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Author Topic: NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games  (Read 5879 times)

nate80s

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« on: August 26, 2010, 12:37:31 AM »
As many of you know, there were quite a few planned, unreleased game show games for the NES.  If you still play your NES, you may know that games are still being made via reproduction.  It would be really nice if these guys could make those prototypes a reality.  Question is... out of all of those games, which one(s) would you have liked to see released in the NES "afterlife?"

I would have to say Super Password.  Here's a couple screenshots and box art of the proposed game:

Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2
Box art
Plus learn about a "Talking" version here
« Last Edit: August 26, 2010, 12:44:59 AM by nate80s »

Bob Zager

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2010, 11:21:10 AM »
When the first NES games from GameTek were released, there was mention of, as well as prototype box art, TPIR and Password coming soon!  Although neither edition was released, the box art for Password, at that time, showed a photo of one of the team desks on $25,000/$100,000 Pyramid set!

Super Password was released for PC systems, and I thoght it played well, despite not having the greatest graphics.  I can imagine how close to the show it would look, now, if it were being made for current day systems!

DoorNumberFour

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2010, 11:50:25 AM »
[quote name=\'nate80s\' post=\'246415\' date=\'Aug 26 2010, 12:37 AM\']As many of you know, there were quite a few planned, unreleased game show games for the NES.  If you still play your NES, you may know that games are still being made via reproduction.  It would be really nice if these guys could make those prototypes a reality.  Question is... out of all of those games, which one(s) would you have liked to see released in the NES "afterlife?"

I would have to say Super Password.  Here's a couple screenshots and box art of the proposed game:

Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2
Box art
Plus learn about a "Talking" version here[/quote]
Do you know if there's a ROM available?
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wheelloon

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2010, 02:13:20 PM »
[quote name=\'DoorNumberFour\' post=\'246421\' date=\'Aug 26 2010, 11:50 AM\'][quote name=\'nate80s\' post=\'246415\' date=\'Aug 26 2010, 12:37 AM\']As many of you know, there were quite a few planned, unreleased game show games for the NES.  If you still play your NES, you may know that games are still being made via reproduction.  It would be really nice if these guys could make those prototypes a reality.  Question is... out of all of those games, which one(s) would you have liked to see released in the NES "afterlife?"

I would have to say Super Password.  Here's a couple screenshots and box art of the proposed game:

Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2
Box art
Plus learn about a "Talking" version here[/quote]
Do you know if there's a ROM available?
[/quote]

There is a cartridge around, and at one time IIRC, it was on ebay, but it was some time back. There are no ROM's of it out there, I'd be willing to bet a large sum of money on, as there's only been one cartridge that has been seen semi-publically, and it seems like nobody knows who the real owner of that cartridge is anymore.

My story around SP involves me, as a little kid, seeing it advertised in all the instruction booklets with all the other NES GS games at the time, and how I kept searching like a mad man for it and putting it on my XMAS and birthday lists if my parents would happen to find it (up until about 2000, my gifts would always include some set of retro VG's). Of course, we didn't find it, and only through some deep digging did I realize it was never released but a cartridge exists of it somewhere.

FTR, Pyamid was considered for a game but because GameTek considered Password and Pyramid so similar in their makeup, they decided to do only one (an argument of one game taking an audience away from the other was possibly their justification *groan*), and it was SP they "ultimately decided on." When I say Password, too, I do also believe that was because they were thinking of making an original Password game, not an SP or P+, but I can't say that with total certainty. All this was circa 1986, but come circa late 87/88, when they ended up moving forward and going with SP, originally, it wasn't supposed to talk (like some of the previews advertised it would later). However, in late 88/89, that was one of the "upgrades" they made to the game late in its development life, and then, the show was cancelled, which I ultimately think was its nail in the coffin for getting released.

TPIR was considered, but was said to be too complicated to respectfully emulate on the NES (which I'd agree with, the PC and C64 version back then... left a lot to be desired), and Card Sharks was also considered for an NES game. My synapses are also telling me SoTC, High Rollers, and (of all things), Blockbusters were being considered at a point, but I might be confusing that with something else.

I personally would've loved to see a "Scrabble" game, but with 4 Wheel's released on the NES, it's no surprise to me one was never done. MG 90 would've been fun too I believe, but the transition from NES to SNES, at that time, probably stymied that one. I can think of multiple reasons TJW and TTD were never heard about being considered, but I think they would've been great additions also...
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Matt Ottinger

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2010, 02:47:41 PM »
[quote name=\'nate80s\' post=\'246415\' date=\'Aug 26 2010, 12:37 AM\']As many of you know, there were quite a few planned, unreleased game show games for the NES.[/quote]
GameTek actually planned some stuff for an even cruder platform.  Look what could have happened.
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Bobby B.

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2010, 06:08:08 PM »
I've seen those SP screenshots a few times, and it definitely would have worked for the NES.  Card Sharks would have as well.  The PC versions of both were well done, and I feel that the NES versions also would have been.  

Matt, regarding the Atari 2600 games, I've heard it claimed that they were going to be board game/video game hybrids.  I've never seen anything definitive on that, but given the very limited capability of the 2600 (ever seen the 2600 version of Pac-Man?...yeesh), I'd think that would have to be true.

MikeK

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« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2010, 06:18:10 PM »
[quote name=\'Bobby B.\' post=\'246486\' date=\'Aug 27 2010, 06:08 PM\']I've never seen anything definitive on that, but given the very limited capability of the 2600 (ever seen the 2600 version of Pac-Man?...yeesh)[/quote]
Atari rushing a title to market just to cash in on that property's popularity?  NEVER!

I picked up an Atari 2600 several weeks back, after finding a dozen cartridges while doing some cleaning at my parents' house.  Ms. Pac-Man and Baby Pac-Man are each vast improvements over the original Pac-Man.

clemon79

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2010, 07:03:35 PM »
[quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'246487\' date=\'Aug 27 2010, 03:18 PM\']Ms. Pac-Man and Baby Pac-Man are each vast improvements over the original Pac-Man.[/quote]
They also had a dev cycle longer than six weeks.

/you listening, Ludia?
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parliboy

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2010, 07:10:41 PM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'246488\' date=\'Aug 27 2010, 06:03 PM\']/you listening, Ludia?[/quote]
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nate80s

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2010, 10:45:18 PM »
Quote
[quote name=\'nate80s\' post=\'246415\' date=\'Aug 26 2010, 12:37 AM\']
As many of you know, there were quite a few planned, unreleased game show games for the NES.  If you still play your NES, you may know that games are still being made via reproduction.  It would be really nice if these guys could make those prototypes a reality.  Question is... out of all of those games, which one(s) would you have liked to see released in the NES "afterlife?"

I would have to say Super Password.  Here's a couple screenshots and box art of the proposed game:

Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2
Box art
Plus learn about a "Talking" version here[/quote]

I haven't seen this in years, but I found the box art for Talking Super Password.  Perhaps the fine folks at nesdump.com could find a rom and reproduce it.

/Around the same time, this game was planned.

Thunder

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NES Reproduction Carts/ Unreleased Game Show Games
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2010, 12:35:29 AM »
I chuckled when I saw the "voice technology" for the Super Password game was named POS.