A rare version of Super Mario Bros. 3, one of the most popular NES titles ever produced, sparked some competitive bidding before closing at $5,040 at Heritage Auctions’ Sunday Internet Comics, Animation and Art Auction on April 14, 2019.

The Super Mario Bros. 3 Wata 9.4 CIB “Left Bros.” variant drew 16 bids before hitting the final sales price. The “Left Bros.” variant means that it’s one of the earliest runs of the popular title; it’s called as such because the word “Bros.” is on the left side of the box. There are fewer than five sealed copies of this variant known to still exist, making a mint condition complete-in-box copy such as this one of the most desirable options out there for collectors.

“This is the highest-graded complete-in-box copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 that Wata has certified so far,” Heritage Auctions Consignment Director Valarie McLeckie said. “The word ‘Bros.’ was moved to the right on future editions, just above Mario’s hat, to improve the aesthetic of the illustration. This ‘Left Bros.’ variant is more elusive than the later ‘Right Bros.’ version, and therefore in much higher demand among collectors.”

The game is one of the best-selling NES titles ever, having moved more than 17 million copies worldwide. Wata-graded games are now offered regularly in Heritage’s weekly comics auctions, with their next one closing on April 21, 2019.