Video game collecting is a much more expensive hobby than it used to be; with more enthusiasts joining in every day, the value of some of the most memorable games of yesteryear has skyrocketed.
While the current fixation of most collectors seems to be on the sixth generation of gaming, certain excellent seventh-generation games have seen huge price increases. From niche games released early in the console's lifecycle to games that were canceled but made it to retail anyway, Pricecharting.com helps players discover 10 of the rarest PS3 standalone games in 2021.
10 Azura's Wrath ($59.00)
A relentlessly wild game loosely based on Japanese mythology and presented in an episodic format, 2012's Azura's Wrath is remembered as an underrated gem in the PlayStation 3 library. According to Cinema Blend, the publisher caught some flack for packaging the game's true ending as DLC content, but nonetheless, it was a standout title.
Today, Azura's Wrath is a fairly rare and relatively expensive game, often going for about sixty to eighty dollars. Best treated as an awesome hack-and-slash gaming experience, Azura's Wrath will doubtlessly pique the interests of fans of Japanese games.
9 Demon's Souls (Deluxe Edition) ($61.42)
The predecessor to the Dark Souls franchise, Demon's Souls is a game known for its difficult bosses and cool armor. It began life as a niche RPG on the PlayStation 3, but after a major increase in developer FromSoftware's popularity and a remaster of the title on PlayStation 5, the original variant of the game can be much pricier than the average used PS3 title.
However, the Deluxe Edition, which originally came with a 150-page strategy guide, often goes for hundreds of dollars. Even the disc by itself can be more expensive than a new AAA game, with the current PriceCharting.com listing sitting at just over sixty-one dollars.
8 NCAA Football 14 ($63.58)
Today, the Madden franchise is the be-all-end-all of football video gaming, but there have been quite a few great non-Madden football games. Electronic Arts used to publish annual games focused on college-level football, appropriately titled NCAA Football. According to MSN, EA has plans to revitalize the franchise, but at the moment, 2013's NCAA Football 14 is the most recent installment.
While used sports games are often a dime-a-dozen, NCAA Football 14 commands some serious prices, even when purchased second-hand. The game often goes for around sixty or seventy dollars.
7 Persona 4 Arena Ultimax ($64.40)
A spin-off of the Persona series, which is itself a spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei series, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a stylish and surprisingly well-rounded 2D fighting game that comes across as simultaneously familiar and radically different when compared to other games bearing the Persona title.
A sequel to 2012's Persona 4 Arena, Ultimax's rarity should come as no surprise to fans of Atlus, the series' publisher. Most of their works are incredibly expensive today, and, going for upwards of sixty dollars, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax on the PS3 lives up to that legacy.
6 Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon ($64.95)
A darker entry in the traditionally lighthearted Spyro series, 2008's Dawn of the Dragon was the final entry in the Legend of Spryo trilogy. An excellent showcase of how far the franchise had come since its debut on the original PlayStation, it served as a send-off for the character until his return in 2018's Reignited Trilogy.
The popularity of the one-time Sony mascot meant that most of the games in which he stars are highly sought-after. That said, this is easily one of the most valuable, with copies regularly going for anywhere between sixty and eighty dollars.
5 Splatterhouse ($69.99)
A reboot of the classic arcade game from 1988 which later spawned a slew of sequels, 2010's Splatterhouse was a gore-soaked grindhouse rendition of the '80s classic. However, with gameplay bearing distinct similarities to the popular God of War games, critics panned the title for its derivative nature.
Though it's perhaps not the best representation of the franchise, Splatterhouse is still a fairly rare and valuable title on the PlayStation 3. Often going for between seventy and ninety dollars as per PriceCharting.com, this one will likely only interest dedicated PlayStation collectors.
4 Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle ($80.75)
A fighting game based on the famously strange shounen anime series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, 2014's All-Star Battle released very late in the lifecycle of the PlayStation 3. Boasting only niche appeal in Western territories, it was never destined for major success, and it's now one of the rarest standalone titles on the PlayStation 3.
Reminiscent of some of the games in the King of Fighters or Soul Caliber series, it should satisfy the interests of fans of the anime franchise. However, collectors will be asked to spend upward of eighty dollars on a copy of the game.
3 Afrika ($87.24)
An oft-forgotten oddity on the PlayStation 3, 2009's photojournalism simulator Afrika worked as a realistic take on the Pokémon Snap formula. In it, gamers are tasked with traversing the African safari and snapping images of animals in their natural habitat.
Despite the unique premise, the game didn't receive much attention, and, as a result, it's one of the rarest PS3 games to see release in North America. Selling from a loose price of over eighty-five dollars, Afrika would be a prized possession for any PlayStation collector.
2 College Hoops 2K8 ($92.97)
Much like the aforementioned NCAA Football series, 2K Sports once shored up their line of NBA titles with a subsidiary series centered around college basketball. College Hoops 2K8 proved to be the final entry in the series, and it's currently one of the most expensive video games on the PlayStation 3 console.
The price of a used copy can fluctuate from ninety to one hundred dollars. That's an unprecedented amount to spend on a used sports title, and this one is only likely to tempt diehard basketball fans.
1 NBA Elite 11 ($861.49)
Without a doubt one of the rarest seventh-generation titles in existence, NBA Elite 11 was technically canceled by its publisher shortly before it was scheduled to release, according to GameSpot. However, some copies of the game had already been sent to retailers, and some even managed to land in the hands of consumers.
The priciest PlayStation 3 game by far, it's posited that copies of NBA Elite 11 go for more than eight hundred dollars. Only a few copies are known to exist, and this title is likely only owned by the most dedicated of PS3 collectors.
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June 24, 2021 at 12:00AM
