Which came first - double or single ender Xonox carts?

[Keir]

I would think that the singles came first, then they decided to make doubles as a gimmick because the singles weren't selling. Just wondering if anyone knows for sure.

[MegaManFan]

I'm pretty sure it was the other way around. They released the doubles as their gimmick to get over in the Atari market, as two games for the price of one. When they weren't selling that well they switched to single enders. That's why most of them are more rare than their doubled up counterparts.

[rolenta]

I'm pretty sure it was the other way around. They released the doubles as their gimmick to get over in the Atari market' date=' as two games for the price of one. When they weren't selling that well they switched to single enders. That's why most of them are more rare than their doubled up counterparts.[/quote']

 

This is correct. The gimmick was that you could turn the cartridge and there's a game on each side. Likewise, the company was called XONOX because its the same name if you turn it over.

[NovaXpress]

An Xonox was, of course, owned by K-Tel of "Metal Maniacs" fame on 2 LPs or 8-Tracks.

 

They spent a fortune to hype the double enders, but they didn't get very good distribution. I never saw Xonox games at any of the department stores. The single games came out about a year after the double enders, I believe.

 

The problem with double-ended games is that neither one gets the proper promotion. People just assumed that the games are weak. The should have promoted Spike's Peak and Ghost Manor separately for a few months to build hype then make the shocking announcement that they would be sold together.

[Keir]

Cool. I never knew.

 

This also helps me since I prefer to have just the original version of each game I own.

[+Random Terrain]

I only saw the double-enders at the store. Never saw the singles. We bought Ghost Manor/Spike's Peak, but it sucked, so we took it back to the store. I later got the single Tomarc the Barbarian and single Ghost Manor in a box of games my uncle sent to me and I was surprised. I didn't know Xonox made single games.

[Big Player]

I'm always amazed that there were stores that let you take back video games after you opened them. Too bad none of the stores near me were ever like that.

[Adrian M]

I know.

At best, you could get an exchange provided the game was defective. That was about it though.

[NovaXpress]

At Sears you could return any game within 30 days for any reason.

[SimonTemplar]

I wonder why Motocross Racer/Tomarc the barbarian is so rare, both on Atari and on the Colecovision.

[sku_u]

I wonder why Motocross Racer/Tomarc the barbarian is so rare' date=' both on Atari and on the Colecovision. [/quote']

 

From what I understand, the DE NTSC version of this was only released in Canada in limited quantities which helps explain the rarity to some degree.