Ghostlop proto MVS cart

aha2940

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The soldering on one of the pics looks hand-made, was that normal in protos back in the day?
 

KRONOS

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Looks legit to me.. Wish it was a new proto like Fun Fun Bros. or Mystic Wand.. I bet those protos would command drug deal monies.
 

massimiliano

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Don't true protos use different boards? That's just a normal PROGGSC board with sockets. Or were Data East neo protos done totally differently than SNK ones?

In accord with the developer's manual, depending on the stage of development reached, the company (SNK or 3rd parties) could have used either a development board or a "mass production" sample casette (N.3 for MVS).

Given the maturity of the code, seems consistent with this case.

Screen Shot 2017-06-25 at 9.27.26 PM.png
 

massimiliano

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and btw, shall we consider putting together forces (read: money) and having someone like Shou bidding/buying?
 

NeoTurfMasta

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I have seen 2 different Data East dev/proto boards and they both have looked like this. Maybe these were mainly used at test locations.

He doesn't have the mini marquee that has a drawing of one of the developers on it though... ;)
 

Neo Alec

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That's a pretty cool piece of history right there, assuming it's genuine. The rom that everyone has doesn't have any year on the title screen. I wonder if this one is any different.

Too bad a new proto wasn't discovered.
 

mathieu4d

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the prog board used is not a PROGBK1 like the one used in Chamane's -before that Pitt's- one.
Typo used for the sticker with ghostlop on it is also ≠.
However, Pitt claimed that there are 2 rom set (1996 & 2000-2001). And that there might have been another location test in 2000-2001.
Could this explain the manufacturing differences… ?

@neo alec: The year would have been removed by hpman before producing its run (has to be crosschecked).
So… if this version does not have the © year on the title screen… it could be a fair warning of serious jelly free assfuck.
 
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chrisr

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This is consistent with a cartridge that I own. Either a real test cartridge or a deliberate attempt to represent as one. There were multiple versions with date/manufacturer differences of other games (Zupapa is an example).
 

mathieu4d

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@chris: interesting. In advance, sorry for the swarm of questions…
Is Zupapa! the mvs cart you own that is consistant with this one ?
Can I ask you what year you did put your hand on it ? Eventually how ?
To what point is it consistant with this allegedly ghosltop test cart (stickers… transparent shell…) ?
 

SuperGun

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Mathieu, I can also confirm that the cartridge is consistent with other Data East Protos which I have seen over the years. Magical Drop 3 & Street Slam immediately come to mind. They all have the same characteristics. Clear cart shells, all rom positions are socketed, small square shaped Texas Instruments eprom window stickers with black writing, cut out vents & sections of the cart shell, data East logo on outer seal stickers, and label maker sticker labels. All of those things are very commonly found with their test carts.

One other thing though, for the historical record, this cart is not a new discovery. It was found in 2004, in Japan, about a year after my cart surfaced in 2003. In fact, I have pics of that cart (and other data east Proto carts) from that time period that were sent to me. I'm not at home at the moment, but I can search my old files & post the pics here later this weekend.
 

wyo

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Proto Wars...The Punishment Due
 

unkle

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It's impossible to determine if it's legit or not. It could be quietly a repro/convert, assuming this guy (or who made it) had pics of a Ghost Lop proto.
 

LoneSage

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Mathieu, I can also confirm that the cartridge is consistent with other Data East Protos which I have seen over the years. Magical Drop 3 & Street Slam immediately come to mind. They all have the same characteristics. Clear cart shells, all rom positions are socketed, small square shaped Texas Instruments eprom window stickers with black writing, cut out vents & sections of the cart shell, data East logo on outer seal stickers, and label maker sticker labels. All of those things are very commonly found with their test carts.

One other thing though, for the historical record, this cart is not a new discovery. It was found in 2004, in Japan, about a year after my cart surfaced in 2003. In fact, I have pics of that cart (and other data east Proto carts) from that time period that were sent to me. I'm not at home at the moment, but I can search my old files & post the pics here later this weekend.

Post the pics
 
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wingzrow

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Here's hoping someone who goes here buys it so we can finally get a rom dump online. How cool would it be to play this on the NEO-SD? How often does a proto like this show up? Isn't the only other known copy in someone's hands that doesn't want to share it?
 

Niko

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Here's hoping someone who goes here buys it so we can finally get a rom dump online. How cool would it be to play this on the NEO-SD? How often does a proto like this show up? Isn't the only other known copy in someone's hands that doesn't want to share it?

Bro, the rom got leaked years ago. Its in MAME....

@Supergun, any chance this one is different from the one you obtained in 2003?
 

mathieu4d

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Bro, the rom got leaked years ago. Its in MAME....

@Supergun, any chance this one is different from the one you obtained in 2003?

Good question ^^

@Supergun : thanx for your words :)
Since the pcb are not the same, is it correct to assume that those 2 test card *should* have been from 2 different production batch ?
Hence *maybe* done at 2 different time ?
Hence *might* hold a different rom set ?

@Chris : you use Zupapa as an exemple of test card with a variety of manufacturing.
When manufacturing was ≠, the rom was in anyway different from one test card to another?

edit : who actually did manufacture those test card ? manage the test run ?
Snk, or the third party developper if any (face / data east…) ?
 
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SuperGun

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the same Ghostlop Proto 2004 and 2017

Post the pics

As you wish...

Here is a side by side comparison. No doubt, as I said earlier, the exact same cartridge that surfaced in October of 2004, now again in June 2017.

Ghostlop Proto Cartridge in 2004
ghostlop2004.jpg

Ghostlop Proto Cartridge in 2017
ghostlop 2017.jpg
 
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SuperGun

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Additional Data East Proto Cartridges

Here are some others I found while trying to locate this one:

Data East Magical Drop 3 Proto Cartridge
dataeast051.jpg

Data East Street Slam Proto Cartridge
dataeast091.jpg

unknown NGF cartridge which has been claimed to be several different games over the years!
posting this here because Chris R indirectly refers to it in a few posts above as being Zupapa.
while Dion has claimed it to be Neo Pool Masters, etc.
(see this thread for all the details and information)
http://www.neo-geo.com/forums/showt...G-prototypes&p=4053533&viewfull=1#post4053533
unknown.jpg

Official Data East seal stickers:
dataeastseal.jpg
 
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