Little fun fact for fellow retro game collectors, late in the SNES lifetime, Majesco secured a license with Nintendo to re-release several games for the system. These versions differ from the originals in numerous ways. If you are just looking to play these games, these carts are fine and dandy. They work just like the originals, though were cheaper to produce. You can pop them in the SNES and they work just fine. However, as a collector, these will be of less value as they are not the original releases. There are several differences to look out for between the packaging and the cart itself.
Recently, I bought a boxed copy of Mega Man X for a decent price. It came with those odd Black and White Manuals you come across so often, but that didn't matter as I have my Manual AND an original Cart. I just need a box for the thing. (I was also unaware of the Majesco deal, so this post goes out to all you fellow clueless collectors.) So, I finally received my game in the mail and checked it out. Everything seemed okay, but it oddly came with a Majesco warranty card. I figured it was just slipped in there to make it look more "complete", like you'll find multiple copies of Sonic the Hedgehog with their games and cases mixed between the original and "Not for Resale" version. I was also curious about the embossed lettering on the back of the Cart. Was this some sort of fake or some such? Well, I began researching it and found out about the Majesco deal. Mega Man X was indeed one of these releases. (Of which no one has a complete list of the SNES ones that I could find.)
So! Now that I've been through all this, I bet you've become quite curious, if not a little worried about your own collection. The question you are asking yourself is; Do I have a Majesco re-release?
Lets start with the box itself.
Check the back. Do you see "Distributed by: Majesco Sales, Inc. 244 Fernwood Avenue Edison, NJ 08837 800-926-0015" in the bottom left, next to the barcode? There you go. If it's there, you've got a Majesco copy. It's also possible that the box is of slightly lower quality, but as I do not have the original to compare it with, I cannot state this for sure.
Next, the manual.
Is your Manual in Black and White? If so, it's most likely the Majesco version. I knew about these Black and white manuals for some time, but was not aware of their history. I remember my copy of Super Godzilla coming with one brand new, so I knew to watch out for them. But if you were curious, there you have the origin of these drab little bits. (Note: This is NOT 100% the case. My copy of Super Return of the Jedi HAS a color manual, but is of the later re-release. It simply excludes the THQ logo from the bottom corner.)
Now, the big one, the Cart itself.
Most likely, the embossed writing on the back will be your first clue, with the ugly mold nubbin right there in the middle. Original SNES carts always had a sticker on the back. My Super Godzilla again for example, has this odd looking embossed lettering. HOWEVER, my Super Return of the Jedi does NOT have the embossed back. Problem? Not at all, there is another, possibly easier way to spot a re-release. (Especially on ebay where many sellers do not think to show the BACK of the cartridge.) Check out the writing at the very bottom of the front Label. Does it say "Made in Japan"? You're good, that's an original cart. (Or reprint label, but we're not gonna get into that here) Now... does it say "Made in Mexico" or the much odder "Assembled in Mexico"...? Then my friend, you've got a re-release. The originals will always be "Made in Japan" while the re-release will be of Mexican origin. My Mega Man X has it, my Super Godzilla has it, my old Super Return of the Jedi has it. All of them referencing Mexico. Supposedly there is also a lesser quality too, but again, I'm not going to get into that here as the likelyhood of you being able to compare and contrast that in ebay photos is not likely.
So, my dear fellow collectors out there, there you have it. Several quick and easy ways to spot if you have the original SNES carts or the lesser Majesco versions. Hopefully, as you rush to your collections you'll find few or none. But, for the future, you are now armed a bit better as you browse countless auctions for classic games.
Happy Hunting.
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3 comments:
Hello! Thank you so much for your post. I bought a brand new copy of X-men Mutant Apocalypse for the snes. And in a fright i removed the plastic because i thought the box was fake but i looked odd. I opened and immediately that it was fake. I was so used to the glossy cart label and colored manual.
I just have one question; did the assembled in mexico snes games come with a different card board tray then the Japanese release? I know the made in japan cardboard tray hand the game cart in the center and the tray my game came with came with those reproduction trays with the game held above the center
Sorry I'm so late getting back to you, but short answer is, yes, they use the cheap repro style trays. (In fact, I have a copy of the very X-Men game you mention!)
If you'd like a more in depth rundown, check out my Video on the Mega Man X Majesco Game, the details are pretty universal with the SNES Majesco reprints.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9kmfjZvjgI
(Though I will get around to X-Men Mutant Apocalypse eventually, as I love that game.)
The "Assembled in Mexico" on Majesco releases isn't that odd, as the circuit boards for the games were made in Japan, but the cart was put together in mexico. Majesco didn't manufacture new copies of old games, they bought surplus, but original circuit boards from the original manufacturer and put them in their own carts in Mexico. The quality of the box, label and plastic cart may be lower, but the game hardware and software itself is original.
There are some games that say "made in mexico" For the most part, these games were ONLY made in mexico, even by the original manufacturer. You'll find this on games like Earthbound and Chrono Trigger, for example.
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