Why old SNES games now cost so much to buy
Scarcity, nostalgia and new fans from YouTube and speedrunning keep SNES cartridge prices high in 2026.
The facts
- According to Engadget, the SNES sold just over 49 million units and just over 379 million games, far fewer than the Wii's over 921 million games.
- Rare titles cost the most: a loose Earthbound copy averages almost $400, while Super Mario World goes for around $17 on eBay.
- Engadget says Zelda: A Link to the Past sold for about $17 in 2010 and now averages around $45; Super Metroid averages just over $90.
- A 2025 study of the British public, cited by Engadget, found 45 percent of the 71 percent who wished they had owned a piece of retro tech were looking into buying it.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
This is a simple supply and demand story. Nintendo stopped making the cartridges decades ago, and many of the copies that were sold have since broken or gone missing. Meanwhile, adults who grew up on these games now have money to spend, and YouTube and speedrunning keep bringing in new fans. Scarcity plus attention sets the price. Not the game itself.
For builders
Remakes, emulators and Nintendo's online library have not killed demand for the original cartridges. Collectors still want the physical copy, so there is room for tools that track prices, verify authenticity and grade condition.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from Engadget's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.