Think I got my hands on a few Genesis protos

[bmpedrums]

New to the forum, and new to Genesis in general. I had Nintendo systems in my younger days and figured now that I'm an adult with my own income, I could get the systems I wanted as a kid.

Anyway, I got a Genesis off of ebay and figured that there were just some cheap games in the lot. After I plugged them in, I soon found out that they seem to be prototypes, 2 of which were not released. They are Bean Ball Benny, Swamp Thing, and Bimini Run which may just be a demo unit for a trade show or magazine.

Here are some pics:

http://bigh4th.250free.com/proto1.jpg

http://bigh4th.250free.com/proto2.jpg

Just wondering what info you all can give me on these games. Once I get my Genesis hooked back up, I'll try to get some screen shots.

-Harry

[BeaglePuss]

New to the forum, and new to Genesis in general. I had Nintendo systems in my younger days and figured now that I'm an adult with my own income, I could get the systems I wanted as a kid.

Anyway, I got a Genesis off of ebay and figured that there were just some cheap games in the lot. After I plugged them in, I soon found out that they seem to be prototypes, 2 of which were not released. They are Bean Ball Benny, Swamp Thing, and Bimini Run which may just be a demo unit for a trade show or magazine.

Here are some pics:

http://bigh4th.250free.com/proto1.jpg

http://bigh4th.250free.com/proto2.jpg

Just wondering what info you all can give me on these games. Once I get my Genesis hooked back up, I'll try to get some screen shots.

-Harry
First off, congrats on the purchase! Not only are these indeed prototypes, but as you mentioned two of the titles are unreleased. Some info on Bean Ball Benny can be found here:
http://www.digitpress.com/DP/cmf/game.cmf?gameid=9584

I would recommend putting some stickers over those EPROM windows to reduce the risk of damage. I'm also looking forward to seeing some screen shots!

[badinsults]

I'm looking forward to the Swamp Thing screenshots, as it went unreleased on the SNES as well.

[ProgrammingAce]

The story seemed pretty far fetched until i found the auction in question. Nice find, great price.

http://cgi.ebay.ph/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120537519294#ht_500wt_977

[evil_genius]

Very cool.

[Classicgamesdepot]

Wow that is an epic eBay find. Congrats!

[mr obscure]

Congrats on the find.
Your inbox should be full right now with: i want to buy.
But remember these are unreleased so you would have to sell them for a couple of K no free dumps.
So these can be reproduced in limited reproductions.

[megasdkirby]

So these can be reproduced in limited reproductions.

I would definitely purchase a copy!

[BeaglePuss]

I would definitely purchase a copy!
Wouldn't you prefer to have the games sold to a collector that will put them in a closet so no one else can play them?LOL

[mr obscure]

Wouldn't you prefer to have the games sold to a collector that will put them in a closet so no one else can play them?LOL

Whatever happens,happens.
If he sells it then money is king and the highest bidder determents what happens.

[ProgrammingAce]

Congrats on the find.
Your inbox should be full right now with: i want to buy.
But remember these are unreleased so you would have to sell them for a couple of K no free dumps.
So these can be reproduced in limited reproductions.

Or you could just stop being a douchebag, that would be cool too...

[Carey85]

Yeah, protos are meant to be hoarded, not dumped. NEVER LET THEM SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY! LET THEM SUCCUMB TO THE AWESOMENESS OF BIT-ROT MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[mr obscure]

Harry is new to the scene and he needs to be told that unreleased games are worth BIG bucks.
If he wants too keep the games thats cool,if he wants to sell them on ebay thats cool,if he wants to dump them cool also.
Whats not cool is that "sharks' will try to get it for free,when other people make big bucks and cash in on reproductions.
Harry you found gold and whatever you do make sure you get paid well and not ripped off.

[mrmark0673]

Edit: Not worth the trouble.

Excellent grabs man!

[mr obscure]

Hell yeah, like this pair of unreleased Genesis games that sold from a well publicized full length EBay open auction for the "millionaires club only" price of just over $200:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT=&item=280452529353=

Time to start planning on buying a yacht, these things are worth BILLIONS!

The only unreleased protos that Dutch has ever owned are ones that he made up like Cop Slapper, though he seems to think he is an expert on their value...

Very cool pick ups, at an excellent price to say the least!

OMG
this shark is already trying to talk the price down.

As a mather of fact mr mark talks a lot of verbal diaria.
oh where to begin.

