Zelda, Nintendo's cult game, breaks a new record!

The Legend of Zelda is a cult game and even, as its name suggests, legendary. Like Super Mario, it is one of the reasons for Nintendo's worldwide success and the democratization of video games that followed and continues to this day, 35 years after the game's release in 1986. The game created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka quickly became a true phenomenon with a total of nearly 100 million games sold to date. The story takes place in a fantasy world, and it is about saving Princess Zelda. As for the synopsis, it is relatively simple, the player embodies Link, the hero of the saga facing the lord of evil incarnated by Ganon and trying to save Princess Zelda. There are more than 19 games in the Zelda saga, including several remakes and spin-offs. The saga has also given rise to a multitude of mangas, animated series, slot machines and even a successful soundtrack. The Zelda Saga is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest-selling game of all time, with no less than six million units sold worldwide in just eight weeks.

Zelda and Nintendo set a new record

But more recently Nintendo's cult game has broken a new record. This time, it's a feat in terms of unit price, with the auction of a rare edition of the game dating from 1987, at a price of $80,000! This transaction beats the record previously held by Super Mario Bros, whose rare edition still in its original packaging found a buyer for $60,000. If we can't really talk about gambling with video games, we can say that they bring in a lot of money for their creators, reported on the website https://icasinononaams.com/national-casino.

The organizers of the auction (Heritage Auctions) explain the dizzying sums by the rarity of the edition, but especially because it is in its original intact packaging from 1987. Indeed, less rare versions of the game, this time from 1988, had been sold for around $50,000, which is a considerable sum, but still well below the present record. Another proof that what makes the intrinsic value of an object is its rarity. From a utilitarian point of view, it is obvious that opening the box of the game would immediately make it lose most of its value. This copy is therefore obviously destined to remain cloistered in its precious packaging for a long time to come, if not forever...

A record and an anniversary

Whether it's a coincidence or a twist of fate, this historic and eye-popping sale also comes in the same year that The Legend of Zelda celebrates its 35th anniversary. For the occasion, Nintendo announced the arrival of a miniature Game & Watch console in a special edition featuring Zelda. The console being in a special edition it is obviously a collector, but that's not all. Nintendo is also offering three Zelda games pre-loaded on the console.

Let's remember that this is not Nintendo's first try, indeed, the Japanese giant had already released a special edition of its Game & Watch console for the 35th anniversary of Mario. This is now a ritual for Nintendo, which plans to do the same for the 35th anniversary of all the firm's classics. So, it seems that an anniversary version for the 35th anniversary of Pokémon, which should happen in 10 years, is already in preparation. The Game & Watch Zelda console will be available for sale from November 12, but its price has not yet been disclosed. Based on the average price of special Mario tribute versions, we should probably expect a price around 50 euros.