Maybe you’re clearing out an old storage bin and stumbled across some N64 classics. Or maybe you’re looking to expand your gaming collection and wondering what to pick up. If you think you have some gems — or are after some gems — you might be wondering about the Top 15 rarest N64 games and how much they’re worth.
Top 15 Rarest N64 Games and How Much They’re Worth
As digital copies of games become more popular, cartridges from the past become more difficult to find, especially in working condition. Just ask anyone that’s picked these up second-hand from literally anywhere. Here’s our list of the Top 15 rarest N64 games and the price they’ll bring.
- Not every N64 game on this list of rarest games has both a New and Cartridge-only price available.
- All prices are courtesy of pricecharting.com. You may find different prices at your local vintage games shop, at a flea market, or online on eBay or Lukie Games.
You might not have heard of some of the rarest N64 games on this list. I certainly haven’t. But in an interesting twist, many of the rarest games fall into that category because they didn’t sell well at the time of release, and now copies are difficult to find. I’m listing these games in order of price, using the highest price first, whether that’s the New version or the Cartridge alone, in cases where there are no new ones available.
ClayFighter: Sculptor’s Cut
- New: $13,784
- Cartridge alone: $1,000
The reason ClayFighter: Sculptor’s Cut is so rare and expensive is because it was released as a Blockbuster rental exclusive. As such, it isn’t surprising that there isn’t an abundance of copies around anymore. It also had to compete against fighting games released in the same year like SF Alpha 3, Soul Calibur, Tekken 3, Marvel vs. Capcom, Darkstalkers 3, and Mortal Kombat 4, which put it at even more of a disadvantage. Maybe you can find one at the last remaining Blockbuster location?
Super Bowling
- New: $5,692
- Cartridge alone: $640
Super Bowling had bad release timing, coming out around the same time as the GameCube at the end of the N64’s life cycle. As such, not as many copies were made for N64, and the result is that they became some of the rarest — and more expensive — cartridges.
Entertainment Weekly reviewed the SNES version of the game and stated that it had a sense of humor, but the only advantage it had over real bowling was automatic scoring. (Although, I remember the scoring being automatic the last time I went bowling, so I guess that advantage is also gone.) However, it could be a game that’s fun to break out with friends now and again for a blast from the past.
Rampage 2: Universal Tour [Big Box]
- New: $4,650
- Cartridge alone: None listed
Rampage 2: Universal Tour has a Big Box edition that was a limited release, which might make its rarity unsurprising. Rampage 2: Universal Tour didn’t receive rave reviews, and it was overall described as a mediocre and forgettable game. But this limited edition meant that there weren’t many copies made, and as a result, it makes the list of rarest N64 games.
Limited editions, especially before digital copies were prevalent, are naturally rare now since few copies are in circulation, and even fewer are likely to still be complete and in their box. However, you might find yourself looking for this one, if only because it includes a keychain of Curtis, Ralph, or George, depending on your box.
Worms Armageddon
- New: $3,070
- Cartridge alone: $252
Worms Armageddon was released on multiple platforms and received positive reviews across each one, and there wasn’t a shortage of N64 copies produced. However, the game was released shortly before the GameCube, so it’s possible that there aren’t as many copies around simply because it came out near the end of N64’s time.
Also, players were moving to the next generation of systems at this time, so more copies were being sold for PC — for which it was originally released — and PlayStation instead of the N64. As such, the newer consoles likely had better ports on higher-quality hardware for running the game (which was an issue for the GameBoy Color port, since it couldn’t handle every feature of the original).
F1 Racing Championship
- New: $2,954
- Cartridge alone: $295
F1 Racing Championship didn’t receive a lot of love, but it didn’t have the help of a beloved Nintendo franchise to help it out like Mario Kart or Diddy Kong Racing, and it released with competition from Grand Prix 3, a more popular game. Additionally, the game had some bugs and poorly designed AI that affected overall sales. However, it can now net you some money if you have a copy you no longer want!
Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!
- New: $2,621
- Cartridge alone: $227
I loved Bomberman 64 back in the day, and I still have a soft spot for the franchise due to those memories. However, the follow-up game Bomberman 64: The Second Attack! is another title that suffered from poor timing, releasing yet again near the console’s life cycle. Even with better timing, it doesn’t seem like sales would’ve been better since it was considered a pretty lackluster game, battling sound and graphics issues.
Not only that, it received very little advertising, and the reviews were fairly average, with further reduced its sales. But now that Bomberman hasn’t received much attention lately, you might want to revisit this old title and see if its reputation was justified.
