Psionic

Actually, it already may have but no one seems to have noticed. I responded to that post asking for more info but received no response.

These games were made in Hong Kong, so a typo or spelling mistake doesn't mean much. The exact same text (including the spelling error) exists on the box and manual for the game that have been previously found.

The easiest way is to use the SaveKey method explained here.

I've used both Flitz and Mothers on heavily oxidized contacts in the past to good effect. I actually had a Q*bert VCS cartridge that had the same problem recently that I was able to get working.

A rare find indeed. Kind of odd to have a label variation for such an unbelievably rare cartridge but it actually wouldn't be the first time. Either way, it looks like right now yours is essentially a 1 of 1.

I really don't know what to make of it, so I'll go with option #3 for now. I'll continue the discussion over there.

Looks like another copy of this just turned up, although this one has a slightly different label from the ones pictured on Atarimania. It was apparently found at a video game store called The Game Room in Charleston, SC. https://www.facebook.com/groups/atariage/permalink/10160235138485255/

Definitely rare but not one of the rarest in existence by any stretch. If it was then Rhod wouldn't have four copies, regardless of how long he's been collecting. The rarest computer games in existence are all titles from small publishers that hardly anyone has ever heard of, so no one bothers looking for them in the first place. The First Star releases are all hard to come by (especially on cartridge) but I would say Boulder Dash is one of the more commonly found of the bunch, along with Astro Chase. It's unquestionably the one in the highest demand though.

There's currently a nice sleeved copy of this game on eBay. A bit pricey and apparently untested, but this is the white label release which is presumably the earliest version of the game. https://www.ebay.com/itm/185759416513

I ended up throwing a bid at it for ha-has but I didn't win. $86 is a very modest price, I would say.

Those alleged photos are obviously just more Dwayne Richard fakes.

I'm not saying you guys can't contact him. I'm just saying that I'm not going to since I have no real reason to do so. If one of you guys do, I'd suggest you tread lightly. That's all.

The info I posted above is the David Buehler in question, so there is no reason to "continue the search". The LinkedIn profile above is not the same person...not even close. I'm not going to repost personal photos from Facebook to prove my case. Go and look yourself if you're that skeptical. I don't know how to be any more clear on this. You asked what became of the guy, and I posted what little info is available. He's not on any kind of social media that I can tell and there's very little info about him online. That being the case, I think the guy would prefer to be left alone. If you choose to try to contact him through his wife, that's your business. But I think the curiosity should probably end here unless you have some specific reason to contact him. The guy is living a private life that's far removed from the Atari program he wrote as a teenager over 40 years ago.

His wife is on Facebook and there are pictures of them together. I won't post personal photos here for obvious reasons. But it's him, trust me. Not the same person.

Not quite. He appears to live in Utah these days but I'm not sure exactly who he's working for. It looks like his wife is a Iecturer at the University of Utah. I couldn't find a LinkedIn page for either of them but both appear to work in the field of physics and astronomy. Here's some research papers that David appears to have co-authored... https://typeset.io/authors/david-b-buehler-3cf5b0qzq8 And here's a patent attributed to him... https://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2007/0012821.html

Was this legit? Any chance anyone saved the photos or remembers what this sold for?

Haven't been on the forums there recently but he (or someone claiming to be him) had quite a bit to say in the comments section of the nine part "Video Game Fraud of the Century" piece on Billy Mitchell's perfect Pac-Man score. (Specifically Dot Five, Dot Six, Dot Eight and Dot Nine.) I always thought it was majorly screwed up how Sczerby was marginalized and his then world record score was basically completely ignored in the King of Kong, but at this point that film and that whole ordeal are ancient history. He just comes across as a lunatic if that really is him. I imagine the stuff being posted on TG is more or less in the same vein.

I have an extra copy of Dead Angle for SMS although I'm pretty sure there's some scores written in the back of the manual. Not sure if that matters to you. PM if interested.

Pretty sure I have an extra loose Pastfinder cartridge. May or may not have the manual. Send me a PM if you're interested and I'll take a look.

Bought some boxed VCS games from him through Facebook Marketplace. He shipped them out the day I paid him and they were well protected in individual plastic sleeves inside a sturdy box. My highest recommendation. 👍

Both were available at the 2001 CGE directly from the author. https://atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=1139 https://atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=1138 Although the memorial ribbon on Vault Assault would mean that particular cartridge was purchased after September 11, 2001 (which occurred a month after CGE).

I was literally just watching that video. This whole saga just gets more and more comical (to the point of being outright bizarre) the longer it plays out. You really couldn't make this stuff up.

If there are any doubts, I would add that all prototypes by U.S. Games that I've ever seen are in the standard shells.

Some guy posted a picture of one on Facebook last year as well.

Any chance of this still happening? I realize that the market for it would be rather small but I would love to see a version of Pac-Man Plus.