Home run picture difference?

[Gebohq]

Hey, sorry if this seems a silly question, and I figure I'd pose it should it actually be a legit difference.

On this site's catalog, the site has a scan for the game's cover art title as being orange:
http://atariage.com/cart_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=235

The copy I have, though, has the title text on the front (and only the front, not the label) as red.

Is this a legitimate/significant different version, or is the scan with the orange title text just as common as the red/incorrectly shown not as red/etc.?

Thanks for anyone who can answer!

[Schitti]

hi,

 

is the Atari-Logo and the Serialnumber on the label "white" or "black"?

It would not surprise me if it is black and the label says

© 1986 ATARI. CORP.

(maybe 1987 or 1988, but these have red endlabels too)

 

nothing special. only the standard cart of this year.

 

a pic would be helpful for a more accurate answer.

 

btw: it is a NTSC cart

[Gebohq]

Thanks for replying!

Here's an image of my cart (fairly sure it's NTSC). Unfortunately, it doesn't show the color difference between front and top labels of the title (or rather, due to the shadow, it makes it look the reverse), which leads me to believe that the site's scan image could also possibly be the same.

 

http://i.imgur.com/VGLtgIU.jpg

Edited June 20, 2016 by Gebohq

[BassGuitari]

Welcome to AtariAge! Before I get into this label in particular, I want to point out a couple of things that may be helpful to understand. First, the AtariAge rarity guide is by no means complete or comprehensive, nor is it even up to date in many instances. I'd refer you to videogamevariations.com or AtariMania instead, at least as far as label variations are concerned.

Second, it's important to note the distinction between Atari Inc. and Atari Corp. They were both known as "Atari," and it's in both of their names, but they were completely different companies (the AA rarity guide unfortunately does not make this distinction). In broadstrokes, Inc = Warner, Corp = Jack Tramiel. Atari Corp. acquired the IP and back catalog of Atari Inc. and reissued many of its old titles. Most of the time, they used the same picture- and silver-label styles (or some version of them) that Atari Inc. did between 1981-84, but they often contained alternate fonts, text colors, and artwork/print layouts that differed from the original Atari Inc. releases. To that end, Atari Inc. and Atari Corp. carts with differences in text color are usually nothing special. It was also common for Atari Corp. reissues of picture labels in particular to contain typos and printing errors; for example, joystick games were often printed with "Use With Paddle Controllers" and, as often as not, masked with black tape to cover the error.

Which brings us to your Home Run cartridge. The interesting thing about this cart is that the black tape covering the "Use With Paddle Controller" error found on many '86-88 Atari Corp. re-releases is actually printed with "Use With Joystick Controllers." Most of the time it's just plain black tape, leaving no visible controller info. In fact, I'm not sure if I've ever seen another one with printed tape.

Atari Corp. cartridges in particular are a lot of fun to collect because their labels are all over the place. Some look more or less the same as the earlier Atari Inc. carts, and others are so crazy they look like pirates or bootlegs. The 1986 variant of Hangman is particulary sought-after for this reason; it subscribes with no other known style of Atari label --Inc. or Corp.--and contains several anomalies. Atari Corp. also gave us things like the "yellow-label" Breakout, "Raiders Lost Ark," and "Pole Positn." Essentially, all bets are off with Atari Corp. carts. (Although, their red-label 2600 games, 7800 games, and XEGS games tend to have consistant and error-free labels. Odd.)

[Gebohq]

Thanks for the welcome, BassGuitari!

For the first point, I figured the Rarity Guide wasn't the end-all, all-complete, all-accurate resource, which is partly why I jumped on here to ask instead of just assuming. Good to know what I figured to be confirmed though.

As for your second, dang! It's neat to learn about that sort of thing, and obviously, I wouldn't have thought to notice that difference you pointed out. Now I'm half-tempted to go through my collection again with a finer-tooth comb, so to speak. Granted, they're largely 2's, with my highest ones at a 4, so I ain't holding my breath. Besides, I hunt for games I think I'll have fun playing more than rarity. I largely checked through my games because I accidentally picked up 2 copies of Outlaw and noticed they had different labels, one picture and one text. Alas, it seems likely they're the same rarity, hah.

 

Now that I'm all signed up on these forums, though, maybe I should hunt for a "Check this first newbs" thread to see where I can possibly go from here...

[Gebohq]

Checking out the first site you linked me would seem to suggest mine's version J with version K's correction.

 

http://videogamevariations.com/AtariCompanies/AtariGames/HomeRun/home_run_cartridges.htm

 

My reaction:

[BassGuitari]

They're the same except for the tape. I think you just have Version K.

One other thing I'd add is that I wouldn't read too much into subtle color differences. I think any differences among the same label variation can be attributed to different dye/ink lots and natural ageing and fading. To use Home Run as an example, text label Version C is listed as having a gold border and text; to me, it just looks discolored. You can actually tell that the "Home Run" text is yellower than the border or the "game program" label. You can also see that the label overall has sort of a corroded-looking brownish tinge--I don't think that's a coincidence. Both points indicate that the label started out as a clean Version B and simply discolored over the years, either due to damage, improper storage, or even chemical reactions with certain ingredients in the particular inks that were used on that batch of labels. Now, I can't confirm that, but nor can anyone prove that it *is* a legit label variation.

