- ‘Rule of Rose’ on the PlayStation 2 could earn you up to £338 in cash.
- ‘Gadget Racers’ on the GameCube could sell for up to £312.
- ‘Xiaolin Showdown’ for the original Xbox console will earn you £243.
A study has revealed which retro video games will earn gamers the most cash if they trade them in.
The research, conducted by gaming site Solitaired, analysed data from popular technology trade-in site CeX to find which old video games will earn you the most money if you have them lying around at home.
They looked at the most valuable video games for earlier generation consoles, the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS.
PlayStation 2 (PS2)
The PS2 game that will earn gamers the most cash is Rule of Rose which can be traded in for £338. This survival horror game, which was released in 2006, follows a woman who navigates a 1930’s England ruled by young children.
The second most valuable PS2 game is Michigan: Report From Hell which can be traded in for £292. The game was released in 2005 and is another survival horror, that follows a fictional TV crew dedicated to covering strange phenomena.
The third most valuable PS2 game is Kuon, which gamers can trade in for £256. Kuon is a third-person survival horror game released in 2006 and was developed by FromSoftware; the creators of the immensely popular Elden Ring.
There are various valuable iterations of the game in fourth; Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, but the BBFC UK version will fetch gamers the most, with a trade-in value of £146. The game is a survival horror game that was released on PS2 in 2010.
The Getaway: Limited Edition is the fifth most valuable PS2 game with a value of £126. This iteration of the popular 2002 gangster game was limited to 1000 copies, making it particularly rare if you happen to own a copy.
| Video Game | Console | Cash trade-in value | |
| 1. | Rule of Rose | PS2 | £338.00 |
| 2. | Michigan: Report From Hell | PS2 | £292.00 |
| 3. | Kuon | PS2 | £256.00 |
| 4. | Silent Hill: Shattered Memories | PS2 | £146.00 |
| 5. | The Getaway: Limited Edition | PS2 | £126.00 |
| 6. | Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner | PS2 | £123.00 |
| 7. | The Silent Hill Collection | PS2 | £101.00 |
| 8. and 9. | Dragon Blaze | PS2 | £91.00 |
| Hard Knock High | |||
| 10. | Samurai Western | PS2 | £81.00 |
Xbox (First Generation)
The Xbox game that will earn gamers the most is Xiaolin Showdown, a fighting game based on the TV series of the same name. This beat ‘em up title was first released in 2006 could fetch gamers up to £243 if they trade it in.
The second most valuable Xbox game is Room Zoom: Race for Impact, which is worth £126. This 2004 arcade-style driving game, puts players in the driving seat of toy cars, as they manoeuvre around objects in different rooms of a house.
The third most valuable Xbox game is Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, which is worth £81. The game was first released in 2005 and is a single-player hack-and-slash adventure game from developers Konami.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare is the fourth most valuable Xbox game, at a trade in value of £46. The game was released in 2005 and is a 3D action platformer based on the TV series.
Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is the fifth most valuable Xbox game, which can be traded in for £43. Another driving game that makes the top five, Outrun 2006 is the ninth title in its series and was final title to have a physical release.
| Video Game | Console | Cash trade-in value | |
| 1. | Xiaolin Showdown | Xbox | £243.00 |
| 2. | Room Zoom: Race for Impact | Xbox | £126.00 |
| 3. | Castlevania: Curse of Darkness | Xbox | £81.00 |
| 4. | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare | Xbox | £46.00 |
| 5. | Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast | Xbox | £43.00 |
| 6. | Gene Troopers | Xbox | £40.00 |
| 7. | Frankie Dettori Horse Racing | Xbox | £37.00 |
| 8. | Seaworld – Shamu’s Deep Sea Adventures | Xbox | £31.00 |
| 9. | Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball MAX’D | Xbox | £29.00 |
| 10. | Steel Battalion: Line of Contact | Xbox | £27.00 |
Nintendo GameCube
The GameCube title that could earn you the most money is Gadget Racers, with a trade-in value of £312. This vibrant arcade racer game, which was released in Europe in 2003, offers up to 100 different cars to choose from as well as many vehicle customisation options.
The second most valuable game is Kirby Air Ride, which could sell for up to £162. The game features Super Mario character Kirby, in its first ever racing game, and was the first ever GameCube title to support LAN play for up to four players.
Frogger Beyond ties for the second most valuable GameCube title, with a trade-in value of £162. The loveable amphibian was first developed by Konami in 1981, with ‘Frogger Beyond’ being one of many sequels to the original game.
