Take One Dr. Mario Game Boy Prototype And See Me In The Morning

by Mike

I know I promised mutant turtle coverage in the last update, but I decided to postpone all that crazy ooze I had planned to drop on you to instead focus on a couple of more pressing prototypes–beginning with Dr. Mario for the Game Boy.

While healthcare’s on everyone’s minds these days, I’ve only been thinking of one doctor lately, and his name is Mario. That quack doc has drugged me all over again with a newly found prototype of his classic 1990 handheld puzzler.

Will the results be any different this time around? Or will Mario strap on the rubber gloves and proceed with another involuntary colonoscopy? To the prototype page, post haste!

Holy Famicom Prototype, Batman!

by Mike

Today I have something to momentarily distract all you flapping mad Batman buffs from The Great Batfleck Apocalypse: a newly dumped prototype of Batman: Return of the Joker for the Famicom! Sunsoft originally released this game in 1991, back when Gotham City was a far safer place with Michael Keaton behind the wheel of the Batmobile.

In other superhero news, if you love the Ninja Turtles, you won’t want to miss the next couple of updates. Even if you’re not a fan, you’ll at least get a glimpse of how incredibly geeky and insane I am for the heroes in a half shell, and that should be worth at least a few judgmental laughs.

Bo Knows Protos: Tecmo Super Bowl NES Prototype

by Mike

Former Nintendo fansite webmaster Sean MacKenzie has generously shared with the world a prototype of the NES classic Tecmo Super Bowl. Download the binary and read up on some of its differences in the site’s newest article.

No Joking Matter: NBA Jam XXX-Posed

by Mike

NBA Jam XXX, an in-house version of the Super Nintendo classic that features raunchy voice-over calls, made waves online after I unearthed the game on a development prototype board last summer. The subsequent article that I wrote and corresponding YouTube video that I recorded has since resulted in over 100,000 people hearing Tim Kitzrow, NBA Jam‘s iconic announcer, shouting outrageous lines like “He’s on fucking fire,” “Grabs his johnson,”  and “Get that shit out of here.”

The public’s excitement over NBA Jam XXX soon turned into skepticism when Kitzrow called the recordings fake and the game a “hack job” created by an impersonator.

“I’m still friends with a lot of those folks from Acclaim and Iguana and no one knows who is pulling your chain,” he told Kotaku. “A good imitation to be sure, but trust me Jam was too big to have ever messed around like that.”

After his dismissive remarks, many started to brush off the game as a hoax, an attention-seeking stunt.

By accepting NBA Jam XXX from a private anonymous industry source, I had effectively adopted and taken ownership of its legacy. The game’s future rested in my hands. As its new caretaker, I felt that I had an obligation to defend NBA Jam XXX‘s integrity as a real piece of arcade and video game history that deserves to be respected and remembered.

For the sake of the game’s long-term preservation, I set out on a mission to untangle the wild mystery behind NBA Jam XXX.

Continue Reading…

Subcon Searching: The Mystery Of The Super Mario Bros. 2 Sample

by Mike

You’ve probably heard of the Super Mario Bros. 2 prototype that was found in 2005 and leaked online, but do you know about the internal Nintendo of America samples that have been circulating among collectors since the late ’90s?

If not, you might want to check out this new article. Although I came up short in definitively solving the mystery behind these carts (i.e. dumping one), I still was able to uncover some new information by tracking down all three known owners and consulting Randy “Captain” Studdard, a former Nintendo Power editor and the creator of Captain Nintendo.

Be sure to look out for an interview with Captain in an upcoming issue of Game Informer.

Unreleased Tyrannosaurus Tex, The Game Boy Color’s Only First-Person Shooter, Is No Longer Extinct

by Mike

The second most anticipated cancelled Game Boy Color game behind Resident Evil, Tyrannosaurus Tex  (or T-Tex for short) would have been the one and only first-person shooter on Nintendo’s first color handheld had it been released in 2001.

