Of Serial Numbers, Bootlegged Carts, and Stranger Things...

Tempest

Tempest

Ninja Combat Warrior
15 Year Member
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Jun 3, 2003
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I've got two questions that I've been meaning to ask for some time now, and it looks like curiosity is getting the better of me:

1. Why do people (arcade operators I guess) scratch off or block out serial numbers on MVS carts? What was the purpose behind this?

2. Why is it that bootlegged MVS carts don't behave 100% like the normal cart? I've heard people talking about corrupted graphics, missing sound, missing endings, etc. Is it that they're just crappy copies (ie. improperly dumped chips), or does it have something to do with the parts they used? I guess I thought that if the game was a copy of the original, then it should play like the original.

3. Speaking of serial numbers, does anyone own a #1 cart? I have a few in the low hundreds, but nothing below 100. I see there's a Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer on ebay that's 000006! Amazing...

4. Were there ever any changes made to a game mid-run? Maybe a change to fix a bug or something?

Tempest
 
Rot

Rot

Calvin & Hobbes, ,
Joined
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I only know the answer to the first question I think.

MVS carts were not allowed to play outside the region it was meant for... ie. Jap carts were not allowed to be used outside of japan...

So, the arcades and stuff just rubbed out the serial number... simple but effevtive...

As for the rest of the questions.... the more knowledgable among the forum can tell ya...
 
Tacitus

Tacitus

Volatile Memory Construct - SN://0467839
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1. Why do people (arcade operators I guess) scratch off or block out serial numbers on MVS carts? What was the purpose behind this?
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</strong>

Operators could get in trouble from the Manufacturer for selling/reselling their carts/PCB's, so to prevent tracking who got what cart and from whom, they scratch off the serials.
(Basically, taking money out of SNK through reselling carts instead of their potential customers buying new)

2. Why is it that bootlegged MVS carts don't behave 100% like the normal cart? I've heard people talking about corrupted graphics, missing sound, missing endings, etc. Is it that they're just crappy copies (ie. improperly dumped chips), or does it have something to do with the parts they used? I guess I thought that if the game was a copy of the original, then it should play like the original.
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</strong>

Shoddy workmanship, getting test carts and bad chips can cause all of this. Since most boots are EPROMS, exposing them to light will corrupt the chips over time. Most of them are solder and hack jobs and if you know anything about electronics, you know what that means.

The most notable is a Garou bootleg floating around that is screwy because it was taken from a beta cart.


<strong>
3. Speaking of serial numbers, does anyone own a #1 cart? I have a few in the low hundreds, but nothing below 100. I see there's a Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer on ebay that's 000006! Amazing...
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There are a few people who claim this, but I don't see it as a big deal.

<strong>
4. Were there ever any changes made to a game mid-run? Maybe a change to fix a bug or something?
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Yes, there are more than you think. I can't remember off hand, but there are a few MVS carts that were fixed or altered mid-run either to fix bugs or physical problems with the cart.

Somebody else could give you the games, but unfortunately, if I told you which ones, I wouldn't be sure if it was 100% correct.

To answer your question, yes, but I don't remember exactly which ones.

<small>[ September 03, 2003, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: VanillaThunder ]</small>
 
NeoGoaT

NeoGoaT

Mickey's Coach
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Posts
596
Vinh Trieu has the 000001 KOF '02 complete MVS kit. The first kit off the line would certainly be attractive to me. The lowest I've owned is a Bang Bead 000024 which is currently owned by a member of the forums. Vinh's '02 kit is the only 000001 I've seen a pic of but I think he used to own at least one other.
 
evil wasabi

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
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NeoGoaT:
Vinh Trieu has the 000001 KOF '02 complete MVS kit. The first kit off the line would certainly be attractive to me. The lowest I've owned is a Bang Bead 000024 which is currently owned by a member of the forums. Vinh's '02 kit is the only 000001 I've seen a pic of but I think he used to own at least one other.
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He also owns a Stake Winners 2 000001 kit. <a href="http://www.snk-capcom.com/s-clibrary/snk/snkplaymorekitpics/pages/stakes2kit_jpg.htm" target="_blank">http://www.snk-capcom.com/s-clibrary/snk/snkplaymorekitpics/pages/stakes2kit_jpg.htm</a>

<small>[ September 03, 2003, 10:12 AM: Message edited by: lithy ]</small>
 
NeoGoaT

NeoGoaT

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lithy:
He also owns a Stake Winners 2 000001 kit. <a href="http://www.snk-capcom.com/s-clibrary/snk/snkplaymorekitpics/pages/stakes2kit_jpg.htm[/URL]" target="_blank">http://www.snk-capcom.com/s-clibrary/snk/snkplaymorekitpics/pages/stakes2kit_jpg.htm[/URL]</a>
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That's the one, I wasn't sure if it was SW 1 or 2. True collectors items.
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evil wasabi

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
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VT is crazy if he thinks owning #00001 of your favorite game wouldn't be the most bad-assedness thing ever. :p

My two kits. Metal Slug 1 is 042856 and Metal Slug X is 037121 so I'm a ways off from #1.
 
K

kyo geo

Geese's Thug
Joined
May 30, 2003
Posts
283
The first four kof 97 carts in the UK were the ones at the namco wonder park, formerly of picadilly circus.

Working in the industry as I was at the time, I secured kof 97 number 000004, meaning it was before at least one of their carts.
 
C

Chicago Cheeseburgler Crew

BANNED , Banned , Here's why
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My lowest kit serial I have is Blazing Star, it's 2800 something I think.

Lowest cart serial I have is Twinkle Star Sprites, which is 000074
 
Tacitus

Tacitus

Volatile Memory Construct - SN://0467839
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lithy:
VT is crazy if he thinks owning #00001 of your favorite game wouldn't be the most bad-assedness thing ever. :p
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Yeah, it's cool, just not something I think would bring in the value unless you're a crazy collector. THe thing is though, any low cart #'s that are out there are almost always unidentifiable because of the Serial Scratching out there.

We definitely don't need to start the low-serial-means-more-value craze in the neo with everything else that is seen as valuable that really is just cosmetic.
 
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