Get ready to make your wallet or purse a heck of a lot lighter as we take a look at the top rare PS3 games and how much they are worth!
If you’re looking to add some collectors items into your PS3 collection, then look no further. Whether only dropping in specific countries or being pulled before release, the following games have hit the rare-o-meter and come out with a score of 110.
In other words, I’d be checking that dusty games chest in the attic to see how many of them you have kicking about.
So, without further ado, let’s check out the 10 rarest games for the PS3 and how much they might set you back or make you a tidy profit!
Table of Contents
10. College Hoops NCAA 2K8: $60 – $149
Let’s kick things off with College Hoops NCAA 2K8, the last game in the 2K series. With online play, it was a cracking sports title to kick back with friends.
And now, it’s one of the rarest PS3 games on the market!
You know how much you can usually pick up a used old copy of a sports game like a FIFA title for, right? We’re talking around $5 dollars.
So, paying a minimum of $60 for a game that came out back in 2007 is ridiculous! If you’ve still got a copy that you don’t play, then get it sold and put the money towards a nice meal out!
9. El Chavo Kart: $99 – $250
El Chavo Kart drifts into 9th position in our rare PS3 games collection!
If you’re from the UK, this isn’t a Spanish way of referring to the kids that wear peaked caps and Fred Perry t-shirts. It’s a huge cartoon series turned karting game, kind of like the Latin American Mario Kart!
Still, the fact that I’m having to explain what it is means that it never became as popular as Mario Kart in non-Spanish speaking countries. It’s a very region specific title, which is now why it’s so rare.
El Chavo Kart only ever sold 5,000 copies outside of Hispanic regions. If you’re looking for a Spanish CTR/Diddy Kong Racing crossover title, then give it a go.
You might need a phrasebook to hand, but the gameplay will still be fun if you fancy forking out $99!
8. Painkiller: Hell & Damnation Uncut : $248 – $329
Ever heard of a console game that was toned down for being ‘too evil’? Well, I guess you’ve never played Painkiller: Hell & Damnation Uncut!
This PS3 version was the only way US players could get their hands on the game. German censors claimed it was pretty damn evil, but we all know that we love horrible games like Manhunt anyway, so this was always going to be a big hit.
Players take a dead man who is stuck in purgatory. He wants to get to heaven, and haven wants the devils armies destroyed for good.
I sense a deal being made here…
Selling for a minimum of $248, it’s a frighteningly good but also painfully expensive adventure.
7. Afrika: $57 – $249
I’ve had the some by Toto playing in my head ever since I added this picture of Afrika into our rare PS3 games list, which isn’t as annoying as you might think.
Ever played Pokemon Snap or the New Pokemon Snap? Well, instead of snapping Pokemon, players in this game must take pictures of wildlife roaming free in a safari park.
It’s the perfect shooting game for people that like to shoot pictures instead of shooting game (I’m very proud of that deep and meaningful sentence).
Listen, this isn’t an action-adventure epic, which is probably why it’s now such a rarity. It’s one for animal and photography lovers, a relaxing game that you need to think about and be precise with.
The North American version is the rarest variant, so make sure you’re spending your big bucks on the right version.
6. The Last Guy (English & Chinese Edition): $399
Remember the film Cloverfield, the movie where that massive monster is terrorising everything and everyone? Well, The Last Guy (English & Chinese Edition) see players taking on a kind-of Sim City-style game in a similar situation.
Your job is to get the people to safety, viewing your city from a top-down perspective using real maps.
Play through cities you might have actually visited in Europe, Asia, and across North America as you avoid imminent death.
So why is this game so rare?
Well, the only versions that came out with English translation were made in Hong Kong & Taiwan, and they’re the ones that now sell for around $399. If you have one, then you’re in luck!
5. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Wizard’s Edition: $379 – $499
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Wizard’s Edition could be one of the most swish looking collectibles for the PS3.
How much do you love Ni No Kuni? Enough to pay anywhere up to $499 for a plush doll of the character Drippy, a 300 page wizards compendium booklet, downloadable content, and a cool collectors box?
I think we all know that the answer is yes, we all love it that much.
And to be honest, that’s a steal for this package. I’d pay that to feel like a wizard any day of the week. Plus, the value is only going to go up, so now is the time to grab this collector’s edition and keep it somewhere safe!
4. Syberia Complete Collection: $399 – $500
Syberia Complete Collection is a little bit of a lie. It’s not actually a complete compendium, only covering the first and second games of the series and not the third.
Still, if you’re after two games that feel like MYST crossed with the Professor Layton adventures and have a minimum of $399 to burn, then get your clicking finger at the ready!
Yes, These two point-and-click games take players on an adventure through different versions of Russia and the rest of Mainland Europe. It’s like a Salvador Dali painting that’s been warped all the way to 11.
Designed by Belgian comicbook artist Benoît Sokal, these bizarre adventure now form one of the rarest collections on the PS3. It’s much cheaper on other platforms, but if you want a true gem in your PS3 collection, this would certainly turn a few heads.
3. Aquanaut’s Holiday: Hidden Memories (With English Translation): $384 – $500
Aquanaut’s Holiday: Hidden Memories (With English Translation) takes the bronze medal in our rare PS3 games list!
Can you remember Aquanaut’s Holiday for the PS1? It didn’t make our list of the best PS1 games, which is probably why this sequel is so rare. Still, this underwater exploring title is definitely worth a look if you’ve ever liked deep-sea diving and adventure!
And let’s face it, this is probably a much easier and less expensive way of doing it, even at $384!
Players take on the role of an intrepid journalist. You must discover the mysterious disappearance of a marine researcher (probably eaten by a shark) in a beautifully created underwater world.
It’s funny too, with surprises around every coral-covered corner and some pretty funny moment too!
2. Lollipop Chainsaw (Alternative Cover): $500
Sometimes games ship with a different cover to tone down themes of violence and sexualisation. And seen as though those are the two main themes from Lollipop Chainsaw, it’s no surprise that the Lollipop Chainsaw (Alternative Cover) is super rare.
Rather than a girl in skimpy clothing showing 99% of her skin while wielding a massive chainsaw, this cover has a little more mystique and is more intriguing.
The concept of the game itself is simple – hack and slash everything in sight. Kill zombies with chainsaws and pompoms; it’s every cheerleaders worst nightmare.
But not Juliets, it would seem. Stop demons from coming forth from the Rotten Realm and rid your school from zombies and the the idiot that unleashed them once and for all.
The normal copy of the game costs anywhere from $50 upwards, but you’ll need to dig deep for the alternative cover.
1. NBA Elite 11: $800 – $5,000
With one hefty price tag and a mysterious backstory, NBA Elite 11 is officially the most rare PS3 game of all time.
I suppose that’s mainly because it was never meant to exist!
NBA Elite 11 should have dropped onto shelves back in 2010 but was pulled because of some odd glitches and pesky bugs.
Still, when EA recalls games at the last minute, people are going to ‘misplace’ some of the copies with a view to selling them on for mega bucks years later. Humans be deceitful!
It’s hard to find copies of this game anywhere, but they do crop up from time to time on eBay. The last recorded sale was for 6 sealed copies that sold for a total of $30,000. That’s $5,000 each!!
If you have one of those copies upstairs in your attic or found one buried in a time capsule somewhere, then congratulations. You officially the winner of our rare PS3 games compendium… and more importantly a small fortune!
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 33 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
