5 Rarest Nintendo 64 Games (And How Much They're Worth Today)

The Nintendo 64 catapulted the entire video game industry forward towards embracing 3D gaming and art styles upon its launch in 1996. Many of the titles released for the console are still readily available on the resale market for reasonable prices. This includes classic Nintendo 64 games that still hold up today, which are surprisingly affordable even 30 years later. However, like with any other older console, there are plenty of rare N64 games selling for ludicrous amounts of money now.

It's these games that we're highlighting today, the obscure and hard to find titles that regularly retail for hundreds through resellers. If you're looking to buy authentic copies of these games in decent condition, be prepared to shell out a pretty penny for each of them. From limited release variants to titles that increased in value after a shortened production run, these games have appreciated significantly. 

Here are the five rarest Nintendo 64 games and how much they're worth today on the resale market.

Rather than being a more widely recognized title or franchise, the rarest N64 game isn't what you'd expect. The "ClayFighter" franchise came to a dead halt during the N64 era with its third mainline title "ClayFighter 63 ⅓." But the fighting game parody did survive long enough to release a Blockbuster rental exclusive variant of the game, "ClayFighter 63 ⅓: Sculptor's Cut." This version of the game adds four more playable characters, streamlined the menus, and slightly rebalanced the gameplay.

Because of the Blockbuster exclusive nature of this version of the game, "Sculptor's Cut" never received an official retail release. That means this game is incredibly rare to find on the market, with loose copies routinely selling for over $1,200, with just the manual alone selling for over $1,800. A mint condition copy can sell for over $18,000, while a graded copy in that condition can sell for $175,000. All that for a rental exclusive variant for the game that effectively killed the "ClayFighter" franchise.

The 1992 sports game "Super Bowling" for the Super Nintendo was already something of an obscure title for the console. Despite this, the game received an upgraded version for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, with the North American release debuting in July 2000. The game features a variety of gameplay modes, including more conventional bowling, with a revamped technical presentation. These improvements include the implementation of 3D graphics and a more robust multiplayer experience compared to its SNES predecessor.

Even with these enhancements, "Super Bowling" still was an overlooked niche title released for the Nintendo 64. The fact that the North American version released so late in the console's lifecycle also likely didn't help its commercial prospects, resulting in a reduced production run. That means even a loose cartridge sells for over $600 while a complete set can sell for over $2,000, and a mint condition set can sell for over $6,500. All this for a 3D bowling game on the N64 as a glorified upgrade from a Super Nintendo title.

The "Bomberman" series never felt like it quite clicked on the same level of popularity in North America as it did in Japan. For comparison's sake, Japan's Super Famicom received five "Super Bomberman" games while America's Super Nintendo received two. This trend continued during the Nintendo 64 era, with 1999's "Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!" being more obscure in the United States than in Japan. A sequel to 1997's more widely recognized "Bomberman 64," "The Second Attack!" came and went for its North American release, resulting in a smaller production run.

With fewer copies manufactured, a loose "Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!" cartridge can sell for over $300. A complete copy of the game, with box and manual included, can sell for over $900, while a complete copy in mint condition can sell for over $4,000. Meanwhile, Japan received four "Bomberman" games for the N64 in all, with a separate 2001 version of "Bomberman 64" becoming the last game released for the N64. But even with this fun fact, the North American version of "Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!" is still the rarest game in the series released for the console.

Another extremely rare Nintendo game you may have in your closet is the Nintendo 64 port of "Worms Armageddon." Originally released for PC, the game was ported to home consoles by the end of 1999, including for the N64. Like its predecessors, the game is a turn-based tactical action game with opposing teams of worms battling to the death. The N64 port retains the game's terrain editor mode, letting players design their own battlefields to try out in combat.

While the "Worms" series has been a cult classic for decades, the Nintendo 64 version of "Worms Armageddon" is an obscure entry for the franchise. A loose cartridge routinely sells for around $250,  and a complete set can sell for close to $800. As you can imagine, a mint condition set commands a significantly higher price point, selling for over $2,400. Compared to the much cheaper resale prices for the Dreamcast port, the N64 version of "Worms Armageddon" is ludicrously expensive.

There were plenty of vehicle-based games on the Nintendo 64, ranging from racing titles like "Mario Kart 64" and "Diddy Kong Racing" to combat-driven titles including "Blast Corps" and "BattleTanx." The rarest of these games was also one of the console's most unique: "Stunt Racer 64," developed by Boss Studios and published by Midway Games in 2000. While there are racing modes to the game, its gameplay primarily revolves around executing stunts to earn points to advance. This is done in a futuristic setting with cars fitted with sci-fi gadgets to help pull off physics-defying stunts.

"Stunt Racer 64" feels like an odd blend of a proto "Burnout" style stunt-driven gameplay and sci-fi racing. These sensibilities never quite clicked with gamers and, combined with its release relatively late in the N64's lifecycle, made it a decided rarity. A loose cartridge for the game can sell for around $450, while a complete set, with box and manual, can sell for as high as $1,500. An oddity as much as it is a rarity, "Stunt Racer 64" and its vehicular quirks fetch a pretty penny on the resale market.