Super Mario 64 becomes most expensive video game ever after unopened cartridge sells for £1.1m

Previous record was held by copy of ‘Legend of Zelda’ sold last week

A cartridge for the classic N64 game Super Mario 64 has become the most expensive video game ever purchased at auction.

The beloved Nintendo platformer was sold for $1.56m (£1.12m), just days after the previous record was set.

Last week, an unopened copy of the original Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo entertainment system (NES) sold for $878,000 (£633,000), vastly outperforming expectations.

Other than the pristine condition of the Super Mario 64 copy’s box, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the item to account for the unusually large sum of money it sold for.

The item was given a near-perfect score of A++ by collectable game grading company WataGames and features an intact plastic seal.

It is not known who purchased the game.

Experts have suggested that the two record-breaking video game sales in such quick succession suggest that the retro game collectable market is experiencing a significant boom.

Originally released in 1996, Super Mario 64 is considered one of the best and most influential video games of all time.

Last year, Nintendo re-released the game on Nintendo Switch as part of a limited-time bundle called Super Mario 3D All Stars, alongside Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy.