First-production copy of 'Super Mario World' leads Heritage's $2.14 million Video Games Auction
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, October 4, 2024


First-production copy of 'Super Mario World' leads Heritage's $2.14 million Video Games Auction
Super Mario World - Wata 9.4 A Sealed [4 Line Warranty, First Production], SNES Nintendo 1991 USA.



DALLAS, TX.- Over the past weekend, Heritage once again claimed its leading position in the category of Video Games when it sold all 314 lots in its May 24 - 25 Video Games Signature ® Auction totaling $2,143,969. Among the top lots were pristine copies of Super Mario World, Mega Man, Castlevania and first-production copies of Japan’s originating debut of the Pokémon franchise, Pocket Monsters Aka, which brought a new auction record to internationally released video games. Also on tap were two of the world’s first integrated desktop computers, the Q1 Desktop Micro Computer with an internal printer, from 1972, along with its slightly later sibling the Q1 Lite.

“The event presented two days of offerings where history met rarity in a celebration of vintage and collectible games and technology,” says Valarie Spiegel, Heritage's Managing Director of Video Games. “The auction featured an eclectic and amazing assortment of treasures that span gaming’s history, from the earliest days of computers to the iconic console games of the ’90s and beyond.”

The top lot in Friday’s live auction was the second highest graded copy of a first-production Super Mario World from 1991 for Nintendo. With its Wata 9.4 A grade, it sold for $125,000. May 24 at Heritage was the first time in five years that a copy of a sealed, first-production Mega Man has been offered to the public, and the Wata 9.4 A+ graded example sold for $106,250. 1987’s Mega Man is a pillar in the pantheon of video games — the title spawned numerous sequels and set a standard for action-platformers with its unique non-linear level selection that has influenced countless titles ever since.

The third highest-selling lot over the weekend and making its public auction debut was this first-production, sealed, graded hangtab Castlevania from 1987. The Wata-graded example came in at 9.2A+ and brought $100,000.

“When Castlevania debuted on the NES in 1987, following its 1986 release in Japan on the Famicom Disk System, it set a new standard for video games,” says Spiegel. “This first-production copy, as confirmed by the box’s perforated cardboard hangtab, is an exceptionally rare piece of video game history and well-deserving of its result.”

Also among the top five lots was this stunning copy of the high-graded Super Smash Bros., listed on Wata's March 2024 at 9.8 A++, which sold for $93,750. The 1999 game revolutionized the fighting genre by assembling an unprecedented roster of Nintendo's most beloved characters. The auction also saw the auction debut of the world’s first true microcomputer: The Q1 Desktop Micro Computer with an internal printer, from 1972, surfaced last year as a U.K. cleaning crew discovered it in some boxes while on the job (along with the slightly later Q1 Lite and a Q1 desktop companion printer); it was curated into an exhibition of early computers and gaming machines at Kingston University in London. The Q1 Desktop model sold for $47,500. “There are very few surviving examples of these historic items,” says Spiegel. “The shift to a microprocessor-based architecture allowed the Q1 to punch well above its weight. This early machine marked a pivotal moment in technology history and demonstrated the vast potential of microcomputers to transform both professional and personal computing landscapes.”

An auction record-breaker in this event came from another Heritage first: The auction house offered all four iterations of the first generation of Nintendo’s Pocket Monsters Game Boy series from 1996. Released 31 months before its USA counterpart, Pokémon Red Version, the Japanese title, Pocket Monsters Aka, along with Pocket Monsters Midori, marked the genesis of the Pokémon phenomenon and made it an integral part of gaming lore. The box art for Aka marked the first appearance of the beloved Charizard and predated the creation of the trading card game by six months. With its VGA grade of VGA 90+ NM+/MT NS Unopened, the copy of Pocket Monsters Aka sold for $45,000.

“This marked the first-ever offering of this incredibly significant series of Pokémon and Pocket Monster history at Heritage, adding to the prestige of this landmark signature auction,” says Spiegel. “It provided a rare chance for knowing collectors to add the first artistic rendering of the final starter evolutions to their collections, along with many other significant and rare titles that make up the cornerstones of both video games, and our longstanding relationship with the technology that allows us to enjoy them.”










Today's News

May 31, 2024

Palm Springs Art Museum receives donation of 17 artworks from Gordon W. Bailey

In Plain Sight exhibition opens at Halcyon Gallery

After hack, Christie's gives details of compromised client data

The unknown Ray Johnson takes the spotlight

Ordovas opens exhibition of 132 drawings by the Colombian artist José Antonio Suárez Londońo

The ancient art of calligraphy is having a revival

Pioneering artist Kiki Kogelnik's first solo presentation in London opens at Pace

I was a nude model for a half hour. Revelatory? Actually, yes.

A crowning achievement in a neighborhood's fight against air pollution

Holabird will hold a huge four-day American History & Hall of Fame Showcase auction

First-production copy of 'Super Mario World' leads Heritage's $2.14 million Video Games Auction

Crescent City Auction Gallery to offer quality property from local and regional estates

How a self-published book broke 'all the rules' and became a bestseller

The world needs an action hero. Enter Twyla Tharp (and Camus).

David Zwirner now represents Scott Kahn

Thaddaeus Ropac opens an exhibition of works by Not Vital

Claire Oliver Gallery opens 'A Brief History of the Future'

Goldin presents a legendary round-up of iconic comic books

Albert S. Ruddy, movie producer whose first Oscar was for 'The Godfather,' dies at 94

'Not everything was bad': Saluting the Mercedes of Eastern Europe and a Communist past

Rare Wu-Tang Clan album to be played at exhibit in Tasmania

With a body double, an artist reflects on life as a trans-deaf influencer

Carole Gibbons' debut show at Hales opens in London

Across New York City, building young dancers on and off the stage

Wayne Brady and Nichelle Lewis on striving for excellence in 'The Wiz'

The Rise Of Bitcoin Casinos - All About Crypto Gambling (2024)

10 Reasons Why You Should Try Playing Slot Games In 2024

The Art of Colorbond: Transforming Spaces with Precision and Panache

Precision Engineering Rubber Rollers: Uses and Benefits by R2R Engineering

How Long Does Hemp Flower Stay In Your Urine?

Snaptik Review: Is It the Best TikTok Video Downloader?

Navigating the Waves of Change: The Evolution of Yacht Rental in Dubai

Exploring the Compensation You Can Receive After a Car Accident and How an Atlanta Attorney Can Help You Secure It

Knee Pain When Squatting: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful