sealed 2600 Asterix IS NTSC!! - Look, NEW INFO!!

[Queen Of The Felines]

I recently got ahold of a sealed Asterix for the 2600 from Steve Woita himself. The box appears to be PAL with the foreign writing on the back, but on the top flap there's an N sticker underneath the shrinkwrap. I've heard that Asterix was released in PAL format only, so what's the deal with the N sticker? Canadian or Japanese release maybe?

Of course, I could always crack it open and pop it in, but since it's sealed I'd rather not if I can avoid it. ;)

Edit: I moved this to the Collecting forum and changed the title because it appeared that nobody was looking. :(

Kristine

[slapdash]

Don't be sad! I looked!

Just don't know the answer...

[sniperCCJVQ]

Like this :

http://www.atariage.com/box_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=890

This it's the PAL version.

The "N" can make to think it's a NTSC game. I dont know why they put that.

[MattyXB]

This game is never released as NTSC version (only a Prototype). So it can only be PAL. :D

Or maybe this is the first NTSC game, which was found? @_@
Then it must the UR. But I don't think, that a complete NTSC version exist.

[Queen Of The Felines]

Arrgh, I'm so tempted to open this to see what it really is...

Does anyone have a PAL box with an N sticker that ended up being a PAL game?

Kristine

[MattyXB]

Where is the N sticker? I own a complete Asterix, but there is no N sticker on the Box. Mine is PAL.

But as I say, I have never heard from a NTSC Asterix, only 1 Prototype. So it can't be NTSC. :roll:

But when you get it from Steve Woita, who knows. Maybe he has make a NTSC version from this game with lable. Then he has used a PAL Box, because this game was only released as PAL version, and then he putt the N sticker for NTSC on the Box.

But then its like a Prototype. Only one complete NTSC Asterix exist then. :o

Maybe you can ask Steve Woita, what format it is (NTSC or PAL). Maybe he knows it. And why he there is a N sticker on the Box. :/

[Mayhem]

Having (obviously) examined the box, the N sticker is under the shrinkwrap, actually on the box lid itself. So I'm as baffled as many other people too...

[Queen Of The Felines]

HOLY CRAP!!!!! :o

I just opened it and popped it in, and the screen is perfectly fine. I've tried playing PAL games on my tv before and each time I got the standard rolling screen, but NOTHING IS HAPPENING. My tv screen is absolutely normal and I'm playing it with no problems. It's also an old tv (at least twelve years old) so shit, I think this IS an NTSC game!!!

(Least I hope so now so I don't sound like an idiot... :P )

Kristine

[chadtower]

If it is.. what a find! Time to celebrate!

:band:

[MattyXB]

Hmmm... I have hear in the past, that some PAL games exist, which will work on NTSC TV. The latere releases games. Or maybe its then PAL-M format, which will maybe work too on NTSC TVs.

What has this Asterix for a Lable? There exist 2 differents. Silver & Silver Metallic. The only Silver is the later released version and has 2 years on the lable 1983 & 1985. The Silver Metallic lable has only 1983 on the lable and on the endlable is a P.

But I have no idea. Maybe its a NTSC Asterix. Then congratulation. Its the only one, which exist (accept the Prototype).

But maybe you can only find it out, when you dump this game, and try it on emulator, what this will tell you (about the color and the scanlines). :/

[Queen Of The Felines]

Hmmm, mine looks like this...

http://www.atariage.com/cart_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareLabelID=890&ItemTypeID=CART

However, instead of "1985 Atari Corp" it says "1983 Atari, Inc." There is no P on the end label, just like it's shown in the pic.

I'll try to post some pics of it before I go to work tonight, or if not, when I get home.

Kristine

[Scoots]

"But I have no idea. Maybe its a NTSC Asterix. Then congratulation. Its the only one, which exist (accept the Prototype). "

Why would you say it's the only one? Before this discovery you would've said there were none. You have no basis for saying this is the only as if it's some foregone conclusion. :hmm:

[MattyXB]

Look it maybe like this, with the endlable from the Silver Asterix?

This here is the Silver Metallic Lable. It has only 1983 on the Lable.
http://people.freenet.de/mattyxb/asterix.jpg

The other, from AtariAge is the Silver Lable (Silver grey).


"But I have no idea. Maybe its a NTSC Asterix. Then congratulation. Its the only one, which exist (accept the Prototype). "

Why would you say it's the only one? Before this discovery you would've said there were none. You have no basis for saying this is the only as if it's some foregone conclusion. :hmm:
I collect since years Atari 2600 games, and I am often on AtariAge. I have never hear from an NTSC Asterix. On on AtariAge is noone listed. When there exist more, why noone knows it?
It is as PAL only release known, and noone ever has found a NTSC copy (only the Prototype). :)
You can ask on AtariAge. Noone ever see it in NTSC, I am 99,9% sure. :D

[sku_u]

The only way to tell for sure would be to dump the binary and anaylze the code. If this is NTSC, you probably have the only known copy in existence.

Perhaps there was a limited pressing ( you had said it is NIB) that never saw the light of day that is still sitting in a warehouse somewhere.

Did the shrinkwrap look like it was on since the cart was manufactured, or was it loose and flimsy? It may have been reshrinked with someone putting the N on at a later date.

[Scoots]

Yeah, I'm just saying, it's stupid to say "oh, only one exists" just because you've only HEARD of one example. Before today you were saying "no NTSC version exists" and that's apparently been proven false. Why not just say "only one NTSC version is known to exist" and avoid the hyperbole?

[Queen Of The Felines]

Yep, that's what the front looks like. And the end label looks exactly like the one in the AtariAge link.

Don't know if it'll help any, but there appears to be the code "47 3 R" stamped into the end label itself.

