{"id":68789,"date":"2026-07-15T07:26:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=68789"},"modified":"2026-07-15T07:26:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:26:43","slug":"mario-gta-and-8-more-of-the-most-expensive-video-game-ports-ever-released","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=68789","title":{"rendered":"Mario, GTA, and 8 more of the most expensive video game ports ever released"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Games come and go. Many of them fade away, only to be remembered once again if they left a big enough impression the first time around that there\u2019s money to be made by bringing them back for a second chance. In that case, someone might remake the game completely, but with an eye toward preserving much of what made it special in the first place.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Another common option is the quick port that retouches the graphics a little and adds a better framerate or remaps the controls, but otherwise doesn\u2019t worry about much after ensuring it functions on newer hardware. Most gamers agree that such ports shouldn\u2019t cost much. But sometimes they cost quite a lot. The recent ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops<\/em> and Black Ops 2<\/em> spring to mind, and there are other examples. Here are 10 of the most expensive video game ports of all time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 1 <\/span>
\n
\n Sonic Colors Ultimate (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Artwork\n <\/picture>Image: Sega<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> Nov. 11, 2010<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> Sep. 7, 2021<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $40<\/p>\n

Sonic Colors Ultimate<\/em> is the remastered version of Sonic Colors<\/em>, which was originally released on the Wii. It\u2019s a fun game that Sonic\u2019s fans will likely enjoy, but the remaster feels steep at $40. Technical defects at launch were substantial, ranging from visual oddities to save file corruption and broken level elements. The worst of those issues have since been resolved, but the asking price still raises an eyebrow or two.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 2 <\/span>
\n
\n Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS4, PS5)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"'Call\n <\/picture>Image: Treyarch\/Activision<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> Nov. 9, 2010<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> July 9, 2026<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $40<\/p>\n

Available now for $40 each, Call of Duty: Black Ops<\/em> and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2<\/em> fail to impress because they don\u2019t improve on games that you can still buy physically on older hardware for less than half the price to enjoy similar performance. It\u2019s nice to see them come to PS4 and PS5, but was it too much to ask for a fresh layer of polish or a lower price point? Apparently so. What\u2019s even worse is that if you want the DLC, you\u2019ll have to pay extra for the privilege. The season pass adds another $30. To add insult to injury, you can get the games for half off (dropping their price to where it should have been to begin with), but only as a PlayStation Plus member. It\u2019s disappointing, to say the least.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 3 <\/span>
\n
\n Tales of Symphonia Remastered (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"tales-of-symphonia.jpg\"\n <\/picture>Image: Bandai Namco<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> Aug. 29, 2003<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> Feb. 17, 2023<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $40<\/p>\n

Priced at $40, this most recent remaster is the only way to play a legitimate copy of the game on modern hardware. In that respect, it is a success. But it\u2019s difficult not to forget Tales of Symphonia Chronicles<\/em>, which launched at $40 on the PS3. That bundle included two full HD remasters that also were available separately for $20 each and looked just fine.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 4 <\/span>
\n
\n Red Dead Redemption (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"John\n <\/picture>Image: Rockstar Games<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> May 18, 2010<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> Dec. 1, 2025<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $50<\/p>\n

If you want to play Red Dead Redemption<\/em> on current hardware in all its remastered glory, you certainly can. That will be $50, if you don\u2019t mind. The PS3 version is currently still available to buy on that hardware for $30, but it won\u2019t look quite as pretty. The highly-acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em>, meanwhile, costs only $10 more.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 5 <\/span>
\n
\n Burnout Paradise Remastered (Switch)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Burnout\n <\/picture>Image: Criterion Games, Stellar Entertainment Software\/Electronic Arts<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> Jan. 22, 2008<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> March 16, 2018<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $50<\/p>\n

Burnout Paradise Remastered<\/em> arrived on Nintendo Switch with a $50 price tag, despite being available on other consoles for less. To make matters worse, those other editions went on sale for as little as $5 digitally. Eventually, Electronic Arts dropped the permanent price on the Nintendo Store to $30, which is still $10 more than a PlayStation 4 edition offered on the PlayStation Store.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 6 <\/span>
\n
\n Luigi\u2019s Mansion 2 HD (Switch)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"A\n <\/picture>Image: Nintendo<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> March 20, 2013<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> June 27, 2024<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $60<\/p>\n

