List of All North American Zelda Game Variants

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

10 minutes ago, Tyree_Cooper said:

SNES	Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past [-0 Manual, USA-1 cart back label]
SNES	Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past [-0 Manual, USA/CAN cart back label]
SNES	Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past [-1 Manual]
SNES	Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past [-2 Manual]

So there's no box variant, only manual and cart ? What cart goes with manual -1 and -2 ?

There aren't any box variants that I know of for the non Player's Choice variants. They all use the SNS-ZL-USA box. The -1 and -2 manuals should come with the USA/CAN back label cart since that was the later one (although it's possible that they might have been mixed).

[Tyree_Cooper | 750]

got it thanks!

[rondy | 14]

2 hours ago, 0xDEAFC0DE said:

OMG! I lost faith that that box was real. I was convinced that I just wasn't getting a clear view of the tabs on the couple I thought I had seen previously. 

Looking over your list, I do have a couple small differences. For the Zelda 1 number 6 (with the No code, MiJ, Rev-A black text back cart), I had the manual listed as having the precaution bullets. I think this was a total guess on my part though since I'm pretty sure the only CIB I have with that cart was frankensteined before I bought it. I also have an extra variant for the oval SOQ R CIB but with an oval TM manual. I had this in my notes that you had seen a couple of these. Is that true or do you think those might have been frankensteined? Finally, for Zelda II you have the Oval SOQ R manual (no star) as coming with the Oval SOQ TM box. I don't own that manual, so is that the box you've seen it come in?

It's also hard to find when most sellers don't take photos of the tabs and more often than not they will ignore you when you ask for pictures. 

 

For Zelda 1 #6, I'm actually not 100% sure of the manual (and this is the only thing I'm not 100% sure of from the whole list). I'm not sure if the manual is the regular no code manual or the one no code with the precaution bullets. I do know that I got it CIB and it came with the non Rev-A box. And at some point I saw it again and it also had the non Rev-A box. I'm attaching the pictures I downloaded from eBay in 2014 for the second copy I saw, not the one I got. I'm leaning towards it having the regular no code manual because there was no change to the box. It's totally possible that I swapped the original manual mine had for one in better condition without realizing it was another variant, the thing is that I did look for differences between manuals and I don't recall seeing the no code precaution bullets manual before. I think the manual got updated at the same time the box did. I'm still actively looking and I'll update the thread if I find out it came with the no code precaution bullets manual. 

As for the oval SOQ R box, but oval SOQ TM manual, they're not frankensteined, they definitely came together. I had it on my list and this is actually more common than the oval SOQ R box with oval SOQ R manual. I've had several oval SOQ R boxes (maybe more than 10) I'd say 7 or 8 times it will come with the oval SOQ TM manual. It actually took me a while to find an oval SOQ R manual. I forgot to mention, I decided to remove it from my list to just keep the combinations you would need to have one variant of each box, cart, manual. As I already have an oval TM * 9-zip manual with an oval TM * 9-zip box, I didn't want to have to have two oval SOQ R boxes for each of the manuals it came with.

 

For Zelda II oval SOQ R manual (no star), I got this variant recently. I checked some through eBay and it always had the oval SOQ TM * 9-zip box. I'm yet to see one with the oval SOQ R box, I've only seen the oval SOQ R box with the oval SOQ R * manual. If you compare it to the Zelda 1 variants, Zelda II is missing the oval SOQ TM * manual, I'm not 100% sure it doesn't exist, but Zelda 1 is missing the oval SOQ R manual (no star) variant. I wonder if for Zelda II they changed to oval SOQ R (no star) manual earlier put it with the oval SOQ TM * box and then skipped the oval SOQ TM * variant.

 

[rondy | 14]

2 hours ago, 0xDEAFC0DE said:

There aren't any box variants that I know of for the non Player's Choice variants. They all use the SNS-ZL-USA box. The -1 and -2 manuals should come with the USA/CAN back label cart since that was the later one (although it's possible that they might have been mixed).

They all have the SNS-ZL-USA box, but there are some random numbers on the tabs, e.g. small '1',  larger '1', '2', '3', '6', etc.  I couldn't make sense of it and ignored it.

[Tyree_Cooper | 750]

Could those numbers be plant or location code? Similar to how two digits on the punchcode are for the machine. I think N64 games have those too, even with letters sometimes. I'm sure someone somewhere figured out what they mean on the box flap.

