Most Valuable Game Boy Games – 2012 Archive

Note: this guide is an archived version from 2012.  See here for the most current Game Boy Guide

Since this guide was originally published in 2008, we have seen quite an increase in values for boxed and sealed games.    So I have updated and expanded this list, but also took out the Game Boy Color listings (which have their own list)

In stark contrast to the Cheapest Games series, this Rare & Valuable series will round up the rarest and most valuable games for a given console or handheld so you’ll know what to look for whether you are buying or selling. Below you will see two prices beside each title. The first is the average daily selling price, which is typically the going rate for the game by itself. The second price is the highest price in the past three months which is usually the price for the new/sealed game. The list is ordered by the balance of the two prices. Note that some of these games are not rare in the sense that there are not many available, but rare relative to demand, which makes the games expensive.

Treasured Releases

	Trip World – $170 – $1353 Rarity = This gem of a platformer from Sunsoft never saw a release in North America (it was released in Japan and in Europe).   This past month saw a loose Japanese copy sell for about $170 while a sealed PAL copy passed the $1300 mark.  The game has recently been re-released on the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan and Europe (still noting for North America), but it hasn’t seemed to slow down the enthusiasm for the original Game Boy version.Shop for Trip World on eBay
	Amazing Tater – $130 – $800 Rarity = If there’s one developer that seems to consistantly show up on our Rare and Valuable lists, it is Atlus.  They always seem to make cult classics and release them in low numbers.  While Amazing Tater might not have what it takes to reach cult classic status, it is one of the hardest to find Game Boy games of all time.   This puzzle platformer is a part of the Japanese Puzzle Boy series (and the US releases, Kwirk and Spud’s Aventure), but most non-collectors have never even heard of it.Shop for Amazing Tater on eBay Shop for Amazing Tater on Amazon.com
	Spud’s Adventure – $90 – $700 Rarity = As you might have been able to tell from the titles, Spud’s Adventure is in the same series of puzzlers as Amazing Tater (and also Kwirk).   It was released just 8 months before Amazing Tater.   Of course, this title is also developed and published by Atlus and saw very low production numbers.Shop for Spud’s Adventure on eBay
	Mega Man V: $55 – $500 Rarity = Even though one might think that the Gameboy games are just monochrome versions of the NES games, the portable versions are actually quite different than their console counterparts.  So all those Mega Man fans have to give this one a try if they want to play through the massive series.  As you can see from our recent Best Mega Man game poll, Mega Man V is the most popular of the portable installments and it’s also one of the hardest to find.   Over the last few years, this title has increased in value about 40%.  A loose copy has only increased to just above $50, but complete copies have skyrocketed from $100 to $500 in just a few short years.Shop for Mega Man V on eBay Shop for Mega Man V on Amazon.com
	Castlevania Legends: $37 – $262 Rarity = Despite being one of the lowest ranking game on our Best Castlevania Games poll, Castlevania Legends is one of the most collectable installments on a portable platform.  It’s quite different than most of the games in the series, and it still has a group of devoted fans.Shop for Castlevania Legends on eBay Shop for Castlevania Legends on Amazon.com
	Kid Dracula:  $34 – $134 Rarity = Interestingly enough, the next game in our list is actually a spinoff of the Castlevania series.  This platformer from Konami is more a comical game, but it actually has characters that have later appeared in Castlevania titles.   Because it is both a quirky title, and interesting game, and an offshoot of a very popular series, Kid Dracula has become more and more of a collector’s piece.Shop for Kid Dracula on eBay Shop for Kid Dracula on Amazon.com
	Mega Man IV: $26 – $200 Rarity = While it isn’t quite as popular as Mega Man V, the fourth installment in the portable Mega Man series is still quite a hit and a challenge to find in the wild at a decent price.Shop for Mega Man IV on eBay Shop for Mega Man IV on Amazon.com
	Mr Do! – $24 – $100 Rarity = This game may be ones of the less popular games on this list, but it is one of the hardest to track down.  Loose catridges will show up here and there, but complete and sealed copies are near impossible to find. If you do find one for a decent price, I would jump on it (especially as the market for boxed Game Boy games heats up)  Typically, the cartridge alone and generally runs in the $20-30 range, but even an unsealed, complete copy can break $100. Shop for Mr Do! on eBay
	Pokemon Red: $23 – $450 Pokemon Blue: $22 – $305 Rarity = This is where the Pokemon madness all started.  Pokemon Red & Blue are the very first games in the imensly popular RPG series focusing on collecting little creatures for battle.  There were millions of copies of these games sold, so we know these cartridges aren’t rare.  However, the kids that grew up with these games are now becoming nostolgic adults and these are becoming the gateway drug to Game Boy collecting (much like Mario and Zelda are to NES collectors for the generation before).   Cartridges can be found for a bit over $20, but boxed copies are becoming fast sellers and sealed copies go for a few hundred dollar bills.   Collecting all the Pokemon games might become an expensive habit.Shop for Pokemon Red on eBay Shop for Pokemon Red on Amazon.com Shop for Pokemon Blue on eBay Shop for Pokemon Blue on Amazon.com
	NIV Bible and the 20 Lost Levels of Joshua:  $21 – $100 Rarity = The NES infamously had some Bible-related unlicenced games that made for interesting collectors pieces.  The Gameboy also had a cartridge published by The Wisdom Tree.   This one let Game Boy owners carry around an NIV translation of the Bible (complete with searching capabilities) in addition to twenty extra levels of the game “Joshua and the Battle of Jericho” that were not included in the original Game Boy release.Shop for NIV Bible and the Lost Levels of Joshua on eBay Shop for NIV Bible and theLost Levels of Joshua on Amazon.com
	Snow Bros Jr: $21 – $55 Rarity = This Bubble Bobble clone was also listed on the Rarest and Most Valuable NES Games list, but in top condition, it can actually command a few more dollars than the console version and doens’t show up quite as much on eBay.   However, this game seems to have actually gone down in value a bit over the last few years.  Back in 2008, cartridges were seen going for $38 and complete copies for $90.   Four years later, the values have been cut almost in half.   The game is still just as hard to find, so now might be a good time to add this one to your collection while it is still relatively cheap.Shop for Snow Bros Jr on eBay

