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dragon warrior nintendo nes psa pop report

Dragon Warrior Nintendo NES: PSA Pop Report + Loose / CIB / Sealed Prices

Published 2026-05-29 · Updated 2026-05-31 · by Jason Trogdon
Retro Video Games 21 min read

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PSA has graded 219 Dragon Warrior Nintendo NES copies on record — 1 loose, 36 CIB, 182 sealed. PSA tracks 5 distinct production variants separately because they’re priced differently by collectors. Sealed copies trade in the $325 range. This page is the per-game pop + price + grading reference for Dragon Warrior on Nintendo NES — updated weekly from PSA’s official population data and PriceCharting’s market catalog.

Loose
POP 1
Market: $13
CIB
POP 36
Market: $66
Sealed
POP 182
Market: $325

Quick Facts

Variant Comparison

PSA recognizes 5 distinct production variants of Dragon Warrior, each tracked on its own population row because collectors value them differently. The variants this game discriminates on: Canadian-market edition; USA-region production code labeling.

Variant Loose Pop CIB Pop Sealed Pop Total
3 Screw, Yellow Endlabel - USA Code 1 1
Made in Japan, 1 HP Screenshot 22 60 82
Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot 9 57 66
Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot - “USA and Canada” Text 4 64 68
Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version 1 1 2

PSA Pop by Condition

PSA tracks Dragon Warrior populations independently for loose carts, complete-in-box (CIB), and factory-sealed copies — collectors price each condition separately because rarity and demand diverge sharply. Tables below show the grade-tier breakdown per condition, aggregated across 5 variants PSA recognizes for this title.

Loose Cartridge

Total graded: 1

Variant Pop Grade Breakdown
3 Screw, Yellow Endlabel - USA Code 1 7.5: 1

PSA has not graded the following variants in this condition: Made in Japan, 1 HP Screenshot · Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot · Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot - “USA and Canada” Text · Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version.

Complete in Box (CIB)

Total graded: 36

Variant Pop Grade Breakdown
Made in Japan, 1 HP Screenshot 22 9.6: 2 · 9.2: 3 · 9.0: 3 · 8.5: 5 · 8.0: 5 · 7.5: 2 · 7.0: 2
Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot 9 9.2: 1 · 9.0: 2 · 8.5: 2 · 8.0: 2 · 7.5: 1 · 6.5: 1
Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot - “USA and Canada” Text 4 9.2: 1 · 8.0: 1 · 7.5: 1 · 6.5: 1
Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version 1 <6.5: 1

PSA has not graded the following variant in this condition: 3 Screw, Yellow Endlabel - USA Code.

Factory Sealed

Total graded: 182

Sealed summary by variant:

Variant Total Pop Top Numeric Grade Best Seal Grade
Made in Japan, 1 HP Screenshot 60 9.8 A++
Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot 57 9.6 A++
Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot - “USA and Canada” Text 64 9.6 A+
Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version 1 <6.5 B+

Factory Sealed Grade × Seal Matrix

Rows show PSA numeric grades. Columns show seal grades. Cell values are PSA population counts. Aggregated across all variants. Top observed grade: 9.8 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade A++ A+ A B+ B C+ NS Total
9.8 1 1
9.6 1 8 2 11
9.4 2 18 10 1 31
9.2 13 8 1 22
9.0 1 6 5 1 1 1 15
8.5 16 8 2 26
8.0 10 17 4 1 1 33
7.5 2 10 3 15
7.0 5 12 1 1 1 20
6.5 1 1 2
<6.5 3 3 6
Total 4 79 76 15 4 1 3 182

Per-variant grade × seal matrices

Click any variant to expand its full grade × seal breakdown.

Made in Japan, 1 HP Screenshot (60 sealed pop)

Top observed grade: 9.8 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade A++ A+ A B+ B NS Total
9.8 1 1
9.6 5 1 6
9.4 2 4 6 1 13
9.2 5 1 6
9.0 1 1 2
8.5 5 3 1 9
8.0 9 2 11
7.5 3 1 4
7.0 1 5 6
6.5 1 1
<6.5 1 1
Total 2 21 30 5 1 1 60
Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot (57 sealed pop)

