NES - European Small boxes?

[mickoz]

Hi, if that has been covered before let me know. I would like to get more information about the european smallbox version of the games. A couple of question that come to mind:

- Has [all] the games were released in smallbox + "regular boxe"?
- Is the smallbox rarer
- Is the smallbox earlier version
- Were they released in a lot of different region?
- What else should I know about the smallbox?
- What games are in smallbox?
- Are there smallbox only games?
- etc.

Thanks you all for sharing your knowledge. ;-)

[hydr0x]

Hi, if that has been covered before let me know. I would like to get more information about the european smallbox version of the games. A couple of question that come to mind:

- Has [all] the games were released in smallbox + "regular boxe"?

no, just the same stuff that got the small black boxes as in the US (Baseball, Wreckin Crew, Ice Climbers and so on) plus Metroid, Anticipation, Zelda maybe a few others too

ah sorry, now i get what you mean, yes, almost all these games were also released in a regular box, see below

- Is the smallbox rarer

sometimes yes, sometimes no, they are usually in higher demand though

- Is the smallbox earlier version

yes

- Were they released in a lot of different region?

yes, at least in France, Germany, Benelux, UK, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia

- What else should I know about the smallbox?

mhh, no idea

- What games are in smallbox?

see above, there are lists of these on the net

- Are there smallbox only games?

Anticipation

- etc.

i shipped your game yesterday, let me know when it arrives

[jajaja]

Here is a complete list of all smallbox games:

- Adventure of Link, The (Zelda 2, gold box)
- Anticipation (white box)
- Balloon Fight
- Clu Clu Land
- Cobra Triangle (blue box)
- Devil World
- Donkey Kong
- Donkey Kong 3
- Donkey Kong Jr.
- Donkey Kong Jr. Math
- Duck Hunt
- Excite Bike
- Golf
- Gumshoe
- Hogan's Alley
- Ice Climber
- Ice Hockey (blue box)
- Kid Icarus (silver box)
- Kung Fu
- Legend Of Zelda, The (gold box)
- Mach Rider
- Mario Bros.
- Metroid (silver box)
- Mike Tysoon's Punch Out!! (silver box)
- Pinball
- Popeye
- Pro Wrestling
- R.C. Pro Am (green box)
- Slalom
- Soccer
- Super Mario Bros
- Super Mario Bros 2 (blue box)
- Tennis
- To The Earth (blue box)
- Urban Champioship
- Wild Gunman
- Volleyball
- Wrecking Crew


I heard some say that Rad Racer was also released as a small box, but it wasnt. The smallbox couldnt fit a pair of 3d glasses. As you can see from the titles in the list these are the first games released for NES. Not sure what was the last smallbox releases, but it must have been Super Mario Bros 2, Pro Am or Punch Out I guess.

[dreamcaster]

- Are there smallbox only games?

Anticipation

I will take issue with that. My friend recently picked up a boxed Anticipation, and it's packed in the standard size NES box.

Pics can be provided if necessary.

[jajaja]

I will take issue with that. My friend recently picked up a boxed Anticipation, and it's packed in the standard size NES box.

PAL-B release?
I dont think there are any smallbox releases that are PAL-A.

Normal size box in USA seems to be common.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTICIPATION-COM...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Anticipation-NIN...QQcmdZViewItem

[bazariah]

- Were they released in a lot of different region?

yes, at least in France, Germany, Benelux, UK, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia

the uk never got the small boxes, in all the years i've owned nes games and systems i've never seen a uk small box

i got my deluxe set when it came out over here with a few other titles and none of them were small boxed

[anagrama]

the uk never got the small boxes, in all the years i've owned nes games and systems i've never seen a uk small box

I was going to say the same - never seen one over here.

[dreamcaster]

I will take issue with that. My friend recently picked up a boxed Anticipation, and it's packed in the standard size NES box.

PAL-B release?
I dont think there are any smallbox releases that are PAL-A.

Normal size box in USA seems to be common.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTICIPATION-COM...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Anticipation-NIN...QQcmdZViewItem

Ah well yeah, that would explain it. Can anyone show me a pic of a small box NES game? I've never seen one before!

[Adol]

Me too,i've never seen small boxes in France!
I think they're coming from Dutch/German market!

