game boy Work In Progress: Complete List of NA(US) Game Boy Cartridge Variants

[samsamsamsmasmasma | 16]

Along that same line, I finally picked up the tetris with no dashes and it came with a manual. Is there still some question about when it was released and if it was intentional or a printing error. Also picked up a track and field -1 manual if anyone is interested.

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by samsamsamsmasmasma

[Splain | 2,569]

1 hour ago, samsamsamsmasmasma said:

Along that same line, I finally picked up the tetris with no dashes and it came with a manual. Is there still some question about when it was released and if it was intentional or a printing error. Also picked up a track and field -1 manual if anyone is interested.

Eyyy I want that Track & Field -1 manual. PM incoming.

[Splain | 2,569]

While we're on the subject, (we're not.) I've finally gathered all the SML and Tetris manual variants! If anyone has any ideas for a good way to compare these things, I'd love to document what the differences are from revision to revision. I can eyeball a few copyright/disclaimer differences in the first page, but I'd love to see if there are any actual content differences, in these and other manual variants in the library. It just gets kind of cumbersome and tricky to just open them both and keep moving my head back and forth. Though not many games have manual variants up to 6 or 7. And if anyone has ever seen anything higher than SML USA-7 or Tetris USA-6, give me a shout!

[samsamsamsmasmasma | 16]

I would scan them all into a computer and then just copy and paste so each set of pages is in one image. Then you could circle the differences too. It be like a really boring version of that already boring game.

[RH | 4,903]

@Splain I'd be willing to bet for all of these variantions of all of these manuals (SML, Tetris or otherwise) if it's not a publisher logo swap, it's just going to be the addition of a date stamp for a copyright.  The second change will be updated legalease.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

Here is one for the list.  The Lock N' Chase V1 Cart....

[JVOSS | 1,762]

On 7/17/2020 at 5:30 AM, RH said:

@Splain I'd be willing to bet for all of these variantions of all of these manuals (SML, Tetris or otherwise) if it's not a publisher logo swap, it's just going to be the addition of a date stamp for a copyright.  The second change will be updated legalease.

@RH, @Splain,

The variants in the manual can also help on how many cart variants there are.  i have only been able to validate this with the USA carts. but i think it hold true with international except japan..

here is what i speculate.

if you have a rev2 manual then there is at a minimal a v1 cart.

example  zelda...

you have 4 carts with the following codes

DMG-ZL-USA
DMG-ZL-USA-1
DMG-ZL-USA-2
DMG-ZL-USA-3

and for the manuals you have

DMG-ZL-USA
DMG-ZL-USA-1
DMG-ZL-USA-2
DMG-ZL-USA-3
DMG-ZL-USA-4

cart ---  Panel Action Bingo DMG-YB-USA
Manual -  Panel Action Bingo DMG-YB-USA

now if you have a only a rev1 manual then you don't have a rev1 cart.  example

cart --  Batman Forever    DMG-A3BE-USA
Manual - Batman Forever    DMG-A3BE-USA
Manual - Batman Forever    DMG-A3BE-USA-1

there is only a hand full of USA carts that don't follow this.  Or the cart has not be found.

 

 

 

[Splain | 2,569]

@JVOSS Yeah, that would be an interesting way to look for cart variants. It's not a rule or anything, but it's a little suspicious that these games have a rev-1 and rev-2 manual, but no known cart variants:

4-in-1 Funpak Vol 2
Daffy Duck: the Marvin Missions
Donkey Kong Land 3
Game & Watch Gallery
Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
Speedy Gonzales (I've never actually seen a rev-1 manual but I assume it exists)
Tetris Plus
Yoshi

And those are just the ones that I've personally found. Could be more. Also strange that Wave Race manuals go up to rev-4 but there's only a rev-1 cart.

[samsamsamsmasmasma | 16]

3 hours ago, JVOSS said:

Here is one for the list.  The Lock N' Chase V1 Cart....

Nice I picked one of these up not too along with the raging fighter and dragons lair rev 1. All from Canada all separate sellers btw. I havent seen many if any of these 3 pop up in the U.S.

I wonder if some of the new rev stock that was produced was sent specifically for late demand in Canada? Could just be conincedental though. 

Where did you pick up your lock n chase?

[JVOSS | 1,762]

Looks to be NY.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

45 minutes ago, Splain said:

@JVOSS Yeah, that would be an interesting way to look for cart variants. It's not a rule or anything, but it's a little suspicious that these games have a rev-1 and rev-2 manual, but no known cart variants:

4-in-1 Funpak Vol 2
Daffy Duck: the Marvin Missions
Donkey Kong Land 3
Game & Watch Gallery
Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
Speedy Gonzales (I've never actually seen a rev-1 manual but I assume it exists)
Tetris Plus
Yoshi

And those are just the ones that I've personally found. Could be more. Also strange that Wave Race manuals go up to rev-4 but there's only a rev-1 cart.

