Game where the pics LIE.

[rbudrick]

Now, we all know that old Atari games and such had artists do mockups of the screens to make them more interesting or look cooler. Occassionally, we get situations like SMB3 where the box art shows a pic that was only in an earlier proto version. However, I'm not talking about those, since those were blatant mockups (except for the the ignorant...like very young kids), and a simple mistake

Tell me about games where the box art blatantly shows a different version of the game, say the arcade version.

I thought of this thread because of my story in this one:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1176159&posted=1#post1176159


Before I owned an NES, The Legend of Kage was an arcade cab down at the local pizza shop. It was most certainly the coolest game I'd ever seen. I thought the game was stunning and beautiful. It seemed so real, and it was incredibly fun.

I always wished they would make an NES version from the time I got an NES on, and they finally did, much to my surprise when I saw it in the store. When I saw the game years later at Toys R Us, I HAD to have it. I felt so lucky that the game was $35 and not $50 like all the others. I saved up like a mofo and when the time came to get the game, I popped it in my NES and was extremely disappointed. Shit, the back of the box even showed pics from the arcade version!! What a fucking scam! I felt so ripped off. They didn't even indicate that the pics were from the arcade version.

I did eventually grow to like the game, but it sure didn't have the magic of the arcade version. That game really blew me away as a kid.

I'm mostly interested in cases where they don't tell you at all that a different version was shown, but when they fine print it, that's ok too.

-Rob

[theoakwoody]

I know its a PC Game but do remember the back of the king's quest v box? It had a huge sprite of Graham walking in the witch's house. Well, I actually went on Ken and Roberta Williams' , the producers, website and asked them directly.

http://www.sierragamers.com/aspx/templates/blank.aspx/msgid/-8498/parm1/tid/parm2/4127

Here was his response:

"OK - I asked Roberta. She says it must have been something the artists did who did the box. There is no "giant Graham" anywhere in the game.
-Ken W"

[c0ldb33r]

This isn't the exact same thing, but I always got a kick out the fact that the intro/promo video of the Sega CD version of Mortal Kombat showed the SNES version :D

BTW, here's a review that mentions it: [link (http://www.sega-16.com/Review-%20Mortal%20Kombat%20CD.php)]

[Kitsune Sniper]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

PSX version: OMG! We got a super story mode!
Dreamcast version: We got a super story mode!

*pops in the game*

WTF, where's my STORY MODE FUCKERS

[boatofcar]

I remember seeing an ad in a Sears Wishbook for NES Jaws that had a screenshot not in the game.

[scooterb23]

I can't even count the number of Commodore 64 games I bought that would show the Apple, or IBM, or Atari version of the game, but not the C64 version.

[Flack]

I can't even count the number of Commodore 64 games I bought that would show the Apple, or IBM, or Atari version of the game, but not the C64 version.

Really? Typically it was the other way 'round, with the C64 version appearing on the IBM and Apple versions of games. I remember several C64 boxes showing arcade and, later, Amiga versions on the box.

EDIT: I just went upstairs to check a few of my boxed C64 games and sure, enough, the first one I pulled out (Alcon, by Taito) has arcade screenshots on the back. What makes it even more awesome is the arcade version of Alcon is vertical, so all the screenshots are sideways with captions that say, "you must turn your head sideways to view these pictures." At the bottom of the package (nowhere near the screenshots) is a small note that says "Arcade Version Pictured."

[Vectorman0]

Kojima/Konami had Solid Snake put in place of Raiden in all of the videos and screenshots before MGS2 was released. That's a pretty big lie.

[Graham Mitchell]

Most of the Capcom NES games from the black box era, and Bionic Commando, showed the arcade versions. 1942, Ghosts 'N' Goblins, Bionic Commando, and I'm pretty sure Trojan all had the arcade versions on the back. Mega Man was truthful, but showed only the stage select screen (?) and Section Z, shockingly, showed the NES version (but I don't think it was an in-game shot; it was some kind of cut scene.) Pretty slimy move, considering the NES port of 1942 was a complete and utter abomination.

[scooterb23]

It's possible I was misremembering a bit Flack, it's been 20 years since I've seen a C64 box, but I swear I remember that happening a bunch.

[Ed Oscuro]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

PSX version: OMG! We got a super story mode!
Dreamcast version: We got a super story mode!

*pops in the game*

WTF, where's my STORY MODE FUCKERS
Stuck in a JAMMA PCB, I guess? Or am I wrong in that one?

Also, with C64/IBM/Amiga, the boxes for Konami ports of Castlevania and Contra titles were crazy, showing screens from all of 'em, but they were kind enough to label them (how often did that happen?). They then just put on a sticker if the box was going to hold a different version than the IBM one.

[VG_Maniac]

Karnov on the NES shows pics of the arcade version on the back of the box.

[Melf]

Batman: The Video Game on Genesis has pics of the NES version on the back of the box.

[Blitzwing256]

I can up it by one

karate champ on the nes.

pictures of what I assume are the arcade version on the box and shows a bull bonus round thats nowhere in the game.

what makes it worse? the manual explains how to play the bonus round and shows a bunch of completely inacurate screen shots as well.

boy was I pissed only nes game I ever traded away (for spy hunter if anyone was wondering) I did pick up a complete copy of it recently just for the amusment factor though.

karnov karate champ and kid niki all did the same with the box, not entirely sure if the manuals for those 2 are as bad as karate champ though

damn you data east you filthy lying apes

[Haoie]

On the topic of protos, I've noticed in game manuals, there's often a disclaimer that the screenshots within may be from an earlier version and hence not be representative of the actual game.

No such disclaimer on the back of the box, naturally.

[PentiumMMX]

Cubix: Race 'N Robots (GBC). It's box was fine, the instructions mentioned stuff that was not in the game that should have been (Time Trial mode and a pause menu)

[hbkprm]

they have not lied since the days of genisis

[Jorpho]

ColecoVision promotional materials were chock-full of "artistic impressions" that were quite unlike the actual games. (Not to mention games that were never released, period.)

[Daltone]

The N64's Goldeneye had screenshots in it from a pre-final version of the game. I spent forever trying to find that damn gun.

[E Nice]

The back cover for TMNT Tournament Fighters on Genesis showed a pic of Krang in a 3 standard round match but in a stage other than his own, i.e.The Technodrome. The only place where you can fight him outside that stage in single player is in endurance mode, or whatever it may be called, where you pick the stage you want to fight in and then every one round match takes place in. Unless there's some code out there, I haven't seen it listed anywhere, there's no way to play as the bosses to bring up the possibility of that screen shot having been a Player vs. match mode. Only other possibility is that they removed that extra feature for some bizarre reason, since the other two TMNT:TF games allow you to play as bosses.

[Az]

Although not a picture, SNKP promised the world with the Xbox release of SSV. Hidden bosses included in the arcade version of SSVS were supposed to be included, they were listed as hidden characters in the manual and even had a full movelist included.

Of course, at the US branch of SNKP one hand doesn't know what the other is doing, and the bosses were not included.

[Dire 51]

How about the US version of Captain Silver (SMS)? The manual details stages and characters which never appear in the actual game. In the European release, though, everything's there.