Mario Pikachu
XY Promos · #294/78 · Common · 2013JPN
Price history
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Graded values
Grades 1–6 are estimates modeled from the raw price — PSA/CGC/BGS 7–10 and Ungraded are live tracked market values.
PSA 10 chart is building — graded values are tracked nightly, a new point appears each day.
Graded population census · updated 2026-07-26
Population data from PriceCharting, updated monthly.
CardPrice Score B-TIER
A crossover icon with structurally thin promo supply and a strong gem premium — held back only from A-tier by a healthy population and a middling gem rate.
- A crossover promo tying Pikachu to Nintendo's flagship plumber — instant mascot appeal.
- Released for a limited Japanese Super Mario × Pokémon campaign, not a standard set pull.
- Raw copies already command serious money; the PSA 10 carries a strong premium.
- Gem rate sits middling, so clean high grades stay meaningfully scarce.
- One of the most recognizable modern Japanese promos among crossover collectors.
This analysis covers every printing of Mario Pikachu — the score and live figures use our primary tracked printing, and the price panels above follow whichever printing you have selected.
Where Mario Pikachu fits in the hobby
Mario Pikachu is exactly what it sounds like — Pikachu dressed as Mario, red cap, blue overalls, and all. It came out of a Japanese promotional tie-in celebrating the two biggest faces Nintendo owns, and that collision of icons is the entire reason this card matters. You don't need to know a thing about competitive play to want it. You just need to have grown up with either franchise.
As a Japanese XY-era promo, it lived outside the normal booster ecosystem. Cards like this reached collectors through campaign channels and special products rather than pack pulls, which keeps supply naturally thinner than a mainline common. The "Common" rarity tag is misleading here — rarity symbols don't capture how a promo was actually distributed, and this one never flowed the way a set card does.
The card's charm is its costume gimmick, and Pikachu-in-costume promos have become a collecting lane all their own. Mario Pikachu is one of the anchors of that lane. It reads instantly, it photographs beautifully, and it bridges two audiences that rarely overlap on a single piece of cardboard. That crossover pull is what has kept it in demand long after the campaign that birthed it wrapped up.
Market read
This is a blue-chip modern Japanese promo. Raw copies sit in the four-figure range, which tells you the market treats it as a genuine chase piece rather than a bulk crossover novelty. The population is healthy for a promo, but the gem rate is only middling — plenty of graded copies exist, yet pristine tens are a smaller slice than the raw enthusiasm suggests.
The card trades off its all-time high but hasn't cratered, which is typical for an icon-driven piece: the floor is propped up by permanent nostalgia demand rather than speculative churn. Thin recent sales activity means individual listings can swing the read, so treat any single data point with a grain of salt. What's certain is that this card's identity — Nintendo's two mascots fused — insulates it better than most promos of its era.
- The Mario × Pikachu crossover appeals to Nintendo collectors far beyond the Pokémon hobby.
- Costume-Pikachu promos are a dedicated collecting category, and this is a cornerstone of it.
- Limited promotional distribution keeps supply structurally tighter than the rarity symbol implies.
- Strong visual recognition — it needs no explanation to a casual buyer.
- Japanese-origin promos carry cachet with collectors who prize the original release.
Exact figures — price, population, gem rate, grading EV — are live in the panels above and refresh nightly.
Why the art matters
The art is pure costume gag executed with affection: Pikachu decked out as Mario, complete with the signature red cap and blue overalls, striking a cheerful pose. It's a mashup of two of the most recognizable character silhouettes in gaming, and the appeal is immediate — you register both franchises in a single glance.
The illustration leans into playful crossover charm rather than dynamic action, which suits a promo built to celebrate a partnership. The costume details are the whole point, and they land cleanly, making this one of the more instantly readable Pikachu promos out there.
Collector guide
Modern Japanese promos are usually found in strong shape, so grading standards are unforgiving — the smallest edge nick or surface line separates a gem from a nine. Inspect corners and the holo surface under angled light before buying raw at these prices.
The PSA 10 premium is substantial and the population data points to grading being worth the risk for clean copies. The gem rate is only middling, though, so honestly assess centering and surface before submitting — a well-centered raw copy is where the value lives.
Sleeve and toploader at minimum; for a four-figure card, a sealed semi-rigid or graded slab is the sensible home. Keep it out of direct light and stable humidity to protect the holo foil and prevent edge whitening.
Buy graded or from trusted sources — high-value Japanese promos attract counterfeits. Check foil pattern, font, and back registration against verified examples, and be wary of unusually cheap raw listings.
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Frequently asked questions
How much is Mario Pikachu #294/78 worth today?
As of August 14, 2026, a raw Mario Pikachu #294/78 trades around $5,399.00, and a PSA 10 copy around $28,671.94. Prices update nightly from live market data — the chart above has the full history.
Is Mario Pikachu worth grading right now?
Yes, the math currently works: after buying a raw copy and paying ~$25 in grading fees, the expected value of grading is about $17,123.06 positive, based on live PSA 10/9 prices and this card's real gem rate.
Why is Mario Pikachu so sought after?
It fuses Nintendo's two biggest mascots on one card, which pulls in Mario fans, Pokémon collectors, and costume-Pikachu specialists all at once. That triple-audience appeal, combined with promotional-only distribution, keeps demand well above a typical common.
Is the 'Common' rarity accurate?
Not in any practical sense. The rarity symbol reflects the card's classification, but it was distributed through a limited Japanese promotional campaign rather than booster packs, so real-world supply is far tighter than 'common' suggests.
Is this card worth grading?
For clean copies, generally yes — the PSA 10 commands a strong premium over raw. But the gem rate is only middling, so centering and surface need to be genuinely sharp before you submit; a borderline copy risks landing in a nine.
How do I spot a fake Mario Pikachu?
Scrutinize the holo foil pattern, text fonts, and the alignment of the card back, then compare against a verified graded example. Suspiciously low prices on raw copies are the biggest red flag — when in doubt, buy it already slabbed.
Is there an English version of this card?
This is a Japanese promo, and it's most commonly collected in that original Japanese form. Collectors who prize crossover promos tend to specifically seek the Japanese release, which carries the most cachet.
How much is Mario Pikachu #294/78 worth?
A raw copy of Mario Pikachu #294/78 (XY Promos, 2013) is worth about $5,399.00 right now, based on the latest market data from August 14, 2026.
Grading changes the math on this one: a PSA 10 is valued around $28,671.94, roughly 5.3x the raw price, while a PSA 9 sits near $13,700.00. 3,625 copies have been graded to date, and 60% of them came back a 10 — worth knowing before you pay grading fees.
These figures come from nightly market-data syncs verified against completed sales. Use the chart above to see the trend before you buy or sell.
