2 Dreamcast variant questions

[darkcat]

super magnetic neo has a disk that says "demo cd not for resale" i posted a picture of it in the fourm where your post to find a value but if someone here knows anything about it that would be great :P

[PapaStu]

Is it sealed? The stickers were made of an extremely thin material that often looks like it is actually printed, although it is not. If it isn't sealed, try taking it out and running a nail over it. It should kind of 'bump' as it does so. I was certain that there was a non-stickered release of this too (mine is sealed and sure doesn't look stickered), but when I got in about 30 of them brand new for the GOAT Store a while back, I noticed that the Hot! New! thing moved just slightly around on the manual.

If you've really got a non-stickered one, I have gone through literally hundreds of these looking for any that were not stickered, and never found one. Keep that thing safe, and if you ever decide to sell it I'll be waiting. I've probably spent 40+ hours attempting to track one of these down besides just looking at the ones that filter through the GOAT Store's hands, and I have never seen one.

Yes, I really have a non-stickered one, which is open and I can put my grubby little paws on at will. Sad you don't think I can't tell a sticker from the printed version GoatDan. I'd hope you'd know I'm serious about my variants by now... When I got this one off eBay I didn't have any problems getting it and in all honesty I think I ended up getting this one before the sticker. I had more issues talking to people about a 'printed' MK Gold as everyone was just a total idiot when I talked to them about it.

After closer inspection it appears thats not Spider-Man, it's Venom.

My derp there. Fixed my goof. I wasn't thinking when I wrote it out, but Venom is what I meant.

[goatdan]

Yes, I really have a non-stickered one, which is open and I can put my grubby little paws on at will. Sad you don't think I can't tell a sticker from the printed version GoatDan. I'd hope you'd know I'm serious about my variants by now... When I got this one off eBay I didn't have any problems getting it and in all honesty I think I ended up getting this one before the sticker. I had more issues talking to people about a 'printed' MK Gold as everyone was just a total idiot when I talked to them about it.

Actually, your eBay experience with MK is exactly why I was thinking you might be incorrect. I think that I literally got five or six copies of NFL Blitz free from sellers who guaranteed that they did not have stickered versions, when, in fact, they had stickered versions.

I do know that you're serious about your variants, but then again so am I -- and I know how much time I've invested into that stupid game and trying to find that particular variant, and I find it surprising that there is one known one floating around out there, apparently. At one point, I think I said that I'd pay $50 for a non-stickered one (not standing now, no money for such a thing), and no one took me up on it.

Whatever it is, it ain't common.

[goatdan]

super magnetic neo has a disk that says "demo cd not for resale" i posted a picture of it in the fourm where your post to find a value but if someone here knows anything about it that would be great :P

I overlooked this before...

Super Magnetic Neo had a single game demo -- I don't know if it is complete or not. It's pretty rare, but like most demos -- the Dreamcast ones don't seem to command that much interest. I think that I have four or five single game demos, and the most that I paid for one was around $15. I don't think I have that one in particular. Actually, if you're looking to sell it or trade it, I might have some inserts for your PSP kiosk. PM me if you're interested

[SpaceFlea]

I noticed the list doesn't distinguish the two different Sonic Adventure All Stars variants. The variation occurs on the inside of the back insert: One printing uses the large Sonic picture from the original run; the other printing has the entire cast of characters and a couple gameplay screens.

Also, are you not counting the low resolution Chu Chu Rocket as a variant. I don't see it on your list, though I thought I'd seen it previously.

[PapaStu]

Didn't know about the Sonic SAS variant. That'll be added to the list after I make this post. I've got a lo-res ChuChu, but images have not been kind in letting me truly see a non pixelated ChuChu. Has anyone really seen one yet?

[SpaceFlea]

Didn't know about the Sonic SAS variant. That'll be added to the list after I make this post. I've got a lo-res ChuChu, but images have not been kind in letting me truly see a non pixelated ChuChu. Has anyone really seen one yet?

Yes, I have both Chu Chu variants. My original copy is the pixelated one that I got when the game was first released. And I happened to purchase a sealed copy of the game (to replace it in my main collection). But then I heard about the resolution variant, so I checked games to find my sealed one was actually the non-pixelated variation. I will post a picture of the two side by side. The difference is quite apparent.






