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Bally Astrocade Cartridges in Cassette Cases


KylJoy

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EDIT: Here is what I've completed so far:

 

J-cards

 

2001 - 280 ZZZAP! - DODGEM.pdf

2002 - SEAWOLF - MISSILE.pdf

2003 - RED BARON - PANZER ATTACK.pdf

2004 - CLOWNS - BRICKYARD.pdf

2005 - STAR BATTLE.pdf

2007 - BALLY PIN.pdf

2008 - SPACE INVADERS.pdf

2009 - ASTRO BATTLE.pdf

2010 - DOG PATCH.pdf

2011 - GALACTIC INVASION.pdf

2011 - GALAXIAN.pdf

2012 - SPACE FORTRESS.pdf

2014 - GRAND PRIX - DEMOLITION DERBY.pdf

2014 - GRAND PRIX.pdf

2017 - THE INCREDIBLE WIZARD.pdf

2018 - SOLAR CONQUEROR.pdf

2019 - COSMIC RAIDERS.pdf

3001 - TORNADO BASEBALL - TENNIS - HOCKEY - HANDBALL.pdf

3002 - FOOTBALL.pdf

3005 - BALLY PIN.pdf

4001 - ELEMENTARY MATH - BINGO MATH.pdf

4002 - LETTER MATCH - SPELL 'N SCORE - CROSSWORDS.pdf

4004 - BIORHYTHM.pdf

5001 - AMAZIN' MAZE - TIC-TAC-TOE.pdf

5002 - BLACKJACK - POKER - ACEY-DEUCEY.pdf

5005 - ARTILLERY DUEL.pdf

6001 - DEALER DEMO.pdf

6002 - BALLY BASIC.pdf Original Bally version without interface

6004 - BALLY BASIC.pdf Bally version with interface

MUNCHER.pdf Anyone know what the number for this release was supposed to be?

Manuals

2001 - 280 Zzzap!, Dodge 'Em.pdf

2003 - Red Baron, Panzer Attack.pdf

2004 - Brickyard, Clowns.pdf

2005 - Star Battle.pdf

2009 - Astro Battle.pdf

2017 - The Incredible Wizard.pdf

 

 

Well, I've found some Astrocade games in cassette cases in the wild. I know some came like this. For instance the DEMO cart as pictured:

 

post-42281-0-36628300-1513219084.jpg

 

So, I liked the idea so much, I created cases for ALL of my old Astrocade games that came with the original folded paper manuals. Here are some images:

 

post-42281-0-21574900-1515034917_thumb.jpg

 

post-42281-0-53944100-1515034964_thumb.jpg

 

post-42281-0-80566000-1513219352.jpg

 

post-42281-0-30456700-1513219358.jpg

 

post-42281-0-37858600-1513219363.jpg

 

To clarify, the inserts I made do not include the front image. The actual game manual from the original blister pack fits there:

 

post-42281-0-77208100-1513233376.jpg

 

post-42281-0-28097900-1513233383.jpg

post-42281-0-38847600-1513233387.jpg

 

post-42281-0-08940200-1513233391.jpg

 

These are also designed for the text on the back of the case to align well with the angled windows.

 

Let me know what you think.

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Well, I've found some Astrocade games in cassette cases in the wild. [...] So, I liked the idea so much, I created cases for ALL of my old Astrocade games that came with the original folded paper manuals. [...] Let me know what you think.

These pictures are very cool! For the tape cases, did you have to break off the small pieces of plastic that go into the holes of the audio tapes, or did you find cases that didn't have any of those little tabs?

 

It would be cool if you shared the original files that you created for your cases; I'd love to add them to BallyAlley.com

 

Adam

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That is a good idea. I will share the files soon. I'll make sure they are easy to print. For now I'm trying to figure out which originally released games came in blister packs and had those cool little fold-up manuals (or playbooks for football) and came in blister packs so I can get cassette case j-cards done for those first. "J-cards" are what these are called since they fold into the shape of a "J" to fit in the cassette case. Is there already a complete and clear list of those games that came in blister packs somewhere?

 

As far as the tabs, I just clip/snip off the tabs in the cassette cases. I use something similar to these and it works GREAT:

 

post-42281-0-36298500-1513231935.jpg

 

You have to clip them off in bites since the tabs are too long for the clippers to get all at once but it is pretty clean when done. I might smooth the area with my fingernail or a knife, etc.

