[L___E___T]

If this is to be believed… I also had to check the date.

Vintex64 are now saying they are in the production pipeline for Dragon Hopper, it does sound promising.

Could this really be true?

I don’t remember seeing anything on the forum here about it, and I don’t want to get my hopes up unnecessarily, but I thought it was worth discussing.

I find it hard to believe a finished or even partially playable build would have been located and not in the hands of one of our collectors here.

• This topic was modified 4 days, 3 hours ago by L___E___T. Reason: updated to reflect relevant uncertainties

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Yeah… I’ll believe it when I see it. Some new, moving footage would be nice – though I’m sure that could be faked, too. Still, cautious optimism is the best way to approach these things. I come from Doctor Who fandom, and while missing episodes of that show have been discovered and returned over the years, more often than not it all amounts to a lot of nothing. Here’s hoping the folks over at Vintex aren’t making it up!

[abarth]

No, I don´t believe it. And why should one need a new PCB design? Are those games bigger than every other game? Simply, no.

But I would be glad if I am wrong…

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by abarth.
• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by abarth.

I got also notice from Vintex via mail after asking. Yes, they plan to release both Dragon Hopper and Zero Racers this year, but the final say has the contact person they have.

abarth – so did they indicate why they need a new PCB design or anything, or did they dodge that question? haha I ask because you’ve been pretty vocal that you don’t believe them…

Nope, didn´t ask this one. Perhaps those games are the first with 16Mbit and SRAM save function? I don´t know.

I believe them that they have this contact. But why should the contact release suddenly those two games this year? Why didn´t he do this the 30 years before? That is somehing I don´t understand and seems to me quite arbitrarily. That is why I doubt that something will happen this year.

I wrote to them and did get a response that I’ll be added to the wait list. But Nintendo is pretty aggressive about their IP, so I’d be surprised if these games do get released. Still, hope springs eternal.

They’ve had this exact message up along with the page for the game for over 18 months now. Don’t get your hopes up. It’s likely complete BS.

Setting aside whether this group has it or not (or will get it) – we are sure Dragon Hopper exists, yes? As in, there is a working prototype out there somewhere that just hasn’t been dumped/preserved?

PVB knows it all 🙂
Look at the game description:
“A prototype definitely exists, the game was shown on Space World 1995 and E3 1996 and was even previewed by Nintendo Power.”

Well, I knew it existed at one point, I mean has it been confirmed to still exist in the past few years? Has a collector proven they have it (maybe with screenshots or something) at some point beyond the 90s, even if they’ve refused to dump it?

Ok so, I had to make an account for this alone, but, I rediscovered an email I received from this site almost a year ago, thinking I didn’t get a response. I came across it looking for any reproduction carts of Bound High to add to my collection. Although I will say the English here is a little bit off and somewhat concerning, and keeps me completely split on whether or not this is indeed true. Then again this would be a pretty elaborate hoax to put up listings of repros of Dragon Hopper and alike super early like this, but who knows. Here’s an exact copy paste of the email I recieved in April of last year;

“Hi Sir,

We have been contacted by a pretty smart person who claimed to have these prototypes, we sent him a whole pile of free stuff, and he was impressed to show us some details. It looks like the real deal.

He asked we make preliminary listings, fix a price, and get more FB+ ready. Then he plans to give us the files for release later. His big goal is affordable release to those who appreciate them. He is very particular that he’ll decide when.

One update is he may hold off a Mario Land VB, but others on track. Me and team pushing to get everything ready.

I think many know about this, but they don’t see much. Many strong options for VB reproductions. We normally would never put up a listing like that unless it looks really true or possible.

We put you on the waiting list, and you’ll get access to the first batch. The timeline looking late this year or next year. Again the contact will decide.”

The last paragraph below is from an earlier email reply from October of 2023. One I also somehow thought I didn’t recieve an answer to;

“We have a contact who claims to have worked for Nintendo and also claims to have these files and more. We sent him some free stuff and he showed us in a virtual meeting that he appears to have these prototype games. He asked we make a preliminary listing, have a black shell available, and a few more things. If all goes well easily next year we may have screenshots and items ready on our website to purchase. No concrete proof now, but he looks promising. We also will pre-program our FlashBoy+ with any prototype upon purchase/request when the time comes.”

So yeah. Something about a guy claiming to work for Nintendo reminds me of those kids in the old Xbox Live days claiming their dad works for Microsoft or something like that, lol. I agree with Kazin here for us to remain cautiously optimistic. But for me I’m mostly cautious as of now. I will say that at least, the few who have talked about Vintex64 online don’t seem to have any issues with their repros from what I could tell, but don’t quote me on that. Fingers crossed tight.

I’ll believe it when it happens. One can hope.

@Jack Ripper:
thanks for your insight.
So it looks like they promise to release it for the last several years already.
This drags my hopes a bit down.

At this point, I just wish the OP could change the title of the forum post…because everytime i see the “dragon hopper has been found” title I freak out a bit..

So I just saw this by chance as I don’t check in that often these days, but from what I’m seeing here, this is either finally true or again them with a place holder and a lot of wishful thinking?

I’d love to pop for a copy of both those games to have some 2nd generation fun on mine. At this rate I’m considered just grabbing that War Zone game for something new and a translated card of Insmouse as the others just don’t seem all that appealing to me from Japan. Hopefully at some rate the VUE engine cranks out some good games finally as hyper fighting can only go so far as I have an original cart of that too.

[L___E___T]

I agree with dudeway that the sensationalist title might give a few heart palpitations.
I edited to better reflect the mystery.

• This reply was modified 4 days, 3 hours ago by L___E___T.