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metroid nintendo nes psa pop report

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

Published 2026-05-29 · Updated 2026-05-31 · by Jason Trogdon
Retro Video Games 26 min read

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PSA has graded 247 Metroid Nintendo NES copies on record — 3 loose, 134 CIB, 110 sealed. PSA tracks 15 distinct production variants separately because they’re priced differently by collectors. Sealed copies trade for $1,820+ on the open market. This page is the per-game pop + price + grading reference for Metroid on Nintendo NES — updated weekly from PSA’s official population data and PriceCharting’s market catalog.

Loose
POP 3
Market: $28
CIB
POP 134
Market: $172
Sealed
POP 110
Market: $1,820

Quick Facts

Variant Comparison

PSA recognizes 15 distinct production variants of Metroid, 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, Oval SOQ R - USA-1 Code 1 1
3 Screw, Round SOQ - Black Made in Japan - USA Code 1 1
3 Screw, Round SOQ - Gold Made in Japan 1 1
Made in Japan, Classic Series 14 34 48
Made in Japan, Hangtab 51 6 57
Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version 1 1
Made in Japan, No Rev-A 1 1 2
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ R 7 13 20
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM 2 2
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1987 14 32 46
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 12 8 20
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 (Distributor Seal) 1 1
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ 15 15
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ - No Code 9 9
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ - USA Code 23 23

PSA Pop by Condition

PSA tracks Metroid 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 15 variants PSA recognizes for this title.

Loose Cartridge

Total graded: 3

Variant Pop Grade Breakdown
3 Screw, Oval SOQ R - USA-1 Code 1 8.5: 1
3 Screw, Round SOQ - Black Made in Japan - USA Code 1 7.0: 1
3 Screw, Round SOQ - Gold Made in Japan 1 7.5: 1

PSA has not graded the following variants in this condition: Made in Japan, Classic Series · Made in Japan, Hangtab · Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version · Made in Japan, No Rev-A · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ R · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1987 · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 (Distributor Seal) · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ - No Code · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ - USA Code.

Complete in Box (CIB)

Total graded: 134

Variant Pop Grade Breakdown
Made in Japan, Classic Series 14 9.4: 2 · 9.2: 2 · 9.0: 5 · 8.0: 2 · 7.5: 2 · 7.0: 1
Made in Japan, Hangtab 51 9.6: 1 · 9.2: 4 · 9.0: 8 · 8.5: 5 · 8.0: 7 · 7.5: 4 · 7.0: 11 · 6.5: 2 · <6.5: 9
Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version 1 6.5: 1
Made in Japan, No Rev-A 1 8.5: 1
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ R 7 9.4: 1 · 9.2: 1 · 9.0: 1 · 8.5: 3 · 8.0: 1
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM 2 8.5: 2
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1987 14 9.4: 2 · 9.2: 2 · 8.5: 4 · 8.0: 1 · 7.5: 2 · 6.5: 1 · <6.5: 2
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 12 9.2: 1 · 9.0: 2 · 8.5: 1 · 8.0: 1 · 7.5: 1 · 7.0: 3 · 6.5: 3
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ - No Code 9 9.2: 1 · 9.0: 1 · 8.5: 2 · 8.0: 2 · 7.0: 2 · 6.5: 1
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ - USA Code 23 9.4: 1 · 9.2: 3 · 9.0: 4 · 8.5: 4 · 8.0: 2 · 7.5: 5 · 7.0: 2 · 6.5: 1 · <6.5: 1

PSA has not graded the following variants in this condition: 3 Screw, Oval SOQ R - USA-1 Code · 3 Screw, Round SOQ - Black Made in Japan - USA Code · 3 Screw, Round SOQ - Gold Made in Japan · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 (Distributor Seal) · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ.