1. the exsample mr mark gives are of a dumped proto,the protos harry has are undumped. And swamp thing is a good tittle.
2. he gives false information about me,i had and have many protos,check out my n64 proto topic.
3. mr mark does not understand humor everybody understood that the cop slapper was a joke,come on paying for a screenshot.
4.its funny everything mr mark has is great and top dollar great reproduction stuff (offer $200 for his hopping mad people)and all the other stuff is worth low dollar.

Don't listen to this wannebee proto collector,he doesn't understand dump and undumped value.
Wait for dreamtr to comment harry.Think what you will about this man he is a real prototype collector.

[BeaglePuss]

OMG
1. the exsample mr mark gives are of a dumped proto,the protos harry has are undumped. And swamp thing is a good tittle.
Pengo is actually undumped. I would think that you could make the argument that Pengo is a more desirable title than Swamp Thing, but that's subject to debate.




2. he gives false information about me,i had and have many protos,check out my n64 proto topic.
The post mentioned that you don't own any legitimate unreleased prototypes. It doesn't mention that you own no prototypes.





3. mr mark does not understand humor everybody understood that the cop slapper was a joke,come on paying for a screenshot.
Sigh: No comment.





4.its funny everything mr mark has is great and top dollar great reproduction stuff (offer $200 for his hopping mad people)and all the other stuff is worth low dollar.
The Hoppin' Mad rom is available for free download thanks to Mark and I. You're welcome. we did produce a limited reproduction run, but the games cost $55 shipped. I don't know where you're getting those other numbers.




Wait for dreamtr to comment harry.Think what you will about this man he is a real prototype collector.

Can't argue with you there. There's no one on the planet that knows more about these types of games than Dream.


Why do you feel the need to turn every thread into a flame fest? This is an amazing find and an interesting topic. You don't have to turn it into a great debate thread.

[mr obscure]

If you payed attention i didn't turn this in a flame thread your buddy mr mark did.
This is sure a great find and harry needs to be protected against people like you and mark.
He needs to know that if people want things dumped the need to pay up.

[hellfire]

Congrats on your amazing find! Dont forget to at least give us some screenshots of the games

[Gapporin]

This thread only confirms the fact that if I ever came across an unreleased proto, I would never ever tell another soul about it.

[BeaglePuss]

This thread only confirms the fact that if I ever came across an unreleased proto, I would never ever tell another soul about it.
Care to explain? I'm interested to hear why you would keep it a secret.

[gokugohandave]

This thread only confirms the fact that if I ever came across an unreleased proto, I would never ever tell another soul about it.
Damn straight, seriously.

Every one and anyone, regardless of the name calling of sharks back and forth, from anyone who might be interested, seems to think theyre the only ones whos the good guys. Your all sharks, regardless of who you point fingers at. Pointing fingers just shows you cant take the label.

[mr obscure]

Damn straight, seriously.

Every one and anyone, regardless of the name calling of sharks back and forth, from anyone who might be interested, seems to think theyre the only ones whos the good guys. Your all sharks, regardless of who you point fingers at. Pointing fingers just shows you cant take the label.

2nd this.
getting harrased or getting a shit load of verbal diaria on top of you is not worth it.:help:

[hellfire]

If you dont like a comment you can simply ignore it

[Gapporin]

Care to explain? I'm interested to hear why you would keep it a secret.

Because of all the drama that goes along with having a proto. You have 3 or 4 different camps telling you what to do with it, and if you follow 1, you're damned by the other 2. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I realize that there's no sense in trying to please everyone, but it's a lot of unneeded bickering and useless griping over a single video game. Plus, the fact that everyone jumps on the owner like they smell blood in the water. I don't think I've heard a single person in any of these threads say, "It's your game, do what you like with it." I could be wrong. Also, don't think I'm singling anybody out, because I think the business as a whole is just absurd. It's crazy.

OK, so I'll admit I was being a bit extreme when I said "never ever tell another soul". But I would certainly keep it under wraps, that's for sure.

[bmpedrums]

wow. I had no idea I would stir the pot like this.

At any rate, here are some screen shots of the games. I did the best I could with my crappy camera, but it's all I have right now.