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is the fourth most valuable at a trade in value of £152. This successor to ‘Pokémon Colosseum’ was released exclusively on the GameCube and requires players to capture and battle Shadow Pokémon in the Orre region.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Chibi Robo both ranked fifth, with each game fetching its owners up to £143.
| Video Game | Console | Cash trade-in value | |
| 1. | Gadget Racers | GameCube | £312.00 |
| 2. and 3. | Kirby Air Ride | GameCube | £162.00 |
| Frogger Beyond | |||
| 4. | Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness | GameCube | £152.00 |
| 5. and 6. | Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance | GameCube | £143.00 |
| Chibi Robo | |||
| 7. and 8. | Gotcha Force | GameCube | £117.00 |
| Disney Sports Basketball | |||
| 9. | Ribbit King | GameCube | £97.00 |
| 10. | Cocoto Funfair | GameCube | £91.00 |
Nintendo Wii
The most valuable Wii game is Legend of Sayuki. Released in 2008, this game is a scrolling shooter, which when traded in can fetch you £84.
The second most valuable Wii game is Dokapon Kingdom, which can be traded in for £81. Released in 2010, Dokapon Kingdom is an RPG remake of the 1994 SNES title ‘Dokapon 3-2-1: Arashi o Yobu Yuujou’.
A Shadow’s Tale is the third most valuable Wii game which can be sold for £58. A Shadow’s Tale was released for the Wii in 2010 and is a single-player puzzle-platformer game.
Sakura Wars: So Long My Love is the fourth most valuable Wii game and is worth £49. Released on the Wii in 2010, this game is a cross-genre game that has RPG, dating simulator, and visual novel elements.
The Wii game that is the fifth most valuable is Calling, which can be sold for £46. Calling was released in 2010 and is a first-person survival horror game.
| Video Game | Console | Cash trade-in value | |
| 1. | Legend Of Sayuki | Wii | £84.00 |
| 2. | Dokapon Kingdom | Wii | £81.00 |
| 3. | A Shadow’s Tale | Wii | £58.00 |
| 4. | Sakura Wars: So Long My Love | Wii | £49.00 |
| 5. | Calling | Wii | £46.00 |
| 6. | Fire Emblem – Radiant Dawn | Wii | £43.00 |
| 7. | Retro City Rampage DX | Wii | £37.00 |
| 8. | Fragile Dreams | Wii | £35.00 |
| 9. | Metroid Prime: Trilogy | Wii | £32.00 |
| 10. | Beat The Beat: Rhythm Paradise | Wii | £30.00 |
Nintendo DS
The most valuable DS game that you can trade in for cash is Dragon Quest V: The Hand of the Heavenly Bride, an RPG which was released in 2009 and is a remake of the original SNES game. This can earn gamers £95 if traded in.
The second most valuable DS game is Kirby Super Star Ultra, which if you trade in could net you £87. The game, released in 2009, is an enhanced remake of Kirby Super Star, and features content from the original game.
Suikoden: Tierkreis is the third most valuable DS game, as you can earn £69 for trading this game, if it’s the PAL – UK Version. Suikoden: Tierkreis is an RPG game that was released in 2009.
Avalon Code is the fourth most valuable DS game as it is worth £58. Released in 2010 for the DS, Avalon Code is an action RPG.
The fifth most valuable DS game is Solatorobo: Red the Hunter which can fetch gamers £55. The game was released in 2011 and is an action RPG.
| Game | Console | Cash value for trade-in | |
| 1. | Dragon Quest V: The Hand of the Heavenly Bride | DS | £95.00 |
| 2. | Kirby Super Star Ultra | DS | £87.00 |
| 3. | Suikoden: Tierkreis | DS | £69.00 |
| 4. | Avalon Code | DS | £58.00 |
| 5. | Solatorobo: Red the Hunter | DS | £55.00 |
| 6. and 7. | Dementium II | DS | £47.00 |
| Rune Factory 2 | DS | £47.00 | |
| 8. | Pokémon Conquest | DS | £44.00 |
| 9. and 10. | Pokémon SoulSilver | DS | £42.00 |
| Pokémon HeartGold | DS | £42.00 |
To ensure that you get the full cash value for each of the above-mentioned games on each of these consoles, gamers should be aware that games are traded in complete with the original instruction manual.
A spokesperson for Solitaired commented on the findings:
“Gamers can end up spending a fair amount of money on their hobby, so it’s handy to know there is the opportunity to recoup some of this cost, if they managed to hold onto the right games.”
“While video games typically depreciate in value when a newer console is released, rare or old copies of games can remain highly prized items for collectors, or those looking for a taste of childhood nostalgia.”
“Before binning or giving away your old games, it is always worth checking whether there is demand for the copy you own, as you could be sitting on a small fortune.”
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