Tiny print runs, impossible-to-find exclusives, limited editions: some games are worth a small fortune today. This Top 100 gathers the rarest retro games according to the RomWize rarity index, calculated version by version. For each one, you will find its rarity, its regional editions and its estimated collector value, the ideal hunting ground for collectors.
"The European PAL NES edition of Taito's Bubble Bobble sequel, PAL-exclusive on NES and never released in the US. The Scandinavian print was particularly short, and PAL CIB in the original cardboard box is one of the most expensive NES PAL CIBs in the world, regularly clearing several hundred euros. Physical scarcity is extreme, and the Bub & Bob trilogy aura makes it a mythic piece pursued internationally."
"A 1996 Hudson Super Famicom platformer, Japan-exclusive, spiritual sequel to NES 'Milon's Secret Castle' with a radically more colourful and fluid art direction. The cart was released at the very end of the Super Famicom cycle with a modest print, which makes it a difficult collectible. Intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated manual has become a target for Hudson Super Famicom collectors, and the cote climbs hard."
"A 1996 Enix Super Famicom RPG, Japan-exclusive, spiritual sequel to 'EVO - Search for Eden' known in the West on SNES. The Japanese cart is more narrative and preserves the original Japanese texts that were never officially translated. Boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated manual is valued by completionist Enix Super Famicom collectors, and the cote climbs steadily, sustained by foreign curiosity for the unlocalised EVO companion."
"The series' first Western release, under the Revelations title, famous for a heavily reworked localization that Westernized characters and settings, a debate still lively among fans. This editorial quirk makes it a study piece as much as a milestone in the saga's arrival in the West. Its modest runs support a rising value carried by this singularity."
"First Compile shooter built specifically for the Game Gear rather than ported from Master System. The original Japanese cartridge from January 1991 ranks among the earliest titles for the console and benefits from a particularly active enthusiast scene that tracks Compile label variants between first lots and later reprints. It stands as a pillar of the Japanese portable shmup segment around which pricing is built."
"Brand-new entry developed in 2020 by M2 specifically for the Aleste Collection, more than twenty-five years after the Game Gear was commercially retired. The Japanese limited edition shipped with a dedicated physical Game Gear Micro mini-cartridge produced in a very small batch, today the most coveted item in the modern Aleste segment. The presence or absence of that micro-cartridge entirely defines pricing for the box set."
"A 1991 US NES Irem platformer, famous for its gravity-flip mechanic unique on the system and its accomplished mecha art direction. The US print was short and distribution limited, which makes US CIB in an intact box with manual and inner card one of the acknowledged grails of US NES action. Graded sealed prices climb sharply, sustained by real scarcity and the absence of any recent physical port."
"The US SNES release of the Video System vertical shooter, the Western localisation of 'Sonic Wings'. The US print was very short and the cart has become a difficult collectible, especially in CIB form. US boxed CIB in an intact box with manual is one of the most expensive US SNES shooters on the market, comparable to late-cycle Konami/Capcom rarities. Graded sealed prices climb hard, sustained by extreme physical scarcity."
"The Japanese Super Famicom version of Irem's R-Type III, Japan-exclusive under the 'The Third Lightning' subtitle. The Japanese cart sports an original cover and preserves a few technical differences from the European PAL version. Intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and illustrated Irem manual is valued by completionist Irem Super Famicom collectors, and the cote climbs steadily, sustained by the coherence of the R-Type line on Super Famicom."
"A gothic survival horror by Punchline set in a 1930s orphanage, now one of the most expensive PS2 games in the West after distribution was choked by the media uproar around its European launch. Its appeal lies in this genuine commercial scarcity combined with a cruel, singular atmosphere unmatched on the machine. A coveted piece at the top of the price scale for horror collectors."
