1996’s tight-lipped Super Mario 64 game sells for $1.56 million

Unopened copy of Super Mario 64 sold at Heritage Auctions for $1.56 million, making it the most expensive video game ever.

Nintendo released Super Mario 64 in 1996. It was the first 3D game featuring their company’s mascot Mario, which would later become a genre-defining classic.

Back then, the game could be purchased for $99.

Heritage Auction says Super Mario 64 is the best-selling game on the Nintendo 64. It’s also the first game to feature a Mario character in 3D, the auction house said.

Heritage says the sealed copy of the game is one of only a few that exist in near-perfect condition. It has been rated 9.8 on the Wata Scale (10 being the highest), a system used to assess the status of super-rare video games.

The video game’s plastic seal also received an “A++” rating, Wata’s highest possible rating.

“The cultural significance of this title and its importance to the history of video games is paramount, and the condition of this replica is breathtaking,” reads the game’s description on Heritage.

A representative for Heritage did not immediately respond to a question about who purchased the video game.

Super Mario 64 is considered one of the most influential games of all time, says CNET.

It inspired the developers of franchises as diverse as Grand Theft Auto and Kingdom Hearts.

According to ABC News’ Peter Marsh, Super Mario 64 is like “Sopranos for TV, Titanic for cinema, or Dark Side of the Moon for music. “

A sealed copy of Nintendo’s “The Legend of Zelda” released in 1987 also sold at auction last week for $870,000.

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