$39.99delivered
The lowest ask on a gold cart titled working, $39.99 with free shipping, and the photo shows the gold shell. Ask whether the save battery holds.
Legend Of Zelda NES Gold Cartridge Nintendo Authentic - Working
The Legend of Zelda (NES)
Zelda started as a Famicom Disk System game in Japan in February 1986. For America, Nintendo moved it to a cartridge with an MMC1 chip and a battery inside, making it one of the first games where your progress stayed saved after you switched off. It reached North America on August 22, 1987, in a gold plastic shell, and the box had a die-cut hole in the shield so the gold showed on the shelf. Next Generation magazine later named it one of the five greatest game packages, citing the cutout, the full-color manual and the fold-out map. Beat it and a harder Second Quest opens up. It sold 6.51 million copies worldwide, so loose carts are easy to find, and a complete one has the map.
Loose gold cartridgeComplete in box (cart, box, manual and fold-out map)
Spec at a glance
- Platform
- NES
- Type
- Game
- Released in North America
- 1987
- North American release
- August 22, 1987
- Maker
- Nintendo
- Cartridge
- Gold-colored plastic shell
- Hardware
- MMC1 mapper with battery-backed save RAM
- Save battery
- 2032 coin cell
- Sales
- 6.51 million copies worldwide
- Also listed as
- Zelda NES, Legend of Zelda gold cartridge, Zelda 1
- Typical eBay ask (Oct 15, 2026)
- $40–$65
Before you plug it in
The version, the region and what it needs
- Which one is it
- The gold shell is the giveaway, and the North American box has a die-cut hole in the shield that shows the gold cart inside. A complete copy also has a full-color manual and a fold-out map.
- RegionNTSC-U (North America)
- This is the North American NTSC release. A US NES-001's lockout chip only accepts carts with the matching North American chip, and the game first came out in Japan in 1986 as a Famicom Disk System disk.
- Saves
- Zelda keeps your save in RAM that a battery inside the cart keeps alive, and it was one of the first games to do that. NES carts with saves use a 2032 coin cell. When it dies the game still plays, but a save won't survive power-off. Replacing it means opening the shell, so ask whether it's been done.
- Fakes and mods
- Check the screws on the back in the photos. iFixit says early Game Paks used five small slotted screws, and carts made after 1987 use three 3.8 mm security screws plus two plastic clips. Phillips or mismatched screws mean it's been opened, so ask why.
Should come with it
- The gold cartridge
- The box with the shield cutout
- The full-color manual
- The fold-out map
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.
What to check
The save battery is the weak point. It's a coin cell from the 1980s, and once it dies your save won't survive power-off.
- 01Save test: Ask the seller to save a file, switch off and check it's still there. A save that survives is what you want.
- 02Battery: Ask whether the battery has been replaced. A stated, recent replacement saves you the job.
- 03Shell: Look at the gold shell in the photos. Even color and no cracks are what you want.
- 04Screws: Check the back of the cart in the photos. All five slotted or all three security screws, matching, is right.
- 05Label: Look at the front label in the photos. It should be whole, flat and readable.
- 06Box cutout: For a CIB copy, check the shield cutout and box edges in the photos. Clean edges with no tears are what you want.
- 07Map and manual: Check the photos for the fold-out map and the manual. A complete copy has both.
- 08Contacts: On arrival, clean the pins with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. It should then boot cleanly.
New to retro hardware? How to check a used retro console covers testing, yellowed plastic and opened shells, and regions and video out explains what will run on what, and on which TV.
Buying guide
Which one to buy
§ Oct 15, 2026We'd buy the gold cart titled tested and cleaned at $47 delivered, inside the $40 to $65 band, since its photo shows a clean label. That band is loose carts, which make up most of the at least 188 for sale, while boxed copies ask $206 to $513 delivered depending on whether the manual and fold-out map are there. The save lives on a coin cell from the 1980s, so ask whether it's been replaced or whether a save survives power-off, though the game still plays if it's dead. Check the back for three security screws on later carts or five slotted ones on early carts, since Phillips or mismatched screws mean it's been opened. Skip the listing whose photo shows a gray cart, which isn't the gold one this page covers.
- Listed now
- 188
- For parts
- 0
- Typical ask
- $40–$65
- Full range
- $25–$500
Cheapest 
Best value $47.10est. delivered
Titled tested and cleaned, from a 100% seller, with a clean label and gold shell in the photo at $47 delivered. That's right at the band median for one that's been checked.
Legend of Zelda Gold NES Nintendo Game Cartridge Tested Cleaned Authentic
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 15, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
For sale on eBay
8 of 188 listedChecked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 15, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
- Used
- Cheapest
Legend Of Zelda NES Gold Cartridge Nintendo Authentic - Working
$39.99delivered
$39.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$39.99
Good buy
Gold cart, titled working.
Seller: marquitolego-7
99.7% positive
- Used
- Best value
Legend of Zelda Gold NES Nintendo Game Cartridge Tested Cleaned Authentic
$47.10est. delivered
$37.99 + $9.11 shipping
Buy It Now$37.99
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
Gold cart, titled tested and cleaned.
Seller: ramfam23
100% positive
UsedNintendo The Legend of Zelda Nintendo NES Gold Cartridge NTSC-U/C Battery Backup
$30.00delivered
$30.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$30.00
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Gold cart only, no test claim.
Seller: bigflyingtails
100% positive
UsedThe Legend of Zelda (Nintendo NES, 1987 Authentic Rough Label Tested Works Great
$36.99delivered
$36.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$36.99
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Titled tested, rough label. Shown running in a top-loader; confirm it's the gold shell.
Seller: lickyboomboomdown
98.3% positive
UsedNintendo The Legend of Zelda NES 1987 Gold Cartridge Boxed NTSC-U/C
$206.35est. delivered
$199.99 + $6.36 shipping
Buy It Now$199.99
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Boxed with the sleeve. The title doesn't mention the manual or map; ask.
Seller: midhaven
100% positive
Used- Check the seller
The Legend of Zelda Nintendo NES Game Cartridge Only Pre-Owned Tested And Works
$42.00delivered
$42.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$42.00
Check the seller
Titled tested, but the photo shows a gray cart, not the gold one.
Seller: vivanddrewretrofinds_vadrfinds
100% positive
Used- Check the seller
Legend of Zelda NES Gold Cartridge 3 Screw Authentic Tested Working Nintendo
$49.99delivered
$49.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$49.99
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Gold cart titled tested. No seller name or feedback shown.
Seller: Seller on eBay
Check feedback on the listing
Used- Priced high
NES The Legend Of Zelda: CIB w/ Map & Fun Club Insert RARE! - Tested
$512.90est. delivered
$499.95 + $12.95 shipping
Buy It Now$499.95
Priced high
CIB with map and Fun Club insert, titled tested. About $100 more than another copy with the map.
Seller: collectiblesathruz
100% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 15, 2026.
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