Right now you can get a Wii, Nintendo's latest and much-loved console for under $200. By contrast, Microsoft's powerful Xbox 360 and Sony's beefy PlayStation 3 sell for about $300. Who, then, would believe that a gaming system first released in 1985 recently sold on eBay for over $13,000?

The original Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, first hit store shelves in 1985. It was, without a doubt, the first fully-supported home game console with graphics featuring more than just a few pixelated balls and paddles. The original Mario Brothers (along with Mario Bros. 2 and 3) made their first appearances here, as did Solid Snake. Until his appearance in The Hangover, none of us were ever happier to see Mike Tyson than when his likeness graced "Punch Out!"

Game Collectors Shell Out Big Bucks

Still, a quarter of a century later, the gameplay offers more in the way of rosy nostalgic memories than immersive gameplay. There's no online mode here and most of the games (if they work properly) are a mess visually and too bloody hard.

So, who would really want an NES? Let alone pay $13,105 for it on eBay? A game collector, that's who.

Rare Game Behind Big Payout

According to reports, a buyer recently shelled out that much for an NES on the auction site.

However, there's a catch: the big money behind the purchase probably isn't for the NES itself (those typically go for about $100-$200), but for an extremely rare and popular track and field game being sold with it. Called "Stadium Events" and released by game maker Bandai back in 1987, game collectors consider it perhaps the rarest game ever released in North America. Perhaps less than 25 exist today (and given the finicky nature of NES cartridges, there's no guarantee that many work properly). (Source: nydailynews.com)

It was Stadium Events that caused the NES auction's price to soar. Listed on February 3 for less than ten bucks, by the end of that first night it had reached $5,000. A week later it sold for roughly the same as an affordable Korean hatchback.

Also packaged with the NES were Mario Brothers 1 (plus Duck Hunt), Mario Brothers 3 and Ninja Turtles the Arcade Game. (Source: toptechreviews.net)