Weird Sonic 2 Cartridge

[Huzal]

I was at my local salvation army store when I spotted Sonic 2 Not for Resale. Now I knew that it was very common but I bought it because it had the manual.

When I got home I opened it up and looked the cartridge. I was surprised to find a not for resale sticker on a Sonic 2 cartridge for the Mega Drive inside. The case and manual both read Genesis on them. The back of the cartridge also looks different from the Genesis cartridge that I have. It reads made in Japan and the rest is in a different font.

After extensive research (Google) I could find no other Mega Drive version of Sonic 2 with a Not for Resale sticker. Any ideas?

[MarioMania]

Pics would help

[Gameguy]

Could be a Canadian version, several early games had Mega Drive on the carts but Genesis on the box and manual. I've never seen a copy of Sonic 2 like this before though.

[Baloo]

When I used to work in Drexel923's store Next-Level Videogames, a copy of Sonic 2 came in that had half a NFR sticker on the cart on the Sega Quality Logo, that one also came in a cardboard box.

That's about as much as I've seen though.

[Huzal]

Pictures:

Front:
http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/9201/1010111f.jpg

Top:
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/7608/1010112c.jpg

Back:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7494/1010114wt.jpg

The case is regular USA art and plastic.

[MarioMania]

I found that in Game Crazy once, of cource I bought it..

It's just the PAL version

[Huzal]

I am sure it is the pal version. I have just not been able to find one with a not for resale sticker on it. Do they exist?

[Gameguy]

Could you take a picture of the case and manual too please? You said it came with them.

[Huzal]

I didn't take photos of them because they are the normal box and manual for US. Here they are though.

Photos:

Front:
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/9938/1010115d.jpg

2.99 because they wrote the price right on it. :|

Back:
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6783/1010118.jpg

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

So Sonic 2 was never included with Mega Drives, ever?

[Huzal]

No. Sonic 2 was included with one of the Mega Drive II bundles. I just can't find a picture showing me or someone telling me that it has a not for resale sticker.

Edit:

This is the best picture of the bundle I could find online:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_87WI2znPvG0/S-21sx-rC1I/AAAAAAAAAng/ibkgGNmKWcA/s400/megadrive2.jpg

It doesn't show the cartridge or have the sticker though...

[Collector_Gaming]

could it be possiable that someone slapped a phony sticker on it so they could market it at one time in its history as a "RARE NFS PAL SONIC 2 CART" when they never existed? I and i know bunch of the people on here heard of stuff like this.
Like slapping Stadium events sticker on a World Class Track Meet cart and marketing it as such.

[Huzal]

I had thought about that. But it probably wouldn't have ended up being donated to the salvation army where I found it.

Edit:

I just realized I put thrift store instead of salvation army in my first post. Sorry.

[Gameguy]

It was probably made like that by Sega, they did that with several other games for some reason. It's probably a legit US or Canadian release, that box was released here in Canada too so it could be some weird Canadian variant. Usually the Canadian versions like that have Canadian box art and manuals, but it's still possible with US packaging.

[Lady Jaye]

I don't recall ever seeing Canadian Genesis games branded as MegaDrive, but who really knows?

[Gameguy]

I don't recall ever seeing Canadian Genesis games branded as MegaDrive, but who really knows?
I have a copy of Shadow Dancer like that, other games like this were mentioned in some other thread awhile back(Kid Chameleon being another one). It's like they ran out of labels or were short games at some point and just used European ones instead. It was mostly with early games though, Sonic 2 is a bit later than the other ones I remember hearing about.

[Huzal]

I have heard about Sonic 2 Canadian Cases having the art from the Pal Version with the text at the top reading Genesis.

Here is a link (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33703) to a forum about such a case.

[Collector_Gaming]

I had thought about that. But it probably wouldn't have ended up being donated to the salvation army where I found it..

Well think about the possibilities in this kinda situation

Lets try 2 scenarios that could work 1 of which i have seen for myself.

What if it was some teen kid that loved classic games. Bought a Mega Drive Sonic 2 off ebay. But then had the bright idea to do exactly what i stated in my first post. Did so but never got around to selling it. Fast forward a year or 2 or whatever. Kid graduates highschool. Goes off to college and leaves all his childhood memories behind at his parents place.
Mom and dad go sifting through the stuff and come across this old video game think hes not gonna need it and end up donating it to charitable thrift store/goodwill instead of trying to sell it at a yard sale or something.
That is exactly what i think my first FF7 find at Good will was due to its pristine condition. I highly doubt someone would have donated a game they can sell on ebay for good chunk of change and go through the process of making sure it was like new and then turn around and donate it to a goodwill. The economy and human nature has taught us to know better then that.