Factory Sealed

Total graded: 110

Sealed summary by variant:

Variant Total Pop Top Numeric Grade Best Seal Grade
Made in Japan, Classic Series 34 9.8 A++
Made in Japan, Hangtab 6 9.8 A+
Made in Japan, No Rev-A 1 7.5 A+
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ R 13 9.4 A+
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1987 32 9.6 A+
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 8 9.6 A+
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 (Distributor Seal) 1 7.5 A
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ 15 9.4 A+

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 Total
9.8 3 3
9.6 1 7 8
9.4 11 10 1 22
9.2 9 3 1 13
9.0 4 8 2 1 15
8.5 7 8 3 1 19
8.0 1 3 1 5
7.5 2 5 1 8
7.0 1 4 4 9
6.5 1 2 3
<6.5 1 3 1 5
Total 1 46 42 17 4 110

Per-variant grade × seal matrices

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

Made in Japan, Classic Series (34 sealed pop)

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

Grade A++ A+ A B+ B Total
9.8 2 2
9.6 1 1 2
9.4 2 5 1 8
9.2 3 2 5
9.0 2 4 1 7
8.5 5 1 6
8.0 1 1 2
7.5 1 1
7.0 1 1
Total 1 12 17 3 1 34
Made in Japan, Hangtab (6 sealed pop)

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

Grade A+ A B+ B Total
9.8 1 1
9.4 1 1
8.5 1 1
8.0 1 1
7.5 1 1
<6.5 1 1
Total 3 1 1 1 6
Made in Japan, No Rev-A (1 sealed pop)

Top observed grade: 7.5 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade A+ Total
7.5 1 1
Total 1 1
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ R (13 sealed pop)

Top observed grade: 9.4 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade A+ A B+ Total
9.4 2 2
9.2 1 1
9.0 1 2 3
8.5 1 1 1 3
7.0 1 1
6.5 1 1
<6.5 2 2
Total 5 5 3 13
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1987 (32 sealed pop)

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

Grade A+ A B+ B Total
9.6 3 3
9.4 4 2 6
9.2 3 1 4
9.0 1 1 2 4
8.5 2 1 1 4
8.0 1 1
7.5 3 3
7.0 1 3 1 5
6.5 1 1
<6.5 1 1
Total 14 11 5 2 32
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 (8 sealed pop)

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

Grade A+ A Total
9.6 3 3
9.2 1 1
8.5 3 3
8.0 1 1
Total 7 1 8
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM - 1989 (Distributor Seal) (1 sealed pop)

Top observed grade: 7.5 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade A Total
7.5 1 1
Total 1 1
Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ (15 sealed pop)

Top observed grade: 9.4 (PSA scale extends to 10).

Grade A+ A B+ Total
9.4 2 3 5
9.2 1 1 2
9.0 1 1
8.5 1 1 2
7.5 1 1
7.0 2 2
6.5 1 1
<6.5 1 1
Total 4 6 5 15