Despite receiving praise from gaming critics (most notably IGN) for its smooth 20-30fps 3-D action and impressive deathmatch multiplayer, T-Tex quietly disappeared for good after publisher Eidos permanently shelved the title.

To pay my respects to Tex, I wrote a 9,000-word article all about cyborg dinosaurs, robotic aliens, and Texan stereotypes… Yeehaw!

Slitherine Software, the English developers behind the game, provided the site with all of the never-before-seen background artwork from the “final” version, and T-Tex producer Iain McNeill also helped solve some unanswered mysteries. The game’s entire charming script has been transcribed, as well. Oh, and there’s an early prototype for you to play, too!

Although Slitherine never had a chance to share T-Tex with the world, the studio went on to enjoy success in the strategy game genre. In an amazing coincidence, Legion, the company’s first completed game, has just been ported to the iPad this week!

Just When You Thought Flu Season Was Over, Three New Viruses Have Spread To The NES!

by Mike

Brent “Skrybe” Adams, a longtime champion of 8-bit Nintendo preservation, has just the prescription to get you through the end of this year’s germy flu season. He’s sending relief in the form of three Dr. Mario NES prototype binaries on the Lost Levels forums.

The first two ROM images provide a fascinating look at the famed medical mind game back when it was simply called Virus. In this abandoned version, the trademark “Fever” and “Chill” music tracks are missing and Mario is a veterinarian caring for a sneezing bulldog with the aid of his buxom nursing assistant Princess Toadstool.

“Helllllooo, nurse!”

Despite taking a leave of absence in the retail Dr. Mario, the NES instruction manual still refers to the Mushroom Kingdom’s Royal Highness as “Nurse Toadstool” who works alongside Mario in the virus research lab at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital.

 

The earliest build from 1989 was picked up at a San Antonio flea market and sold on eBay in 2010 for a fever-inducing $2,238.98.

 

The EPROMs are attached to an NROM PCB.

The second Virus, dated February 2, 1990, changed hands in 2008 after being quarantined in California. The game is strangely contained within a Tetris prototype cartridge.

 

The menu has been tweaked, some colors have changed, and those pesky viruses are now pulsating.

 

The third and final ROM image shows off a later beta closer to the PlayChoice-10 prototype that was discovered in Georgia last October (see Dream and Friends for more on that find). Also acquired in 2008, this Dr. Mario came out of the now closed offices of Nintendo Power. A carved-out Super Mario Bros. shell houses the board.

 

Prototype (left), US/JP Retail (right)

Check out Mario sporting groovy new pointy shoes!

All three cartridges were purchased from the private collection of Johan, the same Swedish collector who supplied Nintendo Player with the Donkey Kong Land III prototype. He at one point listed them on eBay for $120,000 OBO, later slashed to a more realistic $14,000 OBO. Last I heard, negotiations for these greatly desired first-party treasures were at around $8,000 (breaking down to a devilish $2,666 per game). That should give you some idea of the monstrous medical bills incurred.

Nintendo Player Scares Up Aaahh!!! Real Monsters SEGA Genesis Prototype

by Mike

In a rare non-Nintendo update, the site has gotten hold of an Aaahh!!! Real Monsters SEGA Genesis prototype.

Join Ickis, Krumm, and Oblina at the article’s page for all of the smelly details!

Nintendo Ephemera: Now You’re Playing With Paper!

by Mike

 

These two Nintendo store binders provide an interesting look into the retail side of the gaming industry. The materials inside span from the NES to the GameCube. Click on one for more information and scans.

Also, the site’s mail server is down. I’m not sure when it crashed, but if you sent me a message and I never responded, please use the contact form to reach me at my new address.

Internal Nintendo DSP-1 SNES Tech Demo Will Take You On A Trippy Mode 7 Journey

by Mike


Nintendo Player recently managed to secure a Super Nintendo DSP-1 tech demo. This originally was sent by Nintendo of America to the former offices of Iguana Entertainment in Sunnyvale. See the article for more details and the download!