The Mystery of the Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! 5-Screw Video Game Cartridge for the NES! Nintendo Entertainment System

The 5-screw Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! variant is a very rare and expensive find! Take a deep breath as we dive into the market value of this sought after and hard to find retro game. We recognize that condition and authenticity need to be considered when pricing this game or any game this rare and collectible…don’t worry, we will go into condition and grading factors that can affect market value later in this post. For now, however, just sit, back, and relax as we break down just how much the highly coveted 5 screw variant of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! can fetch on the collectibles market.

Let’s dive in with a few numbers…

Mike Tyson’s Punch Out - Loose 5 Screw Cartridge  

In today’s market, a loose 5 screw cartridge of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! can fetch approximately $800 to $1,000 USD. A grand might seem like quite a bit to spend on one game, but we are actually talking about the low end here when it comes to this title.

Mike Tyson’s Punch Out – 5 Screw Variant, Complete in Box

If this particular retro video game is discovered “Complete in Box” (CIB) -- meaning that it comes with the box, the game cartridge, the cartridge dust sleeve, and the original manual and other promotional inserts – then the value of this game on the collector’s market goes up significantly. In fact, it more than doubles. The Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! 5 screw variant is valued at nearly $2,500 USD if it is Complete in Box.

Mike Tyson’s Punch Out – 5 Screw Variant, Sealed Copy

What if you had a genie that could grant you any video game you wanted? Well, suppose you wished for a sealed, never opened 5 screw copy of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! Then you certainly would have landed the “holy grail” for many Nintendo NES collectors. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell if a cartridge inside of the box is a 5 screw without opening it in the case of this particular game title. Not all first prints are 5 screw – in fact, most are 3 screw!

Why Does the 5 Screw Variant Exist?

It's unclear to us why the 5 screw cartridge exists here and there, but always so rarely. The game Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! Was released near the end of October 1987, right around the time when Nintendo was switching from the 5 screw cartridge design to the 3 screw cartridge design. The 5-screw version is not even always the first print with the white bullet points on the cartridge label and box. Later prints have surfaced featuring the 5 screw design. The game we are speaking of here was released after the 3-screw design was being implemented by Nintendo.

As such, it is shrouded in mystery why Nintendo used a 5-screw design, when the early prints of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! were 3-screw variants. Perhaps 5 screw variants appeared because some cartridges were sent into Nintendo repair centers that were still using pieces of the 5 screw cartridge design? Or maybe a couple factories that were producing the title used up the existing 5 screw materials on hand when making the game before then implementing the 3 screw design? Were there extra flathead screws laying around the warehouse? We unfortunately can only make guesses at exactly how this wonder variant came to exist! Being outsiders, maybe we will never know the answer to this intriguing puzzle.

About the Newer 3 Screw Design versus the Older 5 Screw Design

Why the switch from a 5 screw design to a 3 screw design anyway, you might ask? Well, we believe Nintendo made the switch for two possible reasons: (1) a 3 screw design was more economical for Nintendo to produce and (2) a 3 screw design was more secure in terms of protecting the company’s intellectual property. In terms of production costs, the 3 screw design most likely saved Nintendo money because two small plastic tabs now were now needed instead of two extra metal screws. Plastic elements are generally cheaper to produce than machined metal pieces. Looking at the security of the new 3 screw design, Nintendo also introduced some improvements there. The 3 screw design requires a 3.8mm bit screwdriver that is used only by Nintendo in order open the game cartridge. These screwdrivers were not as widely available in those times (80’s & 90’s) as they are today. (We should note, however, that a few 3-screw cartridges still use flat head screws). In this way, the new 3 screw design may have acted as a deterrent to the alteration and reproduction of Nintendo NES games. This change could have prevented people from switching out the motherboards, however this is only an assumption.

High Demand for this Gem and Where It’s Sold…

Why are the auction prices of this Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! variant so astronomically high? Well, it would make sense that the demand for the 5 screw variant far exceeds the supply. The 5-screw version is extremely rare. To put it another way, finding a sealed mint copy of this game would be the discovery of a lifetime and most video game collectors or resellers only dream of it.

When it comes to selling and even collecting one of these sealed or even CIB copies, the game is most likely going to be graded by WATA, VGC or a similar grading company and sold on an auction site. Be prepared to rake in or give out quite a few dollar signs if you’re selling or buying a copy of the coveted Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! 5 screw variant game.

No matter the truth that lies behind the mystery of this retro video game curiosity, we love the oddity and intrigue to this story. Besides, regardless of the variant, this game is a classic! We can’t get enough action when we pop in this boxing title. Fun fact: In any variant of this game, Mario is actually a character in the game playing as the referee.

Happy hunting and don’t forget to sit down and play a few rounds for us! Feel free to comment with your own thoughts or questions. 

- Lauren and Corinne @ Video Game Gem Vault

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