The difference in resolution is quite severe and you should have no issue spotting it in a decent picture.

[goatdan]

Yes, I have both Chu Chu variants. My original copy is the pixelated one that I got when the game was first released. And I happened to purchase a sealed copy of the game (to replace it in my main collection). But then I heard about the resolution variant, so I checked games to find my sealed one was actually the non-pixelated variation. I will post a picture of the two side by side. The difference is quite apparent.

Okay, seriously -- My collection was all nice and organized, but now I don't know where to put these extra ones! Seriously, interesting stuff here -- and I can't believe I never noticed that Chu Chu variant before -- the back of the pixelated one looks like it was a crappy GameStop reprint. How the heck did they let that happen.

Regardless, now I have new checkmarks I need to get for this collection

[PapaStu]

Yea Spaceflea!!!

Most of the ones I started to scour didn't have back images, and trying to get ebay sellers to understand the derezzed image vs not w/o an image is pretty damn hard to do without images.

I've already got a Sonic SAS variant on the way, time for me to get some ChuChu!

[SpaceFlea]

I would also like to point out that a "printed" NFL Blitz 2000 just arrived in the mail today, so PapaStu isn't the only one to confirm it. Just from looking at the picture in the auction it was easy to tell it was a print and not a sticker. Needless to say, I bought it the moment I saw it.


Here is the auction for it. The picture shown there is about as good as it gets if you need photographic evidence.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300651164901...84.m1439.l2649

[Dangerboy]

It's a dog pile!

Here's the close up proof:

[dr101z]

Thanks everyone! Now I have a few more variants to track down. To the retro game stores!!!

[goatdan]

It's a dog pile!

Hey, that's fine -- I've been looking for that stupid thing for a LONG time, and now I'm floored that when I had offered $50+ for it in the past no one could find one.

Having said that, your picture is the one that really helps. That auction one, judging by your picture, is a non-stickered one, but at the angle it was shot I see no way to confirm one way or another. Something more for me to track down.

'least I decided a while ago I'm not getting every PAL variation

[PapaStu]

Hey, that's fine -- I've been looking for that stupid thing for a LONG time, and now I'm floored that when I had offered $50+ for it in the past no one could find one.

Having said that, your picture is the one that really helps. That auction one, judging by your picture, is a non-stickered one, but at the angle it was shot I see no way to confirm one way or another. Something more for me to track down.

Still think you're over thinking it. **shrug** They're out there! Promise! Nothing a bounty is needed for.

I refined the list on page one a bit more and added the Chu Chu variant to it's proper home. I'm back to just needing Speed Devils again.

[goatdan]

Still think you're over thinking it. **shrug** They're out there! Promise! Nothing a bounty is needed for.

I refined the list on page one a bit more and added the Chu Chu variant to it's proper home. I'm back to just needing Speed Devils again.

Heh, noticed that we talked about this in my "bounty" thread for DC items a couple years ago. I had still never checked -- sure, I might be overthinking it, but at some point after you see the game a million times and it never shows up for you -- and I actually had someone who should have known tell me that NFL Blitz 2000 sold slower than expected, and they reprinted it as an All Star after never doing a stickered run. Obviously now that was incorrect, but it was a big part of the reason I've never tracked it down.

Now, I'm curious on three things that have been discussed:

1) I get the Marvel Vs. Capcom one and already have both versions (yay having a classic game store in my house ) -- Can someone explain to me what they mean by the "PSX version" of the game on one versus the other? How can you tell? And why, ultimately, was it changed?

2) The Speed Devils stickered variant, has it been confirmed that multiple copies of this exist? Or that sealed copies exist? The reason that I'm curious is simply to find out if it can be confirmed that this was something that was done for some store to sell it there, or if it was done at a later point in time, like at a rental store or something like that. I'd love to know if this was the "Wal-Mart" version of the game or something, especially because with it's minimally extreme rarity, I'm very curious as to where the game would have been sold that had enough clout to change the image, but not enough to make the variation very obvious.

