A Link to the Past Label

[adsfgk]

I've got a copy of A Link to the Past that I bought CIB with a front label that has a really subtle difference that I haven't seen much of before. Most copies that I see just have plain black letters on the front. Mine has the black letters with a gold outline around them (the shade of gold is just slightly darker than the gold in the background). I'm not wondering if what I have is rare or anything; I'm just wondering if this is a legit copy or not.

Any thoughts?

[BetaWolf47]

Is your copy the Player's Choice version?

[adsfgk]

Nope, it isn't. I'm thinking it's maybe a version that was released in between the first run and the player's choice version? It couldn't have been long after the initial release, though, since the front of the cartridge is the "old design" which was phased out in early '93.

[skaar]

You have the uber-rare PURPLE GANON.

Go directly to NA, collect 2k monies.

Also, take pics.

[hellfire]

Post some pictures of it

[adsfgk]

Here (http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/6097/dscn2388.jpg) is a side-by-side comparison of the two different A Link to the Past carts that I have. The cart I'm talking about is on the top. You can really see what I'm talking about when you compare the words "the legend of" on the two labels.

[Rob2600]

Here (http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/6097/dscn2388.jpg) is a side-by-side comparison of the two different A Link to the Past carts that I have. The cart I'm talking about is on the top. You can really see what I'm talking about when you compare the words "the legend of" on the two labels.

Looks like a possible trapping error at the printer. Notice there are white lines in the big red Zelda on the normal cart (bottom), but the white lines aren't visible in the misprinted version (top).

That's just my educated guess.

[adsfgk]

Looks like a possible trapping error at the printer. Notice there are white lines in the big red Zelda on the normal cart (bottom), but the white lines aren't visible in the misprinted version (top).

That's just my educated guess.

When I look at the cart, the white is actually still there. It's just less pronounced and in some places and actually blends into black lines in other places to give sort of a shadow effect. It looks pretty intentional to me.

[BetaWolf47]

IDK, the shield itself looks different too. It could be a variant.

[Rob2600]

When I look at the cart, the white is actually still there. It's just less pronounced and in some places and actually blends into black lines in other places to give sort of a shadow effect. It looks pretty intentional to me.


IDK, the shield itself looks different too. It could be a variant.

The shield is just darker. In fact, the whole label looks darker overall. Seems like a bad print run. And the missing/blended white lines are likely the result of one of the printing plates being misaligned. Again, a bad print run.

I work in the graphics and printing industry- these things happen all the time. Maybe it was intentional and maybe this is a variant, but from my experience at work, it looks like a common printing flaw.

[adsfgk]

IDK, the shield itself looks different too. It could be a variant.

The only real difference in the shields is that the colors on the cart with the gold outlines is of a slightly darker shade, as Rob2600 says.

I should also mention that the back labels (http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/7065/dscn2389.jpg) of the cartridges are different (again, gold outline cart on top, other on bottom).

[Urzu402]

What about the number inside where the pins are, that is molded on to the plastic of the cart? I don't know if it has any meaning but check them anyway.

[adsfgk]

What about the number inside where the pins are, that is molded on to the plastic of the cart? I don't know if it has any meaning but check them anyway.

Gold outlines: F-35 and B-45

Other: F-44 and B-42

Also, a quick eBay search shows a few other cartridges like mine (specifically, this (http://cgi.ebay.com/Legend-Zelda-Link-Past-Super-Nintendo-SNES-/270583410106?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item3f00072dba#ht_2312wt_986) and this one (http://cgi.ebay.com/Super-Nintendo-SNES-Game-Zelda-Link-Past-RPG-/280502843825?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item414f45b9b1#ht_765wt_699))

[Urzu402]

Mine looks like the non-gold outline one and one of the numbers by the pins is F-45 or it could be F-35 I'm not sure. I don't know if this helps in any way. Can you open them up and compare the boards or something? I don't know anything about the boards but other people here probably do. Someone posted a story about a fake Breath of Fire they bought at a flea market so there are fake SNES games going around.

There this is the post i'm talking about
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143426

[adsfgk]

The board on the gold outlined one is legit. It's identical to the other one (has the nintendo logo on the board, 1990 copyright date, etc), so it being a bootleg is pretty much ruled out.

