Rare 'The Legend of Zelda' 1987 Nintendo NES Version Up for Sale; Bid Reaches $110,000 (And Rising)

A rare, sealed copy of Nintendo NES 1987 version of The Legend of Zelda is up for sale at an auction. The collector's item has so far got a bid of $110,000 (roughly Rs 82 lakhs). There's still two days to go before the auction closes. Interestingly, when the game was first launched more than 30 years ago, it was priced around $39.99 (roughly Rs 3,000 based on the current exchange rate), which was considered pretty expensive for that time. This “NES R" version was significant as it was "only produced for a few months in late 1987". Rev-A replaced this version in early 1988.

“This is the only copy from one of the earliest production runs that we've ever had the opportunity to offer, and, possibly will have the opportunity to offer, for many years to come,” said Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.

The auctioneer said there is only one variant that precedes the one it is offering. And that is the "NES TM" variant. However, it is widely believed that only a single sealed "NES TM" example exists.

So, the copy Heritage Auctions has put up for sale is the earliest sealed copy any buyer should realistically hope to obtain. It called this copy a “true holy grail among games.” If you want to get hold of the rare copy of the game that is often billed as the apotheosis of classic Nintendo games, start placing your bids at Heritage Auction's website.

Meanwhile, Nintendo recently announced the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) with some notable upgrades to the original Switch. It will go on sale later this year in two colour sets at a price of $349.99 (roughly Rs. 26,000).