How many different variations of the NES version of Legend of Zelda are there?

[BlastProcessing402]

I know of the following

5-screw, gold, round Nintendo seal, no "hold reset when turning off the power" warning

3-screw, gold, round Nintendo seal

3-screw, gold, oval Nintendo seal

3-screw, gray, oval Nintendo seal

Mainly what I'm not sure of is if there are gold 5-screws WITH the "hold reset" warning, or if there are gold 3-screws WITHOUT the "hold reset" warning, or both, or neither, or any other sort of interesting variations (oval seal 5-screws or something nutty like that).

I'm not really trying to collect them or anything, I'm just curious. I've got the 5-screw, that's enough for me.

I'm also only really talking about US releases. I know there are probably Canadian ones and stuff that have differences (actually saw a Zelda 2 with a Mattel logo at a rental store way back in 88 or 89, blew my mind) but I'm not really looking for that sort of variation.

[skaar]

Purple Ganon time!

[MachineGex]

Purple Ganon time!

I woke up this morning with a "Purple Gannon".................................................. .so yeah......

[Kiddo]

Out of that list, one I'm pretty certain you're missing is the solid yellow cartridge, which IIRC is the rarest (Well, barring the prototype FDS Disc or Charumera Ramen ban, but this only specified NES versions).

[SparTonberry]

Right, I almost forgot about that. It was only made for use by Nintendo Repair Centers.

[BlastProcessing402]

Solid yellow Zeldas? Sounds like a band name!

Anyway, does anyone know about when the "hold reset" transition happened? Before, during, or after the 5 to 3 screw change?

[portnoyd]

I am being 100% serious.

Don't be curious. This is something you are better off not caring about.

It's a slippery slope and you'll be dumber for it in the end.

[BlastProcessing402]

I am being 100% serious.

Don't be curious. This is something you are better off not caring about.

It's a slippery slope and you'll be dumber for it in the end.

Too late, I'm already curious. And it won't make you dumber, it may kill you if you're a cat, but I'm no cat.

[VideoGameRescue]

Now I need an answer >< lol

[Kiddo]

Alright, alright, let's expand on this list;

I've used http://www.zeldacollectorsmuseum.com as my source to verify some, along with my own memory.

Known FDS Zelda;

1) Zelda no Densetsu (version 1.0)
2) Zelda no Densetsu (version 1.1)
3) Charumera Ramen Ban Zelda no Densetsu
4) Prototype Zelda no Densetsu that has been dumped

Possible FDS Zeldas:
1) Earlier Prototype Zelda no Densetsu shown in early advertising and the NES Zelda instruction manual.

Famicom Zelda:
1) Zelda no Densetsu 1

NES Zelda:
Copied from the list -
1) The Legend of Zelda - USA (5-screw, gold, round Nintendo seal, no "hold reset when turning off the power" warning)
2) The Legend of Zelda - USA (3-screw, gold, round Nintendo seal)
3) The Legend of Zelda - USA (3-screw, gold, oval Nintendo seal)
4) The Legend of Zelda - USA (3-screw, gray, oval Nintendo seal) (Possibly "Nintendo Classics" Version?)
some others -
5) The Legend of Zelda - USA (Yellow Cartridge)
6) The Legend of Zelda - Hong Kong
7) The Legend of Zelda - Europe (PAL)
8) The Legend of Zelda - France/Netherlands (PAL)
9) The Legend of Zelda Classic Series - France/Netherlands (PAL)

Satellaview (YES I AM GOING THERE):
1) BS Zelda no Densetsu - Dai-1-wa
2) BS Zelda no Densetsu - Dai-2-wa
3) BS Zelda no Densetsu - Dai-3-wa
4) BS Zelda no Densetsu - Dai-4-wa
5) BS Zelda no Densetsu Map 2 - Dai-1-wa
6) BS Zelda no Densetsu Map 2 - Dai-2-wa
7) BS Zelda no Densetsu Map 2 - Dai-3-wa
8) BS Zelda no Densetsu Map 2 - Dai-4-wa

GBA:
1) NES Classics - The Legend of Zelda - USA
2) NES Classics - The Legend of Zelda - Europe
3) Famicom Mini - Zelda no Densetsu

Gamecube:
1) Animal Crossing (included as hidden game)
2) The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition (included)
Probably Dobutsu no Mori + as well, but I need confirmation on that.

Wii:
1) The Legend of Zelda (Virtual Console)
2) The Legend of Zelda (PAL Virtual Console)
3) Zelda no Densetsu (Virtual Console)

... and don't be surprised if this list has to be amended.

[Huzal]

For the long list there was also the Legend of Zelda for the 3DS Ambassador program (probably to be released to everyone else later).

[SparTonberry]

The 3DS VC version is already available for non-Ambassadors to buy in Japan.

[BlastProcessing402]

Does anyone have a 5-screw with the "hold reset" warning or a 3-screw without the "hold reset" warning?

That's the main thing I'm still wondering about, when this hold reset change happened, before during or after the cart casings were changed.

[cabbage]

There's also a Korean version for the NES/Hyundai Comboy.

Sorry OP that I don't have any info about USA screw/warning-label variants...

[KWvintagegames]

Alright, alright, let's expand on this list;

I've used http://www.zeldacollectorsmuseum.com as my source to verify some, along with my own memory.