[Urzu402]

Then i guess it's either an Alt or a Mistake as other people have said in this thread. If there are others like it I'm thinking its an Alt.

[adsfgk]

Me too, given what I saw on eBay.

[BetaWolf47]

I should also mention that the back labels (http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/7065/dscn2389.jpg) of the cartridges are different (again, gold outline cart on top, other on bottom).
THAT simplifies it a lot! Top one is US, bottom one is Canadian. Does that mean Canada has a slightly different label than us?

[Shadow Kisuragi]

Actually, Beta, that doesn't mean that the second one is Canadian. The legal label was updated to include all NA regions, as this change also happened on the NES in 1991. It does mean that it was reprinted, however.

[adsfgk]

Actually, Beta, that doesn't mean that the second one is Canadian. The legal label was updated to include all NA regions, as this change also happened on the NES in 1991. It does mean that it was reprinted, however.

So does this mean that the cart with the gold outlines is the first printing and the other one is a reprint?

[Gameguy]

THAT simplifies it a lot! Top one is US, bottom one is Canadian. Does that mean Canada has a slightly different label than us?
The Canadian version of Zelda LTTP has a part number ending with "CAN", both of those labels pictured above end with "USA". I'm pretty sure those are just from different print runs so there's a slight difference between them.

[Rickstilwell1]

And yeah the Player's Choice version has a stone background instead of a gold background. I sold that copy a while back and hadn't seen one like it since, though it was probably mass produced for the budget gamers in 1996 who hadn't upgraded to the Playstation, N64 or Saturn yet.

[Urzu402]

Well I know I'm reviving an old thread but I just recently came across the variant in the labels, its weird. I was wrong my original A link to the past was one with the gold outlined text, and then new one i bought with the box is one with sold black text no outline. I can get pictures if you guys desire. I dont know if it is Aging on the label or a legit alt.

[geneshifter]

Yes, I would be interested in seeing pics on your cart. This is interesting to me.

[theclaw]

I wouldn't be surprised about errors. Zelda LTTP had a long huge run. 1998 copies are out there, E rated Player's Choice place that reprint after Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Harvest Moon (which were KA).

[Urzu402]

Here is the clearest picture I can get

http://i.imgur.com/q6ylF.jpg

The one on top is the one with the gold outlined text.

It's hard to see the outline, but the Z on the shield looks darker and has a different outline.

[theclaw]

Probably a minor revision. Does the "SNS-ZL-USA" part have different text width? It seems curious.

[Parodius Duh!]

I doubt this is a printing error since multiple have turned up and just by scouring ebay you can find quite a few if u look closely. If it was a printing error they would have corrected the problem immediately and probably destroy the misprinted labels before sending them off to get applied to the cartridges. Probably just a revision. My guess is the version with the outlined text/extra shadowy blending came 2nd, you know, to make the text pop out at you more and generally look better.

[Guyra]

I agree, it looks more like a variant than a printing error. If it was a printing error, then you'd probably see darker colour around every bit of black on the label. (They don't print the text by itself on its own layer.)

Given all the evidence, I'd say it's safe to assume this is a variant.

What I wonder is whether this is a revision or the one before the revision.

[Urzu402]

Probably a minor revision. Does the "SNS-ZL-USA" part have different text width? It seems curious.

Well I can't tell for sure but from when I look at it, the one on the bottom looks more defined than the other, like more bold than the other. but what sticks out the most to me in the differences is the "Z" like one has an outline of white,like the bottom one in the pic I posted, and the other one has like a more blackish outline and the red in the Z looks more shaded/darker.

[Urzu402]

Also I'm stupid and didnt notice it before but all the red text of "Zelda" has a black colored outline on one and a goldish colored outline on the other... Also I made this post to say on the back they have different numbers stamped into the back label, The one with a black outline on the red "Zelda" text has "09" in the back label, and the other has "23". I just thought that was curious as doesn't that number say what factory they came from?

[enix2093]

I just got a cart with a label like you describe from ebay. Is it possible its from the late run of gold carts just before they switched to player's choice? My manual is revision 4, which makes me think that...but yeah my label is suspiciously glossy and dark with the dark golder text bordering like you describe.

https://imgur.com/a/wi2KTpM

https://imgur.com/a/7rsEsNV