Transformers Beast Wars Transmetals
- New: $2,150
- Cartridge alone: $152
It’s interesting how a game not being popular or well-received at its release can result in it being rare and expensive a few decades later, but that’s the case for Transformers Beast Wars Transmetals. Gamerankings, a website that was shut down in 2019, gave Transformers Beast Wars Transmetals a score of 48%, which lines up with the generally negative reception it received. It also had to compete against Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, which was released in the same year and is still considered to be one of the best fighting games of all time.
Rat Attack!
- New: $2,124
- Cartridge alone: $71
Rat Attack! had a rough development period, and as a result, its gameplay was already outdated by the time it was released. Additionally, it had to compete with games like Yu Gi Oh! Forbidden Memories, Chessmaster 7000, and Pandora’s Box. As such, it might not be surprising that just the cartridge doesn’t cost too much, but a new version will set you back a couple thousand dollars if you’re adding it to a collection of rare games.
Yoshi’s Story: International Version
- New: None Listed
- Cartridge alone: $2,050
We can select the language for games in plenty of modern titles, but that was a luxury for old consoles because they often ended up being designed in a way that left them region-locked. That meant you needed the console from that region to play a cartridge from it. Yoshi’s Story: International Version is a rare kiosk demo, which means it’s the Japanese version of the game, but it plays on North American N64 consoles and is incredibly hard to find.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time [Collector’s Edition]
- New: $1,785
- Cartridge alone: $73
Another limited edition, it’s probably not surprising that a new copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Collector’s Edition) is fairly expensive considering that it’s a fan-favorite game in the franchise that would be a lovely addition to any Zelda player’s collection. Just the cartridge won’t cost you a lot, but having a new version would be a nice addition to the collection of a devoted fan.
Daikatana
- New: $1650
- Cartridge alone: $84
Despite coming from the mind of John Romero, Daikatana wasn’t well-received. There was negative publicity even before its release, however, and the poor quality of the game meant that it had the perfect combination for failure. However, the game did better on PC and overseas than the NA N64 version, so the port quality could have played a role in sales. And that failure is the reason Daikatana is now a rarity, especially how influential Romero’s games still are almost 20 years later.
WCW Backstage Assault [Gray]
- New: $1,549
- Cartridge alone: $155
WCW Backstage Assault took a different approach to wrestling games, and it was a risk that didn’t pay off. Instead of being set in the ring, all gameplay was set in backstage locations, hence the name. This led to only 200,000 copies being sold. Now, the game has become a rarity, and players willing to try it despite its break from wrestling game tradition have found it enjoyable. Now, you might want to try it for yourself and see if a ring is really necessary for a wrestling game to be fun.
Goeman’s Great Adventure
- New: $1,195
- Cartridge alone: $94
Goeman’s Great Adventure is a 2.5D side-scroller released for the N64, but as you might imagine, players preferred the 3D experience of games like Super Mario 64 at the time (Mario was “new” and “shiny” after all — not to mention a household name). Goeman’s tried to take a new approach to an old style, and while it’s considered a hidden gem now, it didn’t gain a large following at the time of its release. But time has been kind to this game, and you might want to buy it to see how it’s gained a following despite not being able to beat its competition in popularity at release.
Conker’s Bad Fur Day
- New: $1,089
- Cartridge alone: $128
Conker’s Bad Fur Day was released months before the GameCube, so timing didn’t help its sales. However, it ran into other issues in regard to publicity and advertising since it was the same style as the popular Banjo-Kazooie, which was aimed towards a younger audience, but this was marketed to an older audience and explicitly stated that it was a 17+ game. Unable to catch the attention of its intended audience, Conker’s Bad Fur Day was considered a failure.
Ogre Battle 64: Person Of Lordly Calibre
- New: $643
- Cartridge alone: $124
Ogre Battle 64: Person Of Lordly Calibre had to compete against Majora’s Mask at the time of its release, and its publisher, Atlus, targeted an older audience, which was the same strategy that Conker’s Bad Fur Day had. As a result, Ogre Battle 64: Person Of Lordly Calibre fell into a similar situation and didn’t sell well because it was unable to capture the attention of its intended audience, but its quality has since been realized, making it another hidden gem.
And those are the 15 rarest N64 games and how much they’re worth, although the listings are subject to change at any time, and the prices continuously fluctuate. Whether you’re a collector yourself or simply curious, it’s fascinating to see how the games of the past have become treasure, even if they were poorly received at release.
