Here’s a crazy looking game that I haven’t seen before. On the surface, it looks like a prototype copy of what we now commonly know as Dr. Mario. The game in this listing seems to be date 1989, which is a year before its release in 1990. Digital Press seems to be working on this mystery as we speak.
In the meantime, this gem is up for sale on eBay here. Here’s what the eBay seller Member idpeanutt42 says about the game in his listing:
I got this cart at the Mission Flea Market here in San Antonio. It was listed as Dr Mario but when I got home it says Virus. It plays just like Dr Mario except there is a weird dog thing on the left side. It is dirty but could be clean. I lost one of the 5 screws in the back but there are still 4 more.
Nothing fetches a pretty penny in the video game collecting world quite like gold! Every collector knows that the gold Nintendo World Championships cart is worth a mint. Similarly, gold statues of video game characters seem to hold crazy values. Ironically, it doesn’t matter if it’s just gold painted plastic (The NWC gold cart being no exception to this rule…).
Super Mario Golden Promotional Display Figure Nintendo The guy selling this (antiquemike-japan) is asking a seemingly silly starting bid of $395.00 USD. Is he crazy?Who knows. Maybe the power of gold painted plastic will compel someone to bid… (By the way, the seller states that this statue was part of a store display at one time.)
Rare Legend of Zelda Gold Twilight Princess Statue Ended June 1, 2010 at $233.05 USD. eBay seller longshorespike explains:
Limited up to 3800 pieces worldwide, very detailed, heavy, made out of hard PVC, up to 13 inches in height and only available in the Nintendo Star catalogue (cost was 14,000 star points…about 60 games), this statue is one of the most rare and expensive Zelda-statues you can get. It’s sprayed gold and it’s made for the promotion of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
While out thrift shopping this past weekend, I spotted this sweet little gem in a mixed pile of items! I’m not a handheld collector, so I can’t say I knew anything about Gakken handhelds. But something about it simply told me it was old and interesting. I picked it up on a hunch, and it turns out that my hunch was right! These little games are fairly rare. The cheapest ones on eBay are about $40. Bummer mine is missing the battery cover. Otherwise, it’s in pretty good shape for its age.
Here‘s a bit more info on them. Since I don’t collect these, I’m happy to pass mine along through eBay for cheap. Starting bid is 99 cents, so have at it!
I was recently contacted by a gentleman named Greg wondering if I had any more information on Action 52 prototype cartridges for the original 8-bit Nintendo.? Since my knowledge is quite limited on these, I figured I’d open this one up to the gaming community to try to get him some feedback on them that way. (Post updated here)
From Greg Pabich:
In 1990-1991 I owned a large used movie and game distributorship. I was referred to Vince Perri to see about buying a new game called ACTION 52. I went to Miami to meet him and see the game. Long story short, I did not buy the game, but I did wind up with a prototype copy. It came with the usual box, a plastic sleeve (that did not have the Active logo embossed on it) and the instructional manual, game list and Cheetahmen comicbook. This is the only one like it I have ever seen.
The differences in the production games and this one are :
PROTOTYPE: blue motherboard, paper label (like your Variation 1) and the motherboard DOES NOT have the usual two blue capacitors? in the upper right hand corner.
My copy has a clear plastic case and has metal screws that hold the cartridge together. The plastic cartridge body is slightly different and the motherboard is entirely different in electronic configuration. It is stamped “MADE IN AMERICA” in small white letters at the top of the motherboard
I have a second further variation. It has a clear case similar to the production style cart, black motherboard, no “capacitors” and has a painted label(decals?) like the standard production carts. I am not certain how similar this is to your Variation 1 motherboard as your noted Variation has the paper label and mine has the more “see through” decal like label. This cart is stamped “MADE IN THE USA” in large white letters that are upside down on the bottom of the motherboard
PRODUCTION: green motherboard, painted label(decals) and the motherboard has the two blue capacitors? in the upper right hand corner of the motherboard.
Has anyone else seen these two early versions or do I have something unique?
I think the prototype IS unique, but I don’t know how the second variation (black motherboard)I have fits into the timeline?
While I can’t say I know much about the differences between these models, it seems that Mike Sanders at Cheetahmen Corner has been able to shine some light on these unique cartridges in his thread.
