Code Monkey | 2,011 Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 I believe what I have here is previously undocumented but I'm not quite sure. I've been texting Mark the prototype guru and he wasn't aware one of them even existed. The first one is a prototype for NTSC Crackout. Yes, you read that right, this game was only released in PAL regions but this is a NTSC build that never got released. The previous seller told me he was unable to get this cartridge working but I haven't given it a go yet. The next one is a NTSC prototype of Banana. This game was only released in Japan on the Famicom but this appears to be a NTSC-U build that just never got released. This game is (according to the seller) finished and working. I will try it soon. And the best for last. In 1985, Mario Bros. was released on the Famicom and in 1986 it was ported to the NTSC market for release on the NES. Years later in 1993, it was released again in PAL format only in Europe as Mario Bros. Classic which we never got here in North America. This is a NTSC build of Mario Bros. Classic that never saw release in North America. I don't know why they built it and then never released it but according to the seller, it is finished and works. This may very well be the only prototype of an unreleased Mario game in the world. The seller did send me screenshots of the game and the date on the title screen is 1991, two years before the only retail release of this game. So does anyone have any idea if these are real and if they're previously unknown to exist? How did I get them? I subscribe to certain hashtags on Instagram and one day while browsing, I saw Banana and Crackout posted by someone and I knew that NTSC versions of these games were never released so these are unreleased versions. He was in Europe and said he got them many years ago when he was in the USA for something else. I made him an offer, we struck a deal and a few days later they were in the mail to me. That was for the first 2 games. The following day he tells me he made a trade with his friend that traded him a Mario prototype that I didn't even know they had, this was the first I heard of it. We made a deal on that one and the next day that one was also in the mail. They both arrived today. I asked him where his friend got the Mario prototype and his story is that his friend was in the USA on business in 2012 and bought it from a shop, he has had it ever since. 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koopa64 | 51 Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 I thought there was already a dump of USA Crackout available? The title screen still says Palcom on it though. Does this version use Ultra or Konami instead? Now USA version Mario Bros. Classic, man I have waited years and years for that one to one day surface! I’m super excited to play the rom! (If you’ll be sharing that is) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki | 4,946 Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 I have a proto dump of Crackout on my archives supposedly a NTSC version, the other two I do not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277 Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 Cool finds. 3 hours ago, Code Monkey said: The first one is a prototype for NTSC Crackout. Yes, you read that right, this game was only released in PAL regions but this is a NTSC build that never got released. The previous seller told me he was unable to get this cartridge working but I haven't given it a go yet. It's worth mentioning that Crackout was originally released for famicom disk system under the name Nazo no Kabe: Block-kuzushi. I know because I recently bought one. Interestingly, I also recently bought a banana... and also Banana for the famicom. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelGeneral | 3 Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 I'm very jealous of the find! I'm probably not going to be any help verifying them, but I'd love to play with the ROMS if you choose to release them! I've recently started collecting a handful of famicom protos / sample carts. I haven't found anything too exciting yet though. Very surprised you were able to find them on instagram! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8bitsupremacy | 208 Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 Exciting stuff. Dump them suckers and share with the world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koopa64 | 51 Posted June 23, 2022 Share Posted June 23, 2022 Any hope we'll see these prototypes of Banana and Mario Bros. Classic preserved online? Crackout too for sure, though there is a seemingly finished USA version floating around online still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,739 Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 First off, these are real. Secondly, let's take a different approach at looking at these games. We know that the Nintendo NES library is just around 700 carts, the licensed Famicom library is just shy of 1100; interestingly enough, only about 200 or 300 games are shared between both platforms, which is why I feel compelled to consider them totally different gaming machines. I feel it's likely in the realm of probability that this sort of prototype was developed to shop around the game, rather than as an intention for release. It makes a lot more sense, honestly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code Monkey | 2,011 Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 I'm currently in Orlando on a round country trip to pick up another prototype that's going to shock everyone. It'll be the star of my next YouTube video. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koopa64 | 51 Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 I wonder if it's that Panel de Pon 64 prototype that surfaced a couple years ago. I'm still painfully hoping that will be released online one day, I'd love to play it on a real N64. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,739 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 On 6/27/2022 at 11:00 AM, Code Monkey said: I'm currently in Orlando on a round country trip to pick up another prototype that's going to shock everyone. It'll be the star of my next YouTube video. Ultimate Journey hopefully, well only if you decide to make it available for us plebs to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code Monkey | 2,011 Posted June 30, 2022 Author Share Posted June 30, 2022 I'm in Boston, tomorrow is pick up day. Then a few days to put the video together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koopa64 | 51 Posted July 1, 2022 Share Posted July 1, 2022 The excitement is building! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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