 

Here is what a clipped case looks like:

 

post-42281-0-01855300-1513232042_thumb.jpg

 

Now, the reason it seems to me that there were games originally released in cases is that I've found some games in the wild in cases and the cases have no tabs at all. Check it out:

 

post-42281-0-79290900-1513232104.jpg

 

That seems Bally Astrocade specific, but I cannot say for sure. Also, new cassette cases have little tabs that can mar the game carts a bit so be aware of that. The tabs are intended to hold a cassette tape firmly in place:

 

post-42281-0-95977400-1513232864_thumb.jpg

 

I clip those out to avoid any issues.

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So, it appears that the following games were the ones released in blister packs:

Title # Publisher Year
280 Zzzap / Dodgem 2001 Bally 1978
Amazing Maze / Tic-Tac-Toe 5001 Bally 1979
Astro Battle 2009 Bally 1979

Bally Pin 2007 Bally 1979

Bally Pin 3005 Bally 1981
Blackjack / Poker / Acey-Duecy 5002 Bally 1979
Brickyard / Clowns 2004 Bally 1978

Dealer Demo 6001 Bally 1980

Dog Patch 2010 Bally 1980
Elementary Math / Bingo Math 4001 Bally 1978

Football 3002 Bally 1978
Letter Match / Spell 'n Score / Crosswords 4002 Bally 1978
Red Baron / Panzer Attack 2003 Bally 1978

Seawolf / Bombardier 2002 Bally ????

Seawolf / Missile 2002 Bally 1977
Space Invaders 2008 Bally 1979
Star Battle 2005 Bally 1979

Tornado Baseball / Tennis / Hockey / Handball 3001 Bally 1978

 

Were there others?

 

Thanks!

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Those look sharp KylJoy! If you share your files, I might just make those up myself. My Astrocade games are all loose and look pretty boring and black together in their storage box. It would be great to display them.

 

Any chance you could make a full set and possibly one for the UltiMulti-cart?

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Any chance you could make a full set and possibly one for the UltiMulti-cart?

 

I am planning on a full set. It'll take some time to get them all done. First I want to finish all of the games that came in blister packs.

 

I also tried my hand at cleaning up scans of the manuals. Here is my first attempt:

 

Before: After:

post-42281-0-46257600-1513402461.jpg post-42281-0-85028900-1513402469.jpg

 

I'm not an artist but I think I am getting the hang of Gimp.

 

Since I made the manual and cassette J-card for 280 Zzzap! / Dodge 'Em I went ahead and put it together:

 

post-42281-0-39470400-1513403095.jpg

 

post-42281-0-47330900-1513403148_thumb.jpg

 

post-42281-0-70690100-1513403214_thumb.jpg

 

Wish I had a nice cart for it! :)

 

All of my prints so far are on plain copy/printer paper. My final prints will be on semi-shiny paper for a more finished look.

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Edit: More J-Cards added

 

As promised... Here is what I've completed thus far for cassette tape case inserts referred to as J-cards. This set includes what I believe were the games originally released by Bally in blister packs with no box (or maybe in a cassette case) and what I've completed beyond that. These include the "Galaxian" and "Space Invaders" variants for "Galactic Invasion" and "Astro Battle", 2 versions of "Bally Pin", and 2 versions of "Grand Prix". This set also includes the "Dealer Demo" and a "Bally Basic" J-card. Bally Basic won't fit in a cassette case unless the cassette case is modified to allow for the led and maybe the data port.

 

2001 - 280 Zzzap!, Dodge 'Em and 2002 - Seawolf, Missile.pdf

2003 - Red Baron, Panzer Attack and 2004 - Clowns, Brickyard.pdf

2005 - Star Battle and 2007 - Bally Pin.pdf

2009 - Astro Battle and 2008 - Space Invaders.pdf

2010 - Dog Patch and 2012 - Space Fortress.pdf

2011 - Galactic Invasion and 2011 - Galaxian.pdf

2014 - Grand Prix and 2014 - Grand Prix, Demolition Derby.pdf

3001 - Tornado Baseball, Tennis, Hockey, Handball and 3002 - Football.pdf

3005 - Bally Pin.pdf

4001 - Elementary Math, Bingo Math and 4002 - Letter Match, Spell 'n Score, Crosswords.pdf

5001 - Amazin' Maze, Tic-Tac-Toe and 5002 - Blackjack, Poker, Acey-Deucey.pdf

6001 - Dealer Demo and 6002 - Bally Basic.pdf

 

Let me know if you find any issues. Enjoy! More coming soon.