If you have any knowledge that would be helpful for Greg regarding these games, feel free to comment below. Best of luck Greg!
eBay has some treasures in store for retro gamers and collectors. I’m personally excited to see how much the complete copy of Shantae for Game Boy will go for at auction rather than being listed with an absurd BIN price. Also of interest is the M8 below that’s getting a bit of bidding action. Enjoy!
Spotted on eBay
NINTENDO 64 COLLECTORS DISPLAY SET (good condition) Pretty nifty looking kiosk. I wonder how long the controllers lasted on these.
Vintage NES Nintendo Super Mario Bros. 2 Note Pad
Custom Marvel Legends GREAT TIGER from Punch-Out NES I’m not sure what inspired “Joe of War” to create this particular character. Heck, I’d love a King Hippo. However, you have to respect the retro gaming love.
Seller’s Description: Hello and welcome toy enthusiasts! You are bidding on a Custom Marvel Legends GREAT TIGER from Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out the video game! He was built from a Kraven Marvel Legends 6 inch figure. His gloves are partially sculpted. I also sculpted his turban, jewel in turban, mustache, and goatee. All of it was sculpted with Aves Apoxie sculpt. The chest tattoo is a tribal tiger head done in black. Check out the tiger paw print on the butt of his pants haha! Figure is still posable and comes with stand for display.? He was repainted with Testors and Citadel acrylic paints. The last picture shows my work in progress for the figure. Feel free to send me any questions, but NO I do NOT ship outside of the U.S. Check out my custom figure blog here: http://joeofwarcustomactionfigures.blogspot.com/
11X17 PEACH Nintendo Original Sketch Pinup -DaiKon Art
Cosplay Final Fantasy VIII 8 Sword Gunblade Squall
Nintendo PowerFest Poster and Ticket (The BIN of $400.00 USD or Best Offer isn’t totally unreasonably when you consider that the custom framing & matting job itself probably cost the seller $100.00.)
NINTENDO 28 SUPER-SIZED DOMINOES 22 MARIO LUIGI TIN
Shantae (Game Boy Color, 2002) RARE, NM w/ BOX Pretty rare to see complete.
Heavy Rain for PS3 – Rare Press Kit
Nintendo M8 Store Demo Display NES RARE m82 snes
Turbografx 1991 CES booth display **ONE OF A KIND**
Vintage 1980’s 4 foot NINTENDO store display sign RARE
Atari 2600 Demonstration Boards & Documents
Nintendo Mario LCD Watch MINT Rare Vintage Original
Nintendo Mario Yoshi LCD Watch MINT Rare Vintage
Playstation 2 PS2 Test Debugging Station | DTL-H30001 (BIN of $179.99 or Best Offer and the seller has 10+ of them currently.)
My favorite part about flying is getting to read the SkyMall catalog. A special treat is when I fly once at the end of the month and take a return trip in the following month…thus getting to read an updated copy of SkyMall on the return trip. While this proves I’m a geek, it also proves useful as a retro gamer and blogger (which ironically also both prove I’m a geek…). Check this out: you can get a solar charger for your iPhone. I ripped out the page and scanned it for your viewing pleasure. Solar…green…iPhone…? Quite lovely, huh?
While that may be a cool idea, Naki is way ahead of the game here. Back in 1993, they came up with the Solar-Pak for the Original Game Boy. Talk about a piece of retro gaming history! Solar…green…GAME BOY! How freak’n cool is that?
Let’s do a little product comparison to figure out which solar pack is better:
Naki Solar-Pak
Novathink Solar Surge
System
Original Nintendo Game Boy
iPhone 3G/3GS
Solar Powered
Yes
Yes
Battery
500 mAh
1,500 mAh
Wrist Strap
Yes
No
Instructions Languages
English, Francais, Espa?ol, Deutsche, Nederlandse, Portugues, Italiano
Unspecified
Indoor Charger
Naki AC adaptor (#55618-USA), (#55543-Europe), & (#55629-UK)
USB
Motivation
Extended Gaming (7 hours!) & Environmental Love
Jumping on the iPhone & “Green” Bandwagons
Cool Factor
Freak’n 80s Rad
Hipster
Cost
>$20 used, >$?? New
$69.95
Even without knowing whether or not the Game Boy Solar-Paks works, I’m leaning toward it as the winner. First off, they power an iconic Nintendo gaming system. Secondly, they came out 17 years before the iPhone solar charger. Third, I wouldn’t plug in anything named “Surge” into one of my electronic devices. And finally, there are simply too many other iPhone chargers in existence to justify charging $69.95 for any of them. Thus, the Naki Solar-Pak wins!