"The Super Famicom NP (Nintendo Power, on-demand writing) version of the last 16-bit Fire Emblem, Japan-exclusive. The NP format makes it one of the physically rarest Fire Emblem cartridges, and the separate retail pressing stays accessible but in lower demand. Intact NP boxed CIB is a grail for completionist Fire Emblem collectors, and the cote climbs hard, sustained by the Nintendo Power format scarcity and by the franchise's stature gained since Awakening."
"Fourth Mega Man on Game Boy in PAL form, whose European distribution stayed quieter than the North American release. The Capcom Europe cartridge is uncommon with a clean cardboard box, and the piece attracts Rockman completists looking to close the handheld run with the distinct PAL visual identity. A late arrival on the monochrome platform, with attention already shifting to the upcoming 32 bit hardware."
"Neo Geo CD port of Magician Lord, ADK's 1990 action platformer long held as the Neo Geo's inaugural technical showcase, here in its Western pressing. The CD version brings a CD-Audio soundtrack reorchestrated by ADK for the elemental powers. SNK's North American Neo Geo CD market stayed narrow, so this Western run is markedly rarer than the Japanese pressings, setting the US edition apart for a historically major title in the catalogue."
"European PAL edition of Hudson's Ninja Five-O, distributed by Sega Europe under the Ninja Cop title while the American version kept the original name. That market based dual identity creates a notable duality on the collector market, the title having already become rare in the US. Sega Europe run was particularly short, the European cardboard box is fragile, and a PAL identified complete copy with intact Sega manual keeps a particularly firm price for this cult ninja shoot on GBA."
"North American edition of Hudson's ninja shoot distributed by Konami USA, released in April 2003 with the original title kept, unlike the PAL Sega Ninja Cop version. Konami USA run was very short, considered one of the noteworthy short runs in the American GBA catalogue, which placed a clean cardboard box copy among the most visibly valued pieces on the North American collector market for cult ninja shoot fans and late Hudson production enthusiasts."
"The European PAL SNES edition of the Capcom Makaimura spin-off centred on Firebrand, released late in 1995 with a particularly short print. The PAL cart is one of the most expensive Capcom SNES PAL titles on the European market, comparable in standing to Mega Man X. PAL boxed CIB in the original cardboard box climbs hard, sustained by extreme physical scarcity and by the cult aura of the title, long cited as one of the Capcom SNES peaks never physically reissued."
"The European PAL SNES edition of Capcom's Mega Man X3 from 1996, released at the very end of the SNES PAL cycle with a drastically short print. The PAL cart is one of the most expensive Capcom SNES PAL titles in the world, also embedding the Cx4 chip for 3D effects. PAL boxed CIB in the original cardboard box has become an absolute grail, and the cote climbs hard, sustained by extreme physical scarcity and by the coherence of the Mega Man X SNES PAL trilogy."
"The European PAL SNES edition of the 1993 Konami Western beat'em up, an arcade port with strong spaghetti Western references. The PAL cart is rarer than the US version, and PAL boxed CIB in the original cardboard box is valued for the coherence of a Konami arcade-port SNES PAL collection. The cote climbs hard, sustained by physical scarcity and by the cult aura of the arcade game whose port remained one of the few period ways to play it at home."
"The American NTSC SNES edition of Super Turrican 2, the 1995 Factor 5 sequel with no Japanese equivalent, distributed only in the US and PAL. Released at the very end of the SNES cycle, the NTSC version had a limited print and ranks among the sought-after Factor 5 NTSC releases: its standing rests on genuine scarcity, distinct from any PAL argument. The US cardboard box warps readily, favoring clean copies, and demand draws on the technical aura of this Factor 5 peak."
"The European PAL SNES edition of Natsume's Wild Guns from 1994, a rail-shooter Western in the Cabal/Blood Bros. line. The PAL cart is rarer than the US version and stands as an identifiable piece for Natsume SNES PAL collectors. PAL boxed CIB in the original cardboard box climbs hard, sustained by physical scarcity and by the cult stature of the game, revived by Wild Guns Reloaded on modern consoles."
