The original Xbox is one of the most powerful consoles (for its time) and a fan favorite among collectors. The vast library of games goes across a broad swath of genres, themes, and play styles. If you want straight-up action, you’ve got games like Halo: Combat Evolved or Black. Fantasy and Sci-Fi enthusiasts have games like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. However, there are also those expensive and sought-after games in the Xbox library. The most popular games for the console remain pretty affordable, but these ones combine fan interest with low print runs to make truly rare and expensive games.
With such a large library of games, the Xbox had some great games fall through the cracks. Some of these games have insanely large boxes, while others are basically entire episodes of insanely popular animated series. Collector demand for these games goes up by the day as more and more people jump into the pool of collecting for the OG Xbox. Here are the five rarest and most expensive games on the Xbox.
Honorable Mentions:
Some games just barely missed out on the top 5 like Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis, Spikeout: Battle Street, Obscure, Def Jam Fight For NY, and Fatal Frame. The good thing about collecting for the Xbox is that even the most pricy games don’t hold a candle to some of the prices other game consoles get. Even in its own console generation, the Xbox prices pale in comparison to the higher end of PlayStation 2 and GameCube prices. Horror games on the PS2 can reach the $1000 mark for complete copies. A complete copy of Fatal Frame on the Xbox can cost you around $70-$100 depending on the condition.
It’s a testament to the somewhat untapped potential for the console when it comes to collecting. People still aren’t giving the Xbox credit for its great and expansive library. That’s a great place for a collector to strike while the market is still down.
5. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
It’s one of the most beloved arcade games ever, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 on the Xbox is pretty arcade accurate. It launched in Japanese Arcades and the Sega Dreamcast originally and then was ported to the Xbox and PlayStation 2. The Xbox version of the game is the most desirable due to the power of the console. The price of this game also has to do with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game being taken off the marketplaces for those consoles. The only way to play this game at home is with this version currently.
You can get complete copies of the game for between $100-$150 depending on the condition of the box and disc. Disc-only copies go for about $60-$80, so you’ll save a bit of money with that route. The Dreamcast and PS2 versions of the game are fairly hard to find and about as expensive.
4. Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors
Thank you FromSoftware. The creators of Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and all the other brutally difficult games these days made the Otogi series on the Xbox. This game follows Raikoh Minamoto, an undead warrior charged with vanquishing a demonic infestation of Japan’s sacred capital. Raikoh returns from the original Otogi, which is also pretty sought after by collectors and fans of FromSoftware. The game did not sell well at all, and a low print run combined with the wave of interest in FromSoftware games make this the double whammy of collecting gems.
In the past year, the game’s value has climbed from $47 for a complete copy all the way up to $140+ for a complete copy. This one is an Xbox exclusive and you can get the upgraded version for Xbox Series X. It’s a stunning game that’s pretty fun. If you can find it, give this one a shot.
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3. Futurama
Normally licensed games like this get printed into the ground. Take something like Futurama which has a massive fanbase and make a game out of it, how can it be rare? Well, it turns out that when you basically make an unaired episode of Futurama as a video game, fans are going to want it. Too bad the gameplay isn’t great and it has shoddy controls. There are 28 minutes of unused animation from the show here, and that’s what you’re paying for. It follows Fry, Leela, Bender, Zoidberg, and the other characters of the show trying to stop Mom from enslaving the Earth.
It was released on PS2 as well and had a GameCube version planned, this version is the most sought after. It’s not a great game though, so this’ll only be for hardcore Xbox collectors or fans of the show. A complete copy of the game goes for between $200-$250. If you have a PAL Xbox, you can grab the game for $30 right now.
2. Teen Titans
Another licensed game? Well, this one is another casualty of a rabid fanbase looking for anything and everything related to it. Teen Titans and Teen Titans: GO have made this game skyrocket in price through the years. It started off 2021 at $125 and now sits near $300 for a complete copy and it’s hard to find one on eBay. The most recent complete copy was sold on eBay for $320. PlayStation 2 and GameCube copies of the game sell for much less, but you’re trading performance and graphical quality when you play on those two systems.
1. Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
Back before every console was hooked up to the internet, if you wanted to get DLC, you’d have to buy what amounted to an expansion pack. Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is an expansion for Outrun 2 on the Xbox. It added new tracks, cars, music, and had online play through the first iteration of Xbox Live. It was also released on the PS2 and PSP, the Xbox version is far and away the most in-demand. Coast 2 Coast came out at an awkward time when the Xbox 360 had already been released. It got lost in the shuffle, which led to a low print run and low sales.
A complete copy of the game sells for between $250-$360. It really depends on the condition and how lucky you get with eBay auctions. If you’re not collecting for the Xbox and you just want to play the game, the PS2 version goes for about $50. Beware when looking for this one though, the cover is incredibly similar to Outrun 2. Don’t be fooled and you might miss it looking through games because they look so similar.
0. Steel Battalion Controller Bundle
This one is kind of cheating because the base game runs for about $75 complete. However, when you add the entire controller bundle, paperwork, and massive green box, the price spikes up to $400+. This is only for the most hardcore of Xbox collectors out there. Those prices don’t take into account the shipping cost for such a behemoth of a box. It’s impossible to fit on any shelf, but the game is so cool and intricate, that it’s a must for the complete Xbox collection. Without the controller, the game and its sequel are worthless, however. The controller has over 40 buttons and pedals designed specifically for the game.
Finding this one in the wild is about as rare as they come.
How many of these rare and expensive Xbox games do you own?
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