What Is the Rarest Atari Game?

When it comes to Atari, the incredible company from Nintendo, there is a huge collection of classic gaming memorabilia. It can be somewhat of a treasure hunt. 

The Atari console was instrumental in the industry and managed to help many video game companies kick-start their journey and create games for home usage. Plus, a study has shown that Atari can reinforce the learning process in kids. Some of the Atari games are still enjoyed until this day and are extremely valuable. But what is the rarest Atari game?

In my article, I will reveal it and also where you can purchase it. Also, I will add more valuable games to the collection that offer many hours of fun. 

What Is the Rarest Atari Game? 

By far, the rarest Atari game ever released is E.T or Extra-Terrestrial. Regardless of which era you are born in, you have probably heard about the movie E.T. The cinematic experience was way ahead of its time, and the video games did not fall short of delivering the same high value. 

Since the Internet became a necessity in each household, collecting and preserving video games from the 90s became much easier. Some people do a great job of safeguarding the actual cartridges on which the games were initially manufactured. 

E.T – Atari 2600

In today’s market, the game can even cost $100,000. Many articles and magazines have featured E.T, mostly about its quality or lack thereof. It is interesting that, compared to the games created today, the game is so far behind, but it can be a lot of fun. 

Howard Scott Warshaw developed the game for the Atari 2600 console. Without acknowledging the ambition of Howard or the circumstances that games were created in the 90s, no one should write off E.T.

Mr. Warshaw created the game in over a month, which is quite impressive. The most outstanding feature of the game is that it is simple enough to capture the eye of a wide audience. 

E.T is a great game that could bring the whole family together. There is no striving for a high score, and the game is focused on one main objective. 

In E.T, your mission is to collect all the parts from the telephone so that your character can “phone home” victoriously. The game shocked and revolutionized the gaming industry we all know and love today. 

In 2014, 900 copies of the game were found in the desert that later on were sold for over $100,000 in an auction. 

Read more: What Are the Rarest Atari 2600 Games?

Other Rare and Valuable Atari Games 

One of the first cartridge-based gaming consoles that allowed people to enjoy games in their homes was the Atari 2600. Atari is great for testing the behavior and intelligence of people. 

This console was a massive success from the start and offered a large library of impressive and highly valuable titles. Here are some of them:

Air Raid (1982) 

This simple go-and-shoot game is worth well over 30 grand. The cartridge’s T-shaped design has been an attention grabber at many auctions. Even in a partial state, the cartridge alone of the game has been sold for over $3500. 

Red Sea Crossing (1983) 

The story of this game is inspired by a biblical event that can be described as magical and mysterious. The game’s main character is Moses, and the narrative follows as he leaves Egypt to travel and reach the Red Sea. 

This game was developed by Inspirational Video Concepts, which only manufactured around one hundred copies. All of them disappeared at a certain time without a trace. Some copies appeared in 2007, and the value of one cartridge is believed to be around $10,000. 

Superman (1979) 

Even today, in 2022, the man of steel has bad luck regarding video games. However, this first entry was quite popular in the day and did better on the market than most follow-ups since then. 

There are many different editions of the game, but only some are valuable. The rare and valuable editions of the cartridges are the ones that have yellow letters. One copy of a cartridge with yellow notes is worth more than $10,000. 

Also read: What Was the Most Popular Atari Game?

Conclusion 

Now that you know what is the rarest Atari game, with some other valuable options, you can search the attic with a box that contains all the memorabilia from your childhood. Or, as an alternative, you can visit the closest auction. 

Good Luck!