Rare 'Super Mario Bros.'/'Duck Hunt' variant discovered, to auction this week

August 11, 2026 - 15:36

A previously unseen variant of the classic NES two-in-one cartridge featuring Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt has turned up, and it is set to go under the hammer later this week. The discovery has caught the attention of retro game collectors, as the cartridge appears to come from a production run that was not known to exist until now.

The cart itself looks like the standard gray version that shipped with millions of NES consoles in the late 1980s, but closer inspection reveals differences in the label printing and the internal circuit board. According to the auction house handling the sale, these details point to a small batch made at a different factory, possibly for a regional promotion or a test market. That would explain why no other copies have surfaced in the decades since.

While the game content is identical to the widely available version, the rarity is what drives the value. Collectors have already shown strong interest, and the current bid is well into four figures, with expectations that it could climb higher before the auction closes. The seller, who found the cartridge in a box of old family belongings, had no idea what they had until a specialist took a look.

This find adds another layer to the history of the NES library, where even common games can hide uncommon surprises. The auction ends on Friday, and it will be interesting to see where the final price lands.