Two NES Prototypes

[Doommaster1994]

Hello, everybody. A game developer who used to work for Odyssey Software sold me these two prototypes plus a crap-ton of other stuff for $20. I could not test these in my NES to see what games they were because the chips stick out of the cartridge and thus will not fit. I was told by the game designer that the games could either be Blackjack or Pool (Odyssey Software). Just thought I'd share an interesting piece of history with you guys!

[Satoshi_Matrix]

While it might be possible these are legitimate, prototypes aren't typically found on donor boards, but prototype boards. Those look very much like homemade reproductions. I doublt you have anything particularly noteworthy.

With that said, make sure you get some electrical tape and cover the UV windows of the chips.Data stored on UV EEPROMs is erased when exposed to UV light, and that includes natural sunlight exposure.

[Doommaster1994]

Hmm, interesting. I am just going by what the game developer told me. If one of them is the Pool game then that would be really interesting. If I had the proper tools I could take the top off of my toploader and try the games on that. There is already tape covering the chips but I don't know if it's electrical tape.

[badinsults]

I certainly don't doubt these are prototypes. I would recommend getting a screwdriver bit off ebay to open up the casing of your NES to test them (shouldn't cost more than a few dollars). I hope you have fun with them!

[TRM]

PM sent!

[SparTonberry]

While it might be possible these are legitimate, prototypes aren't typically found on donor boards, but prototype boards. Those look very much like homemade reproductions. I doublt you have anything particularly noteworthy.

With that said, make sure you get some electrical tape and cover the UV windows of the chips.Data stored on UV EEPROMs is erased when exposed to UV light, and that includes natural sunlight exposure.

They're protos of unlicensed games.
I recall reading Color Dreams did indeed use retail carts as protos since obviously Nintendo wouldn't sell them official proto boards.
(and I recall seeing a photo before of a CD proto on a hacked Renegade cart)

And I remember around 2005, Nintendo Power did an article about a Sim City NES proto they still had and showed it was on an Adventure of Link cart.

[BeaglePuss]

While it might be possible these are legitimate, prototypes aren't typically found on donor boards, but prototype boards. Those look very much like homemade reproductions. I doublt you have anything particularly noteworthy.

With that said, make sure you get some electrical tape and cover the UV windows of the chips.Data stored on UV EEPROMs is erased when exposed to UV light, and that includes natural sunlight exposure.

These are prototypes, no doubt about it. The fact that they're not on prototype pcbs means very little. From what he's already stated, I'd be surprised if there isn't something noteworthy on them to be honest.

Also EEPROMS ≠ EPROMS. They are two different things.

[bigbacon]

game genie + top loader?

the one doesn't have any tape blocking the chips. isn't that normally bad, specially if they get exposed to light?

[Satoshi_Matrix]

There is already tape covering the chips but I don't know if it's electrical tape.

No no, it looks like there's just scotch tape covering the EPROMs, which is useless because it is opaque. Those UV windows need to be covered IMMEDIATELY with electrical tape, or at least something that blocks the UV windows.

Again, UV light erases data stored on that type of chip as it was only meant to be a temporary thing. So covering the windows is of the utmost priority if you want to preserve the actual game roms that were stored on them - that is, if they aren't already erased.

[Doommaster1994]

I have put the cartridges in a drawer, so they should be safe from the light.

For the GameGenie in the toploader, I remember trying to put a GameGenie in my toploader and it wouldn't fit, and my NES will not work with the game genie. The Renegade cart actually is open because there were no screws in it.

[Cornelius]

A game genie will fit in a top-loader. It is super tight, and is even harder to remove than to get in. I wouldn't really recommend it for regular use, but I've done it on rare occasions and not had any damage or anything. Probably better just to get the security bit, though.

Nice find!

[TheRedEye]

While it might be possible these are legitimate, prototypes aren't typically found on donor boards, but prototype boards

...except you'd have to be a licensed developer to purchase prototype boards from Nintendo, which Odyssey never was.

I'm sure you're already overwhelmed with these but, PM sent from here too. If you've got the final version of CueStick on one of these I'd love to make a dump happen and close the books on that darn game.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

A game genie will fit in a top-loader. It is super tight, and is even harder to remove than to get in. I wouldn't really recommend it for regular use, but I've done it on rare occasions and not had any damage or anything. Probably better just to get the security bit, though.

Don't listen to this advice. Although he's technically correct, you would have to really force it in there, which is about the worst thing you can do to a console's cartridge connector. He says he hasn't had any damage - that he can see anyway. There very well could be hidden damage, or he just was rather lucky.

Your best solution would be to buy a Famiclone on the cheap like a Retro Entertainment System. They sell for around $20 and should easily be able to test those games as they are toploading without the NES-101's lip.

...except you'd have to be a licensed developer to purchase prototype boards from Nintendo, which Odyssey never was.

Yes, you're right about that. I forgot what I said didn't apply to unlicensed devs.

[Doommaster1994]

I'm not sure if I should believe this or not, but one of the programmers at Odyssey told me that Nintendo ran out of licenses, so they couldn't make licensed NES games. I personally think it's not true, as I don't think Nintendo had a limit, but if they did, that's something interesting. I know licensed developers were only allowed to put out a certain amount of games per year, but that's the closest thing I know.

As for selling the prototypes, I am not interested, at least as of now. For those who have sent me messages, I will let you know if/when I decide to sell them.

I did try to put the GameGenie in my toploader (not forcibly) but I couldn't get it to fit and I don't want to risk breaking it. As a last resort, I <i>do</i> have a Generation NEX somewhere around here, but I really don't want to put anything in it since it's hard to get the cartridges out and when you do finally get them out they get this weird smell. I'm not sure if it's burnt plastic or what, but it smells awful.

[xelement5x]

Just take the top of the case off of a regular toaster (front load) NES and you should be fine. The NES only uses Philips head (X) screws so it is easy to get apart.