Matt Anderson
What it also has is a fine share of some extremely rare and expensive titles. Even more so than the rarest games on other Nintendo platforms, acquiring copies of these games in any capacity – new or used – will take a massive amount of funds out of your wallet. Here are ten of the rarest and most expensive Nintendo 64 games that will set you back a few bucks to get.
10. Daikatana
$495 New | $104 Used
It’s fair to say that with Daikatana, John Romero did not make anyone his bitch. Following the success of influential first-person shooters like Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM and Quake, Daikatana was Romero’s first game announced after leaving id Software. It suffered through a protracted development cycle, earned a lot of negative reception for its promotional cycle (that part about John Romero making you his bitch? Yeah, it was on a poster for the game), and lives in the annals of gaming as one of the biggest disasters of all time. But the low quality of the game doesn’t make it any less rare. After all, the Nintendo 64 was the only console it saw a release for (a PlayStation version was scrapped), meaning if you weren’t a PC player, it was your only option. However, between the PC version being a commercial failure and a release at the tail-end of the Nintendo 64’s life, it’s easy to see why it didn’t move units. That rarity, though, has helped jack up its price today, going for $104 used and $495 new. Not only would you be paying top-dollar for a bad game, but you’re paying that much for the worse version of it. If you’re that curious, you can grab it on Steam for $7… or just find any better first-person shooter to play.
9. Conker’s Bad Fur Day
$670 New | $140 Used
Known as much for its quality as its financial bombing, the development story of Conker’s Bad Fur Day is massively known. Once another 3D platformer intended for a young audience along the lines of Banjo-Kazooie, Rare decided to change it into an adult-skewing platformer to help it stand out from the crowd. It worked for the game’s overall quality, but not for its finances. Nintendo certainly got colorful with its marketing campaign (they even did promotions with Maxim and Playboy, of all things), but in doing so, went through every avenue possible to ensure the game was only purchased by older audiences. Nintendo Power wasn’t allowed to talk about it, Nintendo of Europe wouldn’t even publish it, and KB Toys (remember them?) refused to sell it. The game box boldly emphasized that it was only for gamers 17 and older, as did the official strategy guides, which were even sold in black polybags. Couple this with a release just months before the GameCube in 2001, a time when most older Nintendo audiences had moved on to the PlayStation 2, and Conker was bound to flop. Still, its status as a cult gem and one of the Nintendo 64’s best games made it a hot commodity, something that it still happens to be despite readily available re-releases. A used cartridge could land you around $140, while a new copy asks you for $670 right off the bat. That’s a stunningly steep price to pay if you’re looking for an authentic experience. It would probably be best to grab the Xbox remaster, Conker: Live & Reloaded (which is backward compatible with modern Xbox consoles), or to play the original version through the Rare Replay compilation.
8. Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
$861 New | $120 Used
Another game released late in the lifespan of the Nintendo 64, Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber was a tactical RPG that received an American localization a year after its initial Japanese release. Beyond being lost amidst a wave of other big Nintendo 64 titles, like The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, it didn’t receive a huge promotional campaign and shipped in limited qualities, causing it to fall by the wayside. Much like Conker, though, it didn’t seem its American publisher, Atlus, realized the kind of quality it had with this game. Ogre Battle 64 proved to be a positively received game, more than enough to reach hidden gem status on the Nintendo 64. As a result, prices shot up for players looking to acquire one of the small number of copies of this old-school RPG. A used copy alone puts you down $120, but if you’re looking for a new copy, you’ll have to pop $861 on that. The game was re-issued on the Wii U eShop in 2017, meaning gamers do have a way to play the game without needing the original cartridge. The Wii U eShop closes very soon, though, so if you’re looking to buy in on this title, act now while you still can.
7. Super Bowling
$1,079 New | $672 Used
Now for the fun part; getting into the games most have probably never heard of. Super Bowling for the Nintendo 64 was… just that: bowling. It’s a fun activity, but it makes for little more than a novelty in a video game (unless it’s Wii Sports, of course). Initially a Super NES game back in 1992, the Nintendo 64 version wouldn’t hit North American store shelves until 2001. What else came out in 2001 again? Oh right, the GameCube. By that point, as Conker proved, few were really investing in Nintendo 64 systems, especially when it came to third-party titles. Gamers had just gotten their hands on the PlayStation 2 and weren’t really caring about non-exclusive games on Nintendo’s device. As a result, few copies were produced, and finding one now puts you down a heavy penny. Even a used copy lands at $672, while a new copy flies in at a whopping $1,079. All this for a game involving bowling, an activity you can go out and do with your family and friends for significantly less money (or, if you need your bowling video game fix, Wii Sports and Nintendo Switch Sports are viable options). You’d think this is the most expensive it could go for the system, but we’re just getting started.
6. Worms Armageddon
$1,106 New | $295 Used
Often cited as the best in the franchise, Worms Armageddon can be found in abundance on other platforms. The PlayStation version was recently added to the PlayStation Plus Premium library on PlayStation 4 and 5. The PC version even continues to get updates to this day; it seems like it’s just the Nintendo 64 version not getting enough love, even if production on it was not exactly “limited.” A used copy of the game will sell for $295, but a new copy is where the price really goes up, landing at about $1,106. It’s peculiar that a game like this has such extreme pricing on the Nintendo 64 alone, given that it doesn’t land much higher than $35 on other platforms. The good news, though, is that the Nintendo 64 iteration is a strong version of the game in its own right. If you feel the need to blow a lot of money on this particular release, you can at least find comfort in knowing that you’re paying for a strong version of a great game.
