Which Super Nintendo Box is the launch version from 1991 ?

[WCP]

For whatever dumb arse reason, I seem to be interested in getting a retail SNES box from the 1991 launch. I actually bought a SNES during the launch week back in 1991, but that SNES (and box), is long gone. I kinda want to have the box again, just to look at it, and have it displayed in my room. I know it's kinda dumb, but sue me.

Anyways, I've been looking at various SNES boxes on Ebay, and have noticed that there are some different versions out there. I know that the original launch box came with 2 controllers and Super Mario World. I think the launch box is the one where it has a couple of pictures of Super Mario World on the back of the box, but it doesn't have pictures of any other games (like F-Zero and stuff like that). But I'm not 100 percent positive.

http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/hardware/U-044/bb/U-044-H-00010-G.jpg

Is this the back of the original launch version?


There is also this version:

http://www.8-bitcentral.com/images/nintendo/snes/boxBack.jpg



Because it shows Mario Kart and stuff, I'm pretty sure this box came later, but I'm just trying to make sure...

[Tanooki]

The top one is right. Back then they had nothing but Mario in box, Pilotwings and FZero at launch. Third parties rolled out stuff in the coming weeks as did Nintendo a little time later so they only could after what they had for game art to shove on the box.

Mario Kart and a Super Scope 6 game on the back are a dead give away for it being later.

[Red Warrior]

I received my SNES at launch in 1991 and still have the box and all paperwork, etc. I can confirm that the top image is what my box looks like. It does, however, have a few images on the side of other launch window games such as F-Zero and Pilotwings and even a preview image of the upcoming Zelda: A Link to the Past.

[BlastProcessing402]

How much are these things going for? I only ask because I have all the boxes from all the consoles I own, including the one you're trying to buy (no I'm not offering to sell you mine) so it made me curious as to how much it is.

[Mayhem]

I got my US SNES in 1992, but the back of my system box is different to either of those two. Must have come in between. It mentions Sim City and Super Soccer for instance but definitely not SMK.

[WCP]

How much are these things going for? I only ask because I have all the boxes from all the consoles I own, including the one you're trying to buy (no I'm not offering to sell you mine) so it made me curious as to how much it is.


Well, I've only been watching a few auctions so far, but it seems that they typically go for around $65 to $95, but this is including an actual SNES system, usually with 2 controllers and a power supply and RF thing. Normally Super Mario World isn't included, but if it is, then it would definitely hit closer to the $95 amount than $65.

I'm also interested in eventually getting my hands on a Sega Genesis launch box (the one with altered beast), and those seem to go for quite a bit more. In all likelyhood, just a lot less of the Altered Beast Genesis boxes are still in existence. Genesis launched August of 1989, and SNES launched August 1991, a full two years later. I think SNES probably sold 5 times or more, what the original Genesis sold, so it makes sense that there would be a lot more SNES boxes floating around, and thus lower value for them.

If you just sold the SNES box by itself, you can probably get about $35 to $55 or so, depending on the condition, whether you still have the Styrofoam, etc, etc.

A truly complete original launch SNES, would also include the "quick setup instruction poster", also, there was this other little mini poster that has pics of Pilotwings and Super Play Action Football and stuff like that on it. That was also included. Other pamphlets and brochures were also included. If you had every little pamphlet and poster and everything, then the value would probably get closer to $100 or over, cause finding all those little pieces that go with it, is just going to get harder and harder as time goes by.

[Gentlegamer]

Definitely the top box, Zelda III was delayed at launch, and was on the included promotional poster as "Coming Soon!"

I don't have the box, that poster and instructions are all the packing materials I kept.

7429

[SparTonberry]

I think SNES probably sold 5 times or more, what the original Genesis sold, so it makes sense that there would be a lot more SNES boxes floating around, and thus lower value for them.


From what I heard, Genesis sold better for most of its life, though neither was a blow-out like the NES was against the Master System.
(mostly because Sega of Japan stopped making games soon after Saturn was out, and the fact the Super Famicom destroyed the Mega Drive in Japan, gave Nintendo an overall sales dominance at the end of the 16-bit era)
Though in its first year, Street Fighter II was popular enough that it probably sold a lot of SNES consoles.

