The Rarest and Most Valuable Sega Genesis / Megadrive Games
Are you wondering if your Sega Genesis collection has any valuable treasures in it? This month we take a look at Sega’s most popular console of all time and its most desired games. Since the console wasn’t a huge success in Japan, we will find quite a few rarities in its library, but there are some other gems from the rest of the world as well.
In stark contrast to the Cheapest Games series, this Rare and Valuable series by JJ Hendricks will round up the rarest and most valuable games for a given console or handheld so you’ll know what to look for whether you are buying or selling. JJ owns the video game pricing website VideoGamePriceCharts.com and writes a Video Game Pricing Blog which analyzes video game prices, pricing trends, and charts historic video game prices. He used his pricing statistics to find both the average selling price and the highest selling price for each game over the last three months.
Below you will see two prices beside each title. The first is the average daily selling price, which is typically the going rate for the game by itself. The second price is the highest price in the past three months, which is usually the price for the new/sealed game. The list is ordered by the balance of the two prices. Note that some of these games are not rare in the sense that there are not many available, but rare relative to demand, which makes the games expensive.
Limited Edition Collectibles
These picks range from the unreleased or unlicensed games that found their way into collectors hands to rarity box sets that saw limited production before “Limited Edition” was commonplace.
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Tetris: $3,000 - $16,000 Rarity =  So you think the unlicensed Tetris game for the NES is hard to find? Just try to get your hands on the Japanese Megadrive Tetris. It was developed alongside Sega’s System-16 arcade version, but never reached shelves after legal wranglings gave Nintendo exclusive console rights. However, that little issue doesn’t stop some people from obtaining it. Apparently, there are about 10 copies known to be floating around. See The Latest Megadrive Tetris to Surface |
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Genesis Blockbuster World Video Game Championships II: $1,200 - $2,500 Rarity =  Much like the competition carts mentioned in the NES and SNES rare and valuable lists, this little cartridge was used to promote a few games (in this case NBA Jam and Judge Dredd) and let players compete for prizes. In the case of this Genesis game, the cartridge was never meant to be distributed. It’s probably even more rare than the NES cart. (rumor has it that there are only two copies floating around) |
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Maximum Carnage Box Set: $150 - $160 Rarity =  Who says that there isn’t anything worthwhile on QVC? Apparently there were 5,000 copies of this Maximum Carnage set made and they were sold (perhaps exclusively) on the QVC home shopping TV channel. The included book includes the first few issues of the Maximum Carnage comic that the game was based on. See Latest Maximum Carnage Box Set on eBay |
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Ecco The Dolphin Box Set: ? Rarity = Most Sega fans are well aware of the underwater, puzzle-filled adventure, but you most have probably never seen this rarity. According to an old Sega Force magazine, Sega made a deal with a London aquarium which housed a real dolphin named Ecco that would be benefited by the proceeds. It was sold in very limited quantities in a handful of shops. (Check out another picture of the set here) |
The Expensive Japanese Megadrive Imports
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Batman Forever, Justice League, Maximum Carnage, Virtual Bart, WWF Raw, Judge Dread, & Comix Zone Around $280 - $700 each Rarity = These games are all plentiful and dirt cheap in the US, but in Japan, only a few copies of these games were released. Most of these games were published by Acclaim during the last days of the Genesis and the publisher actually took some extra European game boxes, stuck on a new T number and a barcode on the box, and a Japanese cartridge for the quick and dirty release. Now they are simply collectors pieces. It is very difficult to get solid prices on these games as they rarely appear. Every so often one will show up on Japan’s Yahoo auctions and they usually go for around $300 USD, but are rumored to sell for as much as $700. |
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Panorama Cotton - $ 100 - $350 Rarity = This pseudo 3D shooter had incredible backgrounds, making the MegaDrive hardware do things that the Nintendo fanboys claimed were impossible on the Sega machine. The game on its own is rare enough (about 5,000 copies were produced), but if you really want to show everyone up, try to find the game with the rare Panorama tea cup that was available initially for free to anyone that sent in a coupon to the publisher. Only about 300 of those tea cups exist and its presence with the game can nearly triple the overall value. See Panorama Cotton on eBay |
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Eliminate Down - $90 - $300 Rarity = Even though most people won’t enjoy it as much as MUSHA or the Thunderforce series, Eliminate down it one of the better (and most difficult) 2D shooters on the Megadrive. Usually, you can find it around $200, but it apparently sold for about $300 on eBay a while back. See Eliminate Down on eBay |
The Expensive PAL Megadrive Games
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Nightmare Circus - $180 - $230 Rarity =  Supposedly, this game was supposed to be Genesis’s answer to Donkey Kong Country, however, once everyone realized how crappy of a game it really was, it was cancelled in all the major markets, but was eventually released in Brazil in 1996. The game was also available in the US on the Sega Channel. Rumor has it that an English version of the game is out there somewhere, but proof has not materialized. See Nightmare Circus on eBay |
