Uncovering the Most Valuable Nintendo 64 Games

The Nintendo 64 houses some of the most iconic and influential video games ever made, from pioneers like Super Mario 64 to genre-defining masterpieces such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Decades later, many N64 cartridges now rank among the most coveted games in the retro collecting scene, with nostalgic fans and completionist collectors willing to pay premium dollars to acquire certain titles.

In this guide, we will countdown the top 5 most expensive Nintendo 64 games ever sold and reveal what makes them so valuable by uncovering their fascinating histories and insane price tags.

Legendary Games with Legendary Price Tags

Before revealing each legendary game, it‘s important to understand the key factors that drive prices in the secondary retro gaming market:

With context set, let‘s kick things off with…

#5: Stunt Racer 64 – $460 Loose

• Genre: Racing
• Release Date: October 2000
• Rarity: Blockbuster Exclusive
• Print Run: <15,000 copies

Fun Fact – To promote the game, Blockbuster held tournaments with a real 1932 Ford Coupe given away as the prize!

Stunt Racer 64 screeches onto the list not due to renown prestige, but thanks to its strange release history. Developed by Boss Studios, Stunt Racer dropped in 2000, very late into the N64‘s lifecycle. As the name implies, it focused on outrageous tracks with zero gravity loops and corkscrews in space. Reviews praised its arcade sensibilities but the game was doomed by its incredibly limited exclusive rental release.

Rather than retail, Stunt Racer 64 was only obtainable through Blockbuster Video stores as a playable rental title. Believed to have less than a 15,000 copy production run, its availability essentially died when Blockbuster liquidated its N64 stock a year later.

This ephemeral rental-market exclusivity already restricted supply. But over the past 20 years, Stunt Racer has cultivated a cult following amongst racing fans drawn to its over-the-top style and physics. This unique formula has attracted admirers willing to pay a premium for a game many people never knew existed.

#4 – Super Bowling -$520 Loose

• Genre: Sports
• Release Date: November 2000
• Rarity: Extremely Limited Print Run (sub-5,000 copies)
• Notes: Never reprinted after intitial run

On the surface, an expensive bowling game seems bizarre. But Super Bowling stands out through refined gameplay and legendary scarcity. Developed by Japanese upstart Aicom, Super Bowling hit very late into N64‘s lifecycle in an already doomed November 2000 release by publisher Betop.

However, it arrived with shockingly good bowling mechanics and customization. Reviewers enjoyed the solid simulation, but its late arrival on a fading console hampered any mainstream buzz. Regardless, Super Bowling gained quiet approval as a hidden gem sports title.

The biggest factor making Super Bowling valuable is its minuscule sub-5,000 production run. As a small publisher, Betop massively underestimated demand. And once printed, Super Bowling never saw another run. Today, fewer than 10 sealed copies are estimated to exist. Such low volume has driven loose prices over $500 and sealed above $2,100 — an unbelievable amount for a sports game!

#3 – Bomberman 64: The Second Attack – $750 Loose

• Genre: Action / Puzzle
• Release Date: May 2000
• Rarity: One Print Run (15,000-20,000 copies)

The Bomberman series has delighted fans for years through its maze puzzles and explosive multiplayer. While the N64 hosted several Bomberman entries, Bomberman 64: The Second Attack stands as far and away the most valuable.

So what makes this particular sequel so expensive? As one of the very last N64 games published in North America in May 2000, it had an incredibly limited single production run of just 15,000 to 20,000 copies. Arriving this late guaranteed small sales, preventing any reprints after initial orders sold out. Time has only made finding intact copies more difficult.

Beyond pure scarcity, Second Attack resonates through refined gameplay perfecting the strategic Bomberman formula. It expanded abilities, action-packed story modes and dynamic 3D environments not seen in past franchise games. These features have coalesced dedicated fans willing to pay upwards of $750 dollars as praise continues 20+ years later.

