New York – A sealed cartridge of The Legend of Zelda for the old Nintendo Entertainment System has sold for a "world record" sum of $870,000 (about ¥95.8 million), auction house Heritage Auctions said in a statement Friday.
The cartridge, dated to 1987, is still in its original packaging and trumps the previous world record sale of a video game — $660,000 for a 1986 Super Mario Bros. cartridge sold in April — according to the auction house.
The game was the "masterpiece" in a sale of 443 lots that runs until Sunday, Eric Bradley, spokesperson for the Dallas-based company, said.
The auction house has not revealed the identity of the buyer.
Blending adventure, action and exploration in a magical universe, Zelda is one of the most significant titles in the history of video games and one of Nintendo's best-known series.
Retro video games have become increasingly popular with nostalgic collectors in recent years, driving up prices for old-school consoles and cartridges at auctions.
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