Blazing Lazers Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) Inspired by the recent discovery of a 5th(!) Extra Terrestrials cart, I wanted to put together a quick list of all of the R10/top tier rarest carts arranged by the number of publicly known copies. I greatly look forward to hearing from those who know far better than I here about more exact figures, and certainly about the estimated number of copies for games that are usually among those featured on all of the "rarest Atari games" lists. What I have off the top of my head and from quick searches: 1x copy: Gamma Attack, Red Sea Crossing, Cat Trax (was this real?) 2x copies: Birthday Mania, monogrammed Space Chase 3x copies: Ultravision Karate 4x copies: 5x copies: Extra Terrestrials 6x copies: Gauntlet 15x copies: Eli's Ladder 23x copies: Magicard 28x copies: Pepsi Invaders and with a surprising amount of copies apparently out there, around 20x copies of Air Raid known. Edited August 20, 2018 by Blazing Lazers 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 1x copy: Gamma Attack, Red Sea Crossing, Cat Trax (was this real?) Yes, there is only one copy of Cat Trax out there, a prototype I personally owned (along with prototypes of Pleiades and Funky Fish) some time ago. Long since sold to another collector. ..Al 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazing Lazers Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 Yes, there is only one copy of Cat Trax out there, a prototype I personally owned (along with prototypes of Pleiades and Funky Fish) some time ago. Long since sold to another collector. ..Al Thank you so much for confirming that! I knew I'd heard something like that some time ago, and had seen images of a box and such. There was a repro too, wasn't there? The old AtariGuide site had a copy available that I wish I'd pulled the trigger on: https://web.archive.org/web/20130629204908/http://www.atariguide.com/37/3759.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Thank you so much for confirming that! I knew I'd heard something like that some time ago, and had seen images of a box and such. There was a repro too, wasn't there? The old AtariGuide site had a copy available that I wish I'd pulled the trigger on: https://web.archive.org/web/20130629204908/http://www.atariguide.com/37/3759.htm We still have boxed copies of the three "UA" games available.. There aren't a ton of boxes left at this point, though. https://atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_list&c=47 ..Al 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazzeri Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 I think some numbers are off. Feel free to correct me if i´m mistaken: - There´s only one Birthday Mania - Gamma Attack is complicated... :-) One was found in the wild by Anthony DeNardo. Then the game author surfaced and sold "the other copy he had" but it was different from the one already known. So it can be only one copy back in the day or two copies. Really weird scenario. - There were two Red Sea Crossing, they were on sale at the same time. Apparently there´s a few more Ultravision Karate. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/116749-i-am-updating-the-ntsc-ultravision-karate-registry/?hl=ultravision+karate&do=findComment&comment=2174459 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BONEMAN Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Thanks for starting this thread. I was going to but I'm too lazy. Does anyone know exactly how many of the following games are believed to exist? Karate Gauntlet Eli's Ladder Magicard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high voltage Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) How about this gray box with colour picture title? Only seen it once: Edited August 20, 2018 by high voltage 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanbu Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) There's currently a Birthday Mania cart (shell only) on ebay right now, not sure if it's the real deal or if it even counts if there isn't anything inside? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-2600-Birthday-mania-Machine-shell/113205296743?hash=item1a5b8fbe67:g:esAAAOSw2sZbUI2V Edited August 20, 2018 by yanbu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) Thank you so much for confirming that! I knew I'd heard something like that some time ago, and had seen images of a box and such. There was a repro too, wasn't there? The old AtariGuide site had a copy available that I wish I'd pulled the trigger on: https://web.archive.org/web/20130629204908/http://www.atariguide.com/37/3759.htm Here's Cat Trax: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-cat-trax_17181.html The golden box is not a reproduction. Edited August 20, 2018 by Rom Hunter 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Here's Cat Trax: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-cat-trax_17181.html The golden box is not a reproduction. I love how they were just going to reuse the Arcadia box and label, just with a different color . Waste not want not I guess. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazing Lazers Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 Here's Cat Trax:http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-cat-trax_17181.html The golden box is not a reproduction. That is awesome! If you know, what's the story behind that box and its discovery? I'd have to think more must've existed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazzeri Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Here's Cat Trax: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-cat-trax_17181.html The golden box is not a reproduction. I tend to believe this is a pre-production sample. Its really odd that no loose game ever appeared but only a complete one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 I tend to believe this is a pre-production sample. Its really odd that no loose game ever appeared but only a complete one. Well, for a pre-production sample it's pretty complete. Also, would they print only one manual, label and box? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazzeri Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 That happens. Best example is Bingo for the RCA Studio. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 rarest game i own is bumper bash, r9 according to aa. i also have repros of pepsi invaders and red sea crossing. pepsi from aa and the red sea was purchased from a scammer for $700. the buyer got reimbused and was told by ebay to destroy the counterfeit. i jokingly offered him $25 shipped and he accepted. so i payed up and have a boot with history behind it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxsolo2000 Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 I think some numbers are off. Feel free to correct me if i´m mistaken: - There´s only one Birthday Mania - Gamma Attack is complicated... :-) One was found in the wild by Anthony DeNardo. Then the game author surfaced and sold "the other copy he had" but it was different from the one already known. So it can be only one copy back in the day or two copies. Really weird scenario. - There were two Red Sea Crossing, they were on sale at the same time. Apparently there´s a few more Ultravision Karate. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/116749-i-am-updating-the-ntsc-ultravision-karate-registry/?hl=ultravision+karate&do=findComment&comment=2174459 How different was the 2nd Gamma Attack to the one Shaun and Phantom found? Was it ever downloaded and released? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballblaɀer Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 If one counts label variants (some people won't want to, of course -- I get that) then the Atari Inc. 1978 picture label Flag Capture is right up there as well, with three known copies. I've got one, Supergun's got one, and I'm not sure where the third one ended up. On a related note, does anyone have a current count, or at least a good estimate, of existing Sears Superman picture labels in collectors' hands? I want to say that it's in the 10-15 range but... I don't remember why I have that number in my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazing Lazers Posted August 21, 2018 Author Share Posted August 21, 2018 So, bit of an updated tally: 1x copy: Cat Trax, Birthday Mania (only one copy seems to be confirmed) 2x copies: monogrammed Space Chase, Red Sea Crossing, Gamma Attack (possibly 2 slightly different copies) 3x copies: Ultravision Karate 4x copies: 5x copies: Extra Terrestrials (also, one prototype version) 6x copies: Gauntlet 15x copies: Eli's Ladder 20+ copies: Air Raid 23x copies: Magicard 28x copies: Pepsi Invaders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazing Lazers Posted August 21, 2018 Author Share Posted August 21, 2018 Well, for a pre-production sample it's pretty complete. Also, would they print only one manual, label and box? Only one? Highly unlikely. But beyond that, very, very few. It would not at all surprise me if the one copy depicted on Atarimania is the only surviving one. It might well be possible to discover more if somebody were to dig through the surviving documents of UA, Ltd. I've heard anecdotes that some records do indeed exist still. Still, given just how rare some Arcadia games are, and how scattered UA's distribution was, I absolutely consider it possible that a few 2600 copies of Cat Trax could have been made and sold somewhere in the world. Looking at those images of the one box makes me sure that others had to have existed. And it does amuse me to think that the commonest Arcadia game could also be the rarest Atari game! That happens. Best example is Bingo for the RCA Studio. Yeah, it did happen. To what extent is anybody's guess. The exact status of Bingo is still uncertain, even after years of digging into it. Pre-production sample is simply my own conclusion based on what the bulk of the evidence suggests to me. If nothing else, it makes the most practical sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 (edited) So, bit of an updated tally: 1x copy: Cat Trax, Birthday Mania (only one copy seems to be confirmed) 2x copies: monogrammed Space Chase, Red Sea Crossing, Gamma Attack (possibly 2 slightly different copies) 3x copies: Ultravision Karate 4x copies: 5x copies: Extra Terrestrials (also, one prototype version) 6x copies: Gauntlet 15x copies: Eli's Ladder 20+ copies: Air Raid 23x copies: Magicard 28x copies: Pepsi Invaders Are we going to add holy grail PAL originals too? If so: http://www.atarimania.com/pgelstsoft.awp?system=2&type=G&format=1&original=1&cartridgerarity=10&step=200 Only one (two at most) found of each. Edited August 21, 2018 by Rom Hunter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schitti Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Are we going to add holy grail PAL originals too? Of course! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpugmire Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 On the Magicard numbers, are you figuring in all three variants? (Two label variations, and the bare pcb version.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Based on comments in the ET thread, there's three copies of Red Sea Crossing. Gauntlet is a bit hard to judge, because there are boards and chips (no cases) out there as well, someone found a supply of the chips iirc. I bought one back at the time, although it has since been sold. Isn't the run on Video Life something like 20 odd as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zwackery Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 These are very rare, but not single or even double digit IMHO (in terms of production run, not sure how many are left on Planet Earth). How about this gray box with colour picture title? Only seen it once: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jeremiahjt Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 In the now-locked Extra Terrestrials thread it was said that there are seven known copies. The three in the museum (assuming the prototype was included), the lady in Hamilton, the recently discovered genesis of that thread, and Wonder007's just revealed copy make six copies. Wonder007 also stated that two people have offered to sell him a copy. Could that be the seventh copy and one of the aforementioned copies, maybe the lady in Hamilton? Or would that make seven not including the prototype? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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