3) Wasn't there a special deal to get Chu Chu Rocket when you got something else? Could it be that the special deal Chu Chus were of the horrid resolution, and the other ones were fixed? That just seems so cheap that you would figure someone would have had to catch it before it actually got printed... unless it was purposely done cheaper.

[Dangerboy]

1) I get the Marvel Vs. Capcom one and already have both versions (yay having a classic game store in my house ) -- Can someone explain to me what they mean by the "PSX version" of the game on one versus the other? How can you tell? And why, ultimately, was it changed?

Because the image of Akuma vs Wolverine is from the PlayStation version of Street Fighter Vs Marvel Super Heroes. Wrong game, wrong system. You can tell it's the PSX version because there is only one health bar on either side (there was no tag teaming unless you played same character vs same character in a specific mode).

It was changed because it was goddamn wrong.

More than likely the psx image was accidentally dumped into the DC game's asset file when it was given to the graphic designer to lay out.

2) The Speed Devils stickered variant, has it been confirmed that multiple copies of this exist?
Yes. At least 3 now.

Or that sealed copies exist?
This would not matter. The sealed game would not have a time stamp on it when it was published.

I'm also pretty sure it's not an image - but a full cover sized sticker slapped on the cover of the manual. A quick fix like the H!N! stickers.

3) ...hat just seems so cheap that you would figure someone would have had to catch it before it actually got printed... unless it was purposely done cheaper.
Free games are the same as the regular print runs. Resolution of images has nothing to do with the price.

The only thing lo-res was the screenshots and the art file. The rest of the insert is fine. The graphic designer who did it either a) didn't have the high res files (aka 300dpi) and just used the web size images (72dpi) hoping they would turn out okay or b) was a complete idiot and didn't understand the DPI issues. Being a graphic designer, and dating / going to marry a graphic designer, that happens a lot more often than you would think.

It's also nothing new in terms of whoopsies in terms of graphic design. See Batman Genesis (NES screenshots), FF7's Masterp ece, Sheep's Y, Astal and City Crisis's missing side logo, Spongbob PS2's missing title, Okami IGN, Resident Evil Revelaitons, and on and on and on. Human's make mistakes.

Capcom and Sega just seem to be really good at it.

[PapaStu]

2) The Speed Devils stickered variant, has it been confirmed that multiple copies of this exist? Or that sealed copies exist? The reason that I'm curious is simply to find out if it can be confirmed that this was something that was done for some store to sell it there, or if it was done at a later point in time, like at a rental store or something like that. I'd love to know if this was the "Wal-Mart" version of the game or something, especially because with it's minimally extreme rarity, I'm very curious as to where the game would have been sold that had enough clout to change the image, but not enough to make the variation very obvious.

There are a few DP people who've found them. I think two of them were out of Utah. I've never seen a sealed one and have no clue if it was something that was done 'at the factory' or if it was done at a shop somewhere.

3) Wasn't there a special deal to get Chu Chu Rocket when you got something else? Could it be that the special deal Chu Chus were of the horrid resolution, and the other ones were fixed? That just seems so cheap that you would figure someone would have had to catch it before it actually got printed... unless it was purposely done cheaper.

Even if there was (which I don't remember) it very well would have been just a chain type deal, not some Sega thing. As Jason said, they just fucked up the game when they made it. We've seen it many times before, we'll see it again.

[SpaceFlea]

My fuzzy ChuChu was purchased direct from Sega through some offer from IGN. I thought I got it right when it came out but apparently it was about 8-9 months after release since I got it for Christmas '00. I can't imagine the bad resolution being at retail for 9 months before getting fixed. Perhaps Sega had previously recalled the bad stock or just had some of the original run sitting in a back room but then sold it that following Christmas as a final WTF who cares! Sega/IGN pulled the deal rather promptly because they accidentally listed the newly released Seaman for $9.99 instead of $49.99 - Though they still honored the $9.99 if you showed them the link (made for glorious holiday spoils that year) . I don't know if anyone else purchased theirs from that deal, but it would be interesting to know if anyone else remembers when and where they purchased their fuzzy copy. It would be strange if it were a random bad run in the middle of production.

