Rare Copy Of Zelda Sold For Thousands Because Of Ramen
Mmmm, noodle soup. If you've got a couple of thousand lying around - and love a Pot Noodle - why not stump up the cash for a rare edition of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda? Sorry though, noodles aren't included.
2021 has been a massive year for Nintendo, as legacy franchises like Pokemon and Zelda celebrate their respective 25th and 35th anniversaries. Buried among all the news of a Skyward Sword remake and dashed hopes that Ocarina of Time is getting a HD remaster, there's the bizarre tale of the OG Zelda and some noodles.
Why Did This Copy Of Zelda Sell For So Much?
Click to enlargeAccording to game collector Jironosuke (via Kotaku), a pristine copy of The Legend of Zelda sold for 453,000 yen/$4,000 during a Yahoo auction. So, what's the difference? This pricey collectible comes with a sticker of some ramen - ah, makes sense.
The reason this copy of 1986's classic went for so much is because the cartridge is a rare collectable called Charumera Zelda no Densetsu. As part of a 1986 giveaway between Nintendo and Myojo Charumera, only 1,500 of these were ever given away. The name Charumera Zelda no Densetsu is in honour of the Japanese instant noodle company.
Gaming Alexandria did a deep dive into the history of the release last year and claims there's literally no difference in the code of the normal release and the Charumera Zelda no Densetsu one. Both versions of the Famicom game play exactly the same, so it's a purely cosmetic addition. Apparently, Famicom and Famicom Disk Systems were also released and embossed with the Myojo Charumera name.
What Is The Most Expensive Video Game Of All Time?
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Although it changes on a regular basis, the most expensive video game of all time is (currently) a copy of Super Mario 64. This year alone, a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. went for a staggering $660k/£477k. It wasn't long until a copy of Zelda fetched an impressive $870,000/£628k at auction.
At the time of writing, it's back to that portly plumber, with the sealed copy of Super Mario 64 selling for an eye-watering $1.56m/£1.12m. 25 years after the game first released on N64, this near-perfect copy fetched a pretty penny. Even though noodle Zelda is still a long way off this, it's not exactly pocket money, considering someone slapped a sticker of some ramen on the fantasy favourite.