View Full Version : virus for nes?
ibeenew2
06-10-2010, 12:11 PM
is this just a jap cart? its not mutant virus http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=110544576868
portnoyd
06-10-2010, 01:02 PM
If my memory serves me correct, wasn't the original title of Dr. Mario really Virus?
If that's not the case, I'd say pirate.
Enigmus
06-10-2010, 01:46 PM
Hmm, looks like either a pirate or Nintendo had plans to make the game look nicer, with patients and a weirder Mario (God, that picture scares me) and then promptly found out that it left players distracted from the gameplay, which meant early cuts.
Also, the copyright date of 1989 furthers the prototype suspicion, which makes it even cooler, considering there hasn't really been any recent major Nintendo prototypes, which has mostly been late Zelda OoT/MM testing carts.
So, it's a tie to me.
Ryaan1234
06-10-2010, 02:08 PM
Hmm, looks like either a pirate or Nintendo had plans to make the game look nicer, with patients and a weirder Mario (God, that picture scares me) and then promptly found out that it left players distracted from the gameplay, which meant early cuts.
Also, the copyright date of 1989 furthers the prototype suspicion, which makes it even cooler, considering there hasn't really been any recent major Nintendo prototypes, which has mostly been late Zelda OoT/MM testing carts.
So, it's a tie to me.
Well, the board has 2 EPROMS, and the actual number on the board (NROM-256-O2?) is the number that's used for retail copies of some first party games (10-Yard Fight and some others). Either this is a prototype (which is strengthened by the fact that it's a first party board and it has EPROMs) or it's a pirate cart that was created from another donor cart. Nintendo tends to keep all their prototypes, so they are usually as rare as hen's teeth, in comparison to everyday third party ones. Perhaps Beaglepuss and MrMark* or DreamTR could shed some light on this.
*"The Super Prototypio Brothers"
Tootai
06-10-2010, 04:12 PM
This the second copy found unless it's a repro of the original. First one was titled "Tetris" on the cart and sold to a Scandinavian collector if I remember correctly.
Sph1nx
06-10-2010, 04:31 PM
If my memory serves me correct, wasn't the original title of Dr. Mario really Virus?
If that's not the case, I'd say pirate.
Pretty sure you're right on the title.
BeaglePuss
06-10-2010, 04:35 PM
Perhaps Beaglepuss and MrMark* or DreamTR could shed some light on this.
*"The Super Prototypio Brothers"
What Tootai states is true. The first copy was sold cheap as a "Tetris" prototype without being tested. It was then resold to a European proto collector.
This is at least the second copy, but I'm pretty sure it's actually the third. Dream has said:
"an internal Nintendo development studio for strategy guides which has been known to produce some pretty rare finds (Virus was found at this same studio)"
I'm assuming that he was referring to this title, although I could be wrong.
BeaglePuss
06-10-2010, 04:42 PM
Nintendo tends to keep all their prototypes, so they are usually as rare as hen's teeth, in comparison to everyday third party ones.
They're actually more common than you would think (at least from a prototype perspective). There are known prototypes of Zelda, Zelda 2, Mario 2, Mario 3, Yoshi, Tetris, Tetris 2, Wario's Woods, Kirby's Adventure, Pinbot, Dragon Warrior, and Dragon Warrior 3. That's just off the top of my head, and that's only including the NES (there are a ton of examples for the SNES).
Some third party companies actually kept a better lock on their stuff oddly enough.
Enigmus
06-10-2010, 05:32 PM
What Tootai states is true. The first copy was sold cheap as a "Tetris" prototype without being tested. It was then resold to a European proto collector.
This is at least the second copy, but I'm pretty sure it's actually the third. Dream has said:
"an internal Nintendo development studio for strategy guides which has been known to produce some pretty rare finds (Virus was found at this same studio)"
I'm assuming that he was referring to this title, although I could be wrong.
Let's hope a community member buys it and dumps it for further study.
portnoyd
06-10-2010, 05:32 PM
Ok so my memory doesn't suck that much. Gotta say, the game itself sure does like piratey.
Enigmus
06-10-2010, 05:44 PM
Ok so my memory doesn't suck that much. Gotta say, the game itself sure does like piratey.
Well, consider how weird Ristar looked when it first started.
Some games do start off weird before evening out for the final product.
The idea of the patient display is pretty cool, though. It would've been a nicer status indicator than colored blobs flailing their limbs aimlessly.
skaar
06-11-2010, 10:35 AM
I sold a Startropics proto to DreamTR, to add to your list.
it looks like whomever made the virus title screen wrote virus on the eprom, looks just as scribbled in comparison =P
BeaglePuss
06-11-2010, 01:23 PM
I sold a Startropics proto to DreamTR, to add to your list.
I'm sure there are countless others I missed as well, those were just the few I could recite from memory.
mrmark0673
06-11-2010, 03:05 PM
Some third party companies actually kept a better lock on their stuff oddly enough.
