Just won something very cool.... STRIDER for famicom!

[Pemdawg]

From what I have read, this is a repro of the proto. Japanese owner had them made, in a very limited quantity, and likely watermarked the ROM. Like the Retrozone Mr. gimmick cart, it has a tring or two of code edited to watermark who it came from, thereby making it what dumpers would call "tainted" from the original file. Not that I care. I just want to see the Japanese version. If you compare Higemaru Makaijima to the US proto, you will see that they pulled the same trick for displaying text. Higemaru and Strider both display text in traditional vertical format, which had to be recoded for the English translations. Since the NES has strict sprite limits horizontally, the game needs to dump out of the gameplay to run horizontal text. If the ROM were to reach the public, that would be one simple way to tell if it is authentic, or merely a reverse translation from the US release. Also, the communication screen has text and graphics in different locations. Far too much work to hack just for a translation. The authentic ROM would display elements identical to the magazine shots currently floating around the internet, as well as the videos posted by the Japanese collectors currently in possession of the proto carts.
Post Merge: December 23, 2012, 11:24:02 am

I'm curious now too, since that blog with the JP ROM hack Parodius linked to shows what looks like a different hack.

http://famicomcafe.blog47.fc2.com/blog-entry-101.html

You can see the JP text is more squished and not spaced out like in the OPs shots, plus the titlescreen graphic isn't one straight color either. Could it be the winner of that last Yahoo Japan proto auction is making repros?

Surely OP will deliver and let us know...........  :-

Pictures in the link, and a Google Translate seem to indicate that this person did a translation of the US version back to Japanese. I will have to compare his/her photos to the known magazine previews.
Post Merge: December 23, 2012, 11:29:53 am
http://famicomcafe.blog47.fc2.com/blog-entry-101.html

Compare the blog entry photos to the TV commercial

http://www.nintendoplayer.com/prototype/strider-famicom-prototype/

Title screen and menu color discrepancies. Not to mention the blogger added a new copyright date. Really makes me think this is a fan translation. Japanese collectors are notorious for hoarding their prized items. They often do not even post they have them, until they are up for sale. Makes me wonder if they even attempt to back them up.

[stealthlurker]

Saw all the traffic on this thread in my emails, however right now I'm literally trying to get out the door to spend the next few days at my parents house for Christmas. But I thought I'd try to put together a little info. This is literally the first time I've fired it up since I got it. Have a huge backlog of other little test projects I've been meaning to do (too many toys too little time! haha).

To tell you the truth I don't care if this is a repro of a hack or proto. I'm just happy to have a really nice looking repro of Strider on the famicom period for my FC collection.  

Here are some crappy cellphone shots I just took. Fired it up for 5 minutes. Further testing will have to wait next week when I get back.


















.

[Pemdawg]

That's genuine. Not the same as the Japanese bloggers hack.  Would you be willing to have it dumped?

[Bramsworth]

Well that's pretty neat, where did you find out the auction winner was making repros? I have to wonder how much he was selling them for. I couldn't help but notice there's now yet another cart up for auction, at a pretty high price:

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r94658884

Well, have a nice holiday stealthlurker. If you decide to dump it and no one here can do it personally, kevtris would be the guy to go to. He's dumped some of my games, and has dealt with tons of Famicom stuff.

[famifan]

no one here can do it personally

not sure if you know all the power of FW

[Pemdawg]

Who are our resident dumpers? Might be food to know for the future.

[famifan]

Who are our resident dumpers? Might be food to know for the future.

anyone who can use shift registers/latches/bus transceivers and can spare them to computer ports with adding some MCU-based logic if necessary and has ability to read some 6502 assembly listings

[Bramsworth]

I really have no idea, mostly because I've only ever really used this place for the buying/selling forum, rarely have ventured out and gotten to know any other parts and who does what around here

[80sFREAK]

Well that's pretty neat, where did you find out the auction winner was making repros? I have to wonder how much he was selling them for. I couldn't help but notice there's now yet another cart up for auction, at a pretty high price:

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r94658884

Well, have a nice holiday stealthlurker. If you decide to dump it and no one here can do it personally, kevtris would be the guy to go to. He's dumped some of my games, and has dealt with tons of Famicom stuff.

What is so special about this game?

As about dumping - if someone spent few hundreds on cart, but can't afford CopyNES... oh, well

[Pemdawg]

Japanese version was cancelled, and the ROM has never been publicly released.


stealth, how do you like that tea4two famicom? I find those fascinating. What upgrades does yours have?

[famifan]

What upgrades does yours have?

jailbars i guess

[stealthlurker]

Overall I'm pretty happy with the Tea4Two. Sure it's no RGB modded system, but at the time I only knew of RGB mods that needed a Playchoice or Titler PPU and I just don't like the idea of sacrificing one of those just to RGB mod something. I don't know if there is a new option these days that doesn't require a sacrifice.

The Tea4Two I had done has all the mods offered. I also had them supply the unit. It's one of the nicest "A/V" famicoms I have. I also have a Twin, official FC A/V fami and a couple old style famicoms modded with A/V. I especially like it because it retains the old school famicom look unlike the official A/V fami. Too bad they could use a repro Family Computer sticker in front due to legality issues and or out of respect for Nintendo.

.

[Rosser]

Too bad they could use a repro Family Computer sticker in front due to legality issues and or out of respect for Nintendo.

You can always remove the front label from a junk famicom its not that hard

[Cualquiercosa]

I found a difference in the title screen look at this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v8rG6lEJNM
Then look at your title screen, the thing that highlights "GAME START" and "PASS WORD" is different.
The commercial one looks like the one in higemaru makajima but the one in your version is hiryu's cipher.
Also, could you show more gameplay about it like images or a video?
Sorry if I'm bothering you.

[VinylDracula]

It could still probably be a prototype and not a hack of the US version, just a later revised version from what was shown in Japanese magazines and TV commercials. The guy who won the Japanese Monster Party prototype released these carts in limited quantity I believe.  You should definitely try to dump it, its something very special you have and it would be nice for the community. If you can not do it yourself theres many trustworthy folks who would for you. Id even buy you a retrode and send it to you if you wanted to dump this but dont want to send it off to anyone else. This is my most wanted to see Japanese game of all time, supposedly theres quite a few differences in gameplay from the US version!



Looks like he will be making repros of the Japanese Monster Party proto next: http://blog-imgs-45.fc2.com/f/a/m/famicomcafe/pmp.jpg

Someone needs to buy a copy and dump it or we may never get to see the Japanese version!