[Tanooki]

They were ahead(sega) due to the start but Nintendo trumped them in sheer quality and variety of solid games and in time (1994) they popped into the lead and DKC helped them coast comfortably ahead going forward. Even into the era when Sega screwed up and bailed on their users and Majesco took up the reigns and sold it well beyond the SNES fading away it never climbed its way back from being behind. Sega burned their bridges just that well. SNES was definitely not sold in that wide of a margin over Genesis at all.

[o.pwuaioc]

5x is absolutely wrong, but the SNES really outsold the Genesis in the mid-90s.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/20/genesis-vs-snes-by-the-numbers

[RPG_Fanatic]

5x is absolutely wrong, but the SNES really outsold the Genesis in the mid-90s.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/20/genesis-vs-snes-by-the-numbers

Great article! I lived through the war (a great time indeed) a movie will be made about the 90's console war.

http://entertainment.time.com/2014/02/25/console-wars-movie-seth-rogen-sega-nintendo/

[Gentlegamer]

From what I heard, Genesis sold better for most of its life, though neither was a blow-out like the NES was against the Master System.
(mostly because Sega of Japan stopped making games soon after Saturn was out, and the fact the Super Famicom destroyed the Mega Drive in Japan, gave Nintendo an overall sales dominance at the end of the 16-bit era)
Though in its first year, Street Fighter II was popular enough that it probably sold a lot of SNES consoles.

The launch version of SNES definitely outsold the launch version of Genesis by orders of magnitude. Genesis launched in 1989, and was vastly outsold by NES that season, and for the next two years. So there's almost certainly more launch versions of the SNES box out there than the original Genesis box.

[WCP]

Yeah, I was talking about the launch version of the SNES, vs. the launch version of the Genesis.


The Genesis was actually neck and neck with the SNES for most of the critical years of 16-bit, but then Sega got distracted by Sega CD, 32X and Sega Saturn, and Nintendo kept releasing SNES games. Nintendo ended up basically "winning" that 16-bit battle, because Sega kinda abandoned 16-bit prematurely. Sega was off in every direction, trying to be everything to everybody, and Nintendo was just concentrating on the SNES.


When the Genesis launched in 1989, it was a pretty low key launch. Most people didn't really even hear about the Genesis until sometime in 1990, and even during 1990 the Genesis was kinda flying under the radar. When the SNES arrived in late August of 1991, they were very late to the party, but they had tons of systems to sell, and they had customers eagerly awaiting their arrival. I really do believe that they sold 5x as many, or even more, during their respective launch windows.

[BlastProcessing402]

Well, I've only been watching a few auctions so far, but it seems that they typically go for around $65 to $95, but this is including an actual SNES system, usually with 2 controllers and a power supply and RF thing. Normally Super Mario World isn't included, but if it is, then it would definitely hit closer to the $95 amount than $65.

I'm also interested in eventually getting my hands on a Sega Genesis launch box (the one with altered beast), and those seem to go for quite a bit more. In all likelyhood, just a lot less of the Altered Beast Genesis boxes are still in existence. Genesis launched August of 1989, and SNES launched August 1991, a full two years later. I think SNES probably sold 5 times or more, what the original Genesis sold, so it makes sense that there would be a lot more SNES boxes floating around, and thus lower value for them.

If you just sold the SNES box by itself, you can probably get about $35 to $55 or so, depending on the condition, whether you still have the Styrofoam, etc, etc.

A truly complete original launch SNES, would also include the "quick setup instruction poster", also, there was this other little mini poster that has pics of Pilotwings and Super Play Action Football and stuff like that on it. That was also included. Other pamphlets and brochures were also included. If you had every little pamphlet and poster and everything, then the value would probably get closer to $100 or over, cause finding all those little pieces that go with it, is just going to get harder and harder as time goes by.


Ah, thanks. I also have a launch Genesis box, so that's cool.