Galaga box variation

[Atari_Bill]

Can anyone give me any info on this Galaga box that I recently picked up?   I bought it because it was different with the black 7800 text and I cannot find any other sales like it.  What’s the origin?  Is this an earlier box release maybe?

 

 

 

 

[+slx]

Maybe before color coding for systems was introduced?

[+groundtrooper]

I have one also. I have never found any information about the black text variation. 

 

[Trebor]

4 hours ago, Atari_Bill said:

 Is this an earlier box release maybe?

 

31 minutes ago, groundtrooper said:

I have one also. I have never found any information about the black text variation. 

A rarer 1986 box as opposed to the common 1987 (and newer) boxes.

 

The 1984 boxes are the really nice collector's items.  They hardly ever make an appearance.

 

@nosweargamer uploaded a video on the topic several years back.

[Atari_Bill]

54 minutes ago, Trebor said:

 

A rarer 1986 box as opposed to the common 1987 (and newer) boxes.

 

The 1984 boxes are the really nice collector's items.  They hardly ever make an appearance.

 

@nosweargamer uploaded a video on the topic several years back.

I knew about the 84 boxes and I knew this wasn’t one of them. I had a shot at one of the 84s a few years ago for very little $$$ and missed it because I didn’t know what it was.  ? Guess I didn’t know there were release differences between 84 and 87. 

[r_type2600]

Has anyone ever seen any other 84 variation box than Joust?

I've seen (demo/proto?) carts for several of the early games with a fitting label  (Centipede and Galaga come to mind) but so far only the Joust box with this cool design.

[Atari_Bill]

1 hour ago, r_type2600 said:

Has anyone ever seen any other 84 variation box than Joust?

I've seen (demo/proto?) carts for several of the early games with a fitting label  (Centipede and Galaga come to mind) but so far only the Joust box with this cool design.

I think Ms Pac Man exists as well.  Maybe I’m misremembering, but I thought that was what I had a chance to buy.  

[+GoldenWheels]

I've only seen Joust, myself. I have seen it pop up 2-3 times in past few years.

 

I wanted it (as a big 7800 AND Joust fan) but the last (beat-to-hell) one I saw went for $400+ if I recall right. Woof.

[Leonard Smith]

Thanks for sharing this box variant.  Can you confirm that someone didn't just color in the logo with a black Sharpie marker?  I've run into printed materials where someone was doodling and coloring in logos and shapes before.
 

I checked my personal copy that I bought from B&C and it's the standard red text variant.  I'll keep my eyes open for variants since I'm still buying and building my 7800 collection.

 

[Atari_Bill]

11 minutes ago, Leonard Smith said:

Thanks for sharing this box variant.  Can you confirm that someone didn't just color in the logo with a black Sharpie marker?  I've run into printed materials where someone was doodling and coloring in logos and shapes before.
 

I checked my personal copy that I bought from B&C and it's the standard red text variant.  I'll keep my eyes open for variants since I'm still buying and building my 7800 collection.

 

It’s production.  No marker on the box.  

[phattyboombatty]

On 4/7/2022 at 9:07 AM, Atari_Bill said:

Can anyone give me any info on this Galaga box that I recently picked up?   I bought it because it was different with the black 7800 text and I cannot find any other sales like it.  What’s the origin?  Is this an earlier box release maybe?

 

 

 

 

These are the “original” 1986 releases. I collect them. They are hard to find. I have Centipede, Asteroids, and Robotron 2084. I have surmised that Atari Corp. was still contractually bound to the same box manufacturer through part of 1986 (I have to go look at the flap for the name). You will notice the “cereal-box style tuck flap”. It is identical to all Atari, Inc. boxes that are dated 1984 and prior. Another qualifying feature are that there are three bullet points on the back (as opposed to two). The last one shows that the game is for NTSC. This was omitted with later printings. 

 

These boxes IMO have better, brighter colors and are more durable than the later releases. I imagine these were slightly more expensive. I like them a lot better. The Galaga box clearly has a misprint with its black coloration of the title on all sides of the box. I’ve never seen a 1986 variant with correct colors.

[roadrunner]

Realsports baseball has 2 different boxes too.










 

Edited April 10, 2022 by roadrunner

[Leonard Smith]

The top one is probably the later version as it references the Atari Advantage promo that was going on in 1988 or 1989 as well as the "NEW" yellow indicator.

It also might just be severly sunfaded - check out the yellow visor on the player with the Atari cap.  On the bottom box, the visor is YELLOW.  On the top one, the visor is practically white.

 

 

[Atari_Bill]

2 hours ago, phattyboombatty said:

These are the “original” 1986 releases. I collect them. They are hard to find. I have Centipede, Asteroids, and Robotron 2084. I have surmised that Atari Corp. was still contractually bound to the same box manufacturer through part of 1986 (I have to go look at the flap for the name). You will notice the “cereal-box style tuck flap”. It is identical to all Atari, Inc. boxes that are dated 1984 and prior. Another qualifying feature are that there are three bullet points on the back (as opposed to two). The last one shows that the game is for NTSC. This was omitted with later printings. 

 

These boxes IMO have better, brighter colors and are more durable than the later releases. I imagine these were slightly more expensive. I like them a lot better. The Galaga box clearly has a misprint with its black coloration of the title on all sides of the box. I’ve never seen a 1986 variant with correct colors.

Thanks for the info!  That all makes sense.  do other 86 titles have black text as well or is it just Galaga?

[phattyboombatty]

9 hours ago, Atari_Bill said:

Thanks for the info!  That all makes sense.  do other 86 titles have black text as well or is it just Galaga?

Just Galaga.  

[Atari_Bill]

4 hours ago, phattyboombatty said:

Just Galaga.  

Great, more things to search for LOL!

Edited April 11, 2022 by Atari_Bill

[harmonyFM]

Damn that looks cool as hell, I wish they'd stuck with either of the older styles instead of the one they went with. Ah, the path not taken...

[Leonard Smith]

Does anyone have that black text variation of Baseball?

I just checked my copy and it's the White Logo variant (with the "NEW" and "Atari Advantage" stickers).

 

The player with the yellow visor on my copy is muted, but not as faded as the photo shown in this thread.

That one must be sunfaded since I notice that the red text elements are also quite dull.

 

EDIT:  I just found one black text baseball variant on eBay and put in an offer (and won it)!
 

There are differences on the back of the box (mainly a 5th bullet point clarifying that it's for NTSC TV's only, in addition to some differences in the 'made in' country and possibly even bolder text on the black variant).

 

Based on eBay, the white text version is more common.  
Either way, I'll see if the seller accepts my offer.  Never thought I would get into variant collecting, but the 7800 library is small enough so what the hell.