[NES Engine | 0]

.

Edited March 11, 2021 by NES Engine

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

3 minutes ago, NES Engine said:

Well this is very disappointing. A few years ago I found a CiB first print Zelda NES in really good condition for only $70. I checked all the pinpoints to confirm. Circle seal, TM, non Rev A, 5-screw, everything. As you can imagine, I was on cloud 9. I could've easily sold it for $1,000 but I wanted to keep it for my collection.

Now, I find out that the true first run also has the word "cassette" on page 11 of the manual. So I go back and check mine and it says "game pak". So now my first run just got downgraded to a second run just because of one word in the manual.

I think both of these should be considered first runs and here's why: The box and carts were undoubtedly printed off the same production line. I think what happened is that during production someone noticed the semantics of the phrasing and they went in and changed it last second. If you noticed the font on "game pak" is not the same as the rest of the font used in that sentence/paragraph. This would indicate a hasty fix during the first production run.

Yeah, this is why I tend to shy away from labeling each variant change as the Xth run. I have no clue how the actual production runs line up with these changes. For all I know several changes could occur in a single production run, or there could be dozens of runs for each one. Even if you have a CIB with the "cassette" manual, there might have been several indistinguishable runs (other than the cart's date codes, but even though aren't too accurate).

Still, something feels a little disingenuous calling the NES TM "game pak" manual a "first print" manual. I guess the accompanying box and cart would be the "first print" since they are indistinguishable from the true first print, but definitely a change was made to the manual during production. Whether this change was between production runs or not, nobody knows, but I feel like that would be likely.

But, I'm sure good amount of the games collectors call "first print" are not actually from the first production run. In the end all "first print" is really used to mean is the "first variant" (or the original if your one of the people who don't call the first version a variant).

[Tyree_Cooper | 750]

10 hours ago, NES Engine said:

I think both of these should be considered first runs and here's why: because i would like my copy to be worth 1k.

i fixed that by looking inside of you

[NES Engine | 0]

On 3/9/2021 at 1:25 AM, Tyree_Cooper said:

i fixed that by looking inside of you

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by NES Engine

[Tyree_Cooper | 750]

cool story, learn to take a joke after you're done telling me you got an amazing deal on a game of a very historical franchise

[NES Engine | 0]

On 3/9/2021 at 8:20 PM, Tyree_Cooper said:

cool story, learn to take a joke after you're done telling me you got an amazing deal on a game of a very historical franchise

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by NES Engine

[Dr. Morbis | 2,088]

11 hours ago, NES Engine said:

That wasn't funny. Jokes are supposed to funny, not to mention obvious. Learn to not attack people that did nothing to you in first place.

All he was missing was a little smiley, and then the intent would have been more obvious.  If you had seen this, would you have taken it so seriously:

i fixed that by looking inside of you

or this:

i fixed that by looking inside of you

or this:

i fixed that by looking inside of you

Granted, tone isn't exactly obvious when dealing with the written word, but that's what smileys are for!

[caonhan | 3]

man you guys are a lifesaver!!! so i dug out of my garage a pretty mint nes zelda game box but unfortunately no game, but still has the shrink wrap that originally covered the game as well as the foam insert. i've made it a goal to restore to original.

following along i was able to identify that this has the zelda tm and nes r in the front of the box and i think on the back it is the new screenshot

screenshots:

https://ibb.co/K2FvBz3
https://ibb.co/HNdRyBn

if anyone can help confirm my questions, should i be getting a 5 screw gold cart and manual with no code? much appreciated for the help and follow-up.

 

 

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

46 minutes ago, caonhan said:

man you guys are a lifesaver!!! so i dug out of my garage a pretty mint nes zelda game box but unfortunately no game, but still has the shrink wrap that originally covered the game as well as the foam insert. i've made it a goal to restore to original.

following along i was able to identify that this has the zelda tm and nes r in the front of the box and i think on the back it is the new screenshot

screenshots:

https://ibb.co/K2FvBz3
https://ibb.co/HNdRyBn

if anyone can help confirm my questions, should i be getting a 5 screw gold cart and manual with no code? much appreciated for the help and follow-up.

That box should come with one of the early 3-screw carts. I know that it came with the cart with "Made in Japan" or the lower left and no code in the lower right of the front label, and no Rev-A on the upper right of the back label (see picture below). It's also possible that it came with a similar cart with no "Made in Japan", but I'm not entirely sure about that.

