Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
Nintendo Entertainment System · 1981
About this game
The Mad Overlord Trebor was once only power-mad, but went off the deep end after he acquired a magical amulet of immense power, only to have it stolen from him by his nemesis, the evil archmage Werdna.
Werdna, not quite sure how to use the amulet properly, accidentally causes an earthquake which creates a ten-level dungeon beneath Trebor's castle.
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To avoid looking silly, Werdna declares the dungeon to be the new lair for him and his monster hordes.
Trebor, not to be outdone, declares the labyrinth his new Proving Grounds where adventurers must prove themselves for membership in his elite honor guard, and incidentally retrieve his amulet in the process.
The first Wizardry was one of the original dungeon-crawling role-playing games, and stands along with Ultima and Might & Magic as one of the defining staples of the genre.
The player generates and controls a party of up to six different adventurers, choosing from five races (humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes and hobbits), three alignments (good, neutral and evil), and four basic classes (fighter, priest, mage and thief).
These can later evolve into elite classes (bishop: priest with mage spells; samurai: fighter with mage spells; lord: fighter with priest spells, and ninja: fighter with thief abilities) if they meet the necessary level requirements.
After outfitting the party with basic weapons and armor, the player sends it into a 3D vector maze-like dungeon to fight monsters in turn-based combat and find treasure.
About Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (1983 in Japan, 1985 in the West) revived the North American video game industry after the 1983 crash and established conventions — cartridges, licensing seals, save systems — that shaped the industry for decades. NES collecting is one of the most established retro markets: common titles remain cheap, but a well-known handful of low-print-run games (many from smaller third-party publishers) are among the most expensive video games in existence.
Gamevaro tracks Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord for Nintendo Entertainment System with separate market values for loose, complete-in-box (CIB) and factory-sealed copies, sourced from real eBay sales. Prices also vary by region — PAL, NTSC-U and NTSC-J releases of the same game often sell for different amounts due to print run sizes and regional collector demand.
Adding Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord to a Gamevaro collection takes seconds — search by title or scan the box barcode, and the app fills in cover art, release details and current pricing automatically. This NES release dates back to 1981.
Market values by condition
NTSC-U
Recent sales
| Date | Type | Region | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-12 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €26.00 |
| 2026-07-12 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1237.95 |
| 2026-07-12 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €223.10 |
| 2026-07-12 | Item only | NTSC-U | €18.14 |
| 2026-07-12 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €15.70 |
| 2026-07-12 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €55.68 |
| 2026-07-10 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €223.00 |
| 2026-07-10 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €55.65 |
| 2026-07-10 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €25.99 |
| 2026-07-10 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €15.70 |
| 2026-07-10 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1237.41 |
| 2026-07-10 | Item only | NTSC-U | €18.13 |
| 2026-06-18 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1221.68 |
| 2026-06-18 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €55.05 |
| 2026-06-18 | Item only | NTSC-U | €19.83 |
| 2026-06-18 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €25.65 |
| 2026-06-18 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €219.94 |
| 2026-06-18 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €16.15 |
| 2026-06-17 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €53.32 |
| 2026-06-17 | Item only | NTSC-U | €19.28 |
| 2026-06-17 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €16.15 |
| 2026-06-17 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1222.01 |
| 2026-06-17 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €213.04 |
| 2026-06-17 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €25.66 |
| 2026-06-15 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1224.86 |
| 2026-06-15 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €53.45 |
| 2026-06-15 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €25.72 |
| 2026-06-15 | Item only | NTSC-U | €19.32 |
| 2026-06-15 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €213.54 |
| 2026-06-15 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €16.19 |
Rarity & condition
Only a handful of market sales have been tracked for Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, suggesting it doesn't trade hands very often — a sign of relative scarcity compared to more common Nintendo Entertainment System titles.
Complete-in-box (CIB) copies typically command a premium over loose cartridges/discs because the original box and manual are more fragile and get discarded or damaged over time — fewer complete sets survive.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord worth?
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord for Nintendo Entertainment System is currently worth €22.49 loose, €55.68 complete in box, and €223.10 factory sealed. Prices are based on real sales and update regularly on Gamevaro.
Is Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord rare?
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord has only a handful of tracked market sales, suggesting relative scarcity compared to more common Nintendo Entertainment System titles.
What's the difference between loose, CIB and sealed for Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord?
Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. For Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, loose is €22.49 and CIB is €55.68 — CIB commands a premium because original boxes and manuals are fragile and often don't survive.
Ratings & Reviews
Also on other platforms
![Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord [Deluxe Edition]](/covers/nintendo-switch/167213.webp)
![Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord [Deluxe Edition]](/covers/ps5/170981.webp)
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