So is it possible that a silver metallic label exists without the "P" on the end? (Other than mine, of course :) ) I don't want to get TOO excited, y'know. :)

Kristine

[Queen Of The Felines]

Did the shrinkwrap look like it was on since the cart was manufactured, or was it loose and flimsy? It may have been reshrinked with someone putting the N on at a later date.

The shrinkwrap is on nice and tight, and also had a hang tag attached as well. The "line" runs right down the middle of the back. I just removed the top of the wrap in order to open the box up.

Kristine

[MattyXB]

So is it possible that a silver metallic label exists without the "P" on the end? (Other than mine, of course :) ) I don't want to get TOO excited, y'know. :)

Kristine

Don't know, maybe. But I have never see one, I think. All my Silver Metallic versions (which I have owned in the past) have the P on the endlable. And my silver grey cart has no P on the endlable.

So maybe it was mixed by Steve Woita, as he do with the Box, that he used a PAL Box, because there exist no NTSC Box? And only a guess, but maybe he has found only the silver metallic lable, and will no use the endlable with the P, because it stand for PAL. So he has used the other released endlable. @_@

[Queen Of The Felines]

Dunno. I just e-mailed him and asked him for more info (and to peek his head in here) so hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this soon.

I really, really can't see Steve swapping carts and then re-wrapping it up himself though. I mean, where would he get the hangtag from? ;)

Kristine

[sku_u]

I really, really can't see Steve swapping carts and then re-wrapping it up himself though. I mean, where would he get the hangtag from? ;)

Kristine

If it still had the hangtag and the shrinkwrap was down the middle, chances are very slim that it was reshrinked.

Whether it's PAL or NTSC, having ASTERIX CIB is a great grab either way. :)

One other bench test you could try is to compare the top and bottom of the playfield to the top and bottom of the playfield on a few games you own that you know are NTSC (Turmoil being the best example given the similarity of the playfields). If the Asterix playfield is stretched out past the visible TV screen more than the Turmoil cart, chances are it is PAL and you lucked out in having a PAL game that is playable on your NTSC TV.

[Queen Of The Felines]

The playfield is in the exact middle of the screen. It looks like there's an approximately one inch black "border" at the top and bottom of the screen (kinda like how a wide-screen movie would look). The placement looks identical to some other NTSC games I have (meaning, right in the middle of the screen).

I'm currently looking at the screenshots on AtariAge and my colors are more blue, yellow, and red instead of pink and green.My screen colors look more along the lines of what's pictured on the box instead of the screenshot shown.

Kristine

[chadtower]

The shrinkwrap is on nice and tight, and also had a hang tag attached as well. The "line" runs right down the middle of the back. I just removed the top of the wrap in order to open the box up.

Kristine

I love that line down the middle of the back. It always reminds me of lingerie.

[slapdash]

I'm currently looking at the screenshots on AtariAge and my colors are more blue, yellow, and red instead of pink and green.My screen colors look more along the lines of what's pictured on the box instead of the screenshot shown.

I was just going to ask you about the colors... Because besides rolling, PAL games often have different colors. I'd say we definitely want to dump the cart and check the number of lines it draws compared to the PAL version. Or have a guy like Thomas Jentzsch take a look at a disassembly -- he's wrote a program for comparing ROMs, and can tell you 1) if it's different than the PAL version and 2) if it's really NTSC.

[Mayhem]

Yes, but is the palette in the 2600 emulators exact to that you see on the TV with a real 2600? I find it's not the case with C64 emus to the real machine, so this could also be the case. I'm trying to persuade QoF to "lend" me the cart to try on my PAL 2600 ;)

[Queen Of The Felines]

STEVE'S REPLY!!!!!

"Good to hear from you Kristine...Hmmmm weird stuff about the NTSC version...I got a case of these NTSC versions of Asterix when I completed both the Pal Version & the NTSC version...What may be the case here is that they intended to release the NTSC version for both America & Europe... It may be possible that it never got released! In that case you just made a killing of a deal!!!!!!! ;)"

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!!!!!! :D :o O_O :D :o O_O

Kristine

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Holy crap. Congrats!

As if last weekend wasn't proof, THIS is certainly proof that Steve is one of the coolest of the ex-Atari alums wandering the CGE floor. :)

[Queen Of The Felines]

Pics!

Front of box (http://www.gee-min-ee.com/asterixbox.jpg)

Back of box (http://www.gee-min-ee.com/asterixback.jpg)

Top flap of box (http://www.gee-min-ee.com/asterixflap.jpg)

Cart (http://www.gee-min-ee.com/asterixcart.jpg)

End label (http://www.gee-min-ee.com/asterixendlabel.jpg)

TV shot #1 (http://www.gee-min-ee.com/asterixtv1.jpg)

TV shot #2 (http://www.gee-min-ee.com/asterixtv2.jpg) Note: The white "band" that appears in the middle of the screen does not actually appear. The screen is perfectly white except for the black band on the top and bottom.

Kristine

[Queen Of The Felines]

Btw, any luck with verifying that Journey cart you have?

Yeah, I compared that lab loaner with a released copy I had and they were the same. :(

Kristine

[Pop Culture Portal]

wow....just, wow O_O

[sku_u]

Those pics are very nice indeed. You have a great item there.

[rbudrick]

So how many come in a case? What did he do witrh the rest of them?

-Rob

[Queen Of The Felines]

So how many come in a case? What did he do witrh the rest of them?

-Rob

I think he just kept them because he told me that he had some more lying around. Dunno exactly how many though...there's someone on ebay trying to sell a case of Mythicon games and I think there was twenty-something in that case, so maybe Steve has a similar amount.

If anyone wants to ask him stuff directly send me a PM and I'll give you his e-mail (and yes, I got permission to give it out :) ).

Kristine