Game Box Mysteries...

[Stan]

So, while adding stuff to the database and finally adding the box text from the notorious Game Box mult-cart releases from TecToy, I noticed something. First off, these things seem impossible to date. General consensus seems to be 1994, which seems logical because of the picture of the Master System Super Compact present in all of their manuals. However, I'm not sure this is entirely accurate.

First off, there