Beanball Benny:

http://bigh4th.250free.com/bean1.jpg
http://bigh4th.250free.com/bean2.jpg
http://bigh4th.250free.com/bean3.jpg
http://bigh4th.250free.com/bean7.jpg
http://bigh4th.250free.com/bean8.jpg

SwampThing:

http://bigh4th.250free.com/swamp1.jpg
http://bigh4th.250free.com/swamp2.jpg
http://bigh4th.250free.com/swamp3.jpg
http://bigh4th.250free.com/swamp4.jpg

Bimini Run:

http://bigh4th.250free.com/bimini1.jpg
http://bigh4th.250free.com/bimini3.jpg

Bimini seems to just be a demo unit as aside from the copywright screen, it seems to be the same as the youtube videos of the release copy.

-Harry

[badinsults]

Awesome, thanks for sharing the screenshots, they are great!

[Shadow Kisuragi]

Interesting that all 3 are NuVision games. Bean Ball Benny looks interesting...thanks for sharing the screenshots.

[Classicgamesdepot]

Curious to hear what your thoughts are on Bean Ball Benny and Swamp thing. Thanks for the screenshots!

[BeaglePuss]

Those screen shots are just what the doctor ordered. Thanks for sharing!

I've read reports that BBB was never completed. Does it seem to be close to complete from what you've played so far?

[jonebone]

Interesting grabs indeed. Regardless of whether you decided to keep or sell to another party, I'd recommend dumping the data to preserve history. I have no idea what they are worth, but the general rule is that unreleased and worth quite a bit more than released.

Cool finds though!

[Borman]

Congrats on the awesome find! Even if you sell it off, try documenting it a bit for us anyway, any new info is good info.

[csgx1]

Congratulations, awesome find! Thanks for posting pic.

This goes to show that even on Ebay a spectacular deal can be had.

[i2a2n2]

Interesting Find indeed thanks for sharing the Screenshots. :)

[Shadow Kisuragi]

Congrats on the awesome find! Even if you sell it off, try documenting it a bit for us anyway, any new info is good info.

I don't care about what anyone's opinion is on dumping prototypes (besides for backup purposes), but for the love of whatever you value most, please document the games for all to enjoy. A lot of work went into those games, so don't let that work fade into memory.

[Supergun]

Just some quick comments if I may...

The Bimini Run screenshot with the date on it is absolutely unique and therefore for sure means it will be at the very least slightly different then the released version within the rom file data. Of course, it may also be totally different gameplay wise and/or even incomplete.

And in regards to Bean Ball Benny, yes this went unreleased but wasn't this game released on the Mega Drive in Japan? Can somebody confirm or deny this? Also I do have an old EGM magazine with some screenshots of the game in a coming soon / preview section.

Regards.

[DreamTR]

Just some quick comments if I may...

The Bimini Run screenshot with the date on it is absolutely unique and therefore for sure means it will be at the very least slightly different then the released version within the rom file data. Of course, it may also be totally different gameplay wise and/or even incomplete.

And in regards to Bean Ball Benny, yes this went unreleased but wasn't this game released on the Mega Drive in Japan? Can somebody confirm or deny this? Also I do have an old EGM magazine with some screenshots of the game in a coming soon / preview section.

Regards.

If it did come out in Japan it wasn't as Bean Ball Benny. There's 900+ Mega Drive games in Japan, so unless it had some name change. I think NuVision was the one releasing this game in the US

[Supergun]

If it did come out in Japan it wasn't as Bean Ball Benny. There's 900+ Mega Drive games in Japan, so unless it had some name change. I think NuVision was the one releasing this game in the US

Yes, your right it was under a different name.
I think it was released on the Mega Drive, within the first year or two of the systems lifespan (1988-1990) and it was called "something taxi" (my mind confuses me and is thinking crazy taxi but of course that's not the name it was given) As soon as I return home (out of town at the time being :) I can tell you what the working title was.

Also 900+ does sound like a lot, but it's only 200 more then 700+ (our number here in the states) but I am still uncertain as to weather or not it saw release in Japan. Funny thing is, this game was actually on my want list when I first got the genny because I was really impressed with the graphics and found the plot / game idea to be original and interesting. I kept checking the store shelves over and over but of course it never showed up.

[BeaglePuss]

I've been poking around a bit, and I haven't found anything that leads me to believe this was released for MD. Are you sure you're not mistaken it for another title? From what I've read the game was scrapped for financial reasons (As was Swamp Thing).

The only scenario that can think of would be similar to Time Diver Eon Man, where the code somehow leaked and found it's way onto a pirate cart. I'm still thinking this game went completely unreleased.

