A Sealed, Never-Opened Nintendo 64 Goes For $250,000 Today — Here's What They Sold For In 1996
Can you really put a price on nostalgia? According to one eBay listing, yes, you can, and it's valued at a cool quarter of a million dollars — that is, if to you nostalgia takes the form of a factory-sealed, launch edition, Nintendo 64 game console. If that sounds about right, you're in good company. The Nintendo 64 continues to be well-loved for its memorable games, unusual controller design, and 3D graphics. But when the console launched in 1996 — in June in Japan, and in September in North America (via GameTyrant) — things weren't all fun and games for Nintendo.
The home entertainment company was up against fierce competition from other fifth-generation consoles, namely the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. These rival consoles both beat Nintendo's fifth generation foray to market, and they used CD drives to run their games while Nintendo 64's disc drive — the 64DD — was an add-on to the cartridge-based console and only ever released in Japan (via Giant Bomb). What's worse, when the Nintendo 64 finally did launch in the U.S., there were only two games available — "Super Mario 64" and "Pilotwings 64" — and only a dozen by end of the calendar year (via Archive64).
Despite the uphill battle, Nintendo had a hit on its hands. This was partially due to a price drop from $250 to $199, which helped the console sell 350,000 copies in the first three days (per Newsweek). It was a massive holiday hit, and things were just getting underway for this beloved console.
It's-a me, innovation!
A few things set the Nintendo 64 apart from its competition when it launched. As the name implies, it had a 64-bit CPU, while the Playstation and Saturn were 32-bit consoles. The practical differences are debatable, but the bigger number helped position the Nintendo 64 as a superior system from a marketing perspective. It also came in a variety of colors, and later went on to introduce the first force feedback device for home gaming consoles in the form of the Rumble Pak (per Goomba Stomp). Additionally, it was the only one of the three systems to support four players, making for a more social — and arguably memorable — gaming experience.
Regarding the games themselves, what the Nintendo 64 lacked in quantity it later made up for in quality. Titles including "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," "GoldenEye 007," and "Super Smash Bros." are widely regarded as some of the most enduring and influential games of all time.
All that being said, collecting coins to the tune of $250,000 is a heady prospect. Is an original Nintendo 64 really worth 1,250 times its original price? So far, that's only the asking price; no one has Yoshied up yet. And with more than 20 classic titles available for a $49.99 Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack annual membership along with rereleases of the iconic controllers, it might be a cold day in the Mushroom Kingdom before this listing sells. For most people, your Nintendo 64 is in another castle.