5. Goemon’s Great Adventure
$1,115 New | $120 Used
Konami’s Goemon series is a cult franchise, and Goemon’s Great Adventure was another title that sold well within its niche but didn’t land too far past that. It may have also been a victim of releasing at the wrong time in the gaming landscape, given its intentionally old-school platforming design on a console with a lot of boundary-pushing experiences. When it was released in 1999, Goemon’s Great Adventure’s standing as a 2.5D platformer made it a bit less adventurous to some than titles like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. With those games adding new dimensions and innovation to gaming, a side-scrolling platformer was not nearly as glamorous as it had been in the 16-bit era. Nevertheless, Goemon’s Great Adventure became a bit of a hidden gem, leading to a massive increase in price. While a used copy lands at $120, a new one will go for as much as $1,115. That’s an incredibly hefty price for this cult-classic platformer. Still, if you can find it for a reasonable price, it might be worth getting your hands on. After all, it doesn’t seem like Konami is doing much with Goemon these days (outside of letting him cameo in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate).
4. Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!
$2,363 New | $225 Used
The Bomberman franchise didn’t make the smoothest transition into 3D, though while Bomberman 64 seemed to be fine enough, Bomberman 64: The Second Attack! didn’t fare nearly as well. Much like many other games on this list, The Second Attack! came out in 2000, near the end of the console’s lifespan, and Hudson Soft did little to advertise it. It would be fair to think that some players didn’t even know of its existence, and given that the reception was fairly mediocre, maybe some players didn’t want to know of its existence. Still, that all added to the mystique and curiosity of the game, hence why its cartridges went way up in price. A used copy sells for about $225, while a new copy lands in at as high as $2,363. That’s a pretty hefty fund for a pretty mediocre Bomberman game. Perhaps your time and effort are better put into one of the more modern games, like Super Bomberman R or its upcoming sequel, Super Bomberman R 2.
3. Rampage 2: Universal Tour [Big Box]
$4,030 New | $825 Used
It would’ve felt wrong to get through this entire list without mentioning some kind of Limited Edition. They’re called “Limited” for a reason; very few copies are produced, and once those supplies are gone, good luck trying to find another one. Rampage 2: Universal Tour had a Limited Edition of its own, and it’s become one of the rarest finds on the system. Getting a “used” copy (which may not guarantee you get all of its contents) marks down at an $825 price, while a new copy goes for as much as $4,030. So what made this edition so special and so expensive? It came with a Rampage plush keychain… yeah, all that money for a keychain. Granted, there were only about ten or so plush keychains made, so that might jack up the price, but just know that’s all you’re getting. It’s also not like you’re getting a high-quality game in this package, either. While the Nintendo 64 is not the worst way to play this, the game itself is not nearly memorable enough to be worth your time. Unless that keychain looks like something you absolutely can’t resist, think twice before paying over four figures to buy this Big Box release.
2. Stunt Racer 64
$4,254 New | $393 Used
You might see a racing game on a Nintendo platform and attribute any commercial failings to the game being trampled by the behemoth that is Mario Kart. Truthfully, though, Stunt Racer 64 had a much harder road to profitability, one that had little to do with Nintendo’s flagship racer. Instead, its lack of success had to do with retailer exclusivity more than anything. Stunt Racer 64 was exclusively released to the granddaddy of nostalgic 1990s/early 2000s stores, Blockbuster. And not only was it released for rental there, but it was also a fully purchasable game only at Blockbuster. So if this little-known racer was something you desperately craved back in 2000, Blockbuster Video was your only opportunity. It’s not clear whether this exclusivity was a strategic plan based on the success of Blockbuster at the time or the result of a publisher having its hands tied and needing to make back some kind of cash on a potential flop. Regardless, being a video rental store, not every copy of the game was sold complete in the box; often, the boxes would be used as displays on the shelf, with consumers only receiving the cartridges. Thus, finding such an obscure game is already hard, and it’s even harder to find a complete copy given that many of its boxes may be gone. A used copy of the game will already set you back $393, while a new copy will jump all the way up to $4,254. That’s a lot to pay for what actually seems to be a pretty solid game. Who knows? Maybe the last remaining Blockbuster out in Bend, Oregon has a copy of it laying around somewhere.
1. ClayFighter: Sculptor’s Cut
$11,653 New | $1,048 Used
Keep Stunt Racer 64’s story in your mind for a minute, please; we have something similar here. ClayFighter: Sculptor’s Cut was an updated re-release of the Nintendo 64 title ClayFighter 63 1/3. Much like Stunt Racer 64, this was exclusively available at Blockbuster, though perhaps the wildest part is that it was exclusively available to rent. Unlike Stunt Racer 64, you could not go into a Blockbuster and purchase the game, as the only way to own a copy was to win it in an online contest. Wow, what a difference. Once again, much of the rarity comes from it being a video rental exclusive, one that consumers were not able to “own” (outside of the online contest). With retail boxes serving more as a display than anything, many of the boxes and manuals became trash at a point and became even rarer than the cartridges themselves. A used copy of the game already runs at $1,048, while a new copy will go for… get this… $11,653. Get ready to pop your yearly salary (if that) if you want a complete copy of this rare game. The only reason to invest in it would be its rarity, though: Clayfighter 63 1/3 was not a very good game, and the Sculptor’s Cut hardly makes it any better. If you’re that enamored with nostalgia, just play Super Smash Bros. instead. Or book a trip to Bend, Oregon to visit the last Blockbuster; you can make it a Blockbuster night one more time for old-time’s sake. That’s just a small window into the world of rare, expensive and valuable Nintendo 64 games. What are some other titles that would cost a fortune? Let us know in the comments.
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