I've come to realize that I tend to write about Nintendo too much. While I absolutely love all of the old-school Mario, Zelda, Metroid and other classic games available from Nintendo, we must remember, "Genesis does what Nintendon't." So with that in mind, I realized that I would do well to drop some serious knowledge about the good old Sega Genesis (also called the Mega Drive in some regions, but I will refer to it as the Genesis for the rest of this article).
While NES games are much more sought after by collectors, and the most valuable ones tower over the most valuable Genesis games by comparison, there are still some gems out there for the Genesis that are worth some serious money if you have one hanging around. While you won't be getting tens of thousands like you would for an NES World Championships, that doesn't mean some rare Genesis games won't make a great centerpiece for any collection. If you have one of these hanging around, consider yourself lucky, and if you see one in the wild, make sure to pick it up, because these are the games you want to own.
(All values quoted from videogames.pricecharting.com and are current as of this writing).
Japanese Tetris
The estimated value of the Japanese Mega Drive Tetris is anywhere between $3,000-$16,000 (I would not expect to get on the high side, but anything is possible). Why such a wide range? Because copies of the game almost never surface, and the game never actually released. Nintendo put the legal smackdown on this game, but a few copies have reportedly found their way to the wild.
If you own one of these, you are officially the king of Sega collecting. If you see one in the wild, buy it immediately without hesitation.
Blockbuster World Championships II
Like the NES World Championships, this game was meant to let gamers sample some the Genesis' top offerings in a competition setting. Unlike the Nintendo carts, these were never meant to be distributed to gamers. Rumor has it that only two or three copies exist, so it's incredibly rare. That being said, Genesis games just are not as sought after as NES games, so the current value is about $3,600, with copies selling on eBay for close to $8,000 at its peak.
MUSHA
MUSHA is a classic shoot-em-up that should be in the collection of every fan of the genre. It was extremely popular in Japan, but in the US, it was a flop. Bad sales figures on a good game usually make for a valuable collector's item in the future. There simply are not enough copies of the game in the wild to support the demand from gamers, so the value constantly rises. On top of that, the game was never even released in Europe, so it's even more popular there.
Crusader of Centy
There really is not a good reason that this game consistently fetches around $100 on eBay, other than the fact that it is from Atlus, who is is notorious for printing its games in limited numbers. Only recently has the value of this game really spiked, so word of mouth is clearly spreading around about the quality of this action RPG.
Chances are, this game is going to continue to rise in price as more gamers get wind of the quality it offers. Remember, Atlus is the team responsible for the Persona series, which is, in my opinion, one of the best RPG franchises ever. This is a game that is not only valuable, but one that is well worth playing just for the sake of fun and enjoyment.
Box Sets
There were a series of box sets released on Genesis, and some of them are incredibly rare and valuable. The most valuable among them are Ecco The Dolphin, Phantom 2049, and Maximum Carnage. These are so valuable because they are limited, and like so many box sets and collectors editions, pieces always get lost over the years. Anyone with one of these hanging around in a complete state is looking at an item worth anywhere between $140-$1,600. While not exactly a holy grail, this is still a rare and valuable part of the history of the Sega Genesis.
Conclusion
If you have any of these games consider yourself among the lucky few. These are the kinds of games any collector would love to have displayed proudly as the centerpiece of their collection. Whether you choose to hold onto them or sell them to another collector, you are sitting on a gold mine.
Do you own any of these rare Sega Genesis games? Are you currently seeking them for your collection? Hit the comments section below and let us know!