SMS Late Release Boxes

[Tempest]

Does anyone have a list of which late release SMS games were released with the updated boxes and which games had blue lables?


Late Release Boxes
---------------------------
Aerial Assault
Buster Douglas Boxing
Castle of Illusion
Columns
Dick Tracy
E-Swat
Ghouls and Ghosts
Golden Axe Warrior
Moonwalker
Paperboy
Super Monaco GP


US Blue Labels
--------------------
Alex Kidd: Shinobi World
California Games
Double Dragon
Slap Shot

Tempest

[Raccoon Lad]

Actually, those games do have the grid pattern on the boxes, it's just alot lighter. and you can add Columns and Moonwalker to that list.

[ClubNinja]

...As well as Paperboy and Super Monaco GP.

[Tempest]

Did Alex Kid in Shinobi World or Sonic the Hedgehog come in a late release boxes or in a regular boxes? I've been considering taking the cheap way out and buying the European versions, but I wanted to make sure the boxes and labels were the same. Anyone know?

Tempest

[geelw]

buy the UK releases, as they tend to be less expensive in the long run. i have a few UK/euro titles, and with a few exceptions, they pretty much look the same as u.s. boxes (the multi-language text on the back is the only giveaway). the only caveat (if you're a must-have-it-MINT kinda guy) is the manuals (same thing with PAL mega drive titles), which even in some sealed games get a bit crunched because they're often just too damn thick! since they have to be printed in what, 5 or 6 langauges, the tabs that hold the books in often dig into them. good thing i'm not particularly obsessed in that way... :-D

[zektor]

Alot of the Euro late releases had white labeled carts, and the others were like a maroon. The US carts had the dark reddish we know, and the late releases a blue. Most of the Euro releases have multi-lang back covers also. The manuals were a big difference, with the US versions the way you know them and the Euro versions sort of like a long book type. I would go for euro releases if I were you because of the cheaper prices for the same games. Most of the late released USA SMS games can catch quite a penny, while you'll be able to get the exact same game (except for minor box/label/manual variations) for much much less. UNless of course you are into collecting for value, or just completing a true USA set (114 in total I believe). Oh..I think you can add golden axe warrior to the newer box variation as well.

[Tempest]

Yeah I'm trying to complete a true US collection, but if the only difference is the number of languages on the back of the box then I don't care. I guess I really only care about the label color (should it be blue or red) and the box style (should it be a late release box or a generic box).

So lets start a list...

Late Release Boxes
---------------------------
Aerial Assault
Castle of Illusion
Columns
Dick Tracy
E-Swat
Ghouls and Ghosts
Golden Axe Warrior
Moonwalker
Paperboy
Super Monaco GP


US Blue Labels
--------------------
Alex Kidd: Shinobi World
California Games
Double Dragon
Slap Shot


Tempest

[Alex Kidd]

Slap Shot had a Blue Label
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World had a blue label
And I would assume that Sonic The Hedgehog and Spider-Mandid as well since they were (I'm pretty sure) the las two game released in the US for the SMS... but I have no proof

My friend has a copy of Slap SHot and it's only got english in the manual and box, and it has a blue cart.
I have AK:SW and Sonic, but they are the multilingual versions I assume were imported from Europe since I live in Canada...

A LOT of my games have the multilingual boxes/books.
Even a lot of my Sega Genesis games.
But once Sega abandoned the black box style and when to the Red Box I never saw another Mulitlinugual Genesis manual/box again.

Alex Kidd

[ClubNinja]

Edit: Damn, the guy above me just beat me to posting... now I'm just being redundant.

Though, my US AK:SW is indeed blue as well...

*Same old information removed*

[Raccoon Lad]

I've got a blue label Double Dragon.

And I've never seen a US version Sonic in person, but I can tell you with 100% accuracy, that Sonic is the absolute most dirt-common Euro SMS game there is. Sonic 2 comes in at a close second. You'll save alot of $$$ if you buy the Euro version.

