An officially released copy of the super-rare recalled Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game, Stadium Events, is close to exceeding $100K in bids on eBay. The copy being listed for auction is in its original packaging and factory sealed. The game is universally accepted to be the rarest licensed NES title, add in its unopened condition and you get some way to explaining the astonishing price tag.
Stadium Events was originally an early test title released in 1987 by Bandai for its Family Fun Fitness Control Mat, a technology now found in Dance Dance Revolution floor pads. However, Nintendo recalled all copies from shelves almost immediately after it was released in the US, subsequent to licensing the game and rebranding it to make it work with their own running pad known as the Power Pad. An estimate of no more than 2,000 copies were published before the change occurred and only 200 of those made it onto store shelves. It is not known how many were actually sold to players and made it into circulation.
There are still three days remaining in this auction, and the seller holds one of only two copies that are known to exist, still sealed in the original packaging. He claims to have previously worked at Nintendo and came into possession of the game in the '90s.
"This listing is for a complete, excellent+/near mint, sealed copy of the game and the one of few to ever be sent to the Video Game Authority in Roswell, Georgia for official grading, verification and authentication," the seller stated on the auction page. "Once the game arrived safely, the professionals at VGA gently cleaned the item, verified it, graded it and sealed it in a professional quality acrylic case where it will remain for the rest of its life."
Bidding on the game originally began at $5000. The auction is due to conclude in 3d 15h and at the time of writing, the listing has had 81 bids with the highest bid currently sitting at $99,850. The seller has not specified shipping rates to the UK, shipping within the US by USPS Priority Mail Express will add about $30 to the price.