Top observed grade: 9.6 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade A++ A+ A B+ B C+ NS Total
9.6 1 1 2
9.4 5 4 9
9.2 3 4 1 8
9.0 1 3 2 1 7
8.5 2 4 1 7
8.0 1 3 1 1 1 7
7.5 3 1 4
7.0 2 6 1 1 10
<6.5 2 1 3
Total 2 17 28 4 3 1 2 57
Made in Japan, 2 HP Screenshot - "USA and Canada" Text (64 sealed pop)

Top observed grade: 9.6 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade A+ A B+ Total
9.6 2 1 3
9.4 9 9
9.2 5 3 8
9.0 3 2 1 6
8.5 9 1 10
8.0 9 5 1 15
7.5 2 4 1 7
7.0 2 1 1 4
6.5 1 1
<6.5 1 1
Total 41 18 5 64
Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version (1 sealed pop)

Top observed grade: <6.5 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade B+ Total
<6.5 1 1
Total 1 1

PSA has not graded the following variant in this condition: 3 Screw, Yellow Endlabel - USA Code.

Current Market Prices

All prices below are pulled directly from PriceCharting’s public catalog and refreshed each time this article regenerates (typically weekly). PriceCharting computes their values from active and recently-sold listings on eBay + their dealer network — independent of any data on this page. The Sealed column reflects PriceCharting’s “manual-only” / new tier — factory-sealed retail at average condition; specific graded-sealed prices vary sharply by numeric grade + seal letter (use the Sealed eBay browse link below for grade-specific comps).

All 5 PSA-tracked variants share the same PriceCharting prices because PriceCharting indexes at the title level, not the variant level. Variant-specific pricing surfaces on eBay sold-comp data — check the Sealed / CIB / Loose browse links below for variant-aware market signals.

Heritage Graded Sales

Heritage Auctions sold results below are real auction transactions for Dragon Warrior on Nintendo NES. They complement the PriceCharting loose / CIB / sealed benchmarks above; they are not estimates and they are not blended into PriceCharting’s ungraded market prices.

Summary rows are title-level Heritage sale signals, sorted by format, recency, and realized-price signal. PSA production variants can price differently, so the sale records keep Heritage’s own variant notes visible instead of pretending every auction lot maps cleanly to a PSA variant row.

High-grade games can trade years apart, so older auction records stay visible; treat the latest-sale date as part of the comp, not just the dollar amount.

Format Grade Sale signal Latest sale Comps
Factory sealed (1 Hp Screenshot First Production) WATA 9.6 A+ Last sale $4,500 Mar 28, 2026 1
Factory sealed (1 Hp Screenshot First Production) WATA 9.4 A+ Last sale $2,375 Nov 23, 2024 1
Factory sealed (1 Hp Screenshot First Production) VGA 85 Last sale $1,250 Jan 9, 2025 1
Factory sealed (1 Hp Screenshot First Production) VGA 80 Last sale $1,000 Nov 4, 2025 1
Factory sealed (2 Hp Screenshot Later Production) CGC 9.0 A++ Last sale $875 Sep 10, 2024 1
Factory sealed (2 Hp Screenshot Later Production) CGC 9.0 A+ Last sale $375 Apr 22, 2025 1
Factory sealed (2 Hp Screenshot USA and Canada Text Later Production) WATA 9.2 A+ Last sale $350 Dec 23, 2025 1
Factory sealed (2 Hp Screenshot Mid Production) WATA 8.0 A Last sale $325 Nov 18, 2025 1
Factory sealed (2 Hp Screenshot Mid Production) WATA 9.0 A+ Last sale $300 Feb 17, 2026 1
Factory sealed (2 Hp Screenshot USA and Canada Text Later Production) CGC 8.5 A Last sale $250 Sep 17, 2024 1
Factory sealed (2 Hp Screenshot USA and Canada Text Later Production) CGC 8.5 A++ Last sale $225 Feb 25, 2025 1
Factory sealed (2 Hp Screenshot Later Production Seal Removed) CGC 9.4 Last sale $175 Jan 28, 2025 1

Showing the top 12 Heritage sale signals; the sale-record table below includes every Heritage auction sale used on this page.

