Can anyone identify this strange Atari 2600 box?

[Brain Breaker]

Hi everyone,

 

I've recently been cataloging and scanning in many of my childhood photos from the '70s and '80s, and this one struck me as a bit curious, so I thought I'd post it here and ask the experts.

 

As you can see, it's a typical Christmas shot (circa '83 or '84, when I was around 10 years old) of me holding up a couple of my new games. On the left is Mr. Do!'s Castle (I remember actually wanting the ColecoVision version, as I had both consoles, but according to my mother it was sold out everywhere she looked), but check out the one on the right. It's some kind of odd, generic "Software" packaging. There are several spots of writing on it, but unfortunately they're illegible (even after I blew the photo up significantly). At first, I thought it might be an Apple II game (I also had an Apple II+ at home), that had been repackaged for some unknown reason. But upon further examination, I started to doubt it. When Apple II games were boxed, they were generally bigger, and back then many of them actually just came with the disk and instructions in a plastic ziplock baggie. This box seems to be almost identical in size and type to an Atari box, but I definitely don't remember ever getting any used or repackaged games at the time. So, any ideas on what's going on here?

 

Edited October 7, 2015 by Brain Breaker

[CPUWIZ]

Yes, I have seen this box many times, most of the time used for 5200 games.

[Special Teams]

Seahawk jammies, nice! I assume somewhere else under that tree was either a Jim Zorn or Steve Largent shirt...

 

Go Hawks!!

[Brain Breaker]

Yes, I have seen this box many times, most of the time used for 5200 games.

 

Interesting, thanks for the info! I didn't have a 5200 though, so it couldn't have been for one of those. Have you ever seen it used for 2600, ColecoVision or even Apple II games? And what would have been the purpose for it? As I mentioned, I don't remember ever getting any used games for my systems back then...

Edited October 8, 2015 by Brain Breaker

[boxpressed]

I found one of those in a lot of Intellivision games I purchased. Someone had written "Frogger" on the box, and there was a Frogger cart inside. My guess is that retailers sold used and returned games from all systems in them. Maybe those mail order outfits that advertised in the back of EG.

[Brain Breaker]

I found one of those in a lot of Intellivision games I purchased. Someone had written "Frogger" on the box, and there was a Frogger cart inside. My guess is that retailers sold used and returned games from all systems in them. Maybe those mail order outfits that advertised in the back of EG.

 

Ah, that probably solves it then. Perhaps one of the games I had asked for that Christmas was sold out, but they still had a recently returned copy that had been repackaged in one of those boxes. So, it could have been either a 2600 or ColecoVision game then, actually.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Totally love the Seahawks appearal!! Seattle born and bred here! Fellow 12

 

[Inky]

Duplicate

Edited October 8, 2015 by Inky

[Inky]

Those boxes I've seen used at Toys r Us for games that were returned without the box, if my memory serves me correctly.

[+save2600]

Those boxes I've seen used at Toys r Us for games that were returned without the box, if my memory serves me correctly.

 

Yep, remember seeing them there too. Can remember seeing Intellivision and A8 games in those generic boxes for sure.

[awhite2600]

Those boxes I've seen used at Toys r Us for games that were returned without the box, if my memory serves me correctly.

 

I have one or two of those boxes myself. If you remember back, Toys R Us used to display the game boxes on a wall. You'd take a ticket under the box, pay for the game and then pickup the game at a secure cage near the exit. Often times the last copy of the game cartridge would be in the cage but the box was still on the wall. They would give you the game in a generic box. Other times the display box would get thrown out, the last copy put in a generic box and then sold in a clearout bin.

[0078265317]

I remember seeing this for 5200

[Brain Breaker]

 

I have one or two of those boxes myself. If you remember back, Toys R Us used to display the game boxes on a wall. You'd take a ticket under the box, pay for the game and then pickup the game at a secure cage near the exit. Often times the last copy of the game cartridge would be in the cage but the box was still on the wall. They would give you the game in a generic box. Other times the display box would get thrown out, the last copy put in a generic box and then sold in a clearout bin.

 

Oh yes, I remember the TRU "wall of games" well. It was an awe inspiring sight back then, at the height of the classic gaming era. I also remember being crushingly disappointed when I would literally sprint over there as soon as we entered the store to grab whatever new release I was desperately seeking, only to find that all of the tickets were already gone!

 

I'm guessing now that's what actually happened that Christmas when my mother went to get the games on my wishlist. The ColecoVision Mr Do!'s Castle was out, so she had to get the 2600 version, and whatever was actually in that box must have been the very last copy they had in stock, either a recently returned one or perhaps the actual display copy, as you said. She did tend to put off getting some of this stuff until the last minute, as I had a bad habit of raiding every nook and cranny of our house in the weeks leading up to Christmas looking for all the hidden gifts.

 

Thanks for all the info, guys! I just wish I could read the writing on that box...

[+frankodragon]

I've seen them before at Toys R Us as well. I think they put Atari 2600 and 7800 games in those boxes too.