Solaris PAL version - any distinguishing features?

[Room 34]

Last night I finally sat down for some Atari action for the first time in weeks.

 

I fired up the 7800 and plugged in a brand new copy of Solaris I picked up on eBay. (It was one of the many NIB copies VideoGameHut offers regularly.)

 

Strange... the picture rolled, and I noticed the colors were off! Immediately my guess was that I had a PAL version of the game in my hands.

 

I took the cart to the basement to compare it with the copy of Solaris I've had since "back in the day."

 

My old copy has the 1986 copyright, and the end label is a "brighter" shade of red than the main label. It also says "Made in Taiwan."

 

The new copy's end label is the same color as the main label. It has a 1988 copyright. "ATARI CORP." is in all caps. (It's not that way on the '86 copy.) And this one says "Made in Hong Kong."

 

But nowhere does it indicate PAL format. No "P" on the end label. Nothing on the box. (I know some boxes, especially from the silver label era, said "For use with North American and other NTSC television sets only," but I'm not sure if any red label era boxes did.)

 

So, is this a PAL copy, or have others had problems with NTSC copies on the 7800? (I have used my older copy of Solaris on the 7800 many times with no problem.) And if it IS a PAL copy, is there any "clue" on the label or box that would indicate that?

 

The reason I ask the latter question is that I actually got 2 sealed NIB copies of Solaris from VideoGameHut, and I am wondering if I should bother to open the other one! (Both of them are 1988 Hong Kong versions, according to the boxes.)

[Room 34]

Ah... something I should note. I just checked the archives here and I saw that the PAL version (at least, the known PAL version) has a color picture on the label, and the text at the bottom is white.

 

Mine has the grayscale picture and black text at the bottom.

[DeV0]

I have 2 Pal solaris''s

 

Both are 1987, both have b&w picture,both have black text, Neither have a P anywhere.

 

1 is made in hongkong, the other in china.

 

Hong kong says - CA400226-136

China says - CX26136

 

I think urs is Pal

[Spirantho]

The PAL Solaris I have here is 1987, "Produced in China", and has a "P" sticker on the back. Don`t know if that helps any.

 

Incidentally, are AtariAge ever intending on doing rarity lists on PAL carts? The lists at the moment have hardly any PAL carts, just the ones with a different label to the NTSC carts it appears, and most of my PAL carts are identical to the NTSC ones so I have no idea of their scarcity. Just a thought.

[Room 34]

I have 2 Pal solaris''s

 

Both are 1987, both have b&w picture,both have black text, Neither have a P anywhere.

 

1 is made in hongkong, the other in china.  

 

Hong kong says - CA400226-136

China says - CX26136

 

I think urs is Pal

 

Thanks, DeV0. Looks like maybe this Hong Kong Solaris I have is PAL format, then.

 

Does anyone have a Hong Kong Solaris that is NTSC? I am still debating whether to bother opening the other sealed copy I have, since it's also Hong Kong. (I really do want to have two usable copies of Solaris, though!)

[DeV0]

The PAL Solaris I have here is 1987, "Produced in China", and has a "P" sticker on the back. Don`t know if that helps any.

 

Incidentally, are AtariAge ever intending on doing rarity lists on PAL carts? The lists at the moment have hardly any PAL carts, just the ones with a different label to the NTSC carts it appears, and most of my PAL carts are identical to the NTSC ones so I have no idea of their scarcity. Just a thought.

 

 

Strangely enough i wanted this to happen as well and am willing to help. The problem is people using this guide to sell their gear on ebay here. So lets just say all PAL carts are a rarity 1