maybe my info is wrong, but the last time i asked i was given a number as to how many were made. it is possible they changed the plan and decided to make them on a per-purchase basis. so maybe there really are only 18 out there. at this point i’d be betting on the info i was given because it came from the source’s mouth. but again, who really knows but those who were involved in its creation.
if i ever sold my copy and got “thousands” for it, i would put that money back into getting a new game written for the vb. how cool would that be? like a proper metroidvania game! something like cave story!
at some point, someone is going to dump the ROM. it is inevitable. look at the point you made about all of those rare games having ROM dumps available. with ROM dumps usually come custom carts. we could even potentially get a different VB flash kit at some point. you never know.
There are more than 18. Where did you hear that? It isn’t as rare as you make it seem, it is just nearly impossible to know where to get a copy. Also lets say, hypothetically, that 75 were made. That would be a pretty big run for a “homebrew”. This one just happens to have received a lot of press, so now that number seems really small.
I wouldn’t want the ROM released for free. Especially knowing the full backstory (research it if you haven’t read). I also disagree that releasing it would not hurt the value. Releasing the ROM would bring more press but a lot of those potential “buyers” would just get the free ROM and play it. The market value would drop unless it was a bidding war between collectors. Right now we have both collectors and gamers seeking a cart.
In case you didn’t know, the ROM is too large to fit on the current Flash Boy design. So even if it was out there you wouldn’t be enjoying it on hardware as easily as you think.
It would be nice if more carts could be produced and sold, but then again comes the legal issue. Once you make this public you risk being sued, plain and simple. I, for one, would not risk trying to fight the lawyers Capcom can afford to hire. In the end you really have no legal ground to stand on. It might be “homebrew” code, but the entire premise of the game, graphics, sounds, etc, are copyrighted. They are still producing SF games today. You can’t look at it as a game for a 20 yr old system, but that you are infringing on their copyrights. If they let that go then everyone might try to make SF stuff and sell it.
Do you know who MegaRan is? He is a nerd-core hiphoper who got famous after releasing a Mega Man themed album. Capcom took notice and granted him the rights to use their copyrighted materials in his work. Knowing that, maybe a few letters sent their way (and a copy of the game) would pursued them to allow a small run to be made each year? I’m pretty sure they already know about it, it got press on some big sites. I don’t feel like asking would hurt anything.
for that price i would need much more than a guy saying “this is not a bootleg”. the fact that he said that twice doesn’t sit well with me. is there any documentation on these? any internal images or an expert that could definitively say that it is what he says it is?
i’m really curious if there were more than one programmer tasked with text or if the game was shuffled around a studio. perhaps those would explain why there are 3 ways in which text is handled.
that’s a great find. i never knew about that one! very interesting. i’m glad they took some photos of the demo in action so that we could enjoy seeing it all these years later.
i actually enjoyed this article so much that i think we should reach out and ask permission to mirror it here. if/when that link goes down that article may get lost forever.
as much as they know the vb is part of their history, and they joke about it by tossing it into the background of some games, they have never supported it or hinted at any type of re-release. if the games didn’t come to the 3ds shop, i doubt they would come to a VR headset. the last thing they will want is something to fuel the inevitable fire that the media will light in regards to VB comparisons.
the oculus seemed fun when they did their kickstarter. FFWD, uhh 3 years? … and modern VR is becoming a tech that is taking way to long to hit the consumer market. by the time it does we will be inundated with products from everyone under the sun. saturation is probably going to kill it before it gains any real momentum.
besides indy titles, the wiiu was pretty much a failure. would they really risk releasing a VR headset next? i’m not buying stock on it.
By accessories do you mean the controller, AC adapter, etc? You might find something that will fit your needs at a card store/comic shop. All kinds of plastic cases, in a variety of sizes, are available to order to protect collectibles.
As far as lose carts, I’ve actually wanted to find someone to make sleeves like the ones that came around the old NES games. All of my VB games (with the exception of SFII) are lose carts. I always thought this would be a great way to store, protect, and present them. If you come across anyone who makes custom plastic things let me know.
you never got to experience Battlezone in the arcade? there were a few games like that where you had to look through the scope to see what you were doing. i recall one in full color, but can’t place its name. Battlezone stands out in my memory because I recently played one again. i always thought a 3D-depth version would have been right at home on the VB. wireframe and everything, it just seems like a no-brainer.
i had always assumed 3D Tank was going to be a “port” of Battlezone, but after reading this article, maybe it was more closely related to the tank demo? i would love to play that demo on the head tracking prototype unit.
good thing there are only 22 ROMs total, and actually you don’t need them all. what you should get ready are all of the great homebrew projects, prototypes, translations, and hacks!
i don’t think it was anything special. it is hard to tell but to me it looks like a few drill holes for mounting to something. if this was indeed from the home of a nintendo employee, perhaps this person simply mounted it in their cubicle or via a custom stand that allowed for more sturdy testing/debugging/etc. i’ve never seen mention of these holes found in other VB units (testing units, dev units, etc), which makes me think it isn’t anything “official” at all. if anything, it has a neat history (wish we really knew the details). as far as value, its looks like an off-the-shelf VB with some holes in it that shouldn’t be there.
the interesting part to me is what is the reason for that appearing. was it the writer, producer, set designer? was it one of the actors? i’d rather know the history behind that scene than just the fact that it exists. my curiosity gears are turning.
