# Why SNES games are so expensive

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/why-snes-games-are-so-expensive/
- Published: 2026-10-31T14:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T15:24:08+00:00
- Original publisher: Engadget
- Original article: https://www.engadget.com/2301220/why-snes-games-so-expensive/
- Topics: Gadgets

## Key points

- SNES cartridges are no longer being made.
- Rare titles such as Earthbound can cost hundreds.
- Nostalgia and growing interest have lifted prices.

## Summary

SNES games can be costly because the supply of original cartridges is finite, while interest in retro gaming has grown. Nostalgia and collectors’ willingness to pay for games they loved or once wanted help push prices higher.

Nintendo sold just over 49 million SNES consoles and about 379 million games, but many cartridges have since been lost or damaged. Prices vary with availability: a loose copy of Super Mario World sells for around $17, while Earthbound, of which about 140,000 US copies were sold, averages nearly $400. A Link to the Past has risen from about $17 in 2010 to around $45.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.