Sale records:

View all 58 Heritage sale records
Date Sold For Grader / Grade Format Variant Notes Source
Mar 28, 2026 $4,500 WATA 9.6 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp Screenshot First Production Lot 7452-28142
Feb 17, 2026 $300 WATA 9.0 A+ Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot Mid Production Lot 312607-68012
Dec 23, 2025 $350 WATA 9.2 A+ Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot USA and Canada Text Later Production Lot 312551-69002
Nov 18, 2025 $325 WATA 8.0 A Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot Mid Production Lot 312546-68005
Nov 4, 2025 $1,000 VGA 80 Factory sealed 1 Hp Screenshot First Production Lot 312544-66004
Apr 22, 2025 $375 CGC 9.0 A+ Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot Later Production Lot 312516-69007
Feb 25, 2025 $225 CGC 8.5 A++ Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot USA and Canada Text Later Production Lot 312508-69009
Jan 28, 2025 $175 CGC 9.4 Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot Later Production Seal Removed Lot 312504-69014
Jan 9, 2025 $1,250 VGA 85 Factory sealed 1 Hp Screenshot First Production Lot 44278-79015
Dec 24, 2024 $117 WATA 6.5 A Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot USA and Canada Text Later Production Lot 312452-69005
Nov 23, 2024 $2,375 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp Screenshot First Production Lot 7382-28128
Sep 17, 2024 $250 CGC 8.5 A Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot USA and Canada Text Later Production Lot 312438-68003
Sep 10, 2024 $875 CGC 9.0 A++ Factory sealed 2 Hp Screenshot Later Production Lot 312437-67006
Apr 16, 2024 $375 WATA 7.0 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp First Production Lot 312416-68005
Mar 21, 2024 $1,680 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp First Production Lot 44238-79011
Mar 21, 2024 $750 VGA 85 Factory sealed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 44238-79012
Mar 12, 2024 $360 WATA 8.0 A Factory sealed 1 Hp First Production Lot 312411-67007
Feb 24, 2024 $7,800 WATA 9.8 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp First Production Lot 7359-28014
Feb 24, 2024 $1,920 WATA 9.6 A+ Factory sealed 2 Hp USA and Canada Text Later Production Lot 7359-28166
Feb 20, 2024 $124 CGC 9.2 CIB Qualifed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 312408-68005
Feb 8, 2024 $360 WATA 9.2 CIB 1 Hp First Production Lot 44235-79037
Nov 28, 2023 $216 CGC 8.0 C+ Factory sealed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 312348-69007
Nov 7, 2023 $159 CGC 9.2 CIB 1 Hp First Production Lot 312345-66005
Nov 4, 2023 $1,440 WATA 9.6 A++ Factory sealed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 7350-28209
May 2, 2023 $408 VGA 75 Factory sealed 1 Hp First Production Lot 312318-66011
Feb 28, 2023 $264 WATA 7.5 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Promotional Copy Lot 312309-69032
Nov 1, 2022 $660 WATA 9.2 A Factory sealed 1 Hp Screen First Production Lot 312244-66026
Oct 25, 2022 $264 WATA 8.0 A+ Factory sealed 2hp Later Production Lot 312243-69027
Oct 25, 2022 $159 WATA 7.5 B+ Factory sealed 2hp Later Production Lot 312243-69028
Sep 29, 2022 $1,560 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp Screen First Production Lot 44172-80022
Sep 13, 2022 $1,320 WATA 9.4 A Factory sealed 1 Hp Screen First Production Lot 312237-67023
Aug 2, 2022 $480 WATA 8.0 A Factory sealed 1 Hp Screen First Production Lot 312231-66011
Jul 5, 2022 $432 WATA 9.2 NS New / no seal 2hp Later Production Lot 312227-66020
May 31, 2022 $480 WATA 9.0 A+ Factory sealed 2hp Later Production Lot 312222-70032
Apr 23, 2022 $2,280 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp Screen First Production Lot 7286-29017
Apr 5, 2022 $384 WATA 8.0 A+ Factory sealed 2hp Later Production Lot 312214-66025
Mar 22, 2022 $312 WATA 7.5 A+ Factory sealed 2hp Later Production Lot 312212-69038
Feb 22, 2022 $1,050 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed 2hp Later Production Lot 312208-69025
Feb 1, 2022 $720 WATA 9.4 A Factory sealed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 312205-66022
Jan 29, 2022 $1,200 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm 2 Hp Later Production Lot 7284-29022
Dec 7, 2021 $360 WATA 9.2 CIB 2hp Later Production Lot 312149-66018
Oct 12, 2021 $720 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Lot 312141-67023
Jun 15, 2021 $192 WATA 7.0 CIB 1 Hp Screen First Production Lot 312124-68026
Apr 20, 2021 $480 WATA 8.0 B+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Lot 312116-68029
Apr 5, 2021 $1,800 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Promotional Copy Lot 7242-97056
Feb 1, 2021 $228 WATA 6.0 B+ Factory sealed Double Oval Soq Canadian Edition Lot 122105-12035
Dec 7, 2020 $216 WATA 8.0 A+ Factory sealed Rev A Oval Soq Tm Lot 122049-11704
Nov 22, 2020 $1,440 WATA 9.6 A Factory sealed Nintendo Power Promotional Copy Indiana Collection Lot 7236-97087
Oct 12, 2020 $336 WATA 8.0 A Factory sealed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 122041-13787
Oct 5, 2020 $396 WATA 8.0 A+ Factory sealed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 122040-11913
Sep 13, 2020 $2,160 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp Screen First Production Lot 7234-97065
Sep 13, 2020 $780 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed Promotional Copy Atwood Collection Lot 7234-97066
Aug 10, 2020 $360 WATA 8.0 A Factory sealed 1 Hp First Production Lot 122032-13776
Aug 3, 2020 $210 WATA 7.5 CIB 1 Hp First Production Lot 122031-11727
Jul 12, 2020 $1,560 WATA 9.2 A+ Factory sealed 1 Hp Screen Early Production Lot 7231-97050
Jun 29, 2020 $780 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 122026-20137
Jun 22, 2020 $504 WATA 9.0 A+ Factory sealed Promotional Copy Lot 122025-17957
Jun 15, 2020 $384 WATA 7.5 A Factory sealed 2 Hp Later Production Lot 122024-15744

