Update (7/9/2021 4:20 PM EDT): According to Heritage Auctions, the sealed NES R copy of The Legend of Zelda has sold for a massive, record-breaking sum of $870,000. The original story continues below.

A rare, early production copy of 1987 sealed The Legend of Zelda NES cartridge has been put on auction, with the current bid at a whopping $110,000. Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda franchise celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, and the company has decided to mark the occasion with the release of a Zelda Game & Watch, along with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for the Switch.

The next release in the Zelda franchise is a high definition remaster of the critically acclaimed 2011 Wii title, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Slated for release on July 16, the HD Switch version of the game will run at 60 fps, and also bring quality of life fixes such as allowing the player to choose whether to interact with the notoriously annoying spirit guide, Fi.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Described as “a true grail among games” on its listing at Heritage Auctions, a sealed early production of 1987’s The Legend of Zelda NES cartridge is currently up for bidding until July 9, with the current bid sitting a staggering sum of $110,000. According to the auction site, what makes this cartridge particularly special is that its variant, with the print of “NES R” was produced for merely a few months in 1987, after which it was promptly replaced by another variant called “Rev-A”, something that seasoned Zelda collectors may be well aware of. Other than the current cartridge on offer, only one other variant from the first-ever production run of the game would be worth more, however, only one sealed copy is believed to be in existence. Thus, this copy of The Legend of Zelda is currently considered to be the earliest sealed and near-mint condition copy of the game that collectors can obtain.

The sealed cartridge has been professionally graded by WataGames, earning an impressive 9.0 out of a possible 10 points. For fans looking for a more affordable version of the game, a sealed, “Rev-A” version of The Legend of Zelda with a 9.0 grading is also on offer at Heritage Auctions, with the current bid at a significantly lower price of $16,500. While there are still a few days to go before the auction finishes, this copy is far from the most expensive video game ever sold, with the title currently held by a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. that sold for an astronomical price of $660,000 in April this year.

It’s unsurprising that such a rare collectible of one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises would fetch such a high price, considering the amount similar items have fetched in the past few years. While the rarity of these older collectibles means they are sadly unobtainable for many The Legend of Zelda fans, the upcoming release of Skyward Sword HD will bring with it some easier-to-obtain collectibles in the form of special edition Joy-Con and a Zelda and Loftwing amiibo.

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Source: Heritage Auctions

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Carol Zhang
(173 Articles Published)

Carol is a Games Writer based in Melbourne, Australia. An avid gamer most of her life, she has a Bachelors Degree in Games Design. Her favourite games include The Witcher 3, The Mass Effect Trilogy, and Dragon Age. Aside from that, she loves cats, Daft Punk, and soup.

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