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View Full Version : Demo copy of NHL 95....it exists.



The_DZA
06-07-2012, 01:34 PM
Let me take you back to the summer of 1995. My friends and I were on a Canadian game show called Video and Arcade Top10. It was on YTV. The show was on air for a long time. Here is a sample of the show for those who dont know:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PSt49dzYyU

What they would basically do is lock up all the contestants in the studio for 6 hours and film about 8 - 10 episodes. I was a contestant a few times and won once. It was filmed in downtown Toronto.

We went to a filming in July. The game I was lucky enough to play was NHL 95. This was surprising because NHL 95 wasnt supposed to be released until September. The version we played though was a demo. It had the identical NHL 95 intro, but instead of regular games, you could only have the option for 3 on 3 or shootout. We played the 3 on 3 for the show.

The NHL 95 segment was the last filming for the day. Once the filming ended, everyone just wanted to get the hell outta there. So during the chaos of everyone leaving for the exit, I went up to the set where I was playing and stole one of the cartridges out of a SNES. As you can tell from the video, there were 4 podiums, thus 4 cartridges.

The copy was ghetto though. No official NHL 95 sticker on the cartridge, just a white sticker that had "NHL 95" printed with a dot matrix printer.

What I ended up doing was going to a video game store near my house and sold it for $50. I remember telling the guy I had a copy of it and he didnt believe me because it wasnt supposed to be released for another 2 months. He wanted proof, so he popped it in an SNES to see what happened and the intro started playing. He was so excited he didnt bother checking the gameplay options, just gave me $50. I booted it outta there pretty quick because I knew in just a few minutes he would realize he could only play 3 on 3 or shootout, not regular games.

I never whet back to that store again because I knew I hustled the guy. Ironically looking back, I was the one who got hustled. I know that copy I sold for $50 would probably be worth between $1,000 and $2,000 now.

I obviously have no idea what that guy ended up doing with the copy. If he kept it, sold it, threw it out. Who knows.

So there is 1 copy that left the studio, and 3 that at least for that time being, stayed in the Video and Arcade studio.

I just wanted to let you all know that somewhere out there, this exists.

c2000
06-07-2012, 07:18 PM
The only thing that matters to me is that you stole a game and sold it to a game shop for some quick cash. Real classy :shameful:

Emperor Megas
06-07-2012, 07:34 PM
The only thing that matters to me is that you stole a game and sold it to a game shop for some quick cash. Real classy :shameful:It was almost 20 years ago. He could have been a youngster at the time. People do a lot of things when they're young that they wouldn't do when they're older. I have several regrets about things that I'm ashamed of now that I really wish I could take back, so I'm willing to cut him some slack. I would be different if he was being braggadocios about it, but it seemed like he was just being honest.

The_DZA
06-08-2012, 07:13 AM
The only thing that matters to me is that you stole a game and sold it to a game shop for some quick cash. Real classy :shameful:

Guy, I was 16 years old. lol.....calm down

xelement5x
06-08-2012, 01:52 PM
Interesting story, it's cool to hear that there can be some confirmation for items like this.

Though, after nabbing the cart did they ever invite you back for another taping?

c2000
06-09-2012, 03:37 PM
It was almost 20 years ago. He could have been a youngster at the time. People do a lot of things when they're young that they wouldn't do when they're older. I have several regrets about things that I'm ashamed of now that I really wish I could take back, so I'm willing to cut him some slack. I would be different if he was being braggadocios about it, but it seemed like he was just being honest.


Can't believe you're defending someone stealing. It's not like he stole a mars bar..

kai123
06-09-2012, 04:17 PM
Can't believe you're defending someone stealing. It's not like he stole a mars bar..

It's not like he stole a heart transplant either. Everyone needs to calm down. If it bothers you that much see if the statute of limitation is up and report him to the authorities.

Leo_A
06-09-2012, 06:56 PM
Guy, I was 16 years old. lol.....calm down

More than old enough to know better.

That's no excuse in the slightest.

Videogamerdaryll
06-09-2012, 07:13 PM
Ahh,one of those threads that I...read...then slowly back out of the room on...

Tupin
06-09-2012, 08:24 PM
This thread is going to be just great, isn't it?

Would a prototype sports game even sell for that much?

badinsults
06-09-2012, 08:33 PM
A NHL 95 prototype would be lucky to crack $50 on the open market right now.

Gameguy
06-09-2012, 10:21 PM
A NHL 95 prototype would be lucky to crack $50 on the open market right now.
So he managed to get $50 for it back in 1990's money. Thinking he could get $1000+ for a proto/review copy of a released sports game is pretty ridiculous.

Still a funny thread about supposedly not knowing any better about stealing it. Still not knowing any better when selling it to a game store for $50, or leaving before the shop owner noticed it was an unfinished copy. If you really think about it, pretty much all prototypes are stolen in some way.

I do remember that show though, I'm not sure what happened to it but it was on for a long time.

cheaterdragon1
06-09-2012, 10:32 PM
So he managed to get $50 for it back in 1990's money. Thinking he could get $1000+ for a proto/review copy of a released sports game is pretty ridiculous.

Still a funny thread about supposedly not knowing any better about stealing it. Still not knowing any better when selling it to a game store for $50, or leaving before the shop owner noticed it was an unfinished copy. If you really think about it, pretty much all prototypes are stolen in some way.

I do remember that show though, I'm not sure what happened to it but it was on for a long time.

That's what I was thinking. The proto likely would've ended up in the garbage or taken by someone from the production team. I also remember the show. Makes me wonder if they had any other protos.

NerdXCrewWill
06-10-2012, 03:09 AM
I think DZA's "only 16" defense was not meant to justify stealing because he was a teenager. I think he was just pointing out that it's ancient history. I'm sure he's come to terms with his bad decision by now. Scolding him is pointless and makes you sound silly.