A cartridge of Nintendo's classic video game "Super Mario 64" set a world record Sunday, selling at auction for $1.56 million (roughly Rs. 11.6 crores).
The sale, the first-ever of a game cartridge to sur $1 million (roughly Rs. 7.4 crores), came just two days after a sealed copy of Nintendo NES console - sold for a then-record of $870,000 (roughly Rs. 6.4 crores). The cartridge, dated to 1987, was still in its original packaging.
Blending adventure, action, and exploration in a magical universe, Zelda is one of the most significant titles in the history of video games and one of Nintendo's best-known series.
The game was the "masterpiece" in a sale of 443 lots that runs until Sunday, Eric Bradley, a spokesperson for the Dallas-based company, told AFP.
Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which handled both sales, has not identified the buyers. Before Friday, the record for a video game auction was the sale in April of a 1986 Super Mario Bros. cartridge: it went for $660,000 (roughly Rs. 4.9 crores).
Retro video games have become increasingly popular among nostalgic collectors in recent years, driving up prices for old-school consoles and cartridges at auctions.
The past year has seen record prices not only for video games but also for NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens).