shadow460 Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 (edited) A while back a thread was started about Atari and Sears date codes. Not long after I got to talking about a group of Starpath games that were for sale, and how one of the acid tests of real vs fake could be in the inked codes atop the cassettes. I think they're date codes. I also think that Starpath used different brands of cassettes, much the way different ROM IC could be used in a cart. Unfortunately, I do not know how to tell what brand the tape is. All of mine seem to be on Type I normal bias tapes..the tape inside is brown. If anyone has some on Type II (the tape inside is black) and they are authentic, let us know. How about starting a list of date codes from who have Starpath tapes? Perhaps we can nail down exactly what the codes mean, and maybe even the true manufacturer of the tapes. I'll start: First brand of cassettes with black casing, small (1/4 inch high) windows, yellow leaders, and silver screws: Phaser Patrol: 001 ??3823 2 the ?? is where the digits are worn off and I can't read them anymore Commie Mutants: 002 92783 1 Fireball: 003 916822 2 Suicide Mission: 004 927625 1 Escape: 005 1027823 1 Second brand with black casing, small windows, blue leaders and black screws Dragonstomper: 006 1117823 1 Killer Satellites: 016 217831 3 Third brand with large white casing, (about 1/2 inch high) window, yellow leader, and silver screws Rabbit Transit: 0171 8248321 Fourth brand with white case, small window, blue leader, silver screws Frogger: 0221 8128321 Fifth brand with white case, small window, pink leader, and silver screws Party Mix: 1019 988332 Anyone else? Let's figure out who made these and when they made 'em! Edited December 15, 2008 by shadow460 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnidog Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 I`ll have to check all my Starpath games too ..i`ll get back to ya soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omegamatrix Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 First brand of cassettes with black casing, small (1/4 inch high) windows, yellow leaders, and silver screws: Phaser Patrol: 001 ??3823 2 the ?? is where the digits are worn off and I can't read them anymore Commie Mutants: 002 92783 1 Fireball: 003 916822 2 Suicide Mission: 004 927625 1 Escape: 005 1027823 1 Second brand with black casing, small windows, blue leaders and black screws Dragonstomper: 006 1117823 1 The first three numbers in all of these correspond nicely to the serial numbers (ie Phasor Patrol is 1, Suicide Mission is 4, etc..). But then Killer Sattelites and the rest don't fit that pattern. I noticed the last number is always 1,2, or 3. I thought these could be years like '81, '82, or '83, but that doesn't make sense as the order is not right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 From this list I'm seeing TDK and JVC pictures that are close to what I have. The first numbers might truly indicate the order in which the games were developed. If you look back, Labyrinth, Meteroid, and Excalibur did actually make it to stores under different names. Killer Satellites, Rabbit Transit, and Party Mix may well be the 16th, 17th, and 19th projects Starpath worked on. I don't know why Frogger would have the 0221 code, though. Maybe it was the last of the released games to be developed at #21, but they added the 02 in there for some reason. Then again, those first numbers could be from manufacturing runs. I suppose we'll figure it out when different codes show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omegamatrix Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Thinking about it now, the last digit might very well be the year of manufacture. I was thinking of release dates and confusing myself. For example you might build a whole bunch of games in '81, but they don't get released and hit the store shelves until '82. Or a game has a date stamp later then it's release. This would have been made in a later batch and not the first run. And who knows if they didn't switch the date system once or twice between all the versions, or if different factories had their own systems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 (edited) Thinking about it now, the last digit might very well be the year of manufacture. I was thinking of release dates and confusing myself. good thought, but the last number on Dragonstomper is a 1, whereas the game was copyrighted in 1982. I think the manufacture year is in the middle section somewhere, and the end section on the later titles. Consider Rabbit Transit: 0171 8248321 the series of numbers 82483 might be August 24th 1983. This tape wasn't shipped until at least October of 1983. We got it some time after that--I think it was in winter of 1984 when we got it. Frogger: 0221 8128321 Possibly august 12th 1983? Party Mix: 1019 988332 Possibly September 8th, 1983? Hmmm... Edited December 15, 2008 by shadow460 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omegamatrix Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 I thought so too but Suicide Mission breaks the chain. Maybe double check that: 927625 Is not actually: 927825 6 and 8 could get mixed up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 (edited) 917823, you are right. The 6 and the 9 have their own distinct styles, and I mistook the 3 for a 5 originally. Another look at Party Mix shows that the 2 at the end might be extra ink, and the