Did Super Mario Bros end the crash?

[+Psionic]

The black '85-'86 test market version had no pack-in:

 

 

As with the later '86 national launch version:

You sure about those pics?

 

The black box version posted above has bilingual packaging, which seems a bit odd for a U.S. test-market version. Likewise, the second one makes reference to Mattel, which seems to be a sure sign of a Canadian variant.

[Retro Rogue]

The black '85-'86 test market version had no pack-in:

 

 

As with the later '86 national launch version:

You sure about those pics?

 

The black box version posted above has bilingual packaging, which seems a bit odd for a U.S. test-market version. Likewise, the second one makes reference to Mattel, which seems to be a sure sign of a Canadian variant.

 

 

 

Yes, the Canadian variants were the same as the US, those just happen to be what I quickly threw up. Also shown by the control deck used for the bulk of '87', the guide book version that also does not have a pack-in, which is a continuation of the no pack-in theme of this lower end model. And it's more than well verified that the black box test launch version of the Control Deck did not have a pack-in, that was the whole purpose of it - as a no frills version to separate it from the more inclusive Deluxe Set which came with a game (two to be exact, as well as Rob and the light gun). The Control Deck didn't get a pack-in until the late '87 variant shown where they started adding the notice on the box that it now included a game - SMB. That's also when the Action set came out which included the dual duck hunt/smb as previously shown.

Edited January 29, 2011 by wgungfu

[+Psionic]

Yes, the Canadian variants were the same as the US, those just happen to be what I quickly threw up. Also shown by the control deck used for the bulk of '87', the guide book version that also does not have a pack-in, which is a continuation of the no pack-in theme of this lower end model.

Pack-in or no pack-in is not the issue...I was just wondering if the American versions were identical (for all intents and purposes) to those, which clearly appear to be Canadian variants. I'm not sure if I've seen those before. Then again, I am no Nintendo expert.

[toptenmaterial]

Isn't all of North America one marketing region as far as Howard Lincoln was concerned?

[tz101]

See, I don't know about those pictures and where they came from, but I do know that I got my Control Deck set on Christmas 1986 and it came with SMB as the pack-in. As a matter of fact, my box looked nothing like any of those pictures.

[King_Salamon]

If SMB didn't revive the home console market, it was certainly what got me into a dumpy ma and pa corner store in a rather seedy area of town back then. I may have been 13 at the time but I dreamed of Super Mario Bros. and the day I saw the Nintendo at Zellers, I HAD TO HAVE ONE! I ended up getting the Deluxe system which didn;t come with SMB. Gyromite and Duck Hunt were the pack-ins. I did get SMB with the deluxe set and the NES was on fire for sooo many years after that!

 

It may or may not have ended the crash, but SMB certainly made me a fan of Nintendo. Not to sound like a Nintendo fanboy but at that time there wasn't much else... the Master System was fun (I did get one of those too) but it didn't get as many fun games (in my opinion) but it had it's share. As for the 7800, it was pretty much shut out of the market around here... everyone was selling NES. The other 2 companies were fighting for any extra shelf space. (95% to NES and 5% for the other two... and that 5% may be too much).

 

I'm not a NES fanboy... I enjoy all the systems... I wish I could have all of them and all hooked up to individual tvs so that I could pick and choose as I please.

[malducci]

See, I don't know about those pictures and where they came from, but I do know that I got my Control Deck set on Christmas 1986 and it came with SMB as the pack-in. As a matter of fact, my box looked nothing like any of those pictures.

 

I can verify an SMB packin in 1986. Anyway, my brother bought his NES in fall of '86. It came with SMB, I specifically remember that. He didn't buy it separately (this I know because there was no SMB box and he returned the system almost two months later). Maybe it was just placed in the box and a sticker on the outside, I don't remember (the box wasn't interesting compared to the system to a kid ). I also vaguely remember separate game paks for SMB and Duck Hunt for mine (1987).

[King_Salamon]

See, I don't know about those pictures and where they came from, but I do know that I got my Control Deck set on Christmas 1986 and it came with SMB as the pack-in. As a matter of fact, my box looked nothing like any of those pictures.

