ThePhleo | 2,184 Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 Well crap. Just as soon as I think I've figured it out, I realize that there's an entire layer of black box variant I never noticed before. It turns out, the way the barcode on the box looks like matters. Oh, and to make matters worst, REV-A is when Nintendo introduced the "Flap Codes" to the boxes. So you might have a REV-A box with NES-EB-USA on the flaps, or without. So it might be not just one, but two extra CIBs to the so called "pattern" @Braveheart69 why did I want to follow in your footsteps. You did this to me. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 11,776 Administrator · Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 Some copies look to come with a bonus thumb as well! 1 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inasuma | 1,203 Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, Gloves said: Some copies look to come with a bonus thumb as well! ooooh i love free thumbs. @ThePhleoplease show us the free thumb in 4k thx also this is really cool. who else knows about this variant? wonder if the boys at wata or vga know. Edited January 22, 2023 by inasuma 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhleo | 2,184 Posted January 22, 2023 Author Share Posted January 22, 2023 It's not even my thumb @Gloves & @inasuma ... it's some random eBay person's. But yeah, I'm pretty sure they're aware of the variant to a degree since a lot of their cases say "Staggered UPC" versus, whatever they call the straight line of numbers instead. I just wonder if they realize both exist as a unique variant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YOURTURN | 1,256 Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Oh we got trouble, we're in terrible, terrible troubleThose NES game with many variants is a devil's tool (devil's tool)Oh yes we got trouble, trouble, trouble(Oh yes we got trouble here, we got big, big trouble)With a "T" (with a capital "T")Gotta rhyme it with "V" (gotta rhyme with "V")And that stands for variant (that stands for variant) 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorEncore | 3,691 Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Perused through my collection and noticed quite a few of my black box games have these offset UPCs. More work for you, Mr Phleo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,401 Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 This seems like a pretty major variant to have been missed considering how many hardcore specialists, older, and new collectors have had eyes on them, especially in the past 3 years. Stuff like this makes me lose hope in documenting every variant for just about anything 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhleo | 2,184 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, DoctorEncore said: Perused through my collection and noticed quite a few of my black box games have these offset UPCs. More work for you, Mr Phleo! I know…just scrolling through eBay I found a couple FML. Oh, PS. No consistency in the UPC stuff. DK Math, all flat lines….SMB didn’t get flat line until Oval TM seal. But excitebike? Well got it at REV-A So, good luck mapping that on a easy to read WATA style chart. Edited January 23, 2023 by ThePhleo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhleo | 2,184 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 7 minutes ago, DefaultGen said: This seems like a pretty major variant to have been missed considering how many hardcore specialists, older, and new collectors have had eyes on them, especially in the past 3 years. Stuff like this makes me lose hope in documenting every variant for just about anything Wait until you discover the zip code on the top of the box! Or the numbers on the bottom flaps … and date codes didn’t matter until @0xDEAFC0DE cracked them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,401 Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 20 minutes ago, ThePhleo said: Wait until you discover the zip code on the top of the box! Or the numbers on the bottom flaps … and date codes didn’t matter until @0xDEAFC0DE cracked them. Oh man we don't talk about the secret numbers on the bottom flaps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code Monkey | 2,006 Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 Now let's figure out what the 2 letters next to the date codes in the manual mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhleo | 2,184 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 2 hours ago, Code Monkey said: Now let's figure out what the 2 letters next to the date codes in the manual mean. I hate generalizing, but my theory is they’re the initials of the QC manager on duty that day. As for why they aren’t always on there, or why even some things with the exact same dates have them while others don’t? No idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhleo | 2,184 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 Just....re-cataloguing the entire Black Box library based on this new discovery. Don't mind me. 3 down, 27 to go (plus Kid Icarus, Metroid, Rad Racer, Zelda, and MTPO) 10-Yard Fight Confirmation Front Back Side Top Flaps Visual Nickname Seal Type Title™ NES™ SoQ REV-A NES P TY Hangtab NES-GP Layout UPC Warranty Zip Code Code Date Yes Matte Matte No No Circle No No Yes No Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes Gloss Gloss No No Circle No No Yes No Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Theoretical Gloss GP Gloss No No Circle No No Yes Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes Cello GP Cellophane No No Circle No No Yes Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes NES P XX Cellophane No No Circle No Yes Yes Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes NES™ Cellophane No ™ Circle No Yes Yes Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes No HT Cellophane No ™ Circle No Yes No Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes REV-A Cellophane No ™ Circle Yes Yes No Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes REV-A Flap Cellophane No ™ Circle Yes Yes No Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 NES-TY-USA ??? Balloon Fight Confirmation Front Back Side Top Flaps Visual Nickname Seal Type Title™ NES™ SoQ REV-A NES P BF Hangtab NES-GP Layout UPC Warranty Zip Code Code Date Yes Gloss Gloss Yes No Circle No No Yes No Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Theoretical Gloss GP Gloss Yes No Circle No No Yes Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes Cello GP Cellophane Yes No Circle No No Yes Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes NES P XX Cellophane Yes No Circle No Yes Yes Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Unlikely NES™ Cellophane Yes ™ Circle No Yes Yes Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Unlikely No HT Cellophane Yes ™ Circle No Yes No Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Certain REV-A Cellophane Yes ™ Circle Yes Yes No Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes REV-A Flap Cellophane Yes ™ Circle Yes Yes No Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 NES-BF-USA ??? Baseball Confirmation Front Back Side Top Flaps Visual Nickname Seal Type Title™ NES™ SoQ REV-A NES P BA Hangtab NES-GP Layout UPC Warranty Zip Code Code Date Yes Matte Matte No No Circle No No Yes No Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes Gloss Gloss No No Circle No No Yes No Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Theoretical Gloss GP Gloss No No Circle No No Yes Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes Cello GP Cellophane No No Circle No No Yes Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes NES P XX Cellophane No No Circle No Yes Yes Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes NES™ Cellophane No ™ Circle No Yes Yes Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes No HT Cellophane No ™ Circle No Yes No Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 None None Yes REV-A ??? Cellophane No ™ Circle No Yes No Yes Standard Sides 90° ??? 98052 ??? ??? Theoretical REV-A Flap Cellophane No ™ Circle No Yes No Yes Standard Sides 90° 3-Line 98052 NES-BA-USA None Theoretical REV-A Flap Cellophane No ™ Circle No Yes No Yes Standard Flat 90° 3-Line 98052 NES-BA-USA None Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phart010 | 1,707 Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 On 1/23/2023 at 12:14 PM, ThePhleo said: I hate generalizing, but my theory is they’re the initials of the QC manager on duty that day. This is totally plausible. I have worked in half a dozen manufacturing environments and this type of thing is done all the time. My initials and my colleagues initials are on tons of equipment that has made its way all over the world. Using employee initials as part of a code system is used all over the manufacturing world for tracking purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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