clear numbers are 1019 98833 Edited December 15, 2008 by shadow460 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omegamatrix Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 917823, you are right. The 6 and the 9 have their own distinct styles, and I mistook the 3 for a 5 originally. It seems like a real good quess at the moment that it is the manufacture date. Now we just have to figure out the numbers before and after. Possible canidates: - revision numbers - different factories - different manufacturing runs - different numbering systems ( a change halfway through for example) - serial numbers (seems like the first three numbers on Phasor Patrol through Dragonstomper). We need a list of the serial numbers next to the name. Then maybe we can figure out Frogger and Party Mix, etc... I'm supposed to be studying for an exam right now so I'm a little busy to do it myself, Shadow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnidog Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Here are my Starpath cassettes, and the numerals on them Escape from the Mindmaster : 005 1128211 Phaser Patrol : NO Markings ( worn off ) Communist Mutants from Space : NO Markings ( worn off ) Dragon Stomper : AKFH229D ( a copy on a TDK cassette ) Fireball : 003 ( cant read the rest of it ) The Official Frogger : ( White cassette - blue ink ) : 0221 815832 ? Suicide Mission : 004 93824 Sword of Saros ( White cassette-black ink ) : 135 Killer Satellites : 016 2178331 Dragon Stomper : 006 11188221 Survival Island ( White cassette-black ink ) : 136 Party Mix : ( white cassette-blue ink ) : 1?19 98832? Rabbit Transit : ( White cassette-blue ink ) : 017 7148311 The cassettes with worn off numerals, are the ones i remember playing the most Hope this info is helpful Happy Holidaze Paulie ( GINNIDOG ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omegamatrix Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 I rearranged the info as best as I could. It becomes more clear now that the first few numbers are a type of serial number, followed by the date, and then some "unknowns". My best guess is that the "unknowns" simply tell what line in the factory they came from, for quality control purposes. Excel sheet is below. I don't know if Ginnindog's Escape from the Mindmaster is 1/12/83 or 11/2/83 so I didn't bold it. Given that Shadow's is 10/27/82 it is likely November and not Janurary though. The unknowns I left with spaces because they originally had spaces on the tapes. Again I think they represent the line they came off in the factory. Starpath.zip There is a discrepancy between the Rabbit Transits. Can both you guys confirm the first few numbers again? Shadow's you say yours is 0171 and Ginnidog says his is 017. Maybe some ink rubbed off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnidog Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 My cassette of Rabbit Transit, does not show much if any wear on the ink stamp...i looked as closely at it as possible....and I rarely even played this game..so it was not handled that many times.. GINNIDOG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
co13ghoul Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 An interesting topic. I'll add the info from the few tapes I still have. All black cases, w/ small (1/4") windows: Commie Mutants: 002 927823 1 (yellow leader / silver screws) Fireball: 003 917822 1 (yellow leader / silver screws) Dragonstomper: 006 11298221 (blue leader / black screws) Killer Satellites: 016 2178311 (blue leader / black screws) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted December 17, 2008 Author Share Posted December 17, 2008 I agree, the first three are some kind of code that tells what game is on the tape. There have been reports of Fireball on white cassettes. I'd be very interested to know the codes on those. If we know that the first eight games' codes are similar, then we already know how to tell when they were made and we know that the 016 or 005 corresponds to the game. There is one number after the date code that I'm not sure of yet, and then the final single digit still remains a mystery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 Bump. Some prototypes were discovered recently, and roughly half of them have the exact same code save for the serial number. If you've got Starpath games, please post the codes on the tapes. Above all else, if you have prototypes, I'd really like to see the codes on those. Specifically I am curious as to what's stamped atop the cassettes is this photo and the prototypes of Excalibur 39 and 48. Out of the bunch, Labyrinth/Escape has really sparked my curiosity. It's possible that a second or even a third completed load exists, and should cassettes for those be discovered it is likely that they will bear a date code between February 13th, 1982, and October 27th, 1982. The code on such a tape will have three number, a space, then either five, six, or seven numbers. The last number isn't important, and it'll probably be a 3. The rest will be somewhere between 0213823 and 1027823, with or without the 3. The first set of numbers will either be 005 or 006. If a second load of the actual game can be found, it is very possible that Labyrinth could be finished as a separate game from Escape. I can't program the 2600 to save my life, though. Got tapes? Post the codes! