Interesting NES cart. Need Info!

[Collectorwanabe | 21]

NFS/NFT

 

First off this is not my item, but belongs to a friend of mine. They acquired this cart in a lot and would like to find out more about it. What I find interesting is that it mentions 18+ and lottery. Is this a Minnesota Lottery Cart? Unfortunately, we don't know the security code to progress farther then the 3rd screen. Any info about this cart would be appreciated. We both just want to preserve this cool item. If it has a security lock, can it still be dumped for the info to be preserved?

[a3quit4s | 4,102]

Didn’t someone post here about the Minnesota State lottery carts and they had the Minnesota lottery seal on the label? I wonder if this a generic lottery cart meant to show other states how it works. Either way totally awesome and thank you for posting. I wish you luck in your quest for knowledge!

edit: here is that topic 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by a3quit4s

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

@B.A. Any input?

[Tulpa | 3,510]

Yeah, the demo Minnesota Lottery Cart had the lottery seal on it. Though that could have been a mockup*. Unless that VHS promo showed the cart being loaded in an NES.

I'm guessing (and I'm really spitballing here) since this just says Nintendo it might have been something Nintendo put together either for the Minnesota Lottery cart project, or for lotteries in general. Since the Minnesota Lottery had the special modem that plugged into the NES expansion port, Nintendo had to have been involved somehow. This might be an artifact from their side of the affair.

*The fact that this one exists as a working car leads me to think that the Minnesota cart did at one time exist as a working cart. Whether that Minnesota cart still exists or not is up in the air.

Cool item, though.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Tulpa

[Jfreakofkorn | 282]

https://thenewleafjournal.com/the-aborted-nintendo-minnesota-lottery-scheme/

 

The Aborted Nintendo-Minnesota Lottery Scheme

 

In a March 2022 article, I praised Nintendo for going against current trends in video games by prioritizing physical media. That post came in response to an article which opined that Nintendo had a problem in that it lags behind rivals Sony and Microsoft in the digital games space and specifically in generating revenue from microtransactions, which are, bluntly described, in-game purchases. However, while I find there is much to praise about Nintendo today, it is far from perfect. Moreover, its imperfection is not new. While reading about a 1990s effort by Sega to turn the Sega Genesis into an answering machine, I discovered that Nintendo once aspired to take video game consoles to a dark place. Below, I present the story of the time when Nintendo teamed up with the Minnesota State Lottery in an aborted attempt to turn the Nintendo Entertainment System into a home lottery machine.

 

On September 27, 1991, Mr. Eben Shapiro of The New York Times published a report titled Nintendo and Minnesota Set A Living-Room Lottery Test (archived). From the title, you can tell that this is going to be stupid. The content does not disappoint. Let us jump right into the insanity.

[Minnesota] plans to test a system that will allow people to use Nintendo equipment to play the state lottery in the comfort of their living rooms.

What could go wrong? Aside – note that “Nintendo” here refers to the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo’s first home console (in the United States).

It is easy (albeit concerning) to see why the Minnesota Lottery thought this was a good idea. Mr. Shapiro quoted Ms. Connie Scovin, an executive at the company that hatched the plot:

The lottery industry is looking for ways to expand its

As of September 1991, the Nintendo Entertainment System had already been superseded by the release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, which would remain Nintendo’s flagship console until 1996. Moreover, Nintendo’s first console had already been subjected to a growing challenge from the Sega Genesis. While the Nintendo Entertainment System was becoming outdated, however, it was still a popular machine – and most likely still had the largest market share by a significant margin in 1991. Mr. Shapiro noted that “[n]early a third of the nation’s homes have Nintendo sets,” before ominously suggesting that “if the Minnesota test is successful, Control Data plans to make the system available to other states.”

Yikes.

