A 1981 promotional poster for the original Donkey Kong, featuring the first public appearance of Mario, has become the most expensive piece of original video game art ever sold at auction. The poster was drawn by artist Leslie Cabarga and nearly got thrown away in the garbage. A former Nintendo of America employee named Donna Darbous saved the poster from disposal. The poster sold for an eye-watering $329,400, breaking the previous record held by the original cover artwork for Prince of Persia, which sold for $63,000 in 2023. This record-breaking sale was facilitated by Landry Pop Auctions. The sale also included other historic Nintendo artworks, such as original production artwork from Super Mario Bros. and illustrations of iconic enemies. For example, original artwork of Mario and Luigi from Super Mario Bros. sold for $17,080, while a Goomba illustration raked in $10,370. A first-production 1985 copy of Super Mario Bros. for the NES was sold for $34,160, and a Nintendo of America employee orientation VHS tape featuring Mario was sold for $3,660. The sale is a reminder of how far Nintendo's most famous plumber has come and how valuable the surviving artwork from his earliest days has become. This is the latest game-related auction sale to raise eyebrows, following a retired decorator in the UK selling their collection of Pokemon cards for $2 million earlier this month and a PSA-graded 9.6 A++ copy of Super Mario Bros. for the NES being sold at auction for a record-breaking $3 million in June.