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lklegacy Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Any suggestions? Im trying to find out which cassette this is I came across a 2600 Starpath Supercharger cassette that is missing the A side sticker. Its a white cassette and silver screws that has a number on the top in blue ink. The number is: 7148311. See pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookem Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Any suggestions? Im trying to find out which cassette this is I came across a 2600 Starpath Supercharger cassette that is missing the A side sticker. Its a white cassette and silver screws that has a number on the top in blue ink. The number is: 7148311. See pics Judging from reply #10 to this thread, that's probably Rabbit Transit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lklegacy Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Judging from reply #10 to this thread, that's probably Rabbit Transit. Judging from reply #10 to this thread, that's probably Rabbit Transit.That's what I thought too, but I didn't know what the 017 was at the beginning of the number, because mine doesn't have those numbers. I picked up a whole plastic bag full of old Atari games for $5 from a dude who was selling a bunch of stuff out of an old barn in the middle of nowhere. I just happened to see a sign on the side of the road and drove way back and went through his dirty ol barn and found the bag. The bag not only had about 20 of the later atari games in it, but it also included the supercharcharger system along with nine of the cassettes. All of them are in NM condition by themselves (no boxes or covers - except on phaser control). Escape from the mindmaster Killer satellites Communists mutants from space Dragon Stomper Phaser patrol Rabbit Transit (missing A side sticker) and get this...Frogger, Survival Island and Sword of Saros I will try to post pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookem Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 That's what I thought too, but I didn't know what the 017 was at the beginning of the number, because mine doesn't have those numbers. I picked up a whole plastic bag full of old Atari games for $5 from a dude who was selling a bunch of stuff out of an old barn in the middle of nowhere. I just happened to see a sign on the side of the road and drove way back and went through his dirty ol barn and found the bag. Wow, that's quite a score. Original Arcadia Supercharger, too -- before they changed the name. And the Epyx mail order games... have you seen what those two go for on ebay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lklegacy Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Wow, that's quite a score. Original Arcadia Supercharger, too -- before they changed the name. And the Epyx mail order games... have you seen what those two go for on ebay?Ebay - yes I have.By the way...I found a pic of Rabbit Transit with the number on top of the cassette. As you can see in the pic, the third number on mine in the pic is #4 while the third number on the other one is #8. Not to mention mine does not have the 017 at the beginning. Interesting...I wonder what mine could possibly be. I will have to find someone with and Atari system and plug it in to find out I guess. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 That's what I thought too, but I didn't know what the 017 was at the beginning of the number, because mine doesn't have those numbers. I picked up a whole plastic bag full of old Atari games for $5 from a dude who was selling a bunch of stuff out of an old barn in the middle of nowhere. I just happened to see a sign on the side of the road and drove way back and went through his dirty ol barn and found the bag. The bag not only had about 20 of the later atari games in it, but it also included the supercharcharger system along with nine of the cassettes. All of them are in NM condition by themselves (no boxes or covers - except on phaser control). Escape from the mindmaster Killer satellites Communists mutants from space Dragon Stomper Phaser patrol Rabbit Transit (missing A side sticker) and get this...Frogger, Survival Island and Sword of Saros I will try to post pic. Wow...The Official Frogger! That game is worth a lot. Always wanted a copy, but unable to find one, so I decided to get a Harmony cart just to play this game. I'm traveling for work, but will add my list of Starpath games as soon as I return home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_79 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I will have to find someone with and Atari system and plug it in to find out I guess. If you have a tape player, you could record the audio on PC and then convert it to a binary using Bob Colbert's makebin utility (https://web.archive.org/web/20080709001616/http://members.cox.net/rcolbert/makebin.htm). Then you can see what game it is by playing the binary in an emulator. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 (edited) Black casing, small (1/4 inch high) windows, yellow leaders, and silver screws: Phaser Patrol: 001 10158221 Communist Mutants From Space: 002 927823 1 Fireball: 003 928823 1 Edited June 20, 2015 by sramirez2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philflound Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 My Phaser Patrol is 001 10118211 All my other games are sealed. I don't own any of the really rare games. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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