It's-a Me... A Three-Million-Dollar Video Game

If your parents ever told you that playing video games would never pay off, somebody just proved them very, very wrong.

A sealed copy of the original Super Mario Bros. has sold for an astonishing $3 million, making it the most expensive video game ever sold.

The sale shattered the previous record of $1.56 million, which was set by a sealed copy of Super Mario 64 in 2021.

According to Heritage Auctions, the record-setting game is an exceptionally rare version from an early 1986 production run. It's one of only three known sealed copies from that release, and experts say it's the best-preserved example of the bunch.

The game received an impressive PSA grade of 9.6 A++, making it the crown jewel of vintage video game collecting.

And as if the cartridge wasn't enough, the winning bidder also received the original Nintendo Entertainment System console that the game was bundled with when it was first sold.

For those keeping score, that's $3 million for a game that originally cost about the same as a couple of pizzas and a trip to the arcade.

The sale highlights just how valuable nostalgic collectibles have become, especially items tied to the early days of gaming.

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For millions of people who grew up jumping on Goombas and rescuing Princess Peach, Super Mario Bros. is more than a game. It's a piece of childhood.

Apparently, it's also a better investment than some people's retirement plans.