VCS/2600 Game Rarity by Number of Known Copies

[Supergun]

A few additional pieces of information to add;

 

1) It is unknown (as of yet) where Wonder007 sourced his cartridge from. But presumably he has had it for sometime and it is logical to assume that it is at the very least possible, as well as most likely, that he sourced it from one of the known samples. I.E. he could have contacted the Hamilton woman privately & purchased it from her or he could have purchased one of the 3 from the museum. So therefore, such as in that case, Wonders cartridge would not count as yet another cartridge found, rather merely that one of the known ones changed hands.

 

2) The prototype is both internally AND externally different from the final version. In the sense that the rom code has a music variance & perhaps a small bug and in the sense that the main label is a slightly different shade of blue, and the end label is black, rather then blue.

[Supergun]

Also, regarding the list in post one, it should be more like this:

 

1x copy: Birthday Mania / Gamma Attack

(*) 1x copy: Cat Trax (if it wasnt a commercial sample)

2x copies: monogrammed Space Chase

3x copies: Red Sea Crossing

3x copies: Ultravision Karate

4x copies:

5x copies: Extra Terrestrials

6x copies: Gauntlet

 

15x copies: Eli's Ladder

20x copies: Air Raid

23x copies: Magicard

28x copies: Pepsi Invaders

[Rom Hunter]

2) The prototype is both internally AND externally different from the final version. In the sense that the rom code has a music variance & perhaps a small bug and in the sense that the main label is a slightly different shade of blue, and the end label is black, rather then blue.

I think all the Extra Terrestrial carts have a black end label.

 

[+stupus]

There are 2 known boxed copies of the finished looking cat trax.

1 that is pictured on atarimania and another nib copy that was found before that 1.

I still think it's likely a pre production copy. Or survivers from a small first run that never got distributed because ual folded.

But it's also not impossible they got limited distribution. With a few other arcadia games being about equally rare to it anything is possible I suppose.

 

And there are 3 red sea crossing carts. The 3rd was found by a guy on Facebook. It has no end label though. He was taking offers on Facebook and he brought it to the corgs video game show to display. Not sure if it has since sold. That was this summer.

 

I think only 1 copy of birthday mania is confirmed. A collector has claimed to have a 2nd copy but has never provided evidence. Was this Jerry G.? I can't remember.

[+stupus]

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...

This 1 was from Australia but it's ntsc. Put up by a random seller on eBay australia who had quite a few rare 2600 games. Won by a collector here at atariage.

[+stupus]

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.

Most of those are very rare. But i have seen a decent number of racing car by homevision.

I have 1 loose. Now boxed I can't say I have ever seen 1.

[+stupus]

Also isn't video life more rare than magicard?

And how many confirmed ntsc copies of mangia?

[Rom Hunter]

Most of those are very rare. But i have seen a decent number of racing car by homevision.

 

Yes, but not the white cartridge one.

 

In the past 15 years I've only seen one.

 

Edited August 25, 2018 by Rom Hunter

[+stupus]

Yes, but not the white cartridge one.

In the past 15 years I've only seen one.

Ah, ok you meant that particular variant. Yes I believe mine is the black 1 as are 1 think probably any I have seen come up for sale.

Any idea of a count of video life copies?

[yanbu]

That Birthday Mania (shell only) on eBay sold for nearly $350 a few days ago - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-2600-Birthday-mania-Machine-shell-/113205296743?nordt=true&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l44720

Edited August 26, 2018 by yanbu

[+stupus]

Well somebody got royally screwed then cuz that shell is fake as hell.

[yanbu]

Well somebody got royally screwed then cuz that shell is fake as hell.

 

Lol, I wondered about that. Does a ROM of that exist anywhere? Just curious if we need to be on the lookout for anyone reporting having found a copy of it soon or something.

[lazzeri]

Isn´t that funny? No public ROM and someone stumbled upon a shell only. :-)

 

Someone "back in the day" put that together WITH NO BOARD INSIDE, assembled, glued the label and then stored somewhere, just to be found now. Of couse.

[+stupus]

The 1 verified copy has not been dumped or at least has not been publicly shared if the owner did dump it.

 

Not long ago though a member here found the code though and entered it in to make a Rom. But he has not shared that and planned to do a repro run but apparently has never got to it sadly because of health reasons.

 

But that shell has everything wrong about it and why would it be in Australia to begin with?

 

I like how the seller says they know very little about this game...Yeah other than it's a shitty fake they made! Lol

[Supergun]

Yes. That is indeed an accurate synopsis of the situation. But there is another SIGNIFICANT element to the Birthday Mania story. The problem is that it is based almost entirely on a hypothesis which has yet to be conclusively proven.

