GameBoy Prototype or not?

[MattyXB]

Hello, one question. I have buy a Pokémon Rote Edition (Red German) as Prototype.
It looks like a standart release with lable and the red color case.

On the lable is in-punched the number 00, and someone say, that this is a Prototype.
My normal Red Edition has the number 09 in-punched on the lable.

Strange is, when I play it, all Pokémon are broken (glitched). They are only squares, and you can't see them. And the first big persons, where you must give them names are too only squares. But it plays fine. You can play, but not see the Pokémons when you fight.
And you can't save. It say, that it has saved, but next time all is gone.

So is this a Prototype (a Beta Version, which is not complete)? Or just a broken cartridge with the number 00?
Stand the in-punched for somethink like Prototype or release date?

[Nespit]

pictures available?

[MattyXB]

As I say, it looks like the normal german release, but here the pictures.

click on the small picture too see it bigger. And where the number 00 is in-punched on the label:
http://people.freenet.de/mattyxb/RotProto.jpg (http://people.freenet.de/mattyxb/RotProtobig.jpg)

My other release has the number 09. Maybe the number stand for Prototype, or first release. Or Beta release for some testers?

PS: I have try it now on the Super GameBoy Adapter. And there I can save. But when I load the game, it freeze. And I can't see that it saved on the GBA. On GBA it has never saved. All strange. :o

[KlarthAilerion]

this isn't a definitive answer to your question, but as far as I know Nintendo doesn't usually put the cartrdige ID number on their prototypes. So, if both this cart and your 09-label-punched cart have the same ID number (DMG-APAD-NOE), then odds are it isn't a prototype or demo.

That being said, I don't know if Nintendo has a different method with its GameBoy products as it does with its other console systems, or if perhaps Nintendo of Europe has a different method than Nintendo of Japan and Nintendo of America. So I don't suppose this is any real help towards a difinitive answer. :P

[nesworld]

the number marked "punched as you call it" into the label surely doesn't mean it's a prototype, maybe it has something to do with the production runs made?... wild guess but definately nothing to do with being a prototype.

[Nespit]

The reason it doesn't save and the pics r scrambled is because the cartridge is damaged. That is just my guess but it looks like a normal cartridge that has gone through a ruff time. the 00 or 09 could stand for the batch of cartridges created.

imho it is no were near a proto or demo...:-(

[MattyXB]

Ok, thanks for the infos. I have ask on another german board, and there someone else has a cartridge with 00. And he has buy it new in the store.

So its no Prototype. But thats no big problem. I have not pay much for it. Only problem, I can't trade it, because its damaged.

[Buyatari]

Often those numbers have to do with production.

Depending on the company one of the two numbers might symbolize the year it was produced and the other the month. Or it might identify it as a certian "batch" or even a certain plant. This is often done for quality control so if they discover a problem they can track down where it came from and solve it.

Adam

[nesworld]

if that was the case, then they'd never produce carts in October, November and December? since its only 2 numbers :)

[databoy]

ive seen 00A and 1 1 also.
its just some kind of production code,
who cares.

[Buyatari]

if that was the case, then they'd never produce carts in October, November and December? since its only 2 numbers

Actually by this standard , starting with January as 1 and counting every single month , October would be 0 so just Nov and December would be left out. What if they were to print Pokemon Red Jan-Mar May-July and Sept-Dec thats 10 months as well.

But this was only an example of how some manufacturers mark their product. They could also conceivably divide up the year into 10 equal parts. Each being a period or "Nintendo month". I once worked at a company which had 13 periods in a year. Each period having 4 weeks.

Or it could be just 1-4 if they only cared which quarter the game was produced in. The possibilities are almost endless.

Adam

[Mike Mika]

For the record, prototypes for Game Boy have exposed boards that usually extend out of a black cartridge (All regions - Game Boy Color), the result is a cartridge that is about 7 inches long, and b&w gameboy had a gray cart with eeprom slots.

My Capcom Gunsmoke proto is on one of the tall carts.

Mike

[Nespit]

not quite true. i have got about 9 gbc proto's here. all grey cartridges, no board sticking out. just a flashrom board that fits neatly in the grey casing.

[Buyatari]

There are two types.

Flashrom and Eprom.

The early ones are all Eprom but nowadays they are all flash rom.

That being said I have quite a few early eprom games and not one is any bigger than a regular sized gboy cart. The only long boards I have are Gboy Advance protos.

Adam

[Mike Mika]

Absolutely right. I forgot to add that in, since its been a little while. Yeah, they have a little cut out window, and I believe a few switches to adjust for memory. Exact same size as a typical GBC/GB cart. They usually have a small switch matrix sticker as well, correct?

Mike

[Nespit]

Yeh, check my site: www.nespit.com there is a section gb proto's and it has a pic of a gbc proto with a dipswitch etc..