I'm still curious to find out if either of the unreleased titles are complete. From what I can find on BBB, the game was rumored to be incomplete during the time it was canceled. Part of me is holding out hope that this copy is complete. I have no idea how far along ST was rumored to be, but I read a fantastic article discussing how epically bad the game was (which makes me want to play it that much more!!!). I mean, it couldn't be worse than the THQ NES counterpart, right?

Article regarding Swamp Thing:
http://www.gooddealgames.com/articles/Swamp_Thing.html

[TheRedEye]

Wow, I'm so glad to see these still exist. I've had a minor obsession with Bean Ball Benny ever since I came across a trade show flyer for it on eBay, it's just so damned weird that I couldn't help but fall in love with the concept. Thanks a ton for the screenshots, I'd love to see these in action though. Do you have a way to record video, or are you considering going to the Classic Gaming Expo in Vegas this summer? Or heck, are you anywhere near San Francisco? Maybe we can have a get-together and play these.

Sorry that you accidentally stirred up a bunch of forums drama, my advice to you as someone who has been dealing with this stuff for about a decade (and stirred up a lot of this drama myself!) is to just ignore it all for a couple months to let things cool down before deciding what you want to do.

Either way, again, it's great news knowing these are still around. I've always wanted to know more about these NuVision games, and even if all I've got are these new screenshots, it's more than I had before.

[BeaglePuss]

Wow, I'm so glad to see these still exist. I've had a minor obsession with Bean Ball Benny ever since I came across a trade show flyer for it on eBay, it's just so damned weird that I couldn't help but fall in love with the concept. Thanks a ton for the screenshots, I'd love to see these in action though. Do you have a way to record video, or are you considering going to the Classic Gaming Expo in Vegas this summer? Or heck, are you anywhere near San Francisco? Maybe we can have a get-together and play these.

Sorry that you accidentally stirred up a bunch of forums drama, my advice to you as someone who has been dealing with this stuff for about a decade (and stirred up a lot of this drama myself!) is to just ignore it all for a couple months to let things cool down before deciding what you want to do.

Either way, again, it's great news knowing these are still around. I've always wanted to know more about these NuVision games, and even if all I've got are these new screenshots, it's more than I had before.

Well said my good man. I will say that expect most, if not all of the drama to be done with now that Mr. Obscure has taken a permanent vacation (Thank you mods!). I think the focus will be redirected at how cool of a find this is. How often are two highly publicized unreleased prototypes found, let alone found together? This is the stuff I live for, and I'm not even a big Genesis guy.

Frank, have you ever seen either of these titles in action (maybe at old trade shows)? I'm wondering if anyone remembers seeing these two in action at CES back in the day. The only information I've been able to find pretty much all came from some old post of yours. Were there any other NuVision games in development, or are these the final two?

[TheRedEye]

No, I wasn't old enough to get into CES twenty years ago, so I've never seen this stuff in action. EGM ran a preview of Swamp Thing from CES (Winter 1990 I think?), which is the only info I've seen on it, and all the Bean Ball Benny info online prior to this thread came from the CES flyer I bought on eBay years ago.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2644/3996551152_ac86bf8e68.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostlevels/3996551152/)

Nuvision only released Bimini Run, but to answer your question yes, they did announce one other game, based on the Guardian Angels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_Angels). I don't know if any actual work was done on it though.

[BeaglePuss]

Oh man, a Guardian Angels game would have been SO badass! I wonder how far along they got with that one. I would think there would be plenty of red tape with a title of that nature. Thanks for the info dude.

[swlovinist]

Congrats on the awesome score! Thanks for sharing pics of the games!

[c2000]

Congrats on the awesome score! Thanks for sharing pics of the games!

Seconded.

[bmpedrums]

Ok, been very busy with work the past few days, so I haven't really had time to get on here and leave any comments.

Swampthing seems to be pretty close to complete as far as I can tell. I just can't get anywhere in it because the controls are very strange. You have to morph into objects to progress in the game and the control of those objects (leaves, logs, etc) is not pollished in any way. The player's attacks are also very weak in the game, so there's a lot of getting your butt kicked and not making any progress.

Beanball benny: playable, but very incomplete. The cutscenes even have developmental notes in them, like "Subway: trains not yet implemented". Hit detection seems good, but instead of restarting the stage when you die, you actualy progress further in the game. There are also numerous places where the stage just simply cuts off and you're walking in pitch black.

The good news is i got a good camera over the weekend, so I should be able to get some better screenshots soon. As soon as I do, I'll post them up here.

