Are all Prototypes heavyer then the normale Games?

[MattyXB]

Are all Prototypes heavyer then the normale released games? I have more Prototypes. 2 Lab Loaner, they are heavyer then the others. But my Activision Prototype is not heavyer, this weight normale.

 

Or are only the Lab Loaner from Atari heavyer?

 

My Donal Duck's Speadboat from Best Electronics is too not heavyer. But this is maybe only a copy from a Prototype sold by Best Electronic.

 

And I think my Activision is a real Prototype.

 

Can you help me by this question Tempest? Or has someone else an Activision Prototype to test it?

[moycon]

I would answer for certain,Matty, If I had any protos. I have heard they are heavier...But since Tempest has them all he will have to answer for sure.

[Marco(2)]

On a related topic:

 

what I don't understand is how Fulop made his Cubicolors. I was told the making of ROMs is very expensive (not the ROM itself, but the production cost), so how did he manage?

 

Same goes for the Parker "protos". As far as I can tell, they are not EPROMs: I've never openend one up, but they're too light to contain an EPROM. If they're ROMs there should be many more Ewoks and LotRs, like there are Donalds and Dukes of Hazzards - right?

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[Pete Perpetua]

I opened up my Donald Duck and found a rom that was a black round chip about the size of a nickel, I don't beleive it a prototype.Its just a pal production rom and board that didn't get a screw in the case and a label.

[Marco(2)]

According to the Masters of Prototypes that is indeed no prototype, but "just" an unreleased game.

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[Tempest]

Yes, prototypes are normally heavier than regular carts. The problem is you can't always use that as a test since I've seen prototypes with single EPROMs before which are almost as light as a regular cart. Here's a good example of that (http://www.msu.edu/user/reicher6/prototypes/2600protos/laserblast.htm)

 

As for Cubicolor, I'm not sure how Rob produced it. I don't own one so I don't know if it's on a chip or EPROM. Anyone?

 

As I was looking through the Best Electronics catalog I saw a great explaination on those little black circle chips (COB). I'll type it in tonight becuase i think it will answer everyones questions on them. But they're not prototypes.

 

Tempest

[Marco(2)]

Cubicolor has a chip (ROM). Weird, considering the fact he only made 50, 60 or 110 and the manufacturing of ROMs is relatively expensive.

 

I got a Coke Wins recently, which also comes on a ROM board. Didn't you have one like too, Matt? Same story: weird that a game that was produced in such limited quantities would be in ROM format...

 

And what about the Parker Brothers unreleased games? What's in there? They are very light, so they don't appear to contain EPROMs (or just one perhaps?)

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[MattyXB]

Thanks to all. Now I think my Activision has too only 1 EPROM, so this is maybe the reason why its so light.

 

My Crystal Castle is a bit heavier then the Raiders Lost Ark, because this is a Test Board like your Motorodeo and Klax, Tempest.

[+rdemming]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marco:

Cubicolor has a chip (ROM).

---

 

Maybe it is a PROM. These are identical to EPROMs but don't have the window to erase the chip.

 

Robert

[Tempest]

Yeah Coke Wins is on a chip, that's how you can tell a real one from a fake (remember that). I don't know how Rob got the money to produce those ROMs, we'll have to ask him at the CGE.

 

Most prototypes from 84 on come on those huge boards to make room for the extra SARA chip (if they need it). I've actually seen one of those crammed into a case before although the board stuck out the bottom a bit.

 

Tempest

[Marco(2)]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tempest:

As I was looking through the Best Electronics catalog I saw a great explaination on those little black circle chips (COB). I'll type it in tonight becuase i think it will answer everyones questions on them. But they're not prototypes.

---

 

Per your definition they cannot be protos, since there are no EPROMs involved. But, let's see that info, we're all very curious!

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[Scott Stilphen]

I had a Quest for Quintana Roo cart that had an EPROM soldered onto the board. I'm sure there were other released games that did this also.

 

Marco- I'm not sure what to make of Cubicolor either. Like you said, the cost of making only 50 or 100 ROMs is too much to justify making them.

 

With Donald Duck and other 'protos' that use the epoxy "blob" style boards, I believe these are prototypes in the sense that it was cheaper to make a small run of carts with this method as opposed to making ROM chips. AFAIK, no released games used this method, as it was cheaper to make large #'s of carts with ROMs.

[Marco(2)]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Scott Stilphen:

I'm not sure what to make of Cubicolor either. Like you said, the cost of making only 50 or 100 ROMs is too much to justify making them.

---

 

I have a Coke Wins with a ROM inside as well. Tempest owned one of these also. Same question: why ROMs if they only made 150? We should really try to talk to someone that was in charge of production at Atari to solve this.

 

quote:

---

With Donald Duck and other 'protos' that use the epoxy "blob" style boards, I believe these are prototypes in the sense that it was cheaper to make a small run of carts with this method as opposed to making ROM chips. AFAIK, no released games used this method, as it was cheaper to make large #'s of carts with ROMs.

---

 

There are tons of 2600 pirate games out there that use the epoxy method, both from Brazil and Taiwan. So, apparently it indeed has to do something with it being easier or cheaper to produce.

 

Cheers,

 

Marco