(pre)iD Software's Super Mario Bros 3 port to PC-DOS demo found

[Tanooki | 4,953]

Here's the link: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/07/museum-obtains-rare-demo-of-id-softwares-super-mario-bros-3-pc-port/

 

But the skinny of it, some gaming museum I've never heard of lucked into getting a copy of the full working demo made by John Carmack that 6 years ago John Romero streamed online for people to check out in video.

Anyway, sadly the museum isn't the reputable one Frank Cifaldi runs, and well, don't expect to get to enjoy trying the demo out.  They're not interested in public preservation of it at all, instead taking a more seemingly Vatican approach to old documents.  The demo will NOT be made public.  They will hold it in private, and only allow know video game historical researchers and other relevant interests looking to learn will be able to inspect it there at their facility.

On one hand I'm happy it has been recovered and not left to rot into loss, but taking the entitled jerk side of this, I'm a bit annoyed and disgusted too finding it just a bit selfish handling it as such not alllowing it to be shared/displayed to the public.  It was donated to them openly, not under the rule of lock n key from what I can see.

[Jaden | 151]

I feel like they did that on purpose, because they know people want to see and play it and they just want to piss off people interested in it. I don't know why it's so difficult to make these rare games and prototypes public. I feel at this point, it's done to mess with people.

[Tanooki | 4,953]

I'm not sure I'd agree with them intentionally being spiteful on purpose to piss people off, seems a bit extreme.  I do think it's crappy to take possession of something then make people aware to turn and hide it from the public outside of select individuals.  Seems to be the anti-museum in that case.

[Jaden | 151]

Yeah, it probably is a bit extreme. It's just that I've seen so many instances of people locking away prototypes that at this point, I just assume they're playing a joke.

[Tanooki | 4,953]

8 hours ago, Jaden said:

Yeah, it probably is a bit extreme. It's just that I've seen so many instances of people locking away prototypes that at this point, I just assume they're playing a joke.

Unfortunately no.  I remember some members on NA raging about this selfish Japanese twatwaffle a good decade ago now, and off that site too, so the prick has a rep.  There's this guy, dead or alive (or gave up?) by now I have no idea, but in Japan this native loves to scour yahoo japan auctions and other services over there and would lay down some very solid and aggressive bids on Famicom, SFC, etc prototype games that showed up and often would get them.  When he does though, they go into the mists.  No idea if he throws them on a shelf, preserves the carts, backs up the unfinished data to secure it...nothing.  It just vanishes, off the market, and dead to the world because that seems to be what his goals are, selfish consumption and silence.  People like that just are out there annoyingly, just don't care about the larger value other than the cash thrown at it.

This is not what I'm saying happened here, just an example for your scum are out there despite being hard to believe.  I hope this museum decides to change their policy as this is a huge thing despite not appearing to at face value.  Future creators of iD software, the engine that brought smooth scrolling platforming (multi direction) to the PC...evolving into the hall of fame worthy Commander Keen...before hand was a potential test bed for SMB3 to hit the PC if Nintendo were that kind about things (they had no idea.)  Now as soon as it's found, it's under lock n key again after a pretty callous taunt.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

It definitely has a few quirks in the way it looks and plays, but I was really impressed by how smooth the scrolling is. I'm not sure there is anything else that scrolls so smoothly on DOS.

 

[T-Pac | 7,590]

I'd guess that the museum keeping this private has less to do with "selfishly hiding-away historical material" and more to do with "making sure Nintendo doesn't come after us for publicly sharing Mario-related software".

-CasualCart

[Gloves | 11,843]

[Tanooki | 4,953]

3 hours ago, CasualCart said:

I'd guess that the museum keeping this private has less to do with "selfishly hiding-away historical material" and more to do with "making sure Nintendo doesn't come after us for publicly sharing Mario-related software".

-CasualCart

While at a surface level I could buy into that, I just can't.

The perfect case of this is the recent release of Sim City for the NES.  A Nintendo and Maxis property there, finished, buried, lost, and then dropped online for anyone to gobble up and play free.  Not only is that crapping in Nintendo's back yard, but also something far far more litigious and pure evil -- EA.

[Tyree_Cooper | 777]

Mario's fat! Or pregnant! LOL

[T-Pac | 7,590]

17 hours ago, Tanooki said:

While at a surface level I could buy into that, I just can't.

The perfect case of this is the recent release of Sim City for the NES.  A Nintendo and Maxis property there, finished, buried, lost, and then dropped online for anyone to gobble up and play free.  Not only is that crapping in Nintendo's back yard, but also something far far more litigious and pure evil -- EA.

If I’m not mistaken, prototype releases like Sim City were done by individuals rather than organizations, which is a vastly different risk profile. I’m no lawyer, though, so I can’t say for certain.

-CasualCart

[Tanooki | 4,953]

3 hours ago, CasualCart said:

If I’m not mistaken, prototype releases like Sim City were done by individuals rather than organizations, which is a vastly different risk profile. I’m no lawyer, though, so I can’t say for certain.

