Found a prototype NES game in my collection today...

[CZroe]

The game is "Xexyz." I see at least one other prototype of this game exists with the same "MicroDen Corporation" label on the back. Mine was covered up with some blank "This Nintendo Game Pak Belongs To" sticker and has an extra address hand-written in.

I've actually owned this for over 10 years but never took it out of the Blockbuster Video shrink wrap until today. I bought loads of NES carts when BBV put them on sale for $1 each and then threw a BOGO sale on top of that (IIRC) to clear out their inventory of old games.

You can see the outline of the UV erasure windows under the foil labels on the ROM chips.

The PCB is more than twice the size of a manufactured game pak. You can see traces and unpopulated thru-holes for SRAM battery mounting tabs. The PCB is NES SKEPROM-01, which has only been seen in prototype games according to the Bootgod DB:

http://bootgod.dyndns.org:7777/search.php?pcb_op==`@`&pcb=NES-SKEPROM-01

I can dump the ROMs but I really don't want to desolder them.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

You may be able to dump the ROMs by using a test clip, like this:

If you know enough about electronics to do something like that, and assuming the PCB is wired up in a way which allows you to do that, without modifying it. i.e. some kind of ROM (Eprom) programmer, ribbon cable or similar (between the test clip and programmer/reader) and the necessary work to allow the roms to be read while it is still in that PCB.

I've had very little/no involvement with NES, so I can't help you with specifics of the NES.

 

[CZroe]

You may be able to dump the ROMs by using a test clip, like this:

If you know enough about electronics to do something like that, and assuming the PCB is wired up in a way which allows you to do that, without modifying it. i.e. some kind of ROM (Eprom) programmer, ribbon cable or similar (between the test clip and programmer/reader) and the necessary work to allow the roms to be read while it is still in that PCB.

I've had very little/no involvement with NES, so I can't help you with specifics of the NES.

I've used those but I don't have access to it anymore. I need an excuse to buy a Copy NES anyway.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

I've used those but I don't have access to it anymore. I need an excuse to buy a Copy NES anyway.

Yes, Copy NES sounds like a much better way of doing it.

Some prototype games and stuff can be worth small fortunes on ebay, but I'm not so sure what the value is, if it is a not well known game. Apparently the game was never released in Europe, which is probably why I have not heard of it.

 

[CZroe]

http://youtu.be/neUTZNb2CV4
Because counterfeit NES protos are a thing, I'm glad I recorded myself opening it for the first time.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

http://youtu.be/neUTZNb2CV4
Because counterfeit NES protos are a thing, I'm glad I recorded myself opening it for the first time.

Yes, that was a very good idea, which may significantly increase its value.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Cool find!

 

[Rakehellion]

The game is "Xexyz."

I had that game! Futuristic platform shooter.

 

[CZroe]

I had that game! Futuristic platform shooter.

It's got platform shooter stages, side-scrolling shooter stages, and at least one behind-the-ship shooting stage as well. It seems well made but I don't like how it thinks the platforming stages make it an adventure game when all you have to do is go in every door as you encounter them (never get lost/stuck). Never heard of it when I was a kid though.

 

[CZroe]

Well, I did my taxes and realized that I'm going to have to sell a few things so it's on eBay now, in case anyone here is interested.

 

[Homerboy]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EXTREMELY-R...271?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e9908a05f

$70 already. Nice!

 

[CZroe]

Well, it's already over 139 times as much as I paid for it (BOGO deal at $0.99 meant less than $0.50 each).

 

[slag]

nice final value!

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

US $260.55

Congratulations!
I'm very jealous now