How much were Nintendo games in 1990?
As a passionate retro gamer and industry expert, I often get asked what game costs were like back in the early days. So let‘s jump in the time machine and explore how much major Nintendo titles went for in 1990! The average price? About $50 for a new NES release.
NES Cartridges Drove Up Costs
In 1990, the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System was at the peak of its popularity in North America. This was still the era of cartridge-based games rather than compact discs. And those retro cartridges were expensive to manufacture!
Costs included:
- Specialized ROM memory chips
- Printed circuit boards
- Plastic moulding for durable casings
With all those production expenses, prices for new NES titles generally ranged from $40 on the low end up to $60+ for the biggest releases.
The $50 Average for New NES Games
As you can see, most brand new NES games were at that $49.99 point, but prices did range higher for hot titles like Super Mario Bros. 3 or Zelda II. Used games or those in retailer discount bins could drop as low as $20 or $30.
SNES Boosts Both Quality & Costs
When the 16-bit Super Nintendo arrived in 1991, it represented a huge leap in graphics, sound and game size/scope.
But all that new technology came at a price…
Early Super Nintendo games ranged from about $50 up to $70+. By 1992/93, the average price for a new SNES cartridge was around $60-$80. That‘s the equivalent of over $120 in today‘s dollars – a hefty purchase for sure!
N64 Brings Higher Capacities, Costs
When the Nintendo 64 arrived in 1996, cartridge production costs rose again. Cutting-edge N64 games came on higher capacity 64MB carts. And many early titles retailed for $70, $80 or even $90 at launch.
That meant forking out a lot of 1990‘s-era cash to play the latest Mario and Zelda adventures! Although Nintendo did start lowering prices quicker on N64 games that weren‘t selling as expected.
Game Prices Now Back to 90s Highs
After almost two decades of that $50-$60 standard, modern PS5 and Xbox Series X games are creeping up in cost again with $70 becoming the new norm. Considering how much bigger and more complex titles have gotten, I can‘t blame the publishers!
But for those of us who remember blowing a week‘s allowance on that one new NES or SNES cartridge way back when, well…at least game prices are finally getting back to 1990 levels for today‘s experiences!
So what retro Nintendo games made you save up as kid back in the day? Let‘s compare notes in the comments!
