VGFacts

Full Version: NES Mario Cartridge Chip Mystery
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
So back in 2009, I started buying old NES games I use to play as a child. In 2011, I noticed these two Super Mario Bros. games were different.
[Image: 20141029_211227.jpg]
(Above) I noticed that the left cartridge did not have the Nintendo Seal and the right did (Plus the Nintendo logo between the two games compared to under). 

[Image: 20141029_211236.jpg]
(Back panel)
[Image: 20141029_211610.jpg]
(Above) I took apart the games and noticed the one without the seal was a standard NES game chip. The right was something different. It had extra pins located on the top of the cartridge and in the center left.
[Image: 20141029_211627.jpg]
(Above) The game also does not have the standard chipset.
[Image: 20141029_211654.jpg]
[Image: 20141029_211730.jpg]
[Image: 20141029_211741.jpg]

Does anyone know why these two games are so different? I looked all over and could not find an answer. 
The game is not one of the old Famicom games with the chip converter.
If you have any clues or ideas with sites, please let me know. 
I'd ask /vr/. They'd know a lot about retro stuff like this. I doubt VGFacts could give you any information that may be useful.
My guess is one of a pirate/fake cartridge made in China somewhere. I'm not joking about that. There are pirated carts out there (especially for game boy advance). I'll look into it more.
I own some famicom games and they have the same bubble chipset as the one in question. I thought it was an older game, but I haven't seen another one like this since
So I did some research very quickly, and both labels are official. There were actually three different labels used for that particular gave (one without the seal of quality, one with it and one illustrated one that is rare.) As for the different hardware, the one with the seal of quality was released late after the top loader NES was released, so that may have something to do with different internal guts, but I'm not sure.
(10-29-2014, 10:18 PM)CosmykTheDolfyn Wrote: [ -> ]So I did some research very quickly, and both labels are official.  There were actually three different labels used for that particular gave (one without the seal of quality, one with it and one illustrated one that is rare.)  As for the different hardware, the one with the seal of quality was released late after the top loader NES was released, so that may have something to do with different internal guts, but I'm not sure.

I may have read that somewhere when I first opened them up, but I can't remember. What was the site?