I originally blogged about these Solar-Paks after finding one in October. Since then I came across a guy who had a few boxes of them. As any compulsive collector would, I bought them all on the spot! I’m keeping a bunch of them, and the rest I’ve put up in the Video Game Museum eBay Store.
Most Nintendo collectors probably either aren’t interested in test cartridges or simply can’t afford them. However, for the ultra-NES-collector who has to have everything, there is the NES test cart. These were originally used by authorized Nintendo repair center technicians to diagnose issues on systems and accessories. It seems that the price on these is anywhere between $80 and $180 depending on the particular cart and, of course, a bit of luck at the auction.
Does anyone know if the SNES ones are less common? I’m no expert on these, but I’ve seen a lot fewer of those.
Nintendo SNES Super Scope Test Cartridge *Working* (Didn’t sell for BIN of $199.99 USD)
Nintendo SNES NTF2.5 Test Cartridge SNES & Accessories (Didn’t sell for BIN of $199.99 USD)
Nintendo NES Joystick Test Cartridge Sold May 28, 2010 for $122.50 USD.
Nintendo SNES Burn-In / Controller Test Cartridge Sold May 26, 2010 for $129.99 USD.
Nintendo NES Port Test Cartridge Sold May 16, 2010 for $177.50 USD.
Nintendo NES Power Pad Test Cartridge Sold May 16, 2010 for $177.50 USD.
Nintendo NES Joystick Test Cartridge Sold May 16, 2010 for $203.49 USD.
Nintendo NES NTF2 Test Cartridge Version 1.1 Sold May 16, 2010 for $162.50 USD.
Nintendo NES NTF2 Test Vintage Rare Cartridge 1989 Sold May 17, 2010 for $105.50 USD.
VTG RARE NINTENDO NES CONTROL DECK TEST CARTRIDGE 1985! Sold May 21, 2010 for $80.99 USD.
Here’s a healthy list of video game rarities to get the blood flowing through your geeky little-retro-video-game-loving heart.? (Atari collectors take note of the service manuals and pirating gear!)
Wacky Races Pre-Release Test Game NES – Extremely Rare (Sold May 25, 2010 for $171.06 USD)
Nintendo World Championships NWC Cart – Holy Grail Rare Currently with a BIN of $5199.00 USD and including a few bonus items.
Collectibles & Promo Items
World of Nintendo Fiber Optic Sign NICE!! (Sold on May 26, 2010 for $295.00 USD)
1989 Eureka Nintendo Easter Cling Decoration 4 Pc New
Patapon – super rare Sony PSP press promo pack (Sold on May 28, 2010 for GBP 28.99 …approximately $44.12 USD)
PACMAN UNCUT STICKER SHEET BY FLEER, MIDWAY 1980, RARE! (Sold on May 29, 2010 for $32.00 USD)
Modnation Racers for PS3 – Rare Press Kit (Sold on May 31, 2010 for GBP 80.00 …approximately $121.75 USD)
Atari Field Service Manuals
Atari 2600 Field Service Repair Manual
Atari 5200 Field Service Repair Manual
Original Atari Home Computer Retail Sales Manual binder
Atari 400 800 Field Service Repair Manual
Atari 410 and 810 800 Field Service Repair Manuals
Atari Service Repair Center Policies/Prodecures Manual
Atari Field Service Manuals – Huge Lot inc 800 1200 XL
Atari CPS Supersalt Manual for repair service
Atari Service Repair Diagnostic Controller Jumper Board
Atari 2600 Game Pirating Copy Devices
Ok, I think we all know that coping video games is naughty.? However, having the ability to copy 30 year old games somehow seems to fall into a different moral category.