@Splain,  actually this "theory" only applies to manuals that have a rev2 or better.  A rav1 is more like a rev0 as it is there to adjust spelling/or missing data.   

[Splain | 2,569]

6 hours ago, JVOSS said:

@Splain,  actually this "theory" only applies to manuals that have a rev2 or better.  A rav1 is more like a rev0 as it is there to adjust spelling/or missing data.   

Those games all have manuals rev-2 or better.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

1 hour ago, Splain said:

Those games all have manuals rev-2 or better.

will cook my goose fat.  i have never see rev2 for that list. guess ill need to troll ebay more.

by chance do you have photos? 

[Splain | 2,569]

I don't have all of them, but I've seen pics of them. I do have these 3:

[JVOSS | 1,762]

[acidjaguar | 258]

you guys are all screwed! hahahahahha.  The rabbit hole never ends my friends

[RpgCollector | 900]

I am 6 away from every box variant I know of. Still have never seen a Super Mario Land Rated E box. It must exist though? How about the Zelda Rated E box? The way Zelda collectors are I doubt this box exists. We would have seen it. I have the Super Mario Land 2 Rate E box. Only seen 2 of those.

Edited September 3, 2020 by RpgCollector

[Splain | 2,569]

12 hours ago, RpgCollector said:

I am 6 away from every box variant I know of.

This is astounding.

[JVOSS | 1,762]

Wow that make about 104-210 in the set.  Great job

help us out here it has been long debated that the black E were available in retail format.

i on the other hand hold the Black E were all released as a bundle and not released as a standalone retail.

Chip Code 99--  black E

Chip Code 98-- 96--  spray paint E 

what your data showing?

 

[RpgCollector | 900]

28 minutes ago, JVOSS said:

Wow that make about 104-210 in the set.  Great job

help us out here it has been long debated that the black E were available in retail format.

i on the other hand hold the Black E were all released as a bundle and not released as a standalone retail.

Chip Code 99--  black E

Chip Code 98-- 96--  spray paint E 

what your data showing?

 

I am guessing you mean these. Acidjaguar and I believe these 3 and Super Mario Land 1 all we’re late 1999 early 2000 re-releases. 
 

SML 2 - Date 9947
DKL - Date - 9948
DKL 2 - Date 9948

So fits with the theory.

Man someone show me a Super Mario Land Black E box please!

[RpgCollector | 900]

For you manual guys

[RpgCollector | 900]

So now the super fun to variant collecting. In November of 2000 I bought this brand new from a Best Buy. They had a kiosk set up with a ton of brand new Gameboy games. All from Sunsoft. In fact I bought all 4 Final Fantasy Gameboy games brand new. The box and manual are both -2 and the chip date code 0037. Yep 37 week of 2000. Now have some fun!

Just like to point out NO ESRB!

Edited September 3, 2020 by RpgCollector

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

1 hour ago, JVOSS said:

Wow that make about 104-210 in the set.  Great job

help us out here it has been long debated that the black E were available in retail format.

i on the other hand hold the Black E were all released as a bundle and not released as a standalone retail.

Chip Code 99--  black E

Chip Code 98-- 96--  spray paint E 

what your data showing?

 

I remember doing some research to figure out the esrb logo changes by looking at a lot of N64 games and here's what I found. 

Tl;dr: it's roughly

spray paint E: August 1998 - September 1999

Solid E: October 1999 - present 

On 1/14/2020 at 5:57 PM, 0xDEAFC0DE said:

The solid E change happened between September and October 1999. Here's the games released around then. 

All gradient: Monaco Grand Prix (Sept), NASCAR 2000 (Sept), Goemon's Great Adventure (9/15 or 9/22), Army Men: Sarge's Heroes (9/29)
Solid cart + gradient box: Destruction Derby 64 (10/2), Winback: Covert Operations (Sept)
All solid: Knockout Kings 2000 (10/3)

From earlier in this thread looking at n64 games

On 1/28/2020 at 8:23 PM, 0xDEAFC0DE said:

... The date code translates to 8/20/98. Which was around the time that the K-A to E rating switch happened. 

This was from talking about the manual that went with a spray paint E Players choice link's awakening cart. I don't have my research notes still, but I think I did the same thing by looking up N64 games. 

[RH | 4,903]

1 hour ago, RpgCollector said:

So now the super fun to variant collecting. In November of 2000 I bought this brand new from a Best Buy. They had a kiosk set up with a ton of brand new Gameboy games. All from Sunsoft. In fact I bought all 4 Final Fantasy Gameboy games brand new. The box and manual are both -2 and the chip date code 0037. Yep 37 week of 2000. Now have some fun!

Just like to point out NO ESRB!

I bought all four as well. Never opened them. I sold the lot in 2005 or 06, maybe. Probably my biggest gaming regret. I even chose the best conditioned ones so there were no scrapes or crushing on the boxes.

[guitarzombie | 924]

From 2000 thats amazing to think about.