The Rarest & Most Valuable Xbox Games
The original XBox doesn’t have quite as many cult classics as the PS2 and Gamecube, but there are still some gems and oddities in the library that collectors do their best to snatch up. Much like Gamecube games on the Wii, many of the games listed below still benefit greatly from being backwards-compatible on the XBox 360.
In stark contrast to the Cheapest Games series, this Rare & Valuable series by JJ Hendricks and I will round up the rarest and most valuable games for a given console or handheld so you’ll know what to look for whether you are buying or selling. JJ owns the video game pricing website, VideoGamePriceCharts.com and writes a Video Game Pricing Blog which analyzes video game prices, pricing trends, and charts historic video game prices. He used his pricing statistics to find both the average selling price and the highest selling price for each game over the last three months. Below you will see two prices beside each title. The first is the average daily selling price, which is typically the going rate for the game by itself. The second price is the highest price in the past three months which is usually the price for the new/sealed game. The list is ordered by the balance of the two prices.
Treasured Standard USA Releases
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Marvel vs Capcom 2 - $73 - $155
If you want the biggest mashup of characters in your fighting games, Marvel vs Capcom 2 is the place to be. It may not be the most balanced game for tournaments, but its one of the hottest mainstream 2D fighters out there. Most gamers may flock to the PS2 version, but the Xbox release is just right behind it in terms of value. You can imagine how many fans would love to see this come to XBLA if they could work out the licensing issues. |
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Steel Battalion with Controller: $81 - $204 Steel Battaloin (Game Only): $30 - $35 It’s a bit unfair to include Steel Battalion so high on the list as most of the value of the full set is due to the massive controller that remains as a mech fan’s dream come true. However, even the bare game still holds its own in the top 10, so we can’t complain too much. If you aren’t familiar with it, Steel Battalion’s controller tries to replicate being inside a Mech and had nearly 40 buttons. Because the controller was so large the game retailed for $200 and only limited quantities were produced. The initial production was close to 2,000 units but the game was re-released, adding a few more copies to the market. Check for Steel Battalion on Amazon |
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Sonic Mega Collection Plus & Super Monkey Ball Deluxe: $42 - $79
It’s not too often that a greatest hits re-release is more valuable that orignial releases, but in this case, it contains two excellent Sega titles in one. The game originally sold for $19.99 when released (like all Platinum Hits titles) but now the game sells for nearly $40. The game released in December 2005 and like other late generation titles it wasn’t carried by many retailers. |
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Halo Triple Pack - $39 - $47
Halo Triple Pack is a bundle that came out rather late in the Xbox’s life resulting in rather small retail support. The Halo bundle includes Halo 1, Halo 2, and the Halo 2 Map expansion. Xbox 360 owners keep the price high because all three discs included in the package are backward compatible. |
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Jurassic Park Operation Genesis: $34 - $84
Jurassic Park Operation Genesis is one of the more uncommon original Xbox games. You have to recreate the Jurassic Park theme park by creating dinosaurs, building rides, and attracting guests. Just like the movie, the dinosaurs can attack the guests if you don’t keep them safe. The game received mediocre reviews but it’s rarity makes it expensive. |
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Street Fighter Anniversary Collection: $39 - $53
This is really one of the best fighting compilations out there, as it contains Hyper Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III: Third Strike on one disc. The compilations was already quite popular, but the buzz from Street Fighter IV recently helped increase the price for this game. |
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Sniper Elite : $33 - $45
Sniper Elite was released on the PS2 at the same time and neither version sold very well, but the Xbox version is the rarer of the two. The game is entirely based upon stealth and using long range weapons. The sniping in this gem is more realistic than most FPS games because it takes into account wind, your breathing, and even gravity’s effect on the bullet. |
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Star Wars Jedi Knight Academy: $25 - $55
Jedi Knight Academy sold quite well and there are quite a few copies available, but the game is very popular with Star Wars fans and received very good review scores. You play as a student at the Jedi Academy and complete missions assigned to you by Luke Skywalker and other Jedi. The game also has a network multi-player mode so you can compete with other Jedi in training. |
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Grand Theft Auto Trilogy : $30 - $42
Grand Theft Auto Trilogy includes GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas in one package. The game wasn’t released until November 2005, the same month the Xbox 360 launched. Most retailers quickly dropped support for Xbox titles after the 360 launched so the game was never fully supported. The game is backward compatible with the 360 and even with its high price is a relatively cheap way to play three GTA games. |
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Fatal Frame: $27 - $40
Fatal Frame is a survival horror game where your only weapon is a camera. When you snap pictures of the ghosts you can away their soul and protect yourself. The game was ported to the Xbox from the Playstation 2 but did not sell as well on the Xbox. |
Additional XBox Games of Value
- The Guy Game: $27 - $39
- Barbie Horse Adventures Wild Horse Rescue - $25 - $31
- Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance 2: $29 - $33
- Fatal Frame 2: $22 - $39
- Star Wars Knights of Old Republic 2: $19 - $34
- Land of the Dead Road to Fiddler’s Green: $18 - $33
- Steel Battalion: Line of Contact: $19 - $29
- Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast: $20 - $28
- UFC Tapout 2: $17 - $27
- Airforce Delta Storm - $14 - $24
- Star Wars Battlefront 2 - $19 - $33
- Capcom Classics Collection Vol 2: $19 - $23
Rarest Games At Affordable Prices
Each of these games are quite hard to find, but routinely sell for $20 or less. If you are an collector and see a mint copy of any of these on eBay for a low price, you might want to snatch them up — you might not see them often and they could be a higher profile target down the line.
- Outlaw Golf 9 Holes of X-Mas: $4
- Outlaw Volleyball Red Hot: $4
- Outlaw Golf Holiday Golf: $5
- Outlaw Golf 9 More Holes of X-Mas: $4
- Dragons Lair 3D: $9
- Loons Fight For Fame: $6
- Totaled: $8
- Spikeout Battle Street: $13
- Kakuto Chojin: $7
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/microsoft/xbox/2009/03/the-rarest-most-valuable-xbox-games.html




















