RAID YOUR SAVINGS
EARTHBOUND
DEVELOPER: APE INC/HAL LABORATORY
RELEASE: 1994
EXPECT TO PAY £25+ JAPAN
EXPECT TO PAY £1,600 + USA
Shigesato Itoi’s cult classic is known for its oddball characters, its unsettling final boss and its relatively low sales in North America, with 140,000 copies sold. While it’s not the rarest game, its lofty reputation and a devoted fan following both help to keep demand high, as does the fact that a complete package includes items like a scratch and sniff card which is often not present. Earthbound’s price has rocketed over the last couple of years, and it now has a combination of quality, notoriety and desirability that few other SNES games possess.
The Japanese version, titled Mother 2, is considerably cheaper. It’s highly undesirable to anyone who can’t read the language and like many Japanese RPGs of the era, it sold far better in its homeland. If you’re not already a committed fan who has to have the original cartridge, we’d advise you to play the English version via Nintendo Switch Online or the SNES Classic Mini, both of which are much more affordable options.
EXPECT TO PAY £20+ JAPAN
TOP BANANA
SUPER MARIO KART
DEVELOPER: NINTENDO EAD
RELEASE: 1992
EXPECT TO PAY £40+ EUROPE/USA
It’s crazy to think that Mario’s most lucrative spin-off didn’t start as a game at all, but. The addition of the Mushroom Kingdom’s inhabitants certainly didn’t hurt, but it’s the items that you can use to your advantage that really make this a competitive classic. It’s not as chaotic as later games in the series, but if you’re a frequent recipient of Blue Shells in those you may appreciate the relative purity of the racing here.
