A copy of ‘Super Mario 64’ sold for more than US $ 1.5 million, the most that has been paid for a video game

(CNN) – A copy of “Super Mario 64“It sold for more than $ 1.5 million, breaking the record for the most expensive sale of a video game at auction.

The sealed copy of the classic video game of Nintendo 64 reached, on Sunday, a price of US $ 1.56 million, counting the fees.

Dallas-based auction house Heritage said it was the first time a game had exceeded a million dollars. The sale surpassed a record set just two days ago, when another Nintendo game, “The Legend of Zelda” was sold for $ 870,000the auctioneers said.

“Super Mario 64” went on sale in 1996 and immediately became one of the most loved and sold games in the Nintendo franchise.

It was the first edition of “Super Mario”, which included a 3D game. Its success was a boost for the Nintendo 64 console and laid the groundwork for a subsequent series of 3D video games.

“After the record sale of the first game in the Zelda series on Friday, the possibility of exceeding a million dollars in a single video game seemed like a goal that would have to wait for another auction,” said the Heritage Auctions video game specialist Valarie McLeckie, in a statement.

“We were surprised that it was there! We are proud to have been part of this historic event,” he added.

The game that was sold was impeccably sealed, achieving the highest possible rating of A ++ from the video game rating company WataGames.

The everlasting popularity of the “Super Mario” universe, which was created when the series’ first edition was released in 1985, has fueled several high-profile auctions and fueled an entire industry of nostalgic items.

Before the two record-breaking sales, the highest price ever paid for a game at auction was believed to be $ 660,000, paid in April for a sealed copy of “Super Mario Bros.”

Interest in other Nintendo 64 games also remains strong. Last year, Pokémon Snap, a classic game of the time, was reissued for the Nintendo Switch console.