A sealed, factory-fresh copy of Super Mario Bros. has set a new benchmark for video game collecting after selling for $3 million at auction.
The cartridge, graded PSA 9.6 A++ by Professional Sports Authenticator, is reported by IGN and highlighted on social media by journalist Chris Kohler.
The copy is identified as the earliest confirmed sealed example from the game's second production run and carries a distinctive gloss sticker dating it to around the start of 1986.
Super Mario Bros., developed and published by Nintendo, originally launched on the Famicom in Japan in September 1985 and became the flagship title for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) internationally.
The original release helped propel the NES and established Mario as one of the industry's most important characters; the franchise remains central to Nintendo's lineup today across platforms including the Nintendo Switch.
Heritage Auctions handled the consignment and sale.
The house confirmed that the winning bidder also receives a launch-edition NES Control Deck console that was part of the same original bundle.
The NES Control Deck — Nintendo's initial North American console packaging for the system — was released during the mid-1980s alongside Super Mario Bros. and other launch titles.
Heritage Auctions' consignment director for video games, Evan Masingill, described the sale as a fitting milestone for a landmark title and emphasized the importance of the cartridge's discovery.
Paraphrasing his statement: Masingill said it is appropriate that one of the most significant video games produced would achieve the most notable result in the collecting hobby, and that the backstory — the cartridge being found inside a brand-new Control Deck bundle and remaining untouched for nearly 40 years — amplifies its significance.
This $3 million result follows earlier high-profile sales for the same title; during the COVID-19 pandemic, another sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. reportedly sold for $2 million.
The recent auction underscores continued strong demand for high-grade, factory-sealed NES material among collectors and institutions.
Coverage of the sale appeared on IGN and in industry commentary, with documentation of the PSA grade and Heritage Auctions' listing providing verified provenance for the record-setting transaction.
The cartridge, graded PSA 9.6 A++ by Professional Sports Authenticator, is reported by IGN and highlighted on social media by journalist Chris Kohler.
The copy is identified as the earliest confirmed sealed example from the game's second production run and carries a distinctive gloss sticker dating it to around the start of 1986.
Super Mario Bros., developed and published by Nintendo, originally launched on the Famicom in Japan in September 1985 and became the flagship title for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) internationally.
The original release helped propel the NES and established Mario as one of the industry's most important characters; the franchise remains central to Nintendo's lineup today across platforms including the Nintendo Switch.
Heritage Auctions handled the consignment and sale.
The house confirmed that the winning bidder also receives a launch-edition NES Control Deck console that was part of the same original bundle.
The NES Control Deck — Nintendo's initial North American console packaging for the system — was released during the mid-1980s alongside Super Mario Bros. and other launch titles.
Heritage Auctions' consignment director for video games, Evan Masingill, described the sale as a fitting milestone for a landmark title and emphasized the importance of the cartridge's discovery.
Paraphrasing his statement: Masingill said it is appropriate that one of the most significant video games produced would achieve the most notable result in the collecting hobby, and that the backstory — the cartridge being found inside a brand-new Control Deck bundle and remaining untouched for nearly 40 years — amplifies its significance.
This $3 million result follows earlier high-profile sales for the same title; during the COVID-19 pandemic, another sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. reportedly sold for $2 million.
The recent auction underscores continued strong demand for high-grade, factory-sealed NES material among collectors and institutions.
Coverage of the sale appeared on IGN and in industry commentary, with documentation of the PSA grade and Heritage Auctions' listing providing verified provenance for the record-setting transaction.