The $17,500 video game

[THUNDERDUCK]

Think $60 video games are too expensive? You won't hear any argument from us, but you might from JJ Hendricks, a collector who just paid a clinically insane $17,500 for an obscure NES game from 1990.

The game in question is an ultra-rare, gold-colored version of Nintendo World Championships, a cartridge specially produced for use in a Nintendo-sponsored gaming contest. According to Wikipedia only 26 were created, and Hendricks calls it the "Holy Grail" of video game collectors.

The game itself has a time limit of just 6 minutes and 21 seconds and consists of three short segments from other NES games: Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and Rad Racer. Players are scored according to their performance in each game, and their scores are totaled once the time limit expires. Doesn't sound too riveting to us, but then somehow we doubt Hendricks is in it for the gameplay.

And while $17,500 might seem a bit much for a collection of ones and zeroes, Hendricks actually got a bargain: the game was originally listed on eBay for a cool $25,000.

[JTRIX]

shit man.... try to find a game that can worth $17500 nowadays!

[Asmodai]

What said is that it's probably more money than it cost them to design and make the game.

[Flyp]

And yet with a 6 minutes and 21 seconds time limit, it still had more gameplay than most $60 games today

[Rick-e]

read about this a few days ago on kotaku. As crazy as his purchase sounds, I heard it's actually a pretty good investment. I heard he already have someone offer him 20k for the game.

[Slack]

Sounds like the game that was used in the final contest of the 1989 move "The Wizard". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098663/

[vroom87]

jeez, that's when you know you have too much money..

[JFC]

And yet with a 6 minutes and 21 seconds time limit, it still had more gameplay than most $60 games today

Osnap!