We all collected something in our youth and some still collect as adults. Whether it be coins, stamps, baseball cards, or Hot Wheels cars, we would do whatever it took to get the ones we wanted.

Back in the latter part of the 20^th century, video games were gaining popularity so quickly that there were never enough games to go around. Some of the more rare ones were scooped up immediately and some were never seen again. It could have been that there was not much of a demand for these games, therefore very limited numbers of each were created and/or distributed, if we only knew back then what we know now.

Starting off with a game for the Atari 2600. Back in 1984, there was a game called Air Raid. The game became very valuable for a few reasons. One, it might have been the only game produced by its creative company MenaVision.  It was also known to have come in a T-shaped blue case, which was not the norm. MenaVision only has 12 known copies out as of today. Prices range between $1,000 and $3,000, depending on condition.

Next up is another game for the Atari 2600, Atlantis II.  A similar game to Missile Command, but with that market already taken, it was not mass-produced. Atlantis II also had a special tournament edition with a white sticker on the front. It’s quite a rare game so if you happened to buy the original Atlantis at a garage sale, look out for that sticker. That’s where the money is. The game is worth somewhere between $5,000 and $6,000.

Nintendo was the first major game system so it’s only natural that they are on this list. First up, in the third spot is Campus Challenge. This was a game that was created for the sole purpose of going around to college campuses and holding competitions on all of Nintendo's classic titles.  After these competitions were finished, the games were usually destroyed. A Nintendo employee kept one and later sold it off at a garage sale. Eventually, after being re-sold over and over it came out to be worth upwards of $20,000. There is only one known copy to exist.

The 1990 World Championships for Nintendo came out in a Grey edition and a Gold Edition. The idea behind this was to get the best possible score in the demo versions of three games. This had to be done within a 6-minute time limit. The winners were given the grey version, but only those who won a promotional contest were given the gold version. Only 26 Gold versions were produced, so they are not easy to find. They are worth between $15,000 and $21,000.

The most expensive game is Stadium Events for who else, Nintendo. The game came with a “family fun fitness mat” that you ran on to make the characters move. Shortly after this was released, Nintendo released a similar game with a similar controller, and decided to take Stadium Events off the shelves, destroying them to avoid confusion. Just the empty box for this game goes for about $10,000. A brand new game, factory sealed was recently found and sold for $41,000+. There are only 2 sealed boxes known to exist.

Next time your mother tells you to stop with the games, let her read this and see if she changes her mind. 

By Adam Z

EA Sports confirms the return of the cult classic video game, NBA JAM. If you wandered into any arcade back in 1993 and noticed a huge gathering around a machine in the back, there was a very good chance that game was NBA JAM. Its arcade style 2 on 2 basketball, using real NBA players, had the speed, graphics, and fun factor to completely destroy its competition and steal precious hours of our childhood. When someone mentions the phrase “He's on Fire!” immediately you refer back to the game when a player just can't miss and literally sets the net on fire.

The blocks, the dunks, and the smooth jumpers all played into making the game as epic as it was. According to its creator, Mark Turmell, there was so much money coming in from this game that its change boxes had to be emptied everyday instead of once a week. Arcades were shut down all over the country because fights broke out over whose turn it was to play the 4-player battle of the hardwood. It was also famous for its hidden characters such as Bill Clinton and Will Smith.

Who will be the dynamic duo this time around? Kobe and Lamar? LeBron and Shaq? EA Sports is letting the fans vote for the players available in the game. Three players from each team will be selected and their likeness will be entered in NBA JAM. As of now, the Wii will be the first console receiving the game with XBOX 360 and PS3 surely to come soon after.

Hopefully they don't get cheap with the high flying 360 dunks, backboard breaking slams, super blocks and ankle breaking moves. We will be on the line to pick up the classic game and we recommend you do the same. All we have to say is, “ Boomshakalaka”!

You know what we mean.

By Adam Z

(Source)