Gameboy Games With Sealed Premiums

Much like the NES games, there is quite a market for popular Gameboy games that are still in the factory plastic wrap.  Here’s a sampling of the biggest prices of the last couple of months.  I’ve linked to the actual auctions for the
prices listed.   In most cases, an bare cart of the same games go for a small amount of cash.

• Mega Man III (PAL Red Tearstrip) - 3,000 Euros – Private Sale
• Castlevania Adventure: $500
• Pokemon Red: $188 – $450
• Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening: $200 – $418
• Mega Man: $325
• Pokemon Blue: $158 – $305
• Metroid II: $274
• Pokemon Yellow: $172. $185, $193, $260 , $300
• Double Dragon II: $218
• Final Fantasy Legend III:  $200
• Micro Machines: $200
• Tetris: $200
• Terminator 2: Judgement Day: $149 – $200
• Kirby’s Dream Land: $175
• Super Mario Land: $140 – $150
• Super Mario Land (Greatest Hits): $170
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: $150
• Pokemon Silver: $143
• Super Mario Land 2: $103
• Soccer Mania: $110

Additional Gameboy Games of Value

These games aren’t especially rare, but are quite collectable; resulting in a high resale value, especially for sealed copies.

• Felix the Cat: $20 – $50
• Adventure of Lolo: $20 – $40
• Gargoyle’s Quest: $20 – $20
• Captain America: $19 – $30
• Metroid II: $18 – $274
• Kirby’s Dream Land 2: $17 – $46
• Bomb Jack (PAL): $17 – $30
• Stop That Roach: $16 – $190
• Jeep Jamboree: $16 – $30
• Spirtitual Warfare: $15 – $30
• Buster Bros: $14 – $18
• Mega Man: Dr Wily’s Revenge : $13 – $325
• Sumo Fighter: $13 – $150
• Final Fantasy Legend III: $11 - $200
• Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge : $10 – $159
• Mega Man II: $9 – $80
• Mega Man III: $9 – $60
• Cool World: $10 – $20
• The Punisher: $9 – $61
• Dragonheart: $9 – $15

Credits: Rarity scores are courtesy of my friends at DigitalPress.