Mario Bros
After the popularity of Donkey Kong, Mario was given his own arcade cab in 1985. This is the first Mario game. Mario Bros also introduced his beloved brother Luigi, who looks exactly like Mario. The plumbers are in the sewers of New York investigating the reason why odd creatures have been spotted. Unlike later Nintendo brand games, this game was released across multiple platforms such as the Atari 2600 and the Commodore 64. This game is still fun to play, and if you can find it in an arcade you're in for a treat!
This complete in-box IMP 8.5 WATA-graded copy has been clearly loved, but the game has been Frankensteined together with nonmatching components. There is little sales data on copies such as this, but for comparison, a CIB 8.5 has a one-year average of $548. I believe this will go for less, making this an ideal collector's piece.
Super Mario Bros
The game that started Mario's franchise on the Nintendo! Released in 1985, this game would define the character and make him the pop culture icon he is today. This game is one of the best-selling games ever, having sold over 40 million units worldwide. This game is the PAL / UK version, which could make this an inexpensive buy for the right collectors. This sealed complete in box 9.0 WATA-graded copy presents extremely well.
By comparison, a sealed US version 9.0 WATA-graded version has a one-year average of $19,300. The last time a US CIB version sold was in August of 2021 for $3,550. At the time of this writing, the game is only sitting at $185, a low price for an otherwise great collector's piece.
Super Mario Bros 2
In 1989 Japanese followed up on the smash hit Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 2. However, the North American version is a re-skinned Yume Kojo Doki Doki Panic. The original sequel, released in 1986, was an almost identical game to the first Mario with the difficulty amped up. Nintendo felt this wouldn't fly in North America, so they reskinned Doki Doki Panic and shipped it off to us. Despite this, the game is arguably one of the best of the era. We would eventually get the original sequel, which was titled Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels.
This sealed CGC blue label 8.5 is sharp! While there is no current sales data for similarly graded CGC copies, an 8.5 WATA-graded copy has a one-year average of $2,833. I believe CGC-graded copies tend to sell for less than the other third-party grader, but don't let that fool you. This copy could break the $1k mark easily, and be a great addition to any Mario collection.
Super Mario Bros 3
Iconic. That's the best way to describe the box art for Super Mario 3. In just a few short years we went from a pixelated Mario to a very cartoony Mario holding a radish, to the more refined Tanuki design we see here. This game was praised as being one of the best for the NES, and the game would go on to sell over 18 million copies. I love this game. There's a Super Mario 3 cartridge sitting behind my computer screen - you never know when you'll need to play!
This sealed CGC blue label 9.4 presents extremely well. The current one-year average for this grade is $4,809. By comparison, a CGC blue label 9.8 has a one-year average of $60,000, making this a high-grade copy that won't necessarily break the bank.
