MARCH 1, 2020 | 3 MIN READ
earthbound on super nintendo
image from eBay
Almost 25 years ago, a game called ‘Earthbound’ was released in North America. Back in 1995, the Earthbound set sold brand new for $69.95. In 2020, this same game is selling from $800-$1,000!
So what makes this game so expensive? And why do people spend crazy amounts of money just to own it?
Let’s take a look.
what makes it so expensive?
Earthbound isn’t necessarily expensive because it’s ‘rare’. Rare games would be the ones that you can barely find anywhere. You can easily find a copy of Earthbound on eBay for sale right now. That being said, here are a few particular aspects of the game that make it so expensive.
the extras
Most Super Nintendo games come with a regular sized box, a manual, and the game when you buy it new. Sometimes they did release a collector’s edition that would come with a larger box and a strategy guide. That’s not the case with Earthbound. Every copy of Earthbound that was sold came brand new with an oversized box, a large full-color strategy guide, and a scratch and sniff in the back. It’s important to note that the ‘extras’ are what make Earthbound so expensive. Particularly having the scratch and sniff still in tact. If you want to get $1,000 for your copy, you better have all of the extras!
limited copies sold
Earthbound only sold around 140,000 copies in the U.S. This might sound like a lot, but compare that to Super Mario World on the SNES that sold 20.6 million copies! This is why Super Mario World only sells for about $20, despite being a super popular game.
cult following
Earthbound didn’t sell that well when it was released in the 90s. Like we said earlier, only 140,000 copies were sold in the U.S. However, throughout the years, Earthbound has developed a following of gamers who want the game. Since supply of the game can’t keep up with the demand, prices sky rocket!
nintendo didn’t re-release it
Nintendo is usually pretty good about re-releasing video games and selling the crap out of them again and again. They didn’t really do this with Earthbound, up until a few years ago when it was finally released as a part of the Super Nintendo Classic bundle.
what if it isn’t complete in box?
image from eBay
If you don’t have all the extras that came with the game originally. You can still fetch a pretty good price. The game without all of the extras, just the game cartridge, will sell on average between $175-$200. That’s a whole lot for a used Super Nintendo game!
Some people even try to piece together the game by buying the box and game on eBay separately, then selling it together. That doesn’t always work in their favor though…
there are fake copies on ebay
Be very careful if you're buying this game on eBay. It is very easy for people to manufacture a fake, working copy of this game and sell it for a premium. Finding an eBay listing that has pictures of the board inside the cartridge will help you feel more comfortable about it being real.
there are fake boxes on ebay
On top of faking the game, they also fake the boxes, strategy guides, and more in order to sell to an uninformed buyer. Be very careful when you buy pieces of this game on the internet. Fakes are everywhere.
who in their right mind pays that much for a video game?!
One word. Collectors
Video game collectors consider this game one of their holy grails. Collecting video games is just like collecting coins, Rolexes, or any other high priced items. People buy what they are interested in, and will spend a crazy amount of money on a collection.
wrap up
While Earthbound isn’t a game that we see often, we have bought and sold a couple of copies, with one being complete in box. If you have a copy of Earthbound for sale, whether it’s CIB or just the cartridge, give us a call or message us! We’ll be happy to make you an offer!
Have you checked out our Pull List yet? It's our daily blog where we tell you exactly what items are coming out for sale at Pocket Pawn each day! Check it out!
