How Much Are Old Pokémon Games Worth?

Old Pokémon games are some of the most sought-after handheld games there are, so most of them are worth something, and some are worth a lot. How much your old Pokémon game is worth depends on four things: which game it is, its condition (loose, complete in box, or sealed), its region, and, above all, whether it's genuine. Pokémon carts are among the most faked games around, so check yours before you trust any number.

This guide goes through the generations on Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and DS, explains what drives each one's value, and shows you how to see an estimate for your own copy.

Why old Pokémon games hold their value

Pokémon games sold in enormous numbers, so they're not rare in the usual sense. They're valuable because demand never went away. People who grew up with them want to play them again, collectors want complete sets, and new fans want to try the originals on real hardware. Lots of copies plus lots of buyers means a busy market where even loose carts sell.

Old Pokémon games by generation

Generation 1: Red, Blue and Yellow (Game Boy)

The originals that started it all in the US in 1998 and 1999. Because so many were sold, loose carts are easy to find, and condition makes a big difference: a clean label matters. Complete copies with the box and manual are much harder to find, since most boxes were thrown away. Gen 1 carts save with an internal battery, which many have outlived (more on that below).

Generation 2: Gold, Silver and Crystal (Game Boy Color)

Gold and Silver work on both the original Game Boy and the Game Boy Color. Crystal came out later, only works on the Game Boy Color, and is less common than Gold and Silver, which helps explain why collectors seek it out. All three also have a built-in clock, which drains the save battery faster.

Generation 3: Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen and Emerald (Game Boy Advance)

The GBA games are hugely popular with players and collectors. Emerald, the last of the GBA generation, is the one collectors mention most often, and complete or sealed copies are much scarcer than loose carts. This generation is also the most counterfeited, so authentication matters here more than anywhere.

Generations 4 and 5: Diamond to White 2 (Nintendo DS)

Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, White, Black 2, and White 2. Two groups stand out:

• HeartGold and SoulSilver. These came bundled with the Pokéwalker, a small pedometer accessory. A complete copy is expected to include it, so a box with the Pokéwalker is a different item from a game card on its own.
• Black 2 and White 2. Released in 2012, late in the DS era and after the 3DS had launched, so they're often harder to find than earlier DS Pokémon games.

DS game cards save to memory inside the card, so they don't have a save battery to worry about.

Spin-offs

Pinball, Trading Card Game, Mystery Dungeon, and other spin-offs have their own collectors and their own prices. They don't usually get the attention the main games do, but they're worth checking too.

Which old Pokémon games are worth the most?

Without naming dollar figures that would date quickly, the patterns are consistent across price guides and collector lists:

• Sealed and graded copies of almost any mainline game sit at the top. The record sales you see in news stories are usually these, not ordinary used copies.
• Complete copies of HeartGold and SoulSilver with the Pokéwalker, and of the later DS games like Black 2 and White 2, are commonly cited among the most valuable DS Pokémon games.
• Crystal and Emerald are the Game Boy-era games collectors name most often, especially complete.
• Loose carts of the most popular games still sell steadily, but for much less than complete or sealed copies.

The best way to see where your copy lands is to check it game by game.

Loose, complete in box, sealed and graded

Condition can change a Pokémon game's value more than which game it is:

• Loose means just the cartridge or game card. This is how most old Pokémon games are bought and sold.
• Complete in box (CIB) means the cart plus the original box and manual, and any inserts or included accessories, like the Pokéwalker.
• New means factory sealed and never opened.
• Graded means a game, usually sealed, that a grading company has inspected, scored, and sealed in a case. This is a niche, high-end market.

Our guide to loose vs CIB vs new explains what counts as complete and how buyers judge each condition.

Fakes: check before you look up the value

This part matters more for Pokémon than for almost any other game. GBA Pokémon carts are among the most counterfeited games in retro collecting, and DS Pokémon cards, HeartGold especially, are faked often too. Fakes turn up in online listings, at markets, and sometimes in shops.

A fake isn't worth what a genuine copy is. Before you rely on an estimate, run through our step-by-step guide on how to tell if a Pokémon game is fake. For background, see reproduction cartridges explained.

Save batteries and what a dead one means

Older Pokémon carts have a small battery inside, and many have now outlived their original lifespan. What a dead battery does depends on the generation:

• Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver and Crystal: the battery keeps your save. When it dies, the game still plays but can't save, and the old save file is gone. Gold, Silver and Crystal also run a clock from the same battery, so they tend to run down sooner.
• Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald: the save is stored separately, so a dead battery doesn't erase it. The battery only runs the in-game clock, so time-based events like berry growth stop.
• DS games: no save battery.

A dead battery doesn't make a game worthless. Batteries can be replaced, and plenty of carts are sold with new ones. Buyers do care whether a game saves, though, so test it and say so when you sell.

How to check what your Pokémon games are worth

1. Check it's genuine using the fake guide above.
2. Note the condition: loose, complete in box, or new.
3. Note the region: US, European, or Japanese copies are priced separately.
4. Look it up, or scan it.

RetroWorth identifies a Pokémon game from a photo of its label, box, or loose cart, even without a barcode, and shows an estimated value range for Loose, Complete in box, and New, by region. Scan your Pokémon carts and see each estimate side by side in your collection, along with the collection's total estimated value. Scanning is free and your first 2 price checks are free; PRO unlocks every price.

These are estimated ranges from aggregated market sale data, not an appraisal, and markets move. The app doesn't detect fakes, so authenticate first.

Common questions

Are old Pokémon games worth anything?

Almost always, yes. Even common loose carts of the main games have steady demand. Complete, sealed, and less common versions are worth considerably more.

Are Japanese Pokémon games worth anything?

Yes, they have their own market and their own prices, which aren't the same as US or European copies. Check the region you actually have.

Does a dead battery ruin my Pokémon game's value?

No. It's common and fixable. On Gen 1 and Gen 2 carts the old save is lost, but the game itself still plays and still sells.

Should I get my Pokémon game graded?

Grading mostly makes sense for sealed, high-end copies. For a used or loose game, the cost and hassle usually aren't worth it. RetroWorth doesn't grade games; it shows estimated values by condition.