First Games Graded by CGC Video Games Offered by Heritage Auctions

CGC Video Games™ is thrilled that more than two dozen of some of the first games graded by the company are being offered in Heritage Auctions' Video Games Signature® Auction, being held on January 20-21, 2023. Over the last few weeks, we've highlighted several of the individual games, and here we're bringing them all together.

The first video game graded by CGC Video Games is being offered in the sale and bidding has already exceeded $100,000! The sealed copy of The Legend of Zelda (1986) for the Nintendo Entertainment System graded CGC 9.4 A+ (lot 28109) presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors seeking a piece of history to add to their video game collections.

A sealed Mario Kart 64 (1997) for the Nintendo 64 graded CGC 9.8 A++ and pedigreed as the First Nintendo 64 Game Graded by CGC Video Games (lot 28080) is also turning heads in the auction. Mario Kart 64 expanded the gameplay introduced by its predecessor — Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo — to include Mini-Turbo boosts and four-player multiplayer. The game was commercially successful and continues to entertain families, speed runners and those looking for a dose of nostalgia to this day.

Heritage Auctions is also offering a sealed Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1990) graded CGC 9.8 A++ (lot 28037), one of the highest grades a video game can achieve on the CGC Video Games’ grading scale. Super Mario Bros. 3 was one of the best-selling titles for the NES and remains popular in today’s gaming community.

Continuing the Mario trend, Heritage will also offer an elusive “black box” Super Mario Bros. (1985) for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Though most players experienced Super Mario Bros. in a double-feature cartridge with Duck Hunt, the classic game did receive a standalone release early in 1986 as a limited launch title for the NES. The game is difficult to find in its original black box, which makes this example's grade of CGC 9.4 A even more desirable.

Collectors looking for a rare GameCube title will be pleased to know that a sealed Pokémon Box (2004) graded CGC 9.6 A+ is also being offered. Pokémon Box’s North American release was only available for purchase through the Pokémon Center in New York City as an exclusive product. Because of its limited availability, the game is extremely rare and sought after by collectors.

CGC Video Games had the honor of certifying several Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games from the Mark Freedman Collection, and five of them are available in the Heritage sale. These include a sealed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (1994) for the NES graded CGC 9.8 A++ (lot 28046), a sealed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (1992) for the NES graded CGC 9.8 A+ (lot 28044), a sealed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (1992) graded CGC 9.6 A++ (lot 28100), a sealed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers (1991) graded CGC 9.8 A++ (lot 28069) and a sealed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (1993) graded CGC 7.5 A+ (lot 29066).

Heritage Auctions is also featuring a sealed Castlevania: Dracula X (1995) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System graded CGC 9 A++ and pedigreed as the First Super Nintendo Entertainment System Game Graded by CGC Video Games (lot 28055). Castlevania: Dracula X is considered one of the holy grails of SNES video games for its rarity and excellent gameplay.

Another featured title in the upcoming sale is a sealed Sonic: The Hedgehog (1991) for the Sega Genesis graded CGC 9.6 A and pedigreed as the First Sega Genesis Game Graded by CGC Video Games (lot 28095). Sonic the Hedgehog became an instant classic upon its release and spawned a series of video games that have entertained multiple generations.

Also featured in the auction is a sealed John Madden Football (1990) for the Sega Genesis graded CGC 9.2 A+ (lot 28090). John Madden Football was the first Madden game released on a home console. Because the series has become a sports-game staple, having the very first game is a no-brainer for any collector, and this is only the third time Heritage Auctions has offered the original Sega Genesis cardboard-box release of John Madden Football in auction.

Other CGC-certified video games in the auction include:

• a sealed Metroid (1987) for the Nintendo Entertainment System graded CGC 9.2 A (lot 28024)
• a sealed Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990) for the Nintendo Entertainment System graded CGC 9.6 A+ (lot 28039)
• a sealed Blades of Steel (1988) for the Nintendo Entertainment System graded CGC 9.6 A+ (lot 28004)
• a sealed Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998) for the Sega Saturn graded CGC 9.2 A+ (lot 28102)
• a sealed Pokémon Stadium 2 (2001) for the Nintendo 64 graded CGC 9.6 A++ (lot 28081)
• a sealed Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990) for the Nintendo Entertainment System graded CGC 9.4 A (lot 29027)
• a sealed Batman: Return of the Joker (1991) for the Nintendo Entertainment System graded CGC 9.8 A+ (lot 28002)
• a sealed Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six (1992) for the Nintendo Entertainment System graded CGC 9.4 A (lot 28028)
• a sealed Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1990) for the Sega Genesis graded CGC 9.6 A (lot 28093)
• a sealed Super Mario Land (1989) for the Nintendo Game Boy graded CGC 9.4 A+ (lot 29063)