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Edit: Added 2005 - Star Battle

 

Here are some manuals that I've cleaned up for the blister pack released games. They are double sided. To print them, I insert one piece of paper in my printer, print the front, flip the paper over correctly, and print the back side. Works pretty well for me. Here are what I've completed so far:

 

2001 - 280 Zzzap!, Dodge 'Em.pdf

2003 - Red Baron, Panzer Attack.pdf

2004 - Brickyard, Clowns.pdf

2005 - Star Battle.pdf

2009 - Astro Battle.pdf

 

Enjoy! More to come soon. Please let me know if there are any issues since I've NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN some of the manuals and I expect some of the pages to be out of order.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, check this out from Ebay:

 

post-42281-0-81865800-1515743150_thumb.jpg

 

The game in the blister pack is inside a cassete-style box. So I guess that mystery is solved. They really DO come like that in blister packs.

 

Do any of you have original cassette-type boxes that came with your Astrocade games? Any pictures?

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  • 3 weeks later...

I re-printed some of the manuals and J-cards on glossy paper (I have an HP 2600n color laser and used color glossy laser paper) and I think they look much nicer. The glossy paper also does not allow the text/image form the reverse side to show through as much and, in my opinion, gives the finished item a more "manufactured" look. I'd like to know how they look on an ink jet with regular and glossy paper if someone tries some.

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It's been awhile since I visited this Astrocade sub-forum. Stupid, me! I thought that I was following this topic, but I wasn't. Oops. Great work on these-- they're so damn cool!

 

After looking at the picture from Ebay of the original Bally cartridge packaging with the cassette-like case with no "tape-clips," I re-examined some of the high quality picture of this type of case on BallyAlley.com. I don't know how I overlooked this before now, but it seems that, as "KylJoy" says, some of those carts of pictures online certainly already did come in a videocade case. Some of the online pictures show cartridges without cases, and some in cases. You can view the various pictures that I'm talking about here:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/pics/box_pics/bally/bally.html

 

It's too bad that I wasn't paying closer attention to this thread. I have PNG and TIFF files of some of the Aastrocade manuals.

 

I think it would be very cool to print these out for my personal collection. Is there anyplace online where you can buy quality empty cassette cases in bulk? Maybe I'll write a letter to Bally and ask for their huge collection of NOS "Bally Professional Arcade 'Videocade' cases that they keep in their back warehouse along with the broken-down slot machines and exercise equipment. ;-)

 

Adam

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LOL... I posted a label reproduction but decided to remove it. I didn't like it enough. :)

 

Hey, if you can find any original game cases or cassette cases without the tabs let me know! I have struck out so far finding those in the original shape. But, Ebay is where I've bought quite a few pretty nice cassette cases that match the original Bally cases pretty well. The main thing I tried to match was the shape of the clear plastic and how it is angled where it meets the black plastic in the back. It is that funky-angled shape that you can see in some of my images. Also, that particular shape is why I made the images on the J-cards the way I did so as to fit just right into that space on the back of the case between the angled plastic.

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Here is a J-Card for "The Incredible Wizard" which, I believe, was released by Astrocade, not Bally. Since it was released by astricade I incorporated the Astrocade logo and I'll do the same for other Astrocade released games. Hopefully it looks OK to folks.

 

post-42281-0-18770500-1517767798_thumb.jpg

post-42281-0-82607700-1517767760_thumb.jpg

post-42281-0-83691100-1517767810_thumb.jpg

 

2017 - The Incredible Wizard.pdf

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And here is my first attempt at re-creating something that never existed. Here is a blister pack manual for a game that never (as far as I know) came in a blister pack. But it works GREAT in a cassette case!

 

post-42281-0-97931000-1517811793_thumb.jpg

post-42281-0-99796400-1517811804_thumb.jpg

post-42281-0-73693900-1517811815_thumb.jpg

post-42281-0-99257400-1517811824_thumb.jpg

post-42281-0-28405700-1517811838_thumb.jpg

 

2017 - The Incredible Wizard.pdf

 

Let me know what you think. Are these interesting to anyone?

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And here is my first attempt at re-creating something that never existed. Here is a blister pack manual for a game that never (as far as I know) came in a blister pack. But it works GREAT in a cassette case!

Let me know what you think. Are these interesting to anyone?

 

These are so damn cool! I like that you're using the original Astrocade manuals for the text and (especially) for the "screenshot."

 

Adam

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  • 2 weeks later...

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