TRS-80 cart odd label?

[video_game_addict]

I picked up a TRS-80 coco2 today and along with it were 5 carts, one of them Doubleback had a typed text/printed label, instead of the normal picture. Was this some sort of cost saving thing later on by RS? Also notice the misspelling of the name on the cart. Any body have any info about this or other similar TRS-80 carts?

http://www.atariaddict.com/pics/doubleback.jpg

[digitalpress]

I have NEVER seen one like that, and Double Back is a fairly common title.

Would you consider opening it up? I suspect that it might be a prototype. Or a homebrew creation (though lord knows why anyone would feel the need to do that).

[video_game_addict]

I don't think it's a proto as it had the instructions with it. I was kind of thinking it might have been a mail order type deal, later on, which received a generic label.

I did get 2 Supplemental Software Catalogs with this lot, which have listings of games, which could have been ordered through local RS stores. There were no pictures in the catalogs thou. But the manual I received for this game is the typical manual, color front, which looks just like all the rest of the scans I could find for this game online.

[MarkM2112]

Perhaps it was an in-store demo cart? Or an early promo?

[digitalpress]

I don't think it's a proto as it had the instructions with it. I was kind of thinking it might have been a mail order type deal, later on, which received a generic label.

I did get 2 Supplemental Software Catalogs with this lot, which have listings of games, which could have been ordered through local RS stores. There were no pictures in the catalogs thou. But the manual I received for this game is the typical manual, color front, which looks just like all the rest of the scans I could find for this game online.

Who's to say that the manual wasn't purchased later? Do you know for a fact that the cart and the manual were purchased together? Any other details about it's history that you might know?

Like I said, I've NEVER seen one like that and believe it or not, I have a really good TRS-80 cartridge collection (that I rarely talk about). If this were a later mail-order dealie I think I would have come across one, for some game, no?

Nice curiousity piece. OPEN IT UP!

[digitalpress]

I don't think it's a proto as it had the instructions with it. I was kind of thinking it might have been a mail order type deal, later on, which received a generic label.

I did get 2 Supplemental Software Catalogs with this lot, which have listings of games, which could have been ordered through local RS stores. There were no pictures in the catalogs thou. But the manual I received for this game is the typical manual, color front, which looks just like all the rest of the scans I could find for this game online.

Who's to say that the manual wasn't purchased later? Do you know for a fact that the cart and the manual were purchased together? Any other details about it's history that you might know?

Like I said, I've NEVER seen one like that and believe it or not, I have a really good TRS-80 cartridge collection (that I rarely talk about). If this were a later mail-order dealie I think I would have come across one, for some game, no?

Nice curiousity piece. OPEN IT UP!

[Tom61]

Maybe the old label came off and someone replaced it with one printed on a floppy disk label. Still, open it up and take a pic, maybe something interesting inside.

[Tempest]

Looks like a prototype label to me. Dot Matrix proto labels were common around that time. I'd love to see the insides.

Tempest

[video_game_addict]

I didn't want to tear the label up getting it opened. I figured I'd wait and see if anyone knew more about it. If not I would try to open it. Anyways it's opened now, I was able to peel the label back, the glue was kind of old and it peeled easily enough.

Here's a picture of the pcb:

http://www.atariaddict.com/pics/doubleback2.jpg


I'm guessing that's the date and cart no.

10/27/87 3091

And it does look like it's covering an eprom window. So I guess it is a proto/review copy of some sort. Although this isn't the first time I've found carts with eproms in them. In fact I sold Tempest a Pitstop proto awhile back which came from the same thrift store. So maybe there's someone in my area with more!

[vintagegamecrazy]

I work for RadioShack and I know several managers that have been around since the days of the TRS 80, so I will ask them if RS had Demos or loaners out. Post any Questions.

[YoshiM]

Hmmmmm.....It could be a proto. I'm not familiar with this game, was it a Tandy published cart or was it from another publisher? If Tandy didn't publish it, it could be a "developer made cart". I am pretty sure that some companies that sold their games on tape also sold their games on cartridge. There is a Pac-Man clone of a game that I have (can't think of the name) that didn't look like a Tandy made cart. If memory serves the label had production print images and the title was typed on it by typewriter or dot matrix printer. I remember paging through a Rainbow magazine and seeing the game available on tape but not on cart, yet I had the cart staring right at me. If this cart falls into that category, that might be your answer.

Or I could be totally wrong but at least my time was not spent in vain as I have possibly educated others on the splendors of CoCo gaming. Or not.

[digitalpress]

Here's a picture of the pcb:

http://www.atariaddict.com/pics/doubleback2.jpg

Can't tell from the picture but typically having a label over a chip like that indicates an EPROM. As you said, it appears to be covering an EPROM. Can you "feel" the window under the label? Sorry for making you dissect your cart, but at least my theory seems to be correct!