NES ‘Legend of Zelda’ Game Sold for $870,000

A 1987 copy of The Legend of Zelda for Nintendo’s NES system which was still unopened has just been auctioned off for a remarkable $870,000.

An unnamed bidder got the item on Friday through Heritage Auctions after the opening bid started at $100,000.

The $870,000 figure is surprising, but it’s not completely a surprise either. In April, someone spent a staggering $660,000 to own a rare Super Mario Bros. game for the NES that had been left unopened for 36 years.

According to Heritage Auction, the Zelda game that was up for auction is an exceptionally rare copy produced during a second, but limited production run for the game in late 1987. The game was only preceded by one other version: the “NES TM” series, which considered the first production run for the game. “But it is widely believed that a single additional sealed ‘NES TM’ copy exists, and may or may not ever get brought to market, making this copy the earliest sealed copy anyone can realistically hope to obtain,” the auction house said.

“This is the only copy from this production run we’ve ever offered in sealed condition, and may very well be the only one we ever offer in this elite level of preservation for many years,” added Heritage Auctions Video Games Director Valarie McLeckie in a statement.

The game itself was first released in 1986, first in Japan before coming to the US, and started off as one of the most iconic franchises in video game history. How Heritage Auction came across the still-sealed copy continues unclear. It refused to comment on the seller. But in the past, the auction house has said some of the rarest video games were uncovered after being ignored or overlooked in someone’s drawer or attic.