 

Regarding the topic of this thread however, Im been working on something since it began that I will post here as soon as its ready which I think everyone will really enjoy!

[high voltage]

Haha, funny, 20 Dollars from Hozer, with game.

[+stupus]

Haha, funny, 20 Dollars from Hozer, with game.

So your saying randy has the birthday mania Rom now and is selling it?

[+stupus]

Yes. That is indeed an accurate synopsis of the situation. But there is another SIGNIFICANT element to the Birthday Mania story. The problem is that it is based almost entirely on a hypothesis which has yet to be conclusively proven.

Regarding the topic of this thread however, Im been working on something since it began that I will post here as soon as its ready which I think everyone will really enjoy!

What element do you refer to? The known copy....the typed in Rom....etc?

[high voltage]

So your saying randy has the birthday mania Rom now and is selling it?

 

No sorry, he doesn't have it, my bad.

 

I was thinking of Waggie who's trying to get a working copy for us from the original designer.

 

Sorry, Randy's a good guy......He very much helped to kickstart the homebrew scene during the 90s.

Edited August 26, 2018 by high voltage

[alex_79]

The 1 verified copy has not been dumped or at least has not been publicly shared if the owner did dump it.

 

Not long ago though a member here found the code though and entered it in to make a Rom. But he has not shared that and planned to do a repro run but apparently has never got to it sadly because of health reasons.

 

But that shell has everything wrong about it and why would it be in Australia to begin with?

 

I like how the seller says they know very little about this game...Yeah other than it's a shitty fake they made! Lol

 

Not only the shell, but also the artwork and the font used in that label don't match the known cart.

 

This render of the label I posted years ago is much closer to the real thing.

 

350 USD? I'd say 50 cents would be a more fair price...

 

 

 

[Rom Hunter]

Well, that's an expensive cartridge shell.

I feel sorry for the buyer.

[Blazing Lazers]

Also, regarding the list in post one, it should be more like this:

 

1x copy: Birthday Mania / Gamma Attack

(*) 1x copy: Cat Trax (if it wasnt a commercial sample)

2x copies: monogrammed Space Chase

3x copies: Red Sea Crossing

3x copies: Ultravision Karate

4x copies:

5x copies: Extra Terrestrials

6x copies: Gauntlet

 

15x copies: Eli's Ladder

20x copies: Air Raid

23x copies: Magicard

28x copies: Pepsi Invaders

I agree- this is a cleaner way of presenting the known tallies. Same as below, but with the extra copy of Cat Trax added:

 

1x copy: Birthday Mania / Gamma Attack

(*) 2x copies: Cat Trax (if it wasn't a commercial sample)

2x copies: monogrammed Space Chase

3x copies: Red Sea Crossing

3x copies: Ultravision Karate

4x copies:

5x copies: Extra Terrestrials

6x copies: Gauntlet

 

15x copies: Eli's Ladder

20x copies: Air Raid

23x copies: Magicard

28x copies: Pepsi Invaders

 

I'm really looking forward to what you're typing up!

[lazzeri]

Aint there more copies of Karate?

 

That thread ive posted earlier in here mentions like 5 copies.

[Blazing Lazers]

There are 2 known boxed copies of the finished looking cat trax.

1 that is pictured on atarimania and another nib copy that was found before that 1.

I still think it's likely a pre production copy. Or survivers from a small first run that never got distributed because ual folded.

But it's also not impossible they got limited distribution. With a few other arcadia games being about equally rare to it anything is possible I suppose.

 

And there are 3 red sea crossing carts. The 3rd was found by a guy on Facebook. It has no end label though. He was taking offers on Facebook and he brought it to the corgs video game show to display. Not sure if it has since sold. That was this summer.

 

I think only 1 copy of birthday mania is confirmed. A collector has claimed to have a 2nd copy but has never provided evidence. Was this Jerry G.? I can't remember.

 

This is exactly the sort of lore that I love, and which really needs to be a part of ongoing rarity totals so that there isn't confusion as to what exists in what amounts. Thank you so much for sharing this info with us all!

 

Also isn't video life more rare than magicard?

And how many confirmed ntsc copies of mangia?

 

If exact totals aren't available, we could possibly add maximum number of possible copies for things like Video Life (there can't be more of them than there are Magicards, in theory), as well as minimum numbers of known copies for titles like NTSC Mangia.

[Blazing Lazers]

Aint there more copies of Karate?

 

That thread ive posted earlier in here mentions like 5 copies.

I thought a bunch were from overseas? Yeah, there could be more- but what is the number of confirmed separate copies? That linked thread was using what data and whose copies? Hopefully the actual owners can chime in so we can figure out the minimum number of existing copies. I'm sure that you're right and that it's more than just 3.