For the manual, there should be no code on the front, as well as a page 2 that matches the picture below. Specifically, a large space after "Nintendo", a ® after "Entertainment System", and no Precaution list after the "The legend of Zelda ABCs" contents entry.

[caonhan | 3]

Sweet, I’ll start digging around to see if I can track down the cart and manual. Much appreciated 

[AdamW | 713]

Hey folks, got a question: has anyone ever seen a GBA Zelda box with "PLAYS ON DS*" at the top left corner, not "ONLY FOR"? Like this (from a Pokemon FireRed box):

I am currently trying to work out a comprehensive list of games that have these prints. The ones that got them seem to be top selling first party-ish titles (plus three extremely obscure very late releases), so the Zelda GBA games are definitely candidates, but I have not spotted any yet.

Note that this is an actual box print. There's a similar case where the "PLAYS ON DS" blob is a sticker applied to the shrinkwrap of a sealed copy; I'm not so much interested in that case.

Thanks!

Edited May 10, 2021 by AdamW

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

6 hours ago, AdamW said:

Hey folks, got a question: has anyone ever seen a GBA Zelda box with "PLAYS ON DS*" at the top left corner, not "ONLY FOR"? Like this (from a Pokemon FireRed box):

I am currently trying to work out a comprehensive list of games that have these prints. The ones that got them seem to be top selling first party-ish titles (plus three extremely obscure very late releases), so the Zelda GBA games are definitely candidates, but I have not spotted any yet.

Note that this is an actual box print. There's a similar case where the "PLAYS ON DS" blob is a sticker applied to the shrinkwrap of a sealed copy; I'm not so much interested in that case.

Thanks!

Huh, I've never seen one before. But then again, I haven't been paying the closest attention to the GBA releases. I'll definitely keep a look out and will let you know if I find one. 

[AlternatorDelux | 60]

On 5/10/2021 at 3:18 PM, AdamW said:

Hey folks, got a question: has anyone ever seen a GBA Zelda box with "PLAYS ON DS*" at the top left corner, not "ONLY FOR"? Like this (from a Pokemon FireRed box):

I am currently trying to work out a comprehensive list of games that have these prints. The ones that got them seem to be top selling first party-ish titles (plus three extremely obscure very late releases), so the Zelda GBA games are definitely candidates, but I have not spotted any yet.

Note that this is an actual box print. There's a similar case where the "PLAYS ON DS" blob is a sticker applied to the shrinkwrap of a sealed copy; I'm not so much interested in that case.

Thanks!

Aside from these and Mystery Dungeon, what games have you seen the box print on?

[AdamW | 713]

16 minutes ago, AlternatorDelux said:

Aside from these and Mystery Dungeon, what games have you seen the box print on?

Didn't want to pollute this thread too much, planning to start a thread on it in a few days when some games I've ordered arrive so I have pics and stuff. I'll PM you my list for now.

[AdamW | 713]

in case anyone was interested in the PLAYS ON DS* box thing, I made my thread now:

 

[Zim2189 | 2]

Hey guys, This is one impressive bit of research here. I am blown away!! Unfortunately my mother sold my NES with Zelda around 21-22 years ago for $3 in a garage sale when I was around 9-10 years old. I am looking to find a CIB copy on ebay or a collector who is willing to let one go, I just wanted to know what is the old and what is the new SS on the back of the box? I am guessing the lakeside one is the new SS, is this correct? TIA

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

Correct, the lakeside one is the new SS. Here's a picture comparison.

Fun fact: The Old SS is one screen south of Level-2, and the rocky border is green in the finished game. The New SS is two screens east of Level-2, and otherwise normal. I'm not sure if they changed the screenshot since the newer one is more visually interesting, or because they changed the rocks to thick bushes.

[Zim2189 | 2]

Thanks for clearing that up, now the hunt begins.

Does anyone have a picture of the manuals? one with the caution and one without just so I know what I am looking for.

Thanks again

Edited June 3, 2021 by Zim2189

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

The precaution is found at the bottom of page 2.

[Zim2189 | 2]

So I just found this on ebay and made the purchase, full first print, TM on Box, Cart and Manual, Box a bit worn but I've seen much worse out there. The only thing I will be changing when submitting is to WATA is another 1st print Cart as i'll be submitting a pristine one. What are you guys thoughts?

Edited June 10, 2021 by Zim2189
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