These Popular Xbox Classics are Shockingly Expensive Now
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Retro Xbox games are a bit less valuable than their Nintendo and PlayStation contemporaries. Compared to Nintendo’s dedication to the expensive cartridge format and Sony’s vast library of obscure foreign titles, Microsoft’s catalog of discs is still relatively accessible. Even so, the vintage Xbox resale market exploded in popularity during the pandemic collecting boom and many well-known titles are selling for as much as seven times more than their original release prices.
If you’ve been stockpiling Xbox games since the original Halo, there’s a decent chance that you are sitting on a few valuable collector’s items. In most cases, a game’s perceived value is usually based on obvious metrics like gameplay, graphics and replay value — but here, the numbers suggest otherwise. Some of the most sought-after retro Xbox titles were once regarded as gimmicky video game adaptations of popular media franchises, so throw the usual rules out the window and learn about which Xbox classics are worth money today.
The Most Valuable Xbox Games that You Probably Had
Note: Prices change often due to the peaks and valleys of the vintage video game market. We calculated each game’s current average price using recent sale data and current prices for copies that are new (sealed), complete (used and in good condition) and loose (disc-only). We have omitted listings that seem suspiciously high or low, along with collectibles such as empty boxes, art and manuals.
1. Peter Jackson’s King Kong
Platform: Xbox 360
List Price: $59.99
Current Average Price: $70
Video games based on popular licensed properties are great collector’s items, but they often prioritize plot adherence, novelty and flashy cutscenes over substance and clever gameplay. This is not the case for Peter Jackson’s King Kong, based on the titular 2005 film. Even if the title received middling reviews upon release, a glowing Polygon article from 2019 boosted King Kong’s profile (and resale price) by emphasizing how its graphics and combat system were ahead of their time.
2. Children’s Miracle Network
Platform: Xbox 360
List Price: $30
Current Average Price: $105
Don’t worry, Children’s Miracle Network is not a children’s hospital simulator. This rare and unusual Xbox 360 title is actually a bundle of three different games — the classic Viva Pinata Party Animals, the inimitable Shrek the Third topped off with the tantalizing inclusion of Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly known as Sonic ’06). 100% of the proceeds from Children’s Miracle Network were donated to the game’s namesake organization, which funds children’s hospitals throughout North America.
If you ever get the chance to relive the year 2009, don’t ignore the ultra-discounted clearance video game bin at Walmart — you might be $105 richer someday.
3. Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis
Platform: Xbox
List Price: $49.99
Current Average Price: $106
Like many games based on a smash hit movie franchise, Operation Genesis was ported to most major consoles of the era — PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC (sorry, Nintendo). The current high-asking price for Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis can be attributed to two important factors. First and foremost, people want to own it for its obvious nostalgia factor. That mixed with Universal’s bizarre decision to under-produce copies led to an inevitable scarcity that began years before the pandemic collecting boom.
4. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Platform: Xbox
List Price: $49.99
Current Average Price: $117
Everyone has their own opinion on which console has the best version of any given cross-platform classic game. These stances consider objective facts about gameplay and development as well as personal nostalgic attachments. While the Xbox version only sells for around half the price of its PlayStation 2 counterpart, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is a remarkable title that has aged well and accrued enough value to earn a spot on rare games lists for multiple consoles. As one of the most widely beloved crossover titles of all time, it’s only right.
5. NCAA Football 14
Platform: Xbox 360
List Price: $59.99
Current Average Price: $124
Outdated sports games are disproportionately overrepresented in rock-bottom clearance bins at video game stores, but there are a few notable exceptions. NCAA 14 was released two months before the debut of the Xbox One in 2013, which only adds further confusion and intrigue to its high asking price. Turns out, this can be attributed to the furor surrounding the NCAA’s decision to prohibit college athletes from making money on their names and likenesses. NCAA 14 was EA’s last college football game, a holy grail find among fans of the genre.
6. Teen Titans
Platform: Xbox
List Price: $19.99
Current Average Price: $132
As is the case for many games that are expensive due to low supply, the close window between the game’s release and the arrival of the Xbox 360 explains why there weren’t many copies of Teen Titans for the Xbox. At least Microsoft was not entirely to blame — the Teen Titans TV series was at the height of its popularity in 2006, so why did THQ release this thrilling beat-em-up for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube one year after the Xbox 360 arrived, the same week as the release of the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii?
7. Futurama
Platform: Xbox
List Price: $49.99
Current Average Price: $133
Futurama for the Xbox currently sells for two times more than MSRP for plenty of the typical reasons — the game was inspired by the tremendously popular adult animated series of the same name, the GameCube version was mysteriously canceled and there weren’t many copies available in the first place. Reviewers also felt lukewarm about Futurama and its clunky gameplay and frustratingly inconsistent controls, but the real reason why collectors are attracted to this game hinges on the polarizing cancellation of the Futurama TV series. Even critical reviewers lauded the “side-splitting” unreleased footage aired during the game’s cutscenes, making this title a “lost episode” of Futurama.
8. Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse
Platform: Xbox
List Price: $19.99
Current Average Price: $139
Despite impressive showings from titles based on popular media properties, the current rarest and most valuable Xbox game is an underrated cult classic where you get to commit zombie crimes against humanity on an updated Halo engine. How in the world was this not the most popular game of all time? Unfortunately, Stubbs‘ 2007 release made it a casualty of the Xbox-to-Xbox 360 crossover. Even though there were few original copies printed, it looks like Microsoft has recently released a remastered physical edition.
If you have your eye on a rare collectible retro video game, don’t lose hope — set a Deal Alert instead. Once you’ve created an alert for the title you want to buy, we’ll let you know when we see a good deal.
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