Mr. Shapiro reported that the plan was to test the Nintendo gambling system in 10,000 Minnesota homes. Minnesota was so enthusiastic about the idea that it was prepared to provide free Nintendo Entertainment Systems and modems to households to partake in the trial. Here, we should note that Minnesota would have been providing special consoles with built in modems. People who already had consoles could participate, but they “would have to retrofit them with a modem to take advantage of on-line services.” Nintendo-gambling trial participants would also have had to pay a monthly $10 service charge, just over $21 in 2022 terms, to gamble against huge odds from the comfort of their video game consoles.

After signing up for the brilliant program, Nintendo gamblers would have been able to select lottery numbers using their internet-connected consoles. In the event that the gamblers won small prizes, the prizes would be credited to their account. However, gamblers would have to collect larger prizes in person.

After signing up for the brilliant program, Nintendo gamblers would have been able to select lottery numbers using their internet-connected consoles. In the event that the gamblers won small prizes, the prizes would be credited to their account. However, gamblers would have to collect larger prizes in person.

The plan unsurprisingly generated opposition. Mr. Shapiro noted that some people in the video game industry had questioned the wisdom of associating a family-oriented video game brand with less family-oriented gaming. Mr. Bob Heitman of the Sierra Network described the plan as inviting Jimmy the Greek to your child’s bedroom (good line) and stated that as someone who ran, Sierra On-Line Inc., a family game company, he would not associate his property with gambling.

Minnesota and Control Data (primarily Control Data) insisted that there was nothing to worry about. The two entities explained that there would be safeguards to prevent children from partaking in the lottery. These supposed safeguards included a $50 daily limit on spending along with a feature which would disable the unit upon entry of an incorrect password (I am sure that passwords in 1991 were typically fool-proof), requiring participants to mail copies of their official ID to participate.

Before we cover the predictable demise of the Nintendo-gambling plan, we must address why Nintendo would have ever possibly concluded that this was a good idea. Minnesota wanted gambling revenue. Control Data, the company behind the idea, wanted more business. What did Nintendo want?

Firstly, Mr. Shapiro suggested that Nintendo saw the lottery plan as a way to “prolong the life of its older model,” here referring to the Nintendo Entertainment System, which was being phased out in support of the Super Nintendo (however, it is worth noting that the last original Nintendo game was released in 1995 – and one of its finest games, Kirby’s Adventure, was released in 1993). Mr. Shapiro added that “the introduction of gambling could help combat the general decline in interest in video games,” but he did not cite any sources for there being a “general decline in interest in video games” in 1991, and the benefit of hindsight reveals that the video game industry had a bright future without home lottery functionality.

Secondly, Mr. Shapiro quoted a statement from Nintendo itself:

This test could provide us with some insights into the potential for further network applications; however, our main focus is to find the kind of entertainment software that will truly take advantage of that potential.

Surely, there were better ways to undertake such a test.

This test could provide us with some insights into the potential for further network applications; however, our main focus is to find the kind of entertainment software that will truly take advantage of that potential.

Surely, there were better ways to undertake such a test.

The article noted that “[i]n Japan, Nintendo customers use their machines for banking and for buying and selling stocks,” but I am fairly confident that the vast majority of owners of the Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System (the Famicom) just used it for playing games.

It is somewhat ironic in hindsight that despite Nintendo’s early efforts to implement online functionality for its console, it ultimately lagged behind its rivals when online functionality for home consoles took off in the 2000s (although both Sega and Nintendo implemented some online functionality in the 90s, I would argue that the Sega Dreamcast was the first console with broadly accessible online functionality outside of Japan)

additional reading material contined on the page with the link i provided . . . 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Jfreakofkorn

[Jfreakofkorn | 282]

and another thread mentioning something similar to your cartridge . . . 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Jfreakofkorn

[Jfreakofkorn | 282]

https://www.deseret.com/1991/9/28/18943464/foe-of-gambling-in-minnesota-seeks-to-bar-nintendo-from-use-in-lottery

 

• IN MINNESOTA SEEKS TO BAR NINTENDO FROM USE IN LOTTERY

By Deseret News 

 Sept 28, 1991, 2:00am EST

 

A powerful gambling foe said Friday he plans a legislative hearing next month on a controversial plan to bring the lottery into Minnesotans' homes with the popular video game Nintendo.