[brandver3]

I got a PAL sonic and as far as i can tell it looks like an American version, but i'll look again and post to make sure.

[molnars]

There are two late US releases that I can comment on. Both of these have the exact same packaging as the European versions. The only difference is on the UPC on the back. The US versions have a UPC sticker stuck on the back plastic case right over the other UPC. Oh the two I'm talking about are Sonic and Spiderman. I have both the US versions and that is the only difference between the US and the European versions.

[Tempest]

Sounds like Sega just imported the Euro version and stuck a new UPC over the old one (usually its the other way around isn't it?). Thanks for clearifying this.

So were AK:SW and Slap Shot ever released in the US with red labels? I have what looks to be a US Slapshot with a red label. I think I got it from Canada which may explain why its red not blue.

I also read somewhere that California games was released with both red and blue labels in the US. The guy said that the Tonka release was red and the Sega release was blue. Any truth to this?

Tempest

[Alex Kidd]

How can you tell WHERE a game came from for the SMS???
Everyone I have just says Made In Japan

I have some with the Tonka Name on them
I have sone multilingual ones with the wide manuals
I have some english only ones with the tall manuals

They ALL say made in Japan. Without listing where it was actually manufactured or who it was distributed by (with the exception of the Tonka ones which STILL only say 'Made in Japan, Distributed by Tonka')

Alex Kidd

[Raccoon Lad]

Alot of the games that come from Australia/New zealand have a little bit of texture on the front of the cart, and say manufactured in australia on the back.

[ShinobiMan]

You can add Buster Douglas KO Boxing to the list of late US releases. And although Golden Axe Warrior was released in 1990, it does not have the late US released "detailed box" look like the others have. This title was released right before Sega started that line of games.

There were three games to include that UPC sticker... Strider, Spiderman, and Sonic. Those three were the last games released stateside and were merely the European versions with the added UPC sticker. Many of the late released titles have a sticker on either the cart or the box that says, "Sega for the 90's." If you find this on a relatively old title, (like Fantasy Zone) it is a reissued version released after Sega bought back the system from Tonka late '89.

All of the games released in 1990 (except Golden Axe Warrior) have that US exclusive look that featured an almost fully colored box and the word "New" appearing in the corner. Strider, Spiderman, and Sonic are the exception, having been released in 1991.

I hope this has helped, be sure to add Buster Douglas KO Boxing to the list.

[ShinobiMan]

heres a bump for tempest.

[ubersaurus]

I suppose this is an odd request...but can anyone scan me the box insert to Cloud Master? You know ,the paper that basically is the box? Mine came with a box with no insert, so its just black and ugly, and if I could print one up I'd be much appreciative.

[nebrazca78]

This is another very old thread that I ran into while searching for info on the blue label SMS carts. I have something to add and also a question. In addition to the games you have listed, I have blue label carts of Fantasy Zone, Rambo and Reggie Jackson Baseball.



Were there ever any blue label carts released outside of the USA?

[anagrama]

Were there ever any blue label carts released outside of the USA?

European & Australian 3rd Party games have labels in a full rainbow of colours - blue, purple, black, white, yellow. All the Sega-published games had red labels though.
Later Brazilian releases all have blue labels too.

[nebrazca78]

Were there ever any blue label carts released outside of the USA?

European & Australian 3rd Party games have labels in a full rainbow of colours - blue, purple, black, white, yellow. All the Sega-published games had red labels though.
Later Brazilian releases all have blue labels too.

But those games should be very easy to distinguish from the blue label U.S. games, right? Meaning that if a blue label is found on a game title that was released in the U.S. (meaning excluding game titles that were not released in the U.S.) it is for sure a U.S. game. Maybe that's kind of confusing. I guess I mean if you find a blue label game and it is one of the 114 games that were released in the U.S. you know it's a U.S. game. Right?

[anagrama]

But those games should be very easy to distinguish from the blue label U.S. games, right?

Yeah, they all look quite different to the blue US labels. If you see a game with a blue label, grid-pattern & upper/lower case lettering, it's a US release.