 on Oct. 9, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
5. Panzer Dragoon Saga (Sega Saturn, 1998)
- Complete copy: $1,708
- Game only: $1,180
- Recent eBay sale: US$1,200 on Oct. 17, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
6. Rule of Rose (PlayStation 2, 2006)
- Complete copy: $1,635
- Game only: $955
- Recent eBay sale: US$1,025 on Oct. 21, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
7. Mega Man 7 (Super Nintendo, 1995)
- Complete copy: $1,579
- Cartridge only: $459
- Recent eBay sale: US$1,999.95 on Sept. 10, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
8. Chrono Trigger (Super Nintendo, 1995)
- Complete copy: $1,267
- Cartridge only: $386
- Recent eBay sale: US$800 on Oct. 19, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
9. Pokémon Emerald (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
- Complete copy: $1,050
- Cartridge only: $324
- Recent eBay sale: US$799 on Oct. 19, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
10. Pokémon Crystal (Game Boy Color, 2001)
- Complete copy: $879
- Cartridge only: $217
- Recent eBay sale: US$767.99 on Oct. 20, 2026, according to playcasino.com.
The estimates of worth were compiled using PriceCharting data from completed eBay sales, which were then converted into Canadian dollars using the Bank of Canada’s exchange rate of 1.4021 on Oct. 22, 2026.