PSA has not graded the following variants in this condition: 3 Screw, Oval SOQ R - USA-1 Code · 3 Screw, Round SOQ - Black Made in Japan - USA Code · 3 Screw, Round SOQ - Gold Made in Japan · Made in Japan, Hangtab - Gloss Sticker - Distributed by Mattel, Canadian Version · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Oval SOQ TM · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ - No Code · Made in Japan, Rev-A - Round SOQ - 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 15 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 Metroid 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 (Hangtab First Production) CGC 9.6 A+ Last sale $125,000 Aug 24, 2024 1
Factory sealed (Rev A Round Soq Mid Production) WATA 9.4 A+ Median $30,900 Nov 22, 2025 4
Factory sealed (Oval Soq R Last Production) WATA 9.4 A+ $7,812-$12,600 range Nov 23, 2024 2
Factory sealed (Rev A Round Soq Mid Production) CGC 9.4 A+ $8,750-$10,938 range Aug 23, 2025 2
Factory sealed (Rev A Round Soq Mid Production) WATA 9.2 A+ Last sale $8,750 Nov 23, 2024 1
Factory sealed (Oval Soq Tm C 1987 Later Production) WATA 9.6 A+ Last sale $6,875 Aug 23, 2025 1
Factory sealed (Oval Soq Tm Later Production) VGA 85+ Last sale $5,000 Feb 22, 2025 1
Factory sealed (Oval Soq Tm C 1987 Later Production) WATA 9.2 A+ Last sale $4,250 Nov 23, 2024 1
Factory sealed (Oval Soq Tm Later Production) CGC 9.0 A Last sale $3,500 Feb 22, 2025 1
Factory sealed (Classic Series) WATA 9.4 A Last sale $875 Mar 20, 2025 1
Factory sealed (Hangtab No Rev A First Production) WATA 9.4 A+ Last sale $168,000 Apr 22, 2022 1
Factory sealed (Hangtab No Rev A First Production) WATA 8.5 A+ Last sale $132,000 Oct 29, 2021 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 68 Heritage sale records
Date Sold For Grader / Grade Format Variant Notes Source
Apr 7, 2026 $812 WATA 9.0 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312614-66014
Jan 20, 2026 $1,000 WATA 9.0 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312603-68008
Nov 22, 2025 $8,125 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 7428-28026
Oct 7, 2025 $400 CGC 8.5 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312540-66015
Sep 9, 2025 $300 WATA 7.0 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312536-67017
Aug 23, 2025 $8,750 CGC 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 7416-28018
Aug 23, 2025 $6,875 WATA 9.6 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm C 1987 Later Production Lot 7416-28019
May 27, 2025 $225 CGC 9.0 CIB Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 312521-69011
May 24, 2025 $10,938 CGC 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 7415-28029
Mar 25, 2025 $350 CGC 9.0 CIB Oval Soq R Last Production Lot 312512-69012
Mar 20, 2025 $875 WATA 9.4 A Factory sealed Classic Series Lot 44300-79019
Feb 22, 2025 $5,000 VGA 85+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7411-28016
Feb 22, 2025 $3,500 CGC 9.0 A Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7411-28116
Nov 23, 2024 $8,750 WATA 9.2 A+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 7382-28021
Nov 23, 2024 $7,812 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq R Last Production Lot 7382-28022
Nov 23, 2024 $4,250 WATA 9.2 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm C 1987 Later Production Lot 7382-28147
Nov 23, 2024 $875 CGC 9.2 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 7382-28146
Oct 1, 2024 $175 WATA 7.0 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312440-66023
Sep 12, 2024 $575 CGC 8.5 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 44266-79021
Aug 24, 2024 $125,000 CGC 9.6 A+ Factory sealed Hangtab First Production Lot 7378-28019
Jun 18, 2024 $250 CGC 7.5 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312425-68023
May 25, 2024 $15,000 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 7372-28030
May 25, 2024 $10,000 WATA 9.6 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm C 1989 Later Production Lot 7372-28031
May 25, 2024 $4,000 WATA 9.0 A Factory sealed Oval Soq R Last Production Lot 7372-28156
Mar 26, 2024 $5,760 VGA 80+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 312413-69006
Mar 21, 2024 $630 CGC 8.5 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 44238-79034
Feb 24, 2024 $9,601 CGC 9.6 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 7359-28030
Feb 8, 2024 $840 WATA 8.5 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 44235-79077
Jan 30, 2024 $192 WATA 7.0 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312405-70006
Nov 30, 2023 $1,680 VGA 85 Qualified / no seal Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 44223-79055
Jul 28, 2023 $8,100 CGC 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7349-28040