Thats one possibility. Another would be what if. It was owned by a game collector like us. But once again just like i said slapped a sticker on it try to sell as such to try to swindle few extra bucks out of it..
Then lets just say this person passed away and then his/her's not so memorable possessions get donated while family members and loved ones keep photos and other stuff to remember this person by.

Not saying thats what happened.
But they are possible scenarios.

[Blitzwing256]

I have a copy of this as well, same label and sticker. I also have that bizzare carboard box sonic 2 that nobody has been able to identify either...

[Polygon]

My guess is that it's a PAL Sonic 2 that somehow ended up with a U.S. case and manual. As for how the "not for resell" sticker got there, I have no idea. I highly doubt someone put it there. I would imagine it came from Sega like that.

[Genesaturn]

I'm inclined to agree with Poly, If it says Mega Drive and not genesis its definitely not a US/Canadian version unless it is a misprint. I have 2 copies of Sonic 2 and both have Not for Resale on them, but they are not stickers, its just printed on the game label to look like a sticker. All the ones which say not for resale should of been the copies packed with the Mark 2 system.

Think about this...I don't often pick up loose games, but sometimes I come across people with empty cases and ya just never know....whoever donated that game to the salvation army could of had the pal version loose and stuck it in a US case...although, from my research..I haven't been able to find any PAL versions boxed with the Mark 2 system or without that has the Not for Resale graphic...

[Gameguy]

I have heard about Sonic 2 Canadian Cases having the art from the Pal Version with the text at the top reading Genesis.

Here is a link (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33703) to a forum about such a case.
I found that when I was searching for this one. It's funny how nobody believed it when people said it's a Canadian version even after several people said it. It's the Assembler forums which are supposed to focus on rare or obscure stuff. I found a copy just like that, it's not really that rare here(a bit more uncommon but not rare). It's also funny how that same user is posting that copy for sale here in the forums for $20 as if it was something very rare. I think I sold mine for $5 as it was a spare.



I thought these types of games could have been pieced together separately but my copy of Shadow Dancer looked to be in perfect condition and I got it in a bundle with other complete games in the same condition, I don't think someone would have pieced it together if everything was kept in excellent condition. Why would they have lost the game that came with their copy? How did they manage to find a loose copy of an import just to keep with their empty case? So far several copies have turned up like this with mostly Canadian boxes and manuals, more so than with US boxes and manuals. It seems like they were sold that way.

Here's one on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/290652021212

[Pikkon]

Interesting,not long ago I picked this up at my local flea market.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/pikkonson/SGdd.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/pikkonson/mddd.png

[Polygon]

I have 2 copies of Sonic 2 and both have Not for Resale on them, but they are not stickers, its just printed on the game label to look like a sticker.

Good point.

I have two copies of the "not for resell" Sonic 2 as well. I just pulled them out and it's part of the label, not a sticker placed on the label.

[old_skoolin_jim]

I have a copy of this as well, same label and sticker. I also have that bizzare carboard box sonic 2 that nobody has been able to identify either...

I'm 99% certain the Sonic 2 with the cardboard box was part of the flood of re-issues at the end of the Genesis' life (circa 1996-97). I also had a copy of Battletoads with a cardboard box (which I sold promptly after I beat it... man that end was a slap in the face, but I digress...) as well as Road Rash 2 that came in a cardboard box and had a standard, non-EA cartridge.
Just my $.02 :D

[theclaw]

Raises the question of what *really* happened to make Sega rename their console. Common belief has always been copyright problems, yet few dare to look further into it. Users took a plain unanimously accepted view years ago for little apparent reason and that's that.

[Collector_Gaming]

I'm 99% certain the Sonic 2 with the cardboard box was part of the flood of re-issues at the end of the Genesis' life (circa 1996-97). I also had a copy of Battletoads with a cardboard box (which I sold promptly after I beat it... man that end was a slap in the face, but I digress...) as well as Road Rash 2 that came in a cardboard box and had a standard, non-EA cartridge.
Just my $.02 :D
i got a few genesis games that have the cardboard boxes. Always thought they were interesting as to why they had them vs other gen games

[Polygon]

There were some that only came in a cardboard box like Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic & Knuckles, and X-Men 2: The Clone Wars.