#2 – ClayFighter: Sculptor‘s Cut – $1,300 CIB

• Genre: Fighting
• Release Date: October 1998
• Rarity: Blockbuster Exclusive Rental
• Print Run: 20,000 copies

In the mid-90s, countless Street Fighter clones flooded arcades and consoles, including the clay-sculpted cartoon fighters of ClayFighter. Middling reception led the series to be widely overlooked. But one odd Nintendo 64 sequel emerged as exceptionally rare and desirable today.

That game was ClayFighter: Sculptor’s Cut, which began life in 1998 exclusively as a Blockbuster Video rental title. With a microscopic production run capped under 20,000 copies, exposure was limited only to those renting at local store chains, never broader retail.

At the time, ClayFighter was not seen as anything beyond another rental fighter. But over 20+ years, nostalgia for its oddball style has immensely resonated with collectors. Enough niche appeal has emerged to make Sculptor’s Cut one of the N64’s most coveted oddities.

With both incredibly limited availability and growing cult following, this Blockbuster exclusive rarity continues skyrocketing in value, crossing $1,300 CIB as collectors scramble.

#1 – Starcraft 64 – $5,100 CIB

• Genre: RTS
• Release Date: Cancelled
• Rarity: Extremely Limited Prototype
• Print Run: ~15 copies

The Nintendo 64 crown jewel has remained mostly unseen — the fabled Starcraft 64. Over 20 years later, this cancelled game still breaks collecting records at $5,100 CIB as the gaming equivalent of a rare mint Honus Wagner baseball card. But the real value lies within the surreal backstory to gaming‘s most mythical unicorn.

The saga began when PC mega-hit Starcraft took the gaming world by storm in 1998 through its genre-defining sci-fi strategy gameplay. Console fans unsurprisingly wanted portable Starcraft, so Nintendo announced an N64 port. But as development continued, even veteran studio Mass Media struggled to down-port the technical RTS onto limited Nintendo hardware.

Nintendo reluctantly pulled the plug in 1999 despite ad placements already hyping the game. All traces swiftly got erased…all except extremely limited early preview copies made for press previews. Industry experts estimate less than 15 of these Starcraft 64 prototypes still exist after cancellation.

Today, these long-forgotten relics have become the Holy Grail for N64 collectors as the ultimate prize. Auctions continually set record sales at the astronomical amount of $5,100 sealed, and $2,800 loose. After all, this ghostly "nexus fragment" letting you glimpse what could have been goes far deeper just playing a game — it represents owning a lost legend.

For most gamers, the mythical Starcraft 64 remains a far-fetched fantasy. But whoever holds this gaming pot of gold feels similar to acquiring Superman‘s debut in Action Comics or unreleased Beatles EPs.

Further Notable Hits

While the above titans carry legendary price tags, several other hits remain pillars of N64 beloved collecting:

• Conker‘s Bad Fur Day – $205
• Paper Mario – $125
• Mario Party 3 – $120

Despite costing 1/50th as much as the top 5, these games still break into the top 20 most valuable Nintendo 64 releases based on respected price guide aggregator PriceCharting. They might not break the bank, but their broad appeal keeps them in perpetual demand.

Conclusion

This countdown encapsulates the diverse elements driving retail prices across the collecting landscape. Production miscalculations, niche audience demand, distribution quirks, publisher blunders, and even outright cancellations produced the games worth big money today.

As seen, both nostalgia and influence do play roles — mainstays likes Super Smash Bros and Super Mario 64 always cost a premium. But speculative factors often take the crown for sparking record sales spikes.

For all the N64‘s legendary titles that redefined genres, the most valuable pieces ironically remain largely unseen and little-known oddities. But they represent fascinating snapshots into the console’s history during a pivotal transition towards 3D graphics that reshaped the entire industry.

Owning these games means more than dollars — through strange quirks of fate, it lets you hold living history that reveals a fuller picture of the N64’s towering legacy.