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Megaman: The Wily Wars - $ 150 - $200 Rarity =  The Wily Wars served as a compilation of remakes of the first three Megaman games in addition to an extra “Wily Tower” gameplay mode which let the Blue Bomber battle a fresh batch of robot bosses before facing Wily in the final castle. This popular Megaman title was also available in the US on the Sega Channel, but only saw a true retail release in Japan and PAL territories. It is the only Megaman game to be released on the Megadrive. See Megaman: The Wily Wars on eBay |
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Daze Before Christmas - $100 - $160 Rarity = It’s not too often you see a video game with a holiday theme, but Daze Before Christmas is simple platforming game that had a small print run on the Genesis. In fact, as far as we know, the game was only released in Australia on the Megadrive. See Daze Before Christmas on eBay |
Treasured Standard USA Releases
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MUSHA: $34 - $115 Rarity =  Shmup fans are always willing to pay good money for a quality shooter and on the Genesis, MUSHA is main target on the platform. Coming from the Aleste series of shooters, MUSHA was relatively popular in Japan but the game never caught on state side. On a side note, it was never released in Europe, so it an especially appealing import over there. Check for MUSHA on eBay |
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Shining Force II: $39 - $103 Rarity =  Shining Force 2 is not extremely rare but it is considered one of the greatest RPG’s of all time. Developed by the Sonic Software Planning (now known as Camelot) at Sega, this tactical RPG is #48 on IGN’s top 100 list and considered a must own for Genesis collectors. It also was a later release in the Genesis library and came in the cardboard boxes that are hard to keep in good condition. This puts a high premium on mint/complete copies of the game. Check for Shining Force II on eBay |
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Aerobiz Supersonic: $45 - $60 Rarity = Aerobiz Supersonic is a follow-up to the original Aerobiz developed by Koei. It is a simulation game where you run an airline and try to become the dominant international carrier. The much like its Super Nintendo counterparts, the game didn’t have much success on the Genesis but is still popular today with die-hard fans. Check for Aerobiz Supersonic on eBay |
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Splatterhouse 3: $34 - $78 Rarity =  Splatterhouse 3 was the precursor to the survival horror genre and 3 plays like Double Dragon (but with more gore and violence, of course). Splatterhouse 3 is also the last game in the cult-classic series (although a brand new game is due out in 2009) Check for Splatterhouse 3 on eBay |
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Time Killers: $35 - $60 Rarity = Time Killers was one of those Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter 2 clones in the mid-1990’s that showed up in the arcade. It made it’s mark with its cartoon-like character that could chop off limbs until their opponent is nothing more than a stub. While the game was a moderate success in the arcades, the console port wasn’t released until after Sega had already released the Saturn. Check for Time Killers on eBay |
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Streets of Rage 3: $34 - $56 Rarity = The Streets of Rage series was a popular alternative to the Final Fight series and game brawler fans plenty of fun on the genesis. Even through the third installement in the series isn’t usually regarded as the best of the bunch, it is significantly harder to find that its predecessors. Check for Streets of Rage 3 on eBay |
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Ghostbusters: $29 - $66 Rarity = The Genesis version of Ghostbusters is completely different than the other video games based on the movie — it is a run and gun game. It was released in 1990, six years after the movie — under though circumstances, it’s not surprising that this game had a much smaller print run than most movie-licensed games. Check for Ghostbusters on eBay |
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Master of Monsters: $26 - $60 Rarity = Master of Monsters is a turn based strategy game. The game is fairly rare now but sold well enough initially to warrant a sequel on the Saturn. Many fans of the series think the Genesis version is the most watered down game in the series, but that hasn’t hurt the resale value at all. Check for Master of Monsters on eBay |
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Shining Force: $23 - $91 Rarity = Like its sequel seen earlier in this list, Shining Force is a strategy RPG and is an essential part of the Genesis library. The original Shining Force has been re-released on the Wii Virtual Console but this didn’t reduce demand from collectors who want the cartridge version. Check for Shining Force on eBay |
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ToeJam and Earl: $27 - $51 Rarity = The Sega Genesis had a heaping spoonful of quirky yet delightful titles and one of the first Sega titles to set this standard was Toe Jam & Earl. This cult favorite broke the monotony that the glut of side-scrolling platformers brought. It isn’t especially hard to find, but you will most likely not find it at a bargain price. Check for ToeJam and Earl on eBay |
Additional Valuable Japanese Imports
- Snow Bros: $70 - $280
- Battle Mania Daiginjo / Battle Mania 2 $90 - $200
- Twinkle Tale $90 - $190
- Alien Soldier - $80 - $180
- Yu Yu Hakusho - $60 - $170
- Greylancer - $70 - $170
- Ristar - $50 - $150
- Contra - $50 - $150
- Magic Girl - ???
