The Super Nintendo proved that Nintendo was more than a one-time success story after the popular Nintendo Entertainment System. The home console provided fans with plenty of video games that defined 16-bit gaming, from established franchises to standalone favorites. The console had some beloved titles that have been re-released on modern platforms, as well as hit SNES games no one remembers today. In this article, we’re looking at the games that are worth a pretty penny for those who have those original cartridges.
These Super Nintendo games resell for significantly higher prices than they originally retailed. For the purposes of this list, we’re including games that actually saw wide distribution, rather than prototypes or limited run competition cartridges. (After all, it’s a given that those types of SNES cartridges have always fetched a heavy price for collectors.) Here are five SNES video games that are worth a fortune today on the lucrative resale market.
Aero Fighters
One popular genre on the Super Nintendo was shoot’em-ups, with titles like “Gradius 3” and “Super R-Type” exemplifying its appeal. A series that got its start on the console was “Aero Fighters,” which launched in 1992. Featuring vertical-scrolling gameplay like “1942,” players choose from a variety of pilots, each with their signature fighter jet. The game even offers two-player co-op as they blast through waves of incoming enemies together, evading a constant torrent of enemy fire.
Not as widely remembered as its genre counterparts on the Super Nintendo, “Aero Fighters” saw its obscurity translate to rarity and a high resale value. Even just a loose cartridge of the SNES game in good condition can still sell for around $1,900. A complete set with the box and manual intact sells for around $3,500, while a mint condition copy of the game sells for over $4,000. “Aero Fighters” is a prime example of a forgotten game skyrocketing in price because nobody remembers it; the game is more known now for its resale value than the quality of its gameplay.
EarthBound
With all the incredible RPGs released for the Super Nintendo, like “Chrono Trigger” and “Super Mario RPG,” some titles got lost in the shuffle. This includes the 1994 game “EarthBound,” the standalone sequel to “Mother,” which had been a Japanese-exclusive on the Famicom. The game doubles down on absurdist humor and surreal storytelling as the game’s protagonist, Ness, investigates a nearby meteorite crash. While the game was well-received enough in Japan to receive a sequel, “Earthbound” was a complete flop in the U.S.
Because of its lack of commercial success in North America, the game is something of a rarity in the region. That means that a loose copy of the cartridge can sell for $400 on the resale market. A complete copy of the game, box and manual included, can sell for close to $3,000, while a copy of the game in mint condition can sell for over $9,000. A Nintendo franchise that needs to be revived, “EarthBound” certainly commands a prominent place among resellers and collectors as it awaits a new installment.
Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally/Speed Racer
The Canadian game development studio Radical Entertainment made several racing games for the Super Nintendo, including ones based on licensed properties. In 1994, Radical developed two separate SNES racing titles in the back half of the year, starting with “Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally.” The following month, Radical developed “Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures,” a game based on the iconic anime franchise mixing racing and platforming action. Shortly thereafter, Radical combined both games into a combination cartridge for the Super Nintendo, albeit one that saw a limited production run.
While the Nintendo Entertainment System saw several prominent combination cartridges, most notably “Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt,” the trend fell by the wayside during the Super Nintendo era. That makes “Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally/Speed Racer” as valuable as it is obscure, with loose copies selling for around $2,800. A mint condition copy of the combination game can sell for over $10,000 on the secondhand market. Bringing together two subpar racing games together in a single package, “Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally/Speed Racer,” is a collector’s dream item.
Hagane: The Final Conflict
Another game that was more popular overseas than in North America, at least based on the price difference between the SNES and Super Famicom versions, is “Hagane: The Final Conflict.” Published in 1994 by Hudson Soft, the game is a side-scrolling action platformer in the tradition of “Strider.” The titular protagonist is a cybernetic ninja out to avenge his clan, armed to the teeth as he cuts through his enemies. Like many of his video game ninja counterparts, Hagane is incredibly acrobatic, needing those skills to navigate the game’s platforming sequences.
You can buy a loose European market cartridge of “Hagane: The Final Conflict” for just over $200, which isn’t too bad when looking at other titles on this list. Comparatively, a loose North American market cartridge sells for over $1,400, while complete sets sell for over $3,000. A mint condition North American copy of the game can sell for nearly $11,000 as a testament to its rarity. An extremely valuable Nintendo game, “Hagane: The Final Conflict” has become a pricey hack-and-slash title.
Rendering Ranger: R2
Some games are rare precisely because they never made it to the North American market during the Super Nintendo’s life cycle. That’s the case for the 1995 title “Rendering Ranger: R2,” which was a Japanese-exclusive for the Super Famicom. A side-scrolling run-and-gun game in the tradition of “Contra” or “Gunstar Heroes,” the game has its titular protagonist defend Earth from attacking extraterrestrials. Curiously, even though it was region-specific to Japan, the game itself is still presented in English.
While “Rendering Ranger: R2” eventually was remastered and released in North America by Limited Run Games in 2025, its original Super Famicom release is an expensive collector’s item. Loose copies of the game can sell for $500 while a complete set can sell for nearly $3,000. For those fortunate enough to have a mint condition copy, the game can sell for well over $7,000. This indicates that the game likely saw a limited production run for the Super Famicom, released late in the console’s life cycle and potentially unsuccessful because of its English-language presentation.
