One of the things that bothers me about videogame research is the lack of a sense of history. Sometimes you'd think that the only videogames that exist are EverQuest, WoW, and Grand Theft Auto. I've tried to do my part to correct this in my own research, and to that end I've managed to collect a number of rare and esoteric early advertising games and exergames (including, among others, Jack LaLanne Physical Conditioning).

Well, now's your chance to own a piece of exergaming history. Avaialble on Ebay now is a sealed copy of Bandai's Stadium Events, widely considered the rarest NES game. Bandai first created the pad-controller that most of us know as the Nintendo Power Pad, called the Family Fun & Fitness. It was released briefly in North America with Stadium Events, which was only sold in Woolworth stores. The two were pulled quickly, as Nintendo bought the rights to the device and rebranded it as the Power Pad, released the next year. This is the North American (NTSC) version, not the much more common European (PAL) release.

You might think twice before you get involved in classic game collecting, but this is a truly unbelievable find. I've seen the game before, usually without its box, and I once saw a complete copy, but I've never seen a complete and factory sealed one. The price? Currently it's over US$3,000 and they auction's on for another four days. Happy bidding.