Known FDS Zelda;

1) Zelda no Densetsu (version 1.0)
2) Zelda no Densetsu (version 1.1)
3) Charumera Ramen Ban Zelda no Densetsu
4) Prototype Zelda no Densetsu that has been dumped

Possible FDS Zeldas:
1) Earlier Prototype Zelda no Densetsu shown in early advertising and the NES Zelda instruction manual.

Famicom Zelda:
1) Zelda no Densetsu 1

NES Zelda:
Copied from the list -
1) The Legend of Zelda - USA (5-screw, gold, round Nintendo seal, no "hold reset when turning off the power" warning)
2) The Legend of Zelda - USA (3-screw, gold, round Nintendo seal)
3) The Legend of Zelda - USA (3-screw, gold, oval Nintendo seal)
4) The Legend of Zelda - USA (3-screw, gray, oval Nintendo seal) (Possibly "Nintendo Classics" Version?)
some others -
5) The Legend of Zelda - USA (Yellow Cartridge)
6) The Legend of Zelda - Hong Kong
7) The Legend of Zelda - Europe (PAL)
8) The Legend of Zelda - France/Netherlands (PAL)
9) The Legend of Zelda Classic Series - France/Netherlands (PAL)

Satellaview (YES I AM GOING THERE):
1) BS Zelda no Densetsu - Dai-1-wa
2) BS Zelda no Densetsu - Dai-2-wa
3) BS Zelda no Densetsu - Dai-3-wa
4) BS Zelda no Densetsu - Dai-4-wa
5) BS Zelda no Densetsu Map 2 - Dai-1-wa
6) BS Zelda no Densetsu Map 2 - Dai-2-wa
7) BS Zelda no Densetsu Map 2 - Dai-3-wa
8) BS Zelda no Densetsu Map 2 - Dai-4-wa

GBA:
1) NES Classics - The Legend of Zelda - USA
2) NES Classics - The Legend of Zelda - Europe
3) Famicom Mini - Zelda no Densetsu

Gamecube:
1) Animal Crossing (included as hidden game)
2) The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition (included)
Probably Dobutsu no Mori + as well, but I need confirmation on that.

Wii:
1) The Legend of Zelda (Virtual Console)
2) The Legend of Zelda (PAL Virtual Console)
3) Zelda no Densetsu (Virtual Console)

... and don't be surprised if this list has to be amended.

I saw a zelda this morning which looked a little different to me. Afterwards I asked my buddies to round up all our legend of zelda NES carts to see differences. There are 10 in total

front :

all are gold color

bottom right corner :
1x CAN
5x NES-ZL-CAN
2x NES - ZL - USA
2x blank
*note I am using this to reference carts in rest of this post *

bottom middle:

the one that says CAN has a circle nintendo logo
out of the 5x NES-ZL - CAN 4 are oval nintendo logo, 1 is circle logo.
out of the 2 ZL - USA one is oval logo, 1 is circle logo
both blanks have circle logo

bottom left :
CAN - experience the challenge of endless adventure (not bolded)
5x ZL-CAN experience the challenge of endless adventure. (bolded). 4/5 say Made in Japan underneath.
both ZL- USA have made in Japan - seems as though one is bolded, one is not. Could be different fonts though.
both blanks are blank.

under Zelda :

All zeldas which say CAN have a line under Zelda
all other carts say experience the challenge of endless adventure in bold. One ZL-USA is not bolded


Back of carts :

screws:

all are 3 screw with the exception of one. This being one of the blanks

coloring of labels :

all are black with exception of 2. Those 2 have red lettering starting with "If you are saving your game" Both of these are ZL-USA

Top right of labels :

All but 3 say REV-A . These three are CAN, and the 2 blanks

bottom right :

CAN : Nintendo CAN
out of the 5 ZL-CAN 4 say Nintendo 1985 CAN, one says Nintendo CAN
out of the 2 ZL-USA one says Nintendo 1985, other says nintendo
both blanks say nintendo

size of the word nintendo :

CAN carts without dates are smaller.
ZL-USA nintendo is much smaller

bottom left :
both ZL-USA carts say NES-ZL871104 the remaining 8 carts are blank

screw variants :

one of the blank carts have a 5 screw variant, remaining 9 carts are 3 screw,

when searching google, I dont see many threads/posts regarding this. Usually it is just screw variants. Does anyone have any further information on variants and scarcity of different variants?

I can post pictures if requested.

Thanks.

edit :


I know of the following

5-screw, gold, round Nintendo seal, no "hold reset when turning off the power" warning

3-screw, gold, round Nintendo seal

3-screw, gold, oval Nintendo seal

3-screw, gray, oval Nintendo seal

Mainly what I'm not sure of is if there are gold 5-screws WITH the "hold reset" warning, or if there are gold 3-screws WITHOUT the "hold reset" warning, or both, or neither, or any other sort of interesting variations (oval seal 5-screws or something nutty like that).

I'm not really trying to collect them or anything, I'm just curious. I've got the 5-screw, that's enough for me.

I'm also only really talking about US releases. I know there are probably Canadian ones and stuff that have differences (actually saw a Zelda 2 with a Mattel logo at a rental store way back in 88 or 89, blew my mind) but I'm not really looking for that sort of variation.

both blanks do not he the hold warning. One is 3 screw, one is 5 screw

[BlastProcessing402]

both blanks do not he the hold warning. One is 3 screw, one is 5 screw

Just to clarify, this is the in game warning, not the warning printed on the label on the back of the cart?

Either way, thanks for putting in all that effort!