 

I can verify an SMB packin in 1986. Anyway, my brother bought his NES in fall of '86. It came with SMB, I specifically remember that. He didn't buy it separately (this I know because there was no SMB box and he returned the system almost two months later). Maybe it was just placed in the box and a sticker on the outside, I don't remember (the box wasn't interesting compared to the system to a kid ). I also vaguely remember separate game paks for SMB and Duck Hunt for mine (1987).

 

Interesting... although I got my SMB separate, I got the Deluxe set, my pack in games did come in their own boxes... both Duck Hunt and Gyromite had the games in box and both were in the deluxe set box.

 

Come to think of it... all my NES games were complete in the box... I always had them on display on shelves in my room. And the only game I had without the box was a used one I bought at a comic shop... it looked kinda lame next to all the boxed games! lol

[Prodos8]

Interesting... although I got my SMB separate, I got the Deluxe set, my pack in games did come in their own boxes... both Duck Hunt and Gyromite had the games in box and both were in the deluxe set box.

 

Come to think of it... all my NES games were complete in the box... I always had them on display on shelves in my room. And the only game I had without the box was a used one I bought at a comic shop... it looked kinda lame next to all the boxed games! lol

I too was given a Deluxe set in '87. It came with the control deck, two controllers, R.O.B. w/Gyromite accessories, gray zapper, Duck Hunt and Gyromite. Each of the games had boxes and manuals and were two seperate cartriges. I never even owned SMB or any of the SMBs the whole time we had the system, but had plenty of other good games.

 

I borrowed a friends SMB for a while but eventually gave it back, didn't really play it that much.

[Retro Rogue]

See, I don't know about those pictures and where they came from, but I do know that I got my Control Deck set on Christmas 1986 and it came with SMB as the pack-in. As a matter of fact, my box looked nothing like any of those pictures.

 

 

 

Well, feel free to take pictures of it if you can find it, likewise search for someone else that has it that could maybe share it (along with corroborative copyright data). Otherwise I'll have to chalk up yours and malducci's remembrances to faulty memories. Which isn't a cut, it's simply a problem of going by memory vs. documentation. The spartan Control Deck package was originally created for a reason - to provide a lower priced ala carte version to the Deluxe Set's inclusive version. Hence you could buy the Control Deck and then buy any games, ROB, and the light gun all separately. And I'm certainly not stating that SMB was never given along with the purchase itself at any point during that time (i.e. an external game in it's own box vs. something literally packed in to the Control Deck box), as that was the plan as far as what some of the press from the Summer CES reported.

 

Though in relation to the original topic (and not what we were discussing above): to date all the actual ads across the country (I have a sampling from the east coast, west coast, midwest, and Canada) from that national launch season that I've found were pushing the Deluxe System with brief mentions of the Control Deck set and Mario only as a byline of one of the cartridges for sale. One would think if SMB was very important to the console at that time (as some are claiming) you'd see it front and center in the ads. I'll be happy to post a few of them up if you guys want to see them.

Edited January 30, 2011 by wgungfu

[malducci]

Otherwise I'll have to chalk up yours and malducci's remembrances to faulty memories. Which isn't a cut, it's simply a problem of going by memory vs. documentation.

 

Oh, I completely understand. I'm just completely baffled as to how his bundle came to be. Who knows, maybe it was a store thing (something unofficial). I just specifically remember SMB coming with it. I know my brother wouldn't have paid for SMB by itself. His friend had a copy and could have easily borrowed it from him (since it was kind of 'old' to them by then IIRC), but he didn't. Oh well.

[riffraff]

I'm pretty sure it was this game that ended the crash:

 

Edit: in all seriousness.. I saw SMB in the arcades and was not impressed at all. It wasn't until I played it on the NES where I really found out how much fun it was.

Edited January 30, 2011 by riffraff

[atarilovesyou]

For my two cents, SMB had nothing to do with my appreciation of the new system at the time...in fact I didn't play that game for at least a year, as most of my buddies didn't have the master set that contained the game. Sure it was cool and I can see why kids loved it and it became such a success, but for me, it was just ok. My first NES game was Trojan, which I thought was awesome. The SMB type platformers were my least favorite genre of games...mostly holds true today, in fact.