- Nagoya Home Banking - ???
Additional Box Sets
- Phantom 2049 Box Set (picture)
- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego Box Set
- Primal Rage Box Set (picture)
The Rarest US Genesis Games At Affordable Prices
Each of these games have a rarity rating greater than 6, but routinely sell for less than $30. If you are a Genesis collector and see a boxed or sealed copy of any of these on eBay for a low price, you might want to snatch them up — you may never see them again.
- Joshua Battle for Jericho: $11 - $15
- Aero the Acrobat 2: $12 - $24
- Liberty or Death: $15 - $22
- Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel: $15 - $45
- Rolo to the Rescue: $6 - $10
- Crossfire: $6 - $10
Additional US Sega Genesis Games of Value
These games are quite collectable; resulting in a high resale value, especially for complete, boxes copies.
- Miracle Piano Teaching System - $20 - $55 (worth much more with piano)
- Outback Joey - $30 - 60 (worth about $300 with custom Genesis and accessories)
- Gunstar Heroes: $22 - $45
- Rock N Roll Racing: $30 - $33
- Action 52: $20 - $42
- Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker: $20 - $40
- Warsong: $21 - $29
- New Horizons: $28 - $32
Credits: Sega Genesis Video Game Prices provided by VideoGamePriceCharts.com. The source for daily updated prices on over 10,000 video games. The prices are the highest daily price and average daily price from February, 1st 2008 to April, 8th 2008. Rarity scores are courtesy of my friends at DigitalPress.
27 Comments:
I never played the Shining Force series until researching this list. I love it. Everyone with a Genesis should play those two games.
Yeah they are classics! I own the original one, but was surprised to see it sell for so high now. Unfortunately, I think I’m missing the manual on mine
Nice list! I just found Master of Monsters with box (no manual unfortuantely) and Moonwalker CIB at goodwill for 4 bucks a piece! I’m happy to say I have several of the US titles on your list, it’s good to see they’ve appricated a bit.
I’m suprised you didn’t include the JP MegaDrive game SlapFight MD it usually fetches $100-$150. Not enough data I suppose, I’ve never seen it on ebay.
Once again good stuff, nice job Racket!
I was personally surprised to see Moonwalker rank so high — I thought it was a bit more common and less in demand. who knew!
Yeah, I didn’t see Slap Fight on eBay and the accounts I read elsewhere pointed it a bit lower than your quote. Oh well
I know, I had Moonwalker CIB about 2 years ago and it was only going for around 5 bucks. I sold it and didn’t think twice until I looked it up on ebay a couple months back. The game obviously sucks, but the real charm is the sweet midi versions of his songs you can play in the options menu plus add “awww” and “shh” and “owww” and “who’s bad” over them. It’s great, i’m keeping it this time.
Awesome post, I think my first Genesis was an Ecco bundle, present from my grandparents. Unfortunately I was too young to realize it’s value >:[
It’s wierd seeing some games (such a Gunstar Heroes) rank so high and sought after. It was released in one of those 4-in-1 cartridges. Are any of them worth money? I know some of them aren’t (such as the one with Columns, Italia ‘90 and Super Hang On), but - as a Retro Games fan, not for a buy and horde for value - are the actual games worth a lot, or the cartridges? (say there’s like a really rare 6-in-1 cartridge, with Sonic 1,2 & 3, Italia 90, Hang On and Columns on it, is that worth a lot, or because the games are common it isn’t?)
http://69105.net/tetris
I have a copy of a copy of Tetris. Even more rare?
