While I have a pretty solid video game collection, I don't have everything.
At almost every retro video game store I go to, I’m reminded of at least one game I want, but can't buy because of how outrageously expensive games have become.
This is annoying, as I know where to get the game I want, but because I can't just shell out the money to buy it, that video game remains just out of my reach.
The video game that continues to taunt me forever, as I’d likely never be able to pull the trigger on it. Here are the top five games I want that are just too expensive.
I will only be covering prices for the North American copies of each game, because that is what I would most likely find here at a retro video game store.
#5: Crusader of Centy
Shin Souseiki Ragnacenty, otherwise known as Crusader of Centy in the United States, is a role-playing game (RPG) for the Sega Genesis that closely resembles the Legend of Zelda series, according to a May 11, 2020 YouTube video by Gaming Historian.
Crusader of Centy was the first game released during Sega’s Mega Role-playing Project, according to the video.
The game was one of seven games to be released within the span of 10 months in 1994, according to the same video.
Sega put forth the effort after Nintendo’s roleplaying video game library helped the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) outsell the Sega Genesis in Japan, a genre that was very popular overseas, according to Gaming Historian.
The game was later localized for the North American market.
To see current prices for many of these games, we must first make our way to PriceCharting.
PriceCharting is a website collectors in the gaming community commonly use to check the value of their games.
It even breaks down this info to show individual eBay listings that have sold of a particular game and the listings are separated according to several varying degrees of condition.
Crusader of Centy recently sold at $699.99 for a mint condition loose cartridge and $1,380.00 for a complete copy, according to PriceCharting.
This is one video game that has been taunting me for a while. I've seen it for sale at both Cartridge Cartel in Fremont and The Retro Fix in Campbell, two retro video game shops in the local area.
I explicitly remember The Retro Fix priced the game at $3,000, but that was a little while ago now.
#4: EarthBound (Original Cartridge)
EarthBound is an RPG for the SNES.
EarthBound is the North American localization of the game Mother 2, the second game in the Mother series, a video game series that was only fully released in Japan, according to an April 25, 2018 YouTube video by Cinemassacre.
EarthBound has a cult following and follows Ness, a beloved Nintendo character who found his way into newer Nintendo video games such as the Super Smash Bros. series, according to the video.
If you're in the market for a solid RPG and want to give EarthBound a try, good luck finding an original cartridge.
The game most recently sold on eBay for as much as $351.55 for a mint condition loose copy, and for as much as $2,995.00 complete in box, according to PriceCharting.
Luckily, there are easier ways to get this game nowadays and they don't require you to pay so much money.
The game is also available to play through the Nintendo Switch Online service and is built into the newer and much cheaper Super Nintendo Classic Edition console, which is how I personally play the game.
Even so, the game collector in me would still love to one day obtain an original cartridge.
#3: Flintstones Surprise at Dinosaur Peak
As a huge fan of both classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons and Nintendo, I would love to one day own The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak.
The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak is a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System with a pretty mysterious backstory.
The game was never sold in retail stores, being exclusive to Blockbuster, and was only available to rent, which in turn made it more rare, according to IMDB.
This game was most recently sold on eBay listings for as much as $1,899.99 for a mint condition loose cartridge, and $2,675.00 for a complete copy in the original box, according to PriceCharting.
Retro Rewind, a retro video game store in Milpitas, actually has a copy of this game.
I visited the shop this past Tuesday and I couldn't help but look at the game in the glass case.
I was mesmerized at the fact that I was even seeing a copy of the game in person.
#2 Halo: Combat Evolved/Ratchet & Clank (Sealed)
Throughout the years, I've come to really appreciate certain games for not only how good they are, but also the impact they've had on the video game industry as a whole.
Because of this, I'd really like to have a copy of certain video games such as the black label Halo: Combat Evolved for the original Xbox and a black label copy of Ratchet & Clank on the PlayStation 2 in sealed condition.
Both these games were released in several different print runs.
The black label edition of both of these games reference their earliest printings and will feature the names of their respective consoles in a black banner at the top of the game case.
At first glance, you might think this would be easy – these games are pretty common and aren't hard to find complete in their original box.
However, a factory sealed copy is much harder to find, and when you do find one, it costs a pretty penny.
Black label copies of Halo: Combat Evolved in brand new sealed condition have most recently sold on one eBay listing for $139.50, and a copy of Ratchet & Clank in new sealed conditioned sold most recently on another eBay listing for $549.99, according to PriceCharting.
#1: Pokemon Box
I am a huge Pokémon fan who constantly makes an effort to obtain nearly every game that exists in the series.
However, the price of this video game perplexes me as it's technically not even a game at all.
Pokémon Box is a utility expansion pack, meaning that the game is meant to be used in conjunction with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, according to a Feb. 11, 2022 article by GameRant.
The expansion pack also has the ability to work with some other Pokémon games. These include Pokémon Emerald, LeafGrean and FireRed, adding storage for up to 1,500 extra Pokémon in any game the expansion software will work with, according to the article.
The game most recently sold on an eBay listing for $1,625.00 for a mint condition copy of the disc itself, with a memory card and the required link cable, according to PriceCharting.
On the other hand, according to PriceCharting, a complete in-box copy of the game has sold most recently on an eBay listing for the best offer given to the seller. However, one can only assume that it was somewhere close to $1,850.00, as this was what the seller was initially asking for the complete game. This game constantly reminds me that no matter how hard I try, I will never catch them all.
