Limited Run Games Auctioning Graded Castlevania Game for Charity

By Marc Deschamps

Earlier this year, Limited Run Games revealed a convention exclusive version of Castlevania Anniversary Collection for the Nintendo Switch. This version of the Konami compilation comes in a sleek box designed to resemble classic Super Nintendo games. It's an exquisite design, and while it hasn't been made widely available just yet, the company has partnered with VGA to auction off a special 90 graded version on eBay. The publisher has confirmed that 100% of the sale will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The auction is set to end this weekend, so Castlevania fans have a few days left to get their bids in.

Images of the graded copy of Castlevania Anniversary Collection can be found in the Tweet embedded below. Readers interested in checking out the auction for themselves can do so right here. 

As of this writing, the auction is sitting at more than $500 after 30 bids. However, graded copies of video games have sold for large amounts over the last year, and the game has more than 50 watchers, so it's possible this one could fetch quite a bit more money when it's all said and done. While there's clearly a market for graded games, the practice remains a source of controversy for gamers that are passionate about collecting retro titles. Earlier this year, grading company Wata Games was accused of artificially manipulating values in a class-action lawsuit. After some fans raised questions about the graded aspect of the Castlevania action, Limited Run Games co-founder Josh Fairhurst pointed out VGA's long history of grading games compared to Wata and the fact that the former company "has never been part of any controversy."

Castlevania fans that want to obtain this version of the game without buying a graded copy or attending a convention are in luck. Limited Run Games has confirmed that the game in an SNES inspired retro box will be made available on the website "at a later date."

Are you a collector of graded video games? What do you think of this charity auction? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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