[goatdan]

Because the image of Akuma vs Wolverine is from the PlayStation version of Street Fighter Vs Marvel Super Heroes. Wrong game, wrong system. You can tell it's the PSX version because there is only one health bar on either side (there was no tag teaming unless you played same character vs same character in a specific mode).

It was changed because it was goddamn wrong.

Well, yeah -- I figured that. But I can't say that I play the game enough to know the difference between the PSX version and the Dreamcast version, so while I looked at the photos in both, I couldn't tell which one was an error and why. That was why I as asking.

2) The Speed Devils stickered variant, has it been confirmed that multiple copies of this exist?
Yes. At least 3 now.

Or that sealed copies exist?
This would not matter. The sealed game would not have a time stamp on it when it was published.

I'm also pretty sure it's not an image - but a full cover sized sticker slapped on the cover of the manual. A quick fix like the H!N! stickers.

Yeah, but that is specifically why it does matter to me. A new copy would show that this wasn't done after the fact. The Hot! New! Stickers were clearly sealed in the packaging.

Here's what I don't understand about this particular variation -- if it was big enough for Sega or whomever it was published the game to create a new sticker for, shouldn't we have seen a lot more of these with the sticker on it? The companies that generally have the power to strong arm a publisher into potentially changing a game's cover art would be major chains in my mind -- WalMart, Target, GameStop, Blockbuster, etc. I don't think that Sega was making brand new cover images and stickering them on the games for the 50 games that was going to some small store somewhere.

However, some small store somewhere could have very easily taken these stickers after they received the game and put them on it themselves so as to not potentially offend their customers.

The fact is, if only three of these have been found, I really want to know the story of their origins, and finding a brand new one would go a long way to either clearing it up... or making it more confusing. Without one, is there a way to confirm that it is truly a factor variation, or an aftermarket one?

I'm not saying that it shouldn't matter to those people who want it to matter -- it's like the Toys R Us sports 3-Pack -- I don't personally believe that it is a variation because it is three standard games shrinkwrapped together with a sticker on them noting them as a special Toys R Us deal, but others do believe that they are a variation that deserves collecting. I just like to know where stuff like that comes from. To me, the story is often the most interesting part of short run variations like that.

3) ...hat just seems so cheap that you would figure someone would have had to catch it before it actually got printed... unless it was purposely done cheaper.
Free games are the same as the regular print runs. Resolution of images has nothing to do with the price.

The only thing lo-res was the screenshots and the art file. The rest of the insert is fine. The graphic designer who did it either a) didn't have the high res files (aka 300dpi) and just used the web size images (72dpi) hoping they would turn out okay or b) was a complete idiot and didn't understand the DPI issues. Being a graphic designer, and dating / going to marry a graphic designer, that happens a lot more often than you would think.

No, I understand that all, but what I was trying to say and I definitely did not do a good job of it was that "done cheaper" = "saw the issues and decided not to care". Being someone who has designed / proofed multiple CD graphics before, the Chu Chu Rocket thing is something that is *so* obvious that it could not have been something that just the graphic designer noticed, unless the graphic designer was also the same person doing the proofs. If that wasn't the case, I could see an executive looking at it and saying, "Let's not spend any more time on it, it's the free game, we'll fix it later if we need to make more."

Time is money with that sort of thing, and that is the one way that I can see something like that happening. Clearly, someone somewhere noticed it, because money was spent on redoing it for a future release and making it look not-so-crappy.

It's also nothing new in terms of whoopsies in terms of graphic design. See Batman Genesis (NES screenshots), FF7's Masterp ece, Sheep's Y, Astal and City Crisis's missing side logo, Spongbob PS2's missing title, Okami IGN, Resident Evil Revelaitons, and on and on and on. Human's make mistakes.

Oh, agreed -- but to me a lot of those are pretty easy things to overlook (including the screenies for Marvel Vs. Capcom). Chu Chu just seems so blatantly obvious that it should have been caught if anyone even glanced at the proofs for the game art.

[SpaceFlea]

I don't think a store would have gone through the trouble of making a full size manual sticker. They would just as soon not sell the game at all than lower the margins by developing/producing a very high quality sticker and opening every game to apply it. And, in that case, they would have to reseal it anyhow to lie and still sell it as new; so even a sealed copy wouldn't necessarily prove anything.