Originally released for 3DS as Luigi\u2019s Mansion: Dark Moon<\/em>, Luigi\u2019s Mansion 2 HD<\/em> is priced at $60. That puts it in line with its followup, Luigi\u2019s Mansion 3<\/em>, which was developed from the start with more robust hardware in mind. On the 3DS, the game only cost $40. A lot of players will find that an extra $20 feels like a lot of clams for a coat of paint.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 7 <\/span>
\n
\n Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"Mario\n <\/picture>Image: Nintendo<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> Various<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> Sep. 18, 2020<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $60<\/p>\n

Nintendo released Super Mario 3D All-Stars<\/em> to celebrate Mario\u2019s 35th anniversary. The game collects Super Mario 64<\/em>, Super Mario Sunshine<\/em>, and Super Mario Galaxy<\/em>. As Nintendo promised, it toured stores for a limited time only, with an MSRP of $59.99. Although it was commonly available at one point, its removal from digital and brick and mortar storefronts has left enthusiasts to hunt for copies on sites like eBay, where it now carries premium pricing as part of the eternal dance between resellers and collectors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 8 <\/span>
\n
\n Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox One)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"A\n <\/picture>Image: Rockstar Games<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> Various<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> Nov. 11, 2021<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $60<\/p>\n

If you want to acquire the original versions of Grand Theft Auto 3<\/em>, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City<\/em>, or Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas<\/em> on consoles today, you\u2019re out of luck. In 2021, ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition<\/em>, Rockstar scrubbed them from the various storefronts. Apparently, the company didn\u2019t want to compete with its $30 bundle that was already available at that point. The reworked versions carried a heftier price tag: $60. Unfortunately, those \u201cdefinitive\u201d ports introduced a host of new issues such as disastrous weather effects, plastic character models, lifeless lighting effects, missing songs on the in-game radio stations, and generally poor performance. The games have since been patched and mostly fixed. But for years, the only edition of one of the industry\u2019s most important trilogies that you could buy was unquestionably the worst one.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n 9 <\/span>
\n
\n Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Switch)
\n <\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\"A\n <\/picture>Image: Nintendo<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> Various<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> Oct. 2, 2025<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $70<\/p>\n

Nintendo remastered Super Mario Galaxy<\/em> and Super Mario Galaxy 2<\/em> and bundled them together for $70, which doesn\u2019t feel like an amazing deal considering their age, even though they look terrific and also play on the Switch 2. Super Mario Galaxy<\/em> is also available by itself at $40, to spare those who bought Super Mario 3D All-Stars<\/em> from having to double dip just to complete their collection. However, it doesn\u2019t exactly feel like Nintendo is doing anyone a favor at that price.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"skyrim-dragonborn.jpg\"\n <\/picture>Image: Bethesda<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Original release date:<\/strong> Nov. 10, 2011<\/p>\n

Port release date:<\/strong> Sep. 29, 2022<\/p>\n

Cost of port:<\/strong> $50 – $80<\/p>\n

Skyrim<\/em> came out in 2011, and it was a really good game. It\u2019s still a really good game, but it has also turned into a punchline because you can find it on nearly every major platform to come along since its release. Convenient access is a win, so that\u2019s not the problem. What we take issue with is the price. On the Switch, Skyrim<\/em> released in 2017 for $60. It\u2019s down to $50 now, but that doesn\u2019t include DLC. To get the DLC, you\u2019ll either need to pay $20 for an upgrade, or start by purchasing The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition<\/em> instead at $60. You\u2019re effectively penalized for showing support early. The game has since come to Switch 2, where it is offered as a free upgrade if you already bought the Switch version and its expanded content. Otherwise, you can acquire it for $18.99. As an aside, Skyrim Anniversary Edition<\/em> on Sony hardware includes both the PS4 and PS5 editions of the game for $50 total.<\/p>\n

Ports and remasters will likely continue to proliferate software libraries, particularly with the Nintendo Switch 2 allowing classic games to reach dedicated Nintendo gamers for the first time. While those games cost money to develop, even when they\u2019re essentially direct ports, some publishers charge a premium that benefits no one. It\u2019s always a good idea to be mindful of a game\u2019s value when considering any purchase, and it\u2019s not a bad idea to keep three magical words in mind: wait for sales.<\/p>\n