Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Rainbow Island and Kiwi Kraze prototype carts (NES)

  1. #1
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    6
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default Rainbow Island and Kiwi Kraze prototype carts (NES)

    I was directed here from reddit. Trying to find some information on these:

    http://imgur.com/a/ruRBD#DPjd0

    I can get more photos of the guts if you guys need them. Both will play, but Kiwi Kraze is like 1/3 black screen. I haven't had a chance yet to compare them to the retail versions.

    I would love to know the rarity/value/story of these things if anyone knows anything about this type of collectible.

  2. #2
    Banned

    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    New Jersey USA
    Posts
    7,498
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    achika
    PSN
    portnoyd

    Default

    They're both legit and prototypes are always a rare find. You could probably sell them for anywhere from $150 to $300, more if the games are different. I'm guessing the CHR on the Rainbow Islands is a ROM because it was a straight port of the Famicom version. They were likely review copies as is the case with a lot of protos.

  3. #3
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    6
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the reply. I noticed start+select advances to the next level in Kiwi Kraze, but like you said, Rainbow Island seems to be identical to the retail version. What was the purpose of review copies? Sent out to magazine staff or something?

  4. #4
    DP's favorite trollbait Custom rank graphic
    Kitsune Sniper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Calexico, USA
    Posts
    13,853
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    FoxhackDN
    Steam
    Foxhack

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by phiIIips View Post
    Thanks for the reply. I noticed start+select advances to the next level in Kiwi Kraze, but like you said, Rainbow Island seems to be identical to the retail version. What was the purpose of review copies? Sent out to magazine staff or something?
    Pretty much. They're usually final, or very close to final, versions, used by magazines to write their reviews or preview articles.

    Edit: Wait a sec.

    Quote Originally Posted by phiIIips View Post
    Both will play, but Kiwi Kraze is like 1/3 black screen.
    ... could that be a PAL version?
    Last edited by Kitsune Sniper; 09-17-2011 at 09:55 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond Dantes View Post
    I can't tell if we're discussing My Little Pony or Neon Genesis Evangelion anymore.
    eBay Auctions / GameTZ profile / DP Feedback / Youtube / Twitter / RateYourMusic

  5. #5
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    6
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    I had someone else ask if it's a PAL version. I was testing it on an NES2, so there's no lockout chip, right?

  6. #6
    Pretzel (Level 4) mrmark0673's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    839
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by portnoyd View Post
    I'm guessing the CHR on the Rainbow Islands is a ROM because it was a straight port of the Famicom version.
    Naw, it's CHR RAM on a dev UNEPROM board, it doesn't have a CHR ROM.

    I asked about it being a possible PAL proto as well, though with the location they were found in it doesn't seem likely.

    $125-$300 seems about right, likely closer to the lower end. Large differences or not, I have a hard time seeing these pass $300.

    Super cool finds for sure, I love Taito protos.

  7. #7
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    6
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Here's an album of gameplay images if it helps diagnose PAL/NTSC on Kiwi Kraze. The two carts were found together in Oklahoma City.

    http://imgur.com/a/WoCg7#ZtOcr

  8. #8
    Insert Coin (Level 0) Atamos's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    49
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by phiIIips View Post
    Here's an album of gameplay images if it helps diagnose PAL/NTSC on Kiwi Kraze. The two carts were found together in Oklahoma City.

    http://imgur.com/a/WoCg7#ZtOcr
    I immediately see a difference in the first screen with ''1990 Taito of America''
    In the retail version this is ''1991 Taito of America'' this is a very minimal difference but it is !

    Same thing for the screen with the pink animal.

    It's probably a NTSC because of ''Licensed by Nintendo of America'' the PAL version have only ''Licensed by Nintendo'' if i'm not wrong.
    Last edited by Atamos; 09-18-2011 at 07:14 AM.

  9. #9
    Bell (Level 8)
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    1,672
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    5
    Thanked in
    5 Posts

    Default

    What's going on with the glitch screens?
    Is it dirty or bitrot?
    If it's the later, that would probably drop the value a lot.

  10. #10
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    6
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    It's very clean, other than one sort of corroded pin. I don't know how to tell if it's bit rot, graphic chip glitching, or just unfinished graphics.

  11. #11
    Strawberry (Level 2) ccovell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Japan
    Posts
    554
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    It's not CHR bitrot, because it's showing graphics banks for the stages in that garbled screen. It probably wouldn't be PRG bitrot, since that would most likely crash the game.

    My guess is it either has dirty contacts inside or out, or it's an earlier development version, and the programmers cut off the bottom of the screen earlier than normal during development to get more CPU & PPU time for the program. Perhaps being developed in PAL-land exacerbates the effect.

Similar Threads

  1. Kiwi Wonderland( By Funkoi LLC)
    By funkoigames in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 12-18-2014, 04:31 AM
  2. Makai Island CIB Prototype Reproduction Now Available!
    By coinheaven in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 10-26-2011, 09:48 PM
  3. Nes Bubble bobble 1,2 and rainbow island.
    By GameBoyGeek in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 09-23-2009, 06:23 PM
  4. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 02-27-2009, 03:12 PM
  5. Camerica Prototype/Sample carts
    By Arkaign in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 12-03-2005, 07:44 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •