The Nintendo 64 era looked like a time where Nintendo wasn’t afraid to take risks and the variety in console designs is an example of that. From a variety of translucent colors to editions featuring popular video game characters, the N64 had one of the most varied and striking console designs. It feels like an era in video game history where Nintendo was all about expressionism and making a powerful piece of work.
Some colors were more popular, and those that displayed Pikachu are now a hot collector’s item. Even in comparison to those, there are rarer or more obscure N64 releases that fetch an interesting price. It’s certainly a console with an eye-catching view.
13 Standard Grey Model ($40)
Obviously, the original N64 would be the lowest by default due to the number of models sold. A fully boxed model can still fetch a decent price, but the console sold alone can be as cheap as $40. It is the base console and was for some time, especially in the West, so it is a console most N64 consumers owned.
Even those who collect N64s will mostly all have a grey model, and because it has a low rarity, the console is placed bottom of the list. There’s nothing quite like picking up that unique controller for it though.
12 Daiei Hawks ($230)
Despite being a console exclusive to Japan, the selling price for this orange and black model that are the colors of the popular Japanese Baseball team do not sell at a high value. One would think investors would have driven up the value of the console, with its exclusivity.
It seems to be a console that is usually found without its box which could explain the low price, but even with multiple controllers, the Daiei Hawks model strikes out as one of the lowest on this list.
11 Fire Orange ($300)
In Kentucky, a Fire Orange N64 sold for $300, which seems fairly cheap in comparison to what’s to come. On the other hand, this wasn’t even a complete model, as it wasn’t boxed and was just the console and matching controller.
Browsing through this model’s sale history, finding a boxed version is rare and most models sell between $200 and $300 — and that can be with one controller or none at all. It looks like the Fire Orange is either a fan favorite to not be sold, or one that collectors don’t favor as much.
10 JUSCO 30th Anniversary Console ($411)
Another Japan-exclusive with an unexpectedly low selling price is the JUSCO model, which was made in celebration of the store’s 30th anniversary. This model had a similar design to the Smoke N64, but it is another that is usually found without its box.
That being said, $411 is probably quite high for just a console and two controllers. But it’s probable that fewer of these consoles were made, and obviously, it was to a specific market. That being said, you would expect this model to be both rarer and more expensive to sell overseas.
9 Western Pikachu Edition ($445)
In Germany, the Western version of the Pikachu N64 that came in a blue/yellow finish was sold to a buyer for $445. It’s certainly one of the more popular N64 consoles and was a talking point if you owned it. The Pikachu printed on the top of the model jacked up the price from the start and is a striking design in comparison to other models.
With the release of games like Pokemon Snap and Pokemon Stadium, this became a popular console amongst players. Even at a lower price, it’s quite a valuable investment.
8 Watermelon Red ($570)
Part of the Funtastic Series, the Watermelon Red model was available in the West and has varied in price over the years. Its highest selling price was $570 in July of this year in Derby, England. Its color is certainly one of the more detailed of the translucent models and red is usually known to be a popular color.
This was a boxed model, which means if you only had the console and accessories, it could value at half the price. With any piece of gaming tech, the more of it you have, and the better the condition, the higher the price.
7 Ice Blue ($580)
In the state of Maryland, an Ice Blue N64 was sold for $580, which seems to be its highest price. This was a boxed model and didn’t even include the AV cords for a TV connection. So, even a console that’s not in perfect condition and missing parts can still sell for a high value.
More complete models that were also boxed have sold for much less — around $100 less than this listing. If this model was able to sell at this price and be incomplete, it has every possibility that it will become a lot more expensive in time with the right components.
6 Gold ($600)
This model was never released in Europe and was a Toys ‘R Us exclusive in the US. It came with two controllers, and due to having a similar color to Zelda cartridges, it was dubbed the Zelda Console. The highest selling price came from Chiba, Japan, where it sold for $600.
This was a boxed edition, and other listings have sold around that price, due to its rarity. A lot of the gold models sell at their highest price in Japan and there’s no doubt Western collectors will invest large amounts of money on them to complete their collection.
5 Smoke Black ($700)
It seems as though Derby, England is the place to be for rare N64 consoles, as a fully boxed Smoke Black model sold there for $700. There aren’t as many listings for this Funtastic model, which makes its high selling price make a lot of sense.
With there being next-to-no listings of this console, its value, especially when fully boxed with manuals and all, should be a lot higher. However, previous sales without the box have been around $200 to $250. Its design is certainly not as striking as other models, but its value is surprising.
4 Grape Purple ($850)
A seller in the US managed to earn themselves $850 on a factory-sealed Grape Purple N64. One of the most attractive models from the Funtastic Series used to sell for around $300 for opened models. However, the rarity of an un-opened model — especially 25 years later — is certainly going to make it worth a pretty penny.
It certainly makes you think how many more fully sealed consoles are out there and how much the price might jump between that of a fully-boxed model and a used one.
3 Hyundai Comboy 64 ($999)
Following an import ban from Japan, preventing the distribution of the N64 in South Korea, Hyundai took it upon themselves to distribute the console. This resulted in the changing of the console’s name, as well as new graphics on the controller.
The console is of the utmost rarest to find with its exclusivity to South Korea. There are few and far between listings on selling sites such as eBay, with previous listings going as high as $999. Due to its rarity, sellers have even tried to charge thousands of dollars for the controller alone.
2 Jungle Green ($1,400)
On its own, the Jungle Green N64 might not look like anything special, especially when placed alongside other Funtastic N64s. However, there was a version of this console that you could get with the sometimes loved and sometimes loathed Donkey Kong 64 packaged inside.
This release also featured the yellow cartridge as well as the expansion pack. A seller in the US managed to sell a boxed variant of this release for $1,400 to someone who must have been a big Donkey Kong fan. You really cannot fault the range of colors Nintendo had for the N64.
1 NTSC-J Orange ($8,342)
On July 28, 2021, a Japanese, boxed and graded 85 near mint condition N64 was sold at $8,342. The NTSC-J Orange Pikachu model is exclusive to Japan and, like the blue Western release, is a popular collector’s item. The item was sold in Hertfordshire, England by a retro video game seller on eBay.
Whilst it is not as rare as the Hyundai Comboy 64, all things considered, there is no record of one of those consoles selling at such a high value. The console was released during Pokemon’s peak popularity and any console depicting Nintendo franchises always has a higher value.
The First 10 Games Released On The N64 In Chronological Order