-CasualCart

Is it?  https://gamehistory.org/simcity/ (Still wish I could get this on a modern cart, amazing version of the game.)

That's Frank Cifaldi's public outing of it, the entire story and all that, with the easily grabbed ROM of the game backed by his Video Game History Foundation.  Non-profit museum dedicated to the video game history/arts, backed by quite a few rather large fish as a legit historical reference business.

They've taken a few shots across Nintendo's bow really as far as IP goes without a peep.  The latest being the recovered, then repaired to fish the data off them disks of the translation works put into the old SNES Earthbound (which as we know is a touchy subject for Nintendo for years now.)

[Link | 2,738]

I hadn’t seen the video before. I’m not surprised Nintendo wasn’t interested. Don’t get me wrong I love that old DOS (or SB or whatever) sound library, but it sounds like crap compared to the console. The game doesn’t look great, either, regardless of how impressive it was on that platform at that time. And the controls are obviously not fully replicated. The menu mentions speed but it’s not evident that there is any effect, and apparently you can just fly forever. 

If Nintendo even bothered to look at it, as unlikely as so, I bet they found it laughable. They were through with ports to inferior hardware like Atari and Colecovision versions of Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong. After the establishment of NOA they have always insisted on complete and internal control of their IP. Much like Apple, cool if they’re popular and so be it if they’re niche. Which is why it’s always ridiculous when people say they “should” be acquired by or publish on platforms owned by Apple, Sega, or Microsoft. Like… cool opinion, fanboy/armchair business major, NEVER gonna happen.

[Link | 2,738]

As for the museum’s policy… it’s not fun for us, and I think they’re a little self-inflated about how important they really are, but I get it. It’s similar to the Video Data Bank, they won’t put anything online. That said, anybody can make an appointment at the VDB. You don’t need to be a “researcher or other party with a relevant interest.” This is easily-replicable and already-replicated-by-them computer code, sourced from a piece of physical media which is also easily and harmlessly viewed by anyone with no qualifications needed. So it is pretty snobby. In terms of preservation and access for this kind of stuff, TheOldComputer .com and the Computer History Museum do better. 

[DefaultGen | 5,436]

2 hours ago, Link said:

I hadn’t seen the video before. I’m not surprised Nintendo wasn’t interested. Don’t get me wrong I love that old DOS (or SB or whatever) sound library, but it sounds like crap compared to the console. The game doesn’t look great, either, regardless of how impressive it was on that platform at that time. And the controls are obviously not fully replicated. The menu mentions speed but it’s not evident that there is any effect, and apparently you can just fly forever. 

I mean, Nintendo allowed this abomination to be released before this then after this they gave Philips apparently free license to publish whatever Zelda games they wanted. They're just very selective about when they disgrace their IP! 

 

[T-Pac | 7,590]

9 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Is it?  https://gamehistory.org/simcity/ (Still wish I could get this on a modern cart, amazing version of the game.)

That's Frank Cifaldi's public outing of it, the entire story and all that, with the easily grabbed ROM of the game backed by his Video Game History Foundation.  Non-profit museum dedicated to the video game history/arts, backed by quite a few rather large fish as a legit historical reference business.

They've taken a few shots across Nintendo's bow really as far as IP goes without a peep.  The latest being the recovered, then repaired to fish the data off them disks of the translation works put into the old SNES Earthbound (which as we know is a touchy subject for Nintendo for years now.)

Wow - yeah, I was totally wrong about that! Sorry, I should've taken a second to look it up myself haha. I guess I just never thought a museum/foundation would be gutsy enough to pull something like that.

-CasualCart

[Tanooki | 4,953]

Yeah that's why I put that there,  not as a gotcha moment, but just that the fact if someone already has middle fingered Nintendo and EA collectively with Sim City, and previously Nintendo again too with Earthbound NES, I don't see this being any larger of a liability.

 

Link spelled it out nicely, thinks can and should be handled a bit nicer, more gracefully, but instead it's locked up fairly well and you need permission to look and somewhat touch.  Really not the best way to handle a museum, but hey, got to get that ego stroked and the news coverage of that will do it.

[Link | 2,738]

17 hours ago, DefaultGen said:

I mean, Nintendo allowed this abomination to be released before this then after this they gave Philips apparently free license to publish whatever Zelda games they wanted. They're just very selective about when they disgrace their IP! 

Good point, but I think they took lessons from those instances. SMB Special wasn’t stateside and the CD-i games they thought they were gaining a place in new tech. So in the absolute sense, what I said was incorrect. I stand by the assertion that they are very touchy about it, likely as a result of those projects.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Link

[Tanooki | 4,953]

True they've been utterly pretty defensive and very choosy about who touches what at this rate, and it's a short list, and one that's still overseen despite who they are.

Retro -Metroid Prime, DKC games Wii/3DS since
Capcom(Flagship) - Zelda handheld titles, supposedly some 3DS/N3DS design elements including circlepad pro
Namco - Starfox Assault (GC)
Sega - F-Zero GX

I know I'm leaving something off, but it's a short list and very notable other than Retro which they groomed.