Point being, I don't think there are *quite* as many minor label variations as some seem to (though there are certainly still tons). But that's just me.

 

I largely checked through my games because I accidentally picked up 2 copies of Outlaw and noticed they had different labels, one picture and one text. Alas, it seems likely they're the same rarity, hah.

Just wait until you get into Sears cartridges. Between Atari Inc., Sears, and Atari Corp., you could end up with more than half a dozen distinct label variations of the same game! Take Space Invaders, for instance:

Atari - text
Atari - picture
Atari - silver
Sears - text
Sears- picture
Atari Corp. - gray w/ "box font" end label
Atari Corp. - gray w/ end label from picture version
Atari Corp. - red

("Box Font" is how I refer to Atari Corp. end labels that use the font used for the titles of older Atari Inc. boxes. See 1986 Concentration, 1987 Pac-Man, or 1986 Hangman as examples.)

[Gebohq]

Fair enough on the color differences.

 

And yeah, good ol' Sears.

[Evanlor]

On 6/20/2016 at 1:34 PM, BassGuitari said:

Welcome to AtariAge! Before I get into this label in particular, I want to point out a couple of things that may be helpful to understand. First, the AtariAge rarity guide is by no means complete or comprehensive, nor is it even up to date in many instances. I'd refer you to videogamevariations.com or AtariMania instead, at least as far as label variations are concerned.

Second, it's important to note the distinction between Atari Inc. and Atari Corp. They were both known as "Atari," and it's in both of their names, but they were completely different companies (the AA rarity guide unfortunately does not make this distinction). In broadstrokes, Inc = Warner, Corp = Jack Tramiel. Atari Corp. acquired the IP and back catalog of Atari Inc. and reissued many of its old titles. Most of the time, they used the same picture- and silver-label styles (or some version of them) that Atari Inc. did between 1981-84, but they often contained alternate fonts, text colors, and artwork/print layouts that differed from the original Atari Inc. releases. To that end, Atari Inc. and Atari Corp. carts with differences in text color are usually nothing special. It was also common for Atari Corp. reissues of picture labels in particular to contain typos and printing errors; for example, joystick games were often printed with "Use With Paddle Controllers" and, as often as not, masked with black tape to cover the error.

Which brings us to your Home Run cartridge. The interesting thing about this cart is that the black tape covering the "Use With Paddle Controller" error found on many '86-88 Atari Corp. re-releases is actually printed with "Use With Joystick Controllers." Most of the time it's just plain black tape, leaving no visible controller info. In fact, I'm not sure if I've ever seen another one with printed tape.

Atari Corp. cartridges in particular are a lot of fun to collect because their labels are all over the place. Some look more or less the same as the earlier Atari Inc. carts, and others are so crazy they look like pirates or bootlegs. The 1986 variant of Hangman is particulary sought-after for this reason; it subscribes with no other known style of Atari label --Inc. or Corp.--and contains several anomalies. Atari Corp. also gave us things like the "yellow-label" Breakout, "Raiders Lost Ark," and "Pole Positn." Essentially, all bets are off with Atari Corp. carts. (Although, their red-label 2600 games, 7800 games, and XEGS games tend to have consistant and error-free labels. Odd.)

WOW!  I really did not know this, and it explains A LOT about some of the weirdness in my collection.  Thanks!

David

[Philflound]

On 6/20/2016 at 3:17 PM, BassGuitari said:

They're the same except for the tape. I think you just have Version K.

One other thing I'd add is that I wouldn't read too much into subtle color differences. I think any differences among the same label variation can be attributed to different dye/ink lots and natural ageing and fading. To use Home Run as an example, text label Version C is listed as having a gold border and text; to me, it just looks discolored. You can actually tell that the "Home Run" text is yellower than the border or the "game program" label. You can also see that the label overall has sort of a corroded-looking brownish tinge--I don't think that's a coincidence. Both points indicate that the label started out as a clean Version B and simply discolored over the years, either due to damage, improper storage, or even chemical reactions with certain ingredients in the particular inks that were used on that batch of labels. Now, I can't confirm that, but nor can anyone prove that it *is* a legit label variation.

 

I don't have it in front of me, but that "gold" text/border version is a bleed through or something like that and is not age. It is definitely gold. I've had several copies and probably still do though all my stock is packed away at the moment since I just moved. It reminds me of the purple bleed through several of the text titles have. I'm not sure if it was the label or possibly the glue they used, but it definitely discolors the text color. The purple bleed through makes the text look purplish instead of white. I'm not sure if I ever put that as a variation though. I believe the Home Run was on the initial list I got back in 1996, so I left it. 

 

I did remove several variations from the list that either I could find no existence of or that you could fabricate. Some of the fabrication labels I may have left and put in () that this can be fabricated or some word like that. Switching end labels I believe was the most common form of fabrication. All you needed to do was glue one end label on another variation and you have a "variation". I never liked those. I'm assuming there are some out there that are legit. Anyway, when I get to my stock eventually, I'll see if I can pull out some of the Home Run gold bleed through and take a photo of them. That is if I remember.

Phil