State Sen. Charlie Berg said he wants to convince lottery director George Andersen it's a bad idea to make Minnesota the first state to let people play the lottery at home using Nintendo equipment."If he doesn't pay attention, we could limit the amount of (lottery) advertising we do, which would be very detrimental to them," Berg said.

Andersen said he welcomes a hearing on the play-at-home system planned for a six-month test by 10,000 Minnesotans beginning next summer.

 

Lottery vendor Control Data Corp. of Bloomington will begin demonstrating the game Sunday at a conference of the National Association of State and Provincial Lotteries in Washington, D.C., Andersen said.

Two supporters of some forms of legalized gambling on the Senate Gaming Regulation Committee headed by Berg said they oppose a Nintendo lottery because of its effect on compulsive gamblers and children. It's illegal for minors to buy lottery tickets.

"It's like showing a dirty movie on television and saying the kids can't watch it. . . . It's only going to train young people to prepare themselves for the lottery world," said Sen. Joe Bertram Sr.

"We know about closet drinkers. I hope we don't develop closet gamblers," said Sen. Don Samuelson.

Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe said he asked Berg to hold the hearing, tentatively set for Oct. 25.

"The whole intent is to try to stop this kind of experiment. I think it's out of place for our state, out of character to put legalized gaming in people's homes and then to use as the model a children's game," he said.

 

Legislators could remove the Minnesota State Lottery's authority to test the game by amending the state's lottery law before next summer.

Moe said he doesn't dispute assurances from lottery officials and Control Data that the game will have built-in safeguards to prevent children from gambling, including personal passwords for users.

Lottery players would select numbers using the control deck from a Nintendo video game and a Minnesota State Lottery cartridge to hook up via a modem to the lottery's computer system.

Participants would have to deposit up to $200 in advance and no credit would be extended. Any winnings would be credited to their account, but prizes of $1,000 or more would be claimed through a lottery office. There would be a $50 daily limit for at-home players.

"The question is if an adult is doing that at home what kind of example is that for a young child?" Moe said.

Children already are exposed to the lottery because adults watch lottery drawings at home on television and scratch off tickets in their presence, Andersen said.

 

Betty George, executive director of the Minnesota Council on Compulsive Gambling, isn't convinced children won't be enthralled with the new game.

"My fear is for adolescents who are already at four times the risk of adults of developing a gambling problem," she said

Edited November 15, 2023 by Jfreakofkorn

[B.A. | 1,139]

The interface looks similar to the screenshots from the MN lottery cart video, specifically the controller input directions, though the date on the label of this one is a little later in 1991. My guess would be that this is a proof of concept demo. Pretty cool!

[Code Monkey | 2,011]

Can I buy it?

[doner24 | 1,196]

As said on Facebook, please get this cart to Frank Cifaldi for preservation before you consider any offer. 

[DefaultGen | 5,411]

This is the craziest f'in thing Minnesota State Lottery is always the cartridge I bring up to prove that people can never have everything. And apparently here it might be. I can't imagine how many people are pestering you trying to buy it, lmao. Ahhh man, that's so cool. I cannot wait for that lock screen to be cracked.

[Tulpa | 3,510]

35 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

Can I buy it?

He already said NFS/NFT, not for sale, not for trade.

[Collectorwanabe | 21]

I found some more screenshots of the promotional VHS tape. In the 4th image you can clearly see the same exact lockout screen that is on this cart! I still can't belive that this cart finally surfaced! I'm hoping that this cart can be dumped so we can truly see the whole program as a whole.