Jul 28, 2023 $2,040 WATA 9.0 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 7349-28172
Jun 6, 2023 $2,160 VGA 80 Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 312323-66020
Apr 22, 2023 $16,800 WATA 9.4 A Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production the Plattsburgh Collection Lot 7307-28044
Apr 22, 2023 $1,440 WATA 9.2 CIB Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 7307-28204
Feb 14, 2023 $1,500 WATA 7.0 A Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 312307-67029
Feb 7, 2023 $228 WATA 8.0 CIB Rev A Round Soq Mid Production the Plattsburgh Collection Lot 312306-66022
Jan 21, 2023 $3,000 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7348-29020
Jan 20, 2023 $12,600 WATA 9.6 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7348-28023
Jan 20, 2023 $4,080 CGC 9.2 A Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7348-28024
Dec 6, 2022 $312 WATA 7.0 CIB Hangtab No Rev A Round Soq Lot 312249-66017
Nov 22, 2022 $1,740 WATA 7.0 A Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 312247-69026
Nov 5, 2022 $2,760 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7290-29052
Nov 4, 2022 $5,520 WATA 9.0 A Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production the Hawaii Collection Lot 7290-28050
Nov 1, 2022 $4,560 WATA 9.0 A Factory sealed Oval Soq R Last Production Lot 312244-66039
Oct 25, 2022 $2,520 WATA 7.5 A Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 312243-69043
Sep 29, 2022 $21,600 WATA 9.2 A Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 44172-80036
Sep 29, 2022 $12,600 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq R Last Production Lot 44172-80037
Sep 29, 2022 $4,800 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq R Last Production Lot 44172-80038
Aug 7, 2022 $13,200 WATA 9.0 A Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7288-28043
Jun 7, 2022 $288 WATA 5.5 CIB Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 312223-66058
Apr 22, 2022 $168,000 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Hangtab No Rev A First Production Lot 7286-28049
Apr 22, 2022 $14,400 WATA 9.0 A Factory sealed Oval Soq R Last Production Lot 7286-28050
Mar 29, 2022 $480 WATA 6.0 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312213-70043
Dec 9, 2021 $48,000 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 44151-79045
Dec 7, 2021 $192 WATA 6.0 CIB Hangtab First Production Lot 312149-66021
Oct 29, 2021 $132,000 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed Hangtab No Rev A First Production Lot 7263-28047
Oct 29, 2021 $9,000 WATA 7.0 B+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 7263-28048
Oct 26, 2021 $4,320 WATA 6.5 B+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 312143-69029
Jul 9, 2021 $12,000 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7261-28034
May 25, 2021 $738 WATA 7.5 CIB Hangtab Early Production Lot 312121-69045
May 11, 2021 $600 WATA 8.5 CIB Oval Soq R Later Production Lot 312119-67040
Mar 9, 2021 $408 WATA 6.0 CIB Hangtab No Rev A Round Soq Lot 312110-67042
Jan 18, 2021 $156 WATA 6.5 CIB Hangtab No Rev A Round Soq Lot 122103-15913
Nov 22, 2020 $46,800 WATA 9.4 A+ Factory sealed Rev A Round Soq Mid Production Lot 7236-93020
Nov 22, 2020 $9,600 WATA 8.5 A+ Factory sealed Oval Soq Tm Later Production Lot 7236-93021
Sep 21, 2020 $408 WATA 5.0 CIB Round Soq No Rev A Lot 122038-15787
Jun 8, 2020 $960 WATA 8.5 CIB Oval Soq R Later Production Lot 122023-13497

Listings

Each link below opens an eBay search filtered to that condition, scoped to Metroid 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 Metroid Matters for Grading

Metroid is one of the more heavily-graded Nintendo NES titles, with 247 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-to-loose price ratio is roughly 64× — sealed copies trade at $1,820 while loose carts move around $28. That spread means a fresh sealed find is the move; raw cart flips have thinner margins after grading fees. Because PSA tracks 15 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 Metroid Nintendo NES worth grading?

Yes for clean, top-condition copies. Metroid has a healthy 247-copy graded population, and the higher-tier grades (9.4+) consistently command meaningful premiums over raw. Mid-tier grades (7-8) often net break-even after grading fees, so submission strategy matters.

How rare is a graded CIB copy of Metroid?

PSA tracks 134 graded CIB copies of Metroid 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 Metroid?

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 Metroid?

PSA recognizes 15 distinct production variants of Metroid 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 →