Listings

Each link below opens an eBay search filtered to that condition, scoped to Dragon Warrior on Nintendo NES. “Sold” pulls completed/sold listings (use this for price research). “Listings” pulls current active listings (use this to find a copy to buy).

Why Dragon Warrior Matters for Grading

Dragon Warrior is one of the more heavily-graded Nintendo NES titles, with 219 PSA populations on record across loose, CIB, and sealed. Strong submission volume signals collector demand — and grade premiums are the market’s vote on which copies are scarce. The sealed condition dominates submissions (182 of 219, ~83%) — a strong signal that’s where most collector value sits for this title. The sealed-to-loose price ratio is roughly 25× — sealed copies trade at $325 while loose carts move around $13. That spread means a fresh sealed find is the move; raw cart flips have thinner margins after grading fees. Because PSA tracks 5 variants separately, production-code identification matters before submission. The pop-by-variant breakdown above tells you which variant is the rarer find.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dragon Warrior Nintendo NES worth grading?

Mostly for sealed copies. The sealed-state population (182) outweighs CIB and loose for Dragon Warrior, indicating sealed is where collector capital concentrates. CIB and loose grading is viable but margins are thinner after fees.

How rare is a graded sealed copy of Dragon Warrior?

PSA tracks 182 graded sealed copies of Dragon Warrior for Nintendo NES. The grade-tier breakdown above shows how those split across PSA’s numeric grades — top-grade copies (9.4+) are the scarcest and typically command the strongest premiums.

Should I buy a graded or raw copy of Dragon Warrior?

Depends on your goal. Graded copies cost more upfront but come with PSA’s authenticity + condition guarantee — the right move for buy-and-hold collectors. Raw copies are cheaper but require condition assessment yourself, and the grading lottery means a $50 raw cart can come back as a $25 PSA 7 OR a $200 PSA 9.4. Use the per-condition pop and price data above to calculate expected value before you commit.

Why does PSA track multiple variants of Dragon Warrior?

PSA recognizes 5 distinct production variants of Dragon Warrior on Nintendo NES. Variants reflect real production differences — different factories (Made in Japan vs Made in Mexico), packaging die changes, ESRB-rating retrofits added partway through the console’s life, or Players Choice reissues from later runs. Collectors price them differently because rarity diverges, and PSA tracks each on its own population row so the data reflects the real market structure.

Sources

Pop counts pulled weekly from PSA Video Games population data. Prices from PriceCharting. PSA acquired WATA in July 2021 and completed the rebrand to PSA Video Games on October 20, 2025. PSA Video Games population data is the continuation of WATA’s population history. Heritage graded-sale comps come from Heritage Auctions sold archive lot pages linked in the sale-record table.

J

About Jason

Jason has been collecting cards since 1999 and retro video games since 2008. Based in the Southeast US. What The Slab cites real eBay sold comps, PriceCharting data, and PSA pop reports — no guesswork. Read more →