[chaoticjelly]

Ive never seen a small box in UK.

The only small boxes I saw were some games a guy I know bought on ebay, I think they were Hong Kong versions (not copies) they came in really unusual boxes...

[jajaja]

Yep, Hong Kong also got offisial smallboxes

[jajaja]

Can anyone show me a pic of a small box NES game? I've never seen one before!

[mickoz]

Usually I noticed the small box has some special writting on cart like:

European Version
Hong Kong version

I have at home a Korean Version of Metal Gear and it is not a small box and seem pretty official. I don't remember if I saw other Korean Version games, it makes a while (some years) I bought it.

Also I don't think there was smallbox in America (USA and Canada at less) as far as I know, but then I have not hunted games like a lot of you in the wild. But I don't recall having see any here, nor when I was kid (I have got over hundred of NES games originally that I opened in the early time and that would have caught my attention). But then we have the Big Boxe (Gyromite, Stackup, ?)

[jajaja]

But then we have the Big Boxe (Gyromite, Stackup, ?)

Doesnt those big boxes contain extra stuff that wouldnt fit in a regular box? Thats not the case with smallboxes and normalboxes. Both only contains game, box, sleeve and manual, no extra stuff (not counting the styrofoam).
I wonder why they changed.

[mickoz]

Those big boxe does indeed contain extra Gyromite part. There is always a reason. I saw an Exciting Boxing (famicom) with the punching bag device controller, but it seems to have a small box (anyway that is off-topic).

As for the change of format, what we would call regular format for the NES release (not famicom), they also put styrofoam at the bottom to fill up space.

Maybe it is just a "marketing" strategy (??) -- but there must be someone somewhere that could answer this ;-) -- or someone that could. That is like PC Games with utter big boxe... it was the standard to put them in big boxe. A necessity? No. They are now releasing more small boxe PC games AFAIK...

[jajaja]

Those old big box PC games contained alot of advertising stuff. Thats why they are big. Today (atleast here) you can only buy PC games in those DVD cases, which I think sux. I miss those big PC boxes with alot of ads inside

[mickoz]

We all need a castle if we want to stock massive amount of thing.

That is item possession collection.

If all that interested us was story, then we could all archive:

- comics (ok, read it on a screen IS NOT THE SAME as it affect eyes)
- movies (same result)
- music (hundred of CDS vs a digital library, which one take less space? )
- games (with copying device, you could also play on original hardware as emulator is not the original intended feeling with original controller, etc. even thought emulator are usually damn good)

Just imagine the space we could save if we were all pragmatic. I am not in that case, as I like to keep "my stuff".

[Ruudos]

yes, at least in France, Germany, Benelux, UK, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia

Benelux and France didn't get the small boxes either.

Me too,i've never seen small boxes in France!
I think they're coming from Dutch/German market!

In fact the Benelux and France are one market. There wasn''t a Dutch/German market for NES. Check your NES manuals, most would be me in French and Dutch.

[sharp]

yes, at least in France, Germany, Benelux, UK, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia

Benelux and France didn't get the small boxes either.

Me too,i've never seen small boxes in France!
I think they're coming from Dutch/German market!

In fact the Benelux and France are one market. There wasn''t a Dutch/German market for NES. Check your NES manuals, most would be me in French and Dutch.

No the Benelux and France were one market and so only got the normal box. I think the smaller boxes were used for Scandinavia and Germany (and most likely Swiss and Austria as I think they were distributed by NOE as well).

For no big box existing, I think Devil World was not released in a normal box.

[Ruudos]

yes, at least in France, Germany, Benelux, UK, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia

Benelux and France didn't get the small boxes either.

Me too,i've never seen small boxes in France!
I think they're coming from Dutch/German market!

In fact the Benelux and France are one market. There wasn''t a Dutch/German market for NES. Check your NES manuals, most would be me in French and Dutch.

No the Benelux and France were one market and so only got the normal box. I think the smaller boxes were used for Scandinavia and Germany (and most likely Swiss and Austria as I think they were distributed by NOE as well).

For no big box existing, I think Devil World was not released in a normal box.

What no? I already said that Benelux and France were one market and didn't get the small boxes.