White Label Space Shuttle in NTSC. Does anyone have one?

[snakeeyesdd]

I had the blue label version of space shuttle and I seen the white label so I passed on it thinking it was a pal cart. Something told me to go back and buy it so I did. I get home stick it in the system and it worked so its not a PAL. I read that Activision only released the whit in Pal format. But this disputes that claim. Does anyone else have one of these's?

http://www.atariage.com/label_page.html?LabelID=28 Mine looks the same as the one in the pic.

[Alex]

We need to update the information, it is out of date. However keep in mind that just because it doesn't roll doesn't mean it's NTSC.

[Paul Slocum]

I have a white NTSC. The screen layout/size and colors are exactly the same as my illustrated-label version, and I found both in thrift stores in Dallas.

 

-Paul

[ATARIPITBULL]

Paul, is your new game, Marble Craze, going to come in a box, or just with the manual?

 

[Pitfall Harry]

However keep in mind that just because it doesn't roll doesn't mean it's NTSC.

 

Your assertion is indisputably true. The "Screen Flip Test" is extremely misleading. Some NTSC TV's will always flip out on certain PAL games but not on others. Some TV's will flip out on every PAL game you feed it, or have no problem displaying any of them. A particular PAL game may make your TV flip out on a hot day day but display a stable picture if you test it when its cooler. You can expect any of these behaviors because NTSC TV's vary significantly in their ability to correct the vertical sync signals which were programmed into PAL game cartridges for PAL format TV's. Even the synch signals themselves vary from one PAL cartridge title to another. What's a poor TV to do?

 

But Alex, I believe your admonition, in its terseness, is misleading. And it's a bit frustrating to the 99% of collectors who are misled and left in the dark about the format of certain games because they don't have the means or technical know how to dump a ROM and compare it to a known NTSC dump to remove all doubt.

 

The Flip Test does have value as a comparative test, so long as you know what you are doing, you combine it with the Color Test and you are careful about your observations.

 

Let's say that you live in NTSC land and both your TV and your Atari console are in NTSC format. Furthermore, you are CERTAIN that one of your game cartridges is in NTSC format. Now let's say you acquire a second cartridge of the same title and made by the same company as the known NTSC cart. But for whatever reason, the NTSC/PAL format of the new cartridge is in doubt. Here's my claim:

 

"If a cartridge of uncertain format exhibits indistinguishable onscreen behavior as a known NTSC cartridge when played on the exact same color TV, on the exact same console, under the exact same environmental conditions and observed by the same person, then the unknow cartridge is conclusively NTSC. 'Indistinguishable onscreen behavior' means two things: the vertical stability (without manual adjustment) and the colors of the two compared games are both the same."

 

The test is similar in concept if you have a known PAL game and compare it to another cart of the same title and manufacturer whose format you wish to determine.

 

I believe the above test to be conclusive, but only as a comparative test and only if all of the conditions are strictly adhered to. If you have only a single copy of a game of uncertain format, then the above comparative test tells you nothing. Asking a buddy to tell you what he sees when he tests his game also tells you nothing, because he tested his cart with different equipment, under different environmental conditions and with different eyes, all of which invalidates the conditions of the test.

 

I would like to know what others who own both PAL and NTSC games have to say about the conclusiveness of my comparative test.

 

Ben

[JCroniger]

I do the same comparative test. I have an NTSC TV and console. I pop in the game and if it rolls, I believe it to be PAL. This is not 100 % proof, but for my needs it's good enough. Interstingly, I have a second TV downstairs, and the PAL games do not roll, but the colors are wrong and the screen is off center.

[Big Player]

I've got a white label Space Shuttle like the picture. It works fine on my TV and have never had a problem with it, but now I have no idea if it's NTSC or PAL.

[Tempest]

I've got one.

 

Tempest

[dwh]

Yeah, I got one too.Nowdays I do not think twice about getting white label,black label activision carts or red label atari carts off of ebay--you never know which ones will work on NTSC tvs.