-Harry

[BeaglePuss]

Awesome update. I'm looking forward to seeing some more pictures of the games.

I can only imagine what the brainstorming process was behind the Swamp Thing metamorphosis "Dude, how about he morphs into a hawk? Or maybe a bear? Now, I got it: A LOG!"

[TheRedEye]

Aw rats, I'm disappointed that Bean Ball Benny isn't all there. Still, just knowing it's playable is awesome.

[BeaglePuss]

Aw rats, I'm disappointed that Bean Ball Benny isn't all there. Still, just knowing it's playable is awesome.
Yeah, it's a bummer. Like you said though, the fact that the game is even playable is a treat within itself. I can't wait to see gameplay footage from Swamp Thing though. It should be epic regardless of how complete/incomplete it is.

[bmpedrums]

Here is a little treat for you all. Its the best i could do with no video capture on my computer.

swamp thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfqnIbVwELc

Beanball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6ce0LzIegQ

may need to turn your sound down just a bit.

-Harry

[BeaglePuss]

Dude, you rock!

[TheRedEye]

Wow, thanks for taking the video. After Bimini Run I figured these games would be pretty bad but daaaamn. They both seem like they might have been "designed by committee" with the publisher, but who knows.

I wish I knew more about this company, it was kind of fascinating.

[Mysterio3000]

was NuVision a company out of connecticut? I contacted the ebay seller and he said he picked these up from a local estate sale (the seller is from seymour, CT....and no, he does not have any more genesis games)

[TheRedEye]

was NuVision a company out of connecticut? I contacted the ebay seller and he said he picked these up from a local estate sale (the seller is from seymour, CT....and no, he does not have any more genesis games)

Bingo! Westport, Connecticut. Gee, do you think Ron Leong, the president, might have died? He's still got a phone number listed as a Westport resident.

[Mysterio3000]

Bingo! Westport, Connecticut. Gee, do you think Ron Leong, the president, might have died? He's still got a phone number listed as a Westport resident.

Possibly the carts may have came from a former employee or who the hell knows really..... Either way, it would be great to speak to Ron Leong about these games if he is still around.

[TheRedEye]

Yeah, maybe, I don't know anything about the guy. My understanding is that Ron was publisher only, and these games were all developed by a company he contracted called Microsmiths. There are a couple interviews with the Microsmiths guys on GDRI.

Ron's LinkedIn has his last gig (still listed as current) as President of "iGamz!," which I think is supposed to be iGAMEz (http://www.pressmantoy.com/igamez.html). It's a Pressman toy, and his resume has him listed as a Pressman toy in the early 90s.

[kandied91z]

screen shots don't work..

[aarenlainey]

I think That all screens shots are just what the doctor ordered. Thanks for sharing! I have read reports that BBB was never completed. Does it seem to be close to complete from what you have played so far...

[BeaglePuss]

I think That all screens shots are just what the doctor ordered. Thanks for sharing! I have read reports that BBB was never completed. Does it seem to be close to complete from what you have played so far...
From the TS:
"Beanball benny: playable, but very incomplete. The cutscenes even have developmental notes in them, like "Subway: trains not yet implemented". Hit detection seems good, but instead of restarting the stage when you die, you actualy progress further in the game. There are also numerous places where the stage just simply cuts off and you're walking in pitch black."

[Trevelyan]

wow :o, they are awesome finds!

Thanks for sharing!

[BeaglePuss]

I figured this thread deserved a bump now that these titles just sold on eBay. Looking at the winning bidders I will say that these titles will be properly preserved.

[Badhornet]

Any idea what they went for.....just curious

[Ryaan1234]

Any idea what they went for.....just curious
Do you know how to do an eBay completed item search?

Beanball Benny brought $434 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Bean-Ball-Benny-un-released-prototype-Genesis-megadrive-/140429365691?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Vintage_Video_Games&hash=item20b23e11bb)
Swamp Thing brought $530 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Swamp-Thing-un-released-prototype-Genesis-megadrive-/140429366658?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Vintage_Video_Games&hash=item20b23e1582)
and Bimini Run brought $85 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Bimini-Run-prototype-Genesis-megadrive-/140429367376?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Vintage_Video_Games&hash=item20b23e1850)

[mrmark0673]

Just thought some of you would like to know that Matt and i have released the ROM for Swamp Thing (free of charge!) to everyone over on the brand new Sega site; SegaAge!

http://www.segaage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=49&threadid=41542

Take a peak, have a dowload, and enjoy the new site :)