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Video games have been popular for almost half a century at this point. Even though graphics, software, and so on drastically change every few years, prices remain relatively the same. However, as games go out of print and become less available, their prices start to skyrocket. For some reason, many of these types of games for the Xbox 360 happen to be sports titles. Let’s take a look at the 10 rarest Xbox 360 games that are worth an arm and a leg to find out how they got that way.
NCAA Football 13 (2012) – $45
The reason that NCAA Football 13 is here is for the same reason every other NCAA game is. Realistically, players only purchase the 2013 version of the game when they can’t find the sought-after 2014 version. Some players will say that 13 has better, in-depth recruiting as opposed to its sequel.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010) – $45
Insomniac Games might have the best Spider-Man games available, but Shattered Dimensions is still the most fun. Similar to the story in recent films, Spider-Man and Mysterio cause multiple realities around the world to have problems. You’ll be playing the roles of Amazing, Noir, 2099, and Ultimate Spider-Man going through each character’s world. Little known fact is that this game is what inspired the 2014 Spider-Verse comics storyline which later inspired the Spider-Verse films.
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (2009) – $50
There are a lot of people who wouldn’t put 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand on their list of rare games for the Xbox 360. But, here we are. The real reason behind the inflation in price is because of the game’s addition to Xbox’s backward-compatible list. You can pop this game into any Xbox console after the 360 and still play it. We think that many players have fond memories of playing this before the shift turned to Grand Theft Auto V, leading to the price increase.
Armored Core: For Answer (2008) – $70
The Armored Core games aren’t very niche anymore. However, there was a time when they were, which made those games hard to find now. Even though Armored Core: For Answer might be the thirteenth installment in the series, it was the second one to be released for PS3 and Xbox 360. The fact that the game carries the FromSoftware development seal is also a huge deal. The team went on to develop games like Elden Ring and Bloodborne.
College Hoops 2k8 (2007) – $70
Even though this title is a little bit dated, some still consider it to be the best college basketball video game. The comparison has been made with NCAA Basketball 10 and players agree that the gameplay is unmatched. You’re even able to scout high school freshmen as part of the recruitment process. A missed detail of the game is the ability to keep up with recruit classes to see if they live up to their potential.
NCAA Basketball 10 (2009) – $75
NCAA Basketball 10 had the same fate as the aforementioned NCAA Football 14. It was also the last college basketball game to be released. What’s interesting about this game is how it spikes in price every year during March and February. It can be easy to miss in bargain bins, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for the Blake Griffin cover if you want to add it to your collection.
NCAA Football 14 (2013) – $80
The entire NCAA series halted after NCAA Football 14 was released. This had nothing to do with the game, but with the rules preventing exploitation of college athletes who were not getting paid to have their likeness put in the game. While this rule has since been changed, that hasn’t affected the price of the last game to be released. It’s also, objectively, the best NCAA title in the series. Considering that, it’s possible that the price just reflects its quality as well.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance Gold Edition (2007) – $100
While downloadable content isn’t new, it wasn’t always something that was unattainable after the codes had been used. In Marvel Ultimate Alliance Gold Edition, you got the base game as well as all of its extra content. You could choose from over 20 characters and create your own personal team of heroes. As a result, the game has become increasingly hard to find since the DLC is no longer available on the Xbox Marketplace. You could always aim for the Platinum Edition, but that’s just as difficult to find as well.
El Chavo Kart (2014) – $100
We won’t blame you if you don’t know about El Chavo Kart. It’s a mascot game based on the popular animated show from Mexico, El Chavo Animado, which is an animated show based on the popular TV show, El Chavo del Ocho. The show’s popularity didn’t really reach the States, but that didn’t stop the 360 title from being popular. This was especially so for Brazilian fans, who just about all but bought every copy of the game. It seems like the only second-hand way to find it now is to purchase it from a Brazilian reseller.
NBA Elite 11 (2010) – $20,000
Technically, NBA Elite 11 never made it to the public. It was an iOS game that was meant to be a PS3 and rare 360 game, but just couldn’t meet the 18-month deadline. As a result, the demo that was released was criticized for having a ton of glitches and bugs. Since the quality was unsatisfactory, the entire project was canned. However, that didn’t stop a few printed copies from escaping and making their way into collectors’ hands.