[theclaw]

Yeah the cardboard boxes were sometimes an American thing. It made a few games more plentiful to find complete in PAL today.

[Genesaturn]

There were some that only came in a cardboard box like Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic & Knuckles, and X-Men 2: The Clone Wars.

Speaking of cardboard cases...do you guys know if Shining Force 2 only comes in a cardboard case? they are the only ones I can seem to find. I usually try to stay away from them.

[Drath]

I can almost guarantee it's the Canadian version, being from Canada and owning it. I will have to wait to get home to confirm, but definitely looks like the one I have.

[Polygon]

Speaking of cardboard cases...do you guys know if Shining Force 2 only comes in a cardboard case? they are the only ones I can seem to find. I usually try to stay away from them.

I don't know the answer to that. However, if it's just an aesthetics issues and not a collecting issue you can always print your own cover for it and put it in one of the regular clam shell cases. That's what I've done with all my odd ball Genesis games and my collections looks uniform. I'm very pleased with the results.

[xelement5x]

Another issue between the cardboard boxed games and the clamshell versions is that a lot of the cardboard box ones which are reissues seem to have inferior manuals that are only in black and white instead of color and (sometimes) glossy.

[theoakwoody]

2 things:

1.) It should be easy to tell if its PAL or NTSC as I'm pretty sure the Genesis has Region Lockout

2.) Could this be a store demo? I'm guessing this game was playing in every funcoland or other video games store when it came out.

The weird thing would be the label being Mega Drive if its NOT PAL.

[Gameguy]

Speaking of cardboard cases...do you guys know if Shining Force 2 only comes in a cardboard case? they are the only ones I can seem to find. I usually try to stay away from them.
Shining Force II only came in a cardboard box here, same with Phantasy Star IV which is kind of annoying as they're hard to find in good condition.


2 things:

1.) It should be easy to tell if its PAL or NTSC as I'm pretty sure the Genesis has Region Lockout

2.) Could this be a store demo? I'm guessing this game was playing in every funcoland or other video games store when it came out.

The weird thing would be the label being Mega Drive if its NOT PAL.
Doesn't matter, earlier games could play fine regardless of region. PAL games usually weren't optimized for PAL regions so they actually only play properly on NTSC systems, there weren't any region lockouts on earlier games either.

[crazyjackcsa]

I can almost guarantee it's the Canadian version, being from Canada and owning it. I will have to wait to get home to confirm, but definitely looks like the one I have.

Sure isn't. Canadian one doesn't say MEGADRIVE.

[theclaw]

Maybe not. But a few earlier releases were either mis-labeled, or a supply shortage led Sega to use a PAL cart. That much is known.

[Drath]

Sure isn't. Canadian one doesn't say MEGADRIVE.

Sorry, I missed that detail in the post. It's exactly like the Canadian release, everything but the Megadrive detail, I just checked. Nevermind :)

[Huzal]

Could this be a store demo? I'm guessing this game was playing in every funcoland or other video games store when it came out.

If by demo you mean full game (as I have played it and it is the full game) it might be possible though that doesn't explain the sticker.

It seems the best explanation is a supply shortage.

[jamvan1000]

Interesting,not long ago I picked this up at my local flea market.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/pikkonson/SGdd.png
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/pikkonson/mddd.png

I kid you not I have found a copy of quackshot.just like that!

[theclaw]

it doesn't matter, quackshot is dual language region free. even the japanese version already inside that cart.

[BlastProcessing402]

Raises the question of what *really* happened to make Sega rename their console. Common belief has always been copyright problems, yet few dare to look further into it. Users took a plain unanimously accepted view years ago for little apparent reason and that's that.

Nah, there's no question it was a trademark (not copyright) issue. I remember seeing the other Mega Drive (some sort of hard drive IIRC) being advertised in the back of computer magazines of that era. It must have been from a fairly small time company (it wasn't a full page ad, but rather in the section where there were a bunch of tiny B&W ads on one page) but it definitely existed.

[kedawa]

I kid you not I have found a copy of quackshot.just like that!

My copy of Castle of Illusion is the same; Genesis box, Megadrive cart label.