PROTOTYPES
Prototypes and alternate versions that need to be archived and shared by those currently hoarding them:
VCS/2600 |
Actionauts - Version released was "fixed". Original version still not released (Jose "wonder007" Artiles now owns original)
Ad. D&D: Tower of Mystery - Sean Kelly and Matt Reichert (who reviewed
it apparently based on screenshots alone, even though he's often claimed he can't
review a game unless he has a copy of it. Sounds like a sinister mystery
to me).
Ad. D&D: Treasure of Tarmin - Sean Kelly, Kevin Horton, and Matt Reichert (who reviewed it
apparently based on screenshots, even though he's often claimed he can't review
a game unless he has a copy of it).
Amiga Boing demo 2.0 - has an Easter egg in it.
Anteater - Sean Kelly, Matt Reichert (who reviewed it and still has a copy of it), and Kevin Horton (who posted an actual screenshot of it in 2013).
Arcade Pong - fixed paddle bug
Astro Chase - Earliest known version. Matt Reichert reviewed
3 different versions of it, but shared none of them.
Burgertime - Later version allows selectable difficulty levels using TV Type switch (B/W = easy, COLOR = hard) and fixed the height bug
Choplifter - As usual, Matt Reichert reviewed
it, but didn't share it.
Color Bars - Jose Artiles LINK
CommaVid sprite editor - John Hardie
CommaVid TRS-80 tapes (Underworld) - John Hardie
David Lubar materials - given to John Hardie (and as they say, if you give it to John, it's as good as gone)
Donald Duck's Speedboat (5-16-83) - Matt Reichert and Roman "cpuwhiz" Sharnberg claim this is identical to the 4-12-83 version, but at least 2 different prototype carts have been found dated 5-16-83 - only one of which has been archived.
Dungeon - Bob Smith mentioned at the October 2015 PRGE show that
created this, with plans to sell it at John Hardie's National Videogame Museum (this was prior to them opening). With Smith's passing, the question
now is, where's the game?
Fall Guy, The - John Hardie acquired a prototype of this in May 2024.
In Search of the Golden Skull - Sean Kelly and Kevin Horton (who posted an actual screenshot of it in 2013),
as well as Matt Reichert (who reviewed
it apparently based on screenshots, even though he's often claimed he can't
review a game unless he has a copy of it).
Intuition - There's a (very) short list of possible names as to who the unnamed California collector is who paid $10k for the only known prototype of this in September 2022. If you won't share the code or sell carts of it, at least put out some video footage of it running.
James Bond 007 - version with slightly-different music. Originally came from Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel's collection. This one ended up with Joseph Santulli and was at CGE
once, and went missing after that!
Keystone Cannonball - Dan Kitchen developed this Keystone Kapers sequel
back in the early 1980s, the idea for which was taken by David Crane and turned
into Circus Convoy.
Laser Blast - original version had a bug, possibly related to avoiding the force field
Levee Game, The (AKA Dam Game, Hoover Dam) - Dan Kitchen gave John Hardie the source code listing and
an EPROM prototype in February 2024 LINK
Loco-Motion - Sean Kelly, Roman Sharnberg, and Matt
Reichert (who of course reviewed
it and offered to make a video of it, but never did, and don't bother asking him
about sharing it LINK.)
Look Ahead - John Hardie (Mark Klein brought it to a past CGE)
Lord of the Rings - LINK
Mark of the Mole - Matt Reichert reviewed
it.
Miner 2049'er Vol. II - Includes a level select. Jose Artiles and Matt Reichert LINK
Moon Patrol - Matt Reichert reviewed the 6-26-83 version (LINK)
but claims he doesn't have permission to share it.
Nexar - original version has roll-over bug, the later version doesn't.
Ninja Fighter - Ken Love (formerly of Activision) claimed to have this ROM way
back in 2001 (LINK) and promised they would be released "soon" (LINK).
Pesco - Atari Age version (easier)
Power Lords: Quest for Volcan - earlier version VIDEO 1, VIDEO 2, VIDEO
3
Pursuit of the Pink Panther (Atari 400/800 version) - Matt Reichert
mishandling another one LINK.
Ram It - 2 versions LINK
Sentinel PAL - Matt Reichert sold it to Jose Artiles
Skeet Shoot - original version had a bug which causes screen to roll
Soccer RS Football (1988) - no music at power-up, missing some sound f/x
Sprint 88 (Sprintmaster) versions - John Hardie has had this for years.
Star Wars: Jedi Arena - Earlier version. Matt Reichert reviewed
it.
Starpath protos - LINK
Twist - Ken Love (formerly of Activision) claimed to have this ROM way
back in 2001 (LINK) and promised they would be released "soon" (LINK).
Video Life - need true dump of cart, which Yarusso refused to make available for over 20 years now LINK
Todd Rogers alternate carts (good luck getting these, as there's a good chance they only exist in Todd's mind, much like his high score records):
Adventures of Tron (one stops at 999,999, the other rolls)
Blackjack - stops at 999 (instead of 1,000)
Journey Escape (has border around screen, or no border)
Reactor (one stops at 999,999, the other rolls)
Sky Jinks
Stampede (rolls at 100,000 instead of 10,000)
Taz (rare 1984 re-release)
400/800 |
Jungle River Cruise
- John Hardie has had this for years LINK, as does Matt Reichert LINK
Pursuit of the Pink Panther - Matt Reichert was in contact with the
owner and posted screenshots and a video of it LINK,
but then lost the owner's email a few months later LINK.
Apparently having both screenshots and video of the game wasn't enough for him
to review it.
Tumbleweeds - John Hardie has had this for years LINK, as does Matt Reichert LINK
Wing War - LINK
5200 |
Madden Football - Jose "wonder007" Artiles has had a copy of
the source code for over a decade but has yet to do anything with it LINK
smiley face 7800 diagnostic - John Hardie
Muppet Go Round - As usual, Matt Reichert reviewed
it, but didn't share it.
7800 |
Toki - The person who found the prototype entrusted Roman Scharnburg with a copy of it. 5 year later and long after the person disappeared, Schamburg apparently lost the only copy of it and is glad to be absolved of any responsibility of having to do the right thing LINK (i.e. sharing it with anyone else, other than his 'inner circle' like Matt Reichert, that is LINK), or so he thinks. Maybe we should call him Roman Scamburg...
MISC |
Atari VAX equipment - Curt Vendel
owned at least 2 different VAX systems and several data platters for both, for
years. It was Ken Van Mersbergen who archived all of the 9-track backup
tapes as well as the RM02 platters that Vendel had, but the RM05 platters
mentioned in this
thread were never archived as Vendel never had the proper equipment to do so
(and in all the time he owned them, he never bothered to acquire them or work
with someone who did). Currently they are in the hands of Marty Goldberg.
The unarchived platters are believed to contain data from the last few years of
Atari under Warner (1982-1984). If there's any hope of recovering any of
the known games that were under development (such as VCS Bagman,
Ballblazer, Robotron: 2084, SwordQuest AirWorld, etc), those
platters are likely the last chance of finding them. This equipment should
have been given to a real museum, like the Computer History Museum
in Mountain View, CA, to be archived and preserved, so Goldberg, now is the
time.
Jerome Domurate collection - In April 2020, all of his materials
(prototypes, development disks, paperwork, etc) ended up with the National
Videogame Museum (LINK). John Hardie posted a few screenshots of artwork
from one of the disks... and nothing else.
John Van Ryzin collection - Ryzin donated all his materials
(prototypes, paperwork, etc) to the National Videogame Museum. So now the
wait begins until John Hardie decides to either scan the material and make it
available to everyone, or donate the material to Atarimania.