RARE/Tradewest protos from this era are an absolute bitch to find. Not that first party protos are common by comparison, but that was the first company that came to mind.
They're actually more common than you would think (at least from a prototype perspective). There are known prototypes of Zelda, Zelda 2, Mario 2, Mario 3, Yoshi, Tetris, Tetris 2, Wario's Woods, Kirby's Adventure, Pinbot, Dragon Warrior, and Dragon Warrior 3. That's just off the top of my head, and that's only including the NES (there are a ton of examples for the SNES).
Some third party companies actually kept a better lock on their stuff oddly enough.
Mario 3?
BeaglePuss
06-12-2010, 10:59 AM
Mario 3?
Yep. The buyer posted the find here in Finders Keepers and later deleted their post. I have a feeling it was a result of being constantly shot PMs regarding the find. My bad. . . . Hahaha.
I don't know of any differences between the prototype and released version, although it's been a while.
Yep. The buyer posted the find here in Finders Keepers and later deleted their post. I have a feeling it was a result of being constantly shot PMs regarding the find. My bad. . . . Hahaha.
I don't know of any differences between the prototype and released version, although it's been a while.
Did he post any pics?
Yeah I'd say real proto as well, just due to the fact of the others which had been found previously of Virus/Dr. Mario...
I enjoy this question the seller received so much though:
Q: Hi there, Would you take $300 for the cart off of EBay? I could send you paypal in minutes. Thanks so much, hope to hear from you soon!
A: Wow! That's a lot! I'm so sorry, someone bid on it so I can't end the auction.
BeaglePuss
06-12-2010, 12:32 PM
Did he post any pics?
They did indeed, and the prototypes pictured were undoubtedly legitimate. Included in the purchase were prototypes for Mario 3, Final Fantasy (with major differences), Ninja Gaiden, and Strider. It was a lucky (and cheap) CL find from what I recall.
Enigmus
06-13-2010, 08:47 PM
They're actually more common than you would think (at least from a prototype perspective). There are known prototypes of Zelda, Zelda 2, Mario 2, Mario 3, Yoshi, Tetris, Tetris 2, Wario's Woods, Kirby's Adventure, Pinbot, Dragon Warrior, and Dragon Warrior 3. That's just off the top of my head, and that's only including the NES (there are a ton of examples for the SNES).
Some third party companies actually kept a better lock on their stuff oddly enough.
I'm personally interested in seeing a few screenshots from the Kirby and Zelda 1 prototypes.
I've seen enough Mario 2 crap to last a lifetime, it's time for something more interesting.
EDIT: Any links to these Mario 3 pics?
BeaglePuss
06-13-2010, 09:59 PM
I'm personally interested in seeing a few screenshots from the Kirby and Zelda 1 prototypes.
I've seen enough Mario 2 crap to last a lifetime, it's time for something more interesting.
EDIT: Any links to these Mario 3 pics?
I have no screen caps of any of those titles (they're not mine unfortunately). The owner of the Mario 3 prototype didn't post and game play pictures, and I don't think any screen shots of the other two titles have been released either.
MichaeltheGreat
06-14-2010, 07:09 PM
Well, yeah, this is very interesting because dr. mario is MMC1 where this is nrom (no mapper). So either it changed in development, this is a pirate version (many multicarts are just a collection of simple mapperless games like nrom), or ???
And what's it doing on a US board when I would think the game was developed in Japan? Was it developed over here? Did Nintendo actually buy the game from a US developer and not develop it in house? Did it just have a complete name change/turn before release? Did they make it as virus but then decide it wouldn't sell as virus?
The idea that it's a fake because it's on a non proto nrom cart--well I don't think there is a proto version of nrom circuit board. And Nrom was alway eprom compatible so there isn't a need for an e-nrom (nintendo proto boards for the nes started with e to say they were eprom boards rather than rom).
How interesting! Can't wait to see how this plays out!
nensondubois
06-16-2010, 08:50 PM
Cool finds!
portnoyd
06-17-2010, 05:46 AM
Whoa, that wasn't exactly cheap.
mrmark0673
06-17-2010, 07:32 AM
Wow, I was pretty confident that I'd get this one with my snipe, but you can't win them all. That person really wanted this one.
Huge congrats to the winner, it'll make an excellent collection piece!
Enigmus
06-17-2010, 10:39 AM
Great, it's either a community member got it or it's just another person who blows way to much money to lock their prototype carts in their basement and try to deny the existence of bitrot.
old_skoolin_jim
06-17-2010, 04:39 PM
Whoa, that wasn't exactly cheap.
Yeah... I didn't check on it since my max bid of $75 (I'm cheap... ha ha) was outbid. Just checked it now and nearly pooed my pants.
That is one expensive cart- hopefully it'll get dumped! :D
nensondubois
06-18-2010, 04:36 PM
Hopefull it will be dumped.