[final fight cd | 187]

8 hours ago, DefaultGen said:

This is the craziest f'in thing Minnesota State Lottery is always the cartridge I bring up to prove that people can never have everything. And apparently here it might be. I can't imagine how many people are pestering you trying to buy it, lmao. Ahhh man, that's so cool. I cannot wait for that lock screen to be cracked.

Are there any other items in a similar situation that might exist but has not been discovered yet?

[fcgamer | 4,728]

1 hour ago, final fight cd said:

Are there any other items in a similar situation that might exist but has not been discovered yet?

Ultimate journey, save the leopard cats 

[Tulpa | 3,510]

3 hours ago, final fight cd said:

Are there any other items in a similar situation that might exist but has not been discovered yet?

Color Dreams Hellraiser

[Tulpa | 3,510]

And it's weird that a few weeks ago I was thinking about the Lottery cart and what would happen if it surfaced. And I even thought "I bet Code Monkey would want to buy it."

 

So apparently I can manifest NES carts with sheer will of thought. Anyone want Super Mario Bros 4, 5, & 6? I'll even make sure they have a battery save.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Tulpa

[final fight cd | 187]

36 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

And it's weird that a few weeks ago I was thinking about the Lottery cart and what would happen if it surfaced. And I even thought "I bet Code Monkey would want to buy it."

When I found this thread the name I was searching for was code monkey and him inquiring to buy  

[DeterioratingBrains | 6]

Hi,

To crack the password, the best way is to dump it and have it sent to a professional NES reverse engineer.

If you are concerned about potential devaluation of the cartridge (which has not proven to be true so far):

- CaH4e3 reverse engineered the entirety of Sim City for an entire year or two before the ROM was released by GameHistoryOrg. There are other members of the nesdev community with whom you could confidently entrust a dump without seeing it released without your consent.

- Frank Cifaldi / GameHistoryOrg dumps all of the proto WATA gets but isn't releasing any, only the owner shall make that decision. I don't think there ever were any drama in that regard with him and his org, and he most certainly has trusted acquaintenances that can do the said reverse engineering to ultimately help you out and your friend.

And, whatever if you want to pass around a dump for reverse engineering or keep it solely private, you can still dump it yourself quite easily. Just acquire or have someone come over with a dumping device. The Analogue NT (mini), Kazzo, CopyNES, any other will do just fine. You want to dump this cartridge as MMC3 (Mapper 4, TKROM or TXROM, depending of the device you use, the dumping script name shall differ).

 

Anyhow, I hope you don't suffer too much with all the investors spamming your DMs. Best of luck with those animals that can't even read the first line of your post :^)

Edited November 15, 2023 by DeterioratingBrains

[Tulpa | 3,510]

45 minutes ago, DeterioratingBrains said:

Anyhow, I hope you don't suffer too much with all the investors spamming your DMs. Best of luck with those animals that can't even read the first line of your post :^)

Seriously, anyone pestering him to sell it is a good way for him to disappear back into cyberspace. Give him some space, please.

[doner24 | 1,196]

6 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

Seriously, anyone pestering him to sell it is a good way for him to disappear back into cyberspace. Give him some space, please.

He’s well versed in the high end NES market, he’s not going anywhere. 

[xelement5x | 66]

Such a cool thing to find.  I'd never even heard about the MN lottery cart until this thread so it's been interesting to learn about.

[Tulpa | 3,510]

Yeah, it's neat from a technical standpoint, though kind of bonkers when you consider the whole concept.

I'm curious as to how much is functional. Like, can you actually do stuff, or is it entirely dependent on the modem and someone at the other end of the phone line? Does the fishing game do anything? Stuff like that.

[RH | 4,912]

This is an item that I expect to see a Kotaku article on it in about 1-3 weeks.

Really cool find, btw.  This thing has been mythical for as long as I've been around, and certainly longer.

[Koopa64 | 51]

I'm still hoping Panel de Pon 64 sees a dump online one day...