UK gamers could be sitting on hundreds of pounds with these retro games

T–Mek in mint condition for the Sega Mega Drive 32X could fetch a whopping £1,137 at a second-hand video games store.  

The Australian edition of Snowboard Kids 2 for the Nintendo 64 and Mega Man X2 for the Super NES are estimated to have a trade-in value of £975 in the UK. 

The most valuable PlayStation game is the 2003 PS1 title Cindy’s Fashion World, which can be sold for £897. 

Old retro video games for the Sega Mega Drive, Nintendo 64, PS1 and more could be worth hundreds of pounds, a new study has revealed. 

Online card game site Hearts.co analysed data from CEX on the trade-in value of 320 retro video games with a cash trade-in value of £100 or more from 17 consoles. Each game was ranked from highest to lowest trade-in value.   

T-Mek for the Sega Mega Drive 32X topped the study with a cash trade-in value of £1,137. This port of the ‘90s arcade game could fetch you over £150 more than any other retro video game, according to CEX.  

The second spot was shared by two titles: Snowboard Kids 2 (AUS) for Nintendo 64 and Mega Man X2 for the Super NES. A mint condition version of these titles would see you earn £975 from your local second-hand video game store. The 1999 sequel to Snowboard Kids is a substantial £946 more valuable than its predecessor, while Mega Man X2 can be sold for £780 more than Mega Man X (£195).   

‘90s shoot-’em-up game DarXide ranks joint fourth among the most valuable games for UK gamers. If you have a Sega Mega Drive 32X version of DarXide in mint condition, you could make a swift £910. A mint condition Japanese version of SD Gundam Dimension War for the Virtual Boy would also secure you an extra £910.

The only PlayStation video game to feature among the 20 most valuable retro titles is Cindy’s Fashion World for the PS1. With the sixth–highest trade-in value of any retro game according to CEX, the lifestyle sim is worth an estimated £897, £527 more than the next most valuable PS1 game, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.   

Nintendo’s lowest-selling console of all time, the Virtual Boy, has some of the most valuable retro games. Valued at £812 in mint condition, the Japanese edition of Virtual Lab is the console’s most valuable game and seventh overall for UK gamers. Virtual Bowling (JP) ranked ninth with a trade-in value of £715, while the US version of Jack Bros placed 15th, with gamers able to secure £617 for a game in mint condition.  

Sega Game Gear’s only entry in the most valuable retro games study, Power Drive, has a cash trade-in value of £780, securing its eighth-place ranking. The next Game Gear title with the highest value is Tarzan: Lord of the Jungle which could earn you £227 if in pristine condition.  

The Australian Nintendo 64 port of Blizzard’s StarCraft is the ninth most valuable retro game in the UK. A mint copy of the game could earn you £715 from your local second-hand gaming retailer. Another SEGA Mega Drive 32X title, Primal Rage, is worth a heap of money, tying with StarCraft with a trade-in value of £715.  

The German release of Trip World has the highest value of any Game Boy video game, at £715. Ninja Cop was the most valuable for the Game Boy Advance (£321), and Cannon Spike ranked top for the Dreamcast (£240).  

Of the 320 games with a cash value of £100 or more, 60 are from the Super NES, 43 from the PS1, and 32 Game Boy titles. The Mega Man franchise has three games in the top 20 most valuable. 

Pokémon fans could also be sitting on some valuable games, with mint condition copies of Pokemon Crystal for the Game Boy Colour and Pokémon Emerald for the Game Boy Advance fetching owners £217 and £214, respectively. Meanwhile, Paper Mario on the N64 is the most valuable Mario game, with a trade-in value of £247, and Knuckles’ Chaotix on the Sega Mega Drive 32X ranks top for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise (£299). 

The most valuable retro video games in the UK 

Commenting on the research, a spokesperson from Hearts.co said: “For those gamers sitting on old Nintendo games, there is more chance you may have a valuable title that could earn you some extra money. Exactly 10 of the most valuable retro games are from Nintendo, with Sega making up a further four.  

“While it may be hard to keep older video games in mint condition to maximise their value, taking a few additional steps to ensure you protect both the game and its casing is recommended. Wrapping your games in bubble wrap can help preserve their condition, as well as placing the game and case into a larger plastic container to provide even greater protection.  

“For gamers seeking a quick DIY alternative at home, placing your video games in a zip–lock bag can help prevent moisture from damaging them and keep them in pristine condition for even longer.” 

Methodology 

• Data was gathered from CEX on the cash trade-in value of video games categorised as retro. 
• The study did not include handheld electronic games like Nintendo’s Game and Watch.
• Approximately 320 games with a trade-in value of £100 or over were then ranked according to price to reveal the most valuable retro video games for UK sellers.