Retro Garden, the multi-carts I’ve seen aren’t worth a whole lot, but I may be wrong…
I recently bought ToeJam & Earl with only the cart off ebay for only $9.99. I have been looking for the game since childhood and finally found one on sell for cheap and pounced on it.
you need to edit the Time Killer’s entry…. most of its value is a result of its reputation as being positively the WORST game ever released for the genny.
I loved the arcade version, but never managed to get my hands on the genny.
I’ve found that some of the older, more simple video games still are more fun/entertaining than these new games.
Very cool
It is “Gleylancer” and not “Greylancer”. It is often misspelled and that’s why I got mine for only 60 dollars.
I am so glad I picked up Streets of Rage 3.
Hmm. Shining Force has always been a game I wanted to pick up but never found…I mean I emulated the game during the late 90s but I have always wanted to find a real copy of either game…
What about Shadowrun? Wasn’t that Pretty rare.
Why wasn’t the PAL version of Fatal Fury 2 listed? The PAL version was only released here in AUS so I thought that it should at least get a mention.
Wasn’t aware of that one — thanks for the tip!
Does anyone have an idea on the value of the PAL game Flink? Just picked up a copy of this this morning, and there is only one on ebay at the moment (just the cart for buy it now £30). Mine is boxed but with no manual.
So much missing from this list!!
1. Japanese games - San San, Mega Anser are both far rarer and more expensive than things like Panorama Cotton (not especially either - just has a cult following)
2. PAL games - World Championship Soccer 2 (blue cover variant) is insanely rare and expensive .. just look at the one on eBay now to see what I mean!
3. Box sets - there are box sets for both the Carmen Sandiego games, one comes with an Encyclopaedia, the other with an Almanac. In the PAL versions there is supposed to be an EA watch with one of them (according to the sticker on the box), but I’ve never seen this.
There are also two Batman Forever box sets, a UK/European one and an Australian one - each with different contents.
I would have thought that Space Turtle Battleship would also deserve a mention, as the only Korean exclusive game.
thanks for the tips — most of those weren’t showing up on eBay for me so it was hard for me to pinpoint.
Do you have any ballpark estimates for values?
Hmm. Values of these are hard to say for the most part because (a) they appear very infrequently and (b) are not so well known as rarities (mostly), so they can quite easily go for low amounts as well as high.
San San, maybe $500 or so. Mega Anser, you’re looking at about $1200 - $1500 I guess.
World Championship Soccer 2 .. we’re about to find out. £330+ as it stands!
Carmen Sandiego box sets, not sure - maybe $100 apiece for the PAL versions, perhaps more. They don’t turn up often enough to tell really (as with the other box sets). No idea on the US box sets really, I don’t really take much notice of NTSC prices ..
Batman Forever box set - no idea. Could be anything from $100 to $500 I guess.
Space Turtle Battleship, probably $80 - $150 depending on condition.
Some of these are fairly rough guesses though, as they sell too infrequently to ascertain a real price
Thanks for following up!
I’ll factor those in when I make my revisions
Well, the WCS2 price went up a bit in the end. Final price: £750.99 !!
Definitely up there with the rarest and most expensive!!
Wow, I didn’t know that Shining Force 2 was so valuable…
I’ll keep my cartridge forever!
Yup, picked up Toejam and Earl, and the sequel for 2 bucks at the park and swap. Unfortunately Toejam and Earl in Panic on funkotron was just the cart, although the 1st is complete.
Either way, that’s a great deal!
Congrats!
Wow… I just picked up 2 Genesis systems with like 5 games for $4… including some classics and the mentioned Streets of Rage III… no manuals or anything and no cables, but 3 controllers…
WOW, I was a little shocked, when I saw some of the prizes and that there were games released on Genesis/Mega Drive that I didn’t even know about. But if I didn’t miss something on this site, I think you forgot Pulseman. It was released only in Japan, it’s rare, expensive (for a Gen/MD game) and by the way it’s really good.
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