Nearly 100 copies of a never-before-seen version of Super Mario Bros. have been found

A recently discovered haul of nearly 100 Super Mario Bros. cartridges has emerged from the depths of obscurity, with a unique twist. The cache, found by Wisconsin retro shop owner Kevin Braun, consists of copies in near pristine condition, a rarity in themselves. What makes this find even more remarkable is that the games are a version of Super Mario Bros. that has never been seen before.

According to the story, the cartridges were purchased years ago from an individual who claimed their grandfather's business recovered precious metals from electronics. Nintendo, it seems, had sent these cartridges to a metal recovery center to salvage gold from the contacts. Somehow, the games survived this process and found their way into Braun's possession.

The story came to light when Jason Ganos, a friend of Braun's and a fellow retro game seller, brought the issue to Braun's attention. The box contained 97 near-mint copies of Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt, the original game that came bundled with Nintendo Entertainment Systems starting in the mid-80s. The pristine condition of these cartridges immediately stood out, but it was the unique stickers and a unique version of the instruction manual that caught the true attention.

Grading companies were quick to take notice, and PSA, the company that graded five of the 97 copies to a perfect score of 10, received several for assessment. This marks the first time an NES game has ever received a perfect grade from PSA, and five games have been awarded this honor. Braun and Ganos plan to keep some for themselves, while auctioning off the rest. One of the perfect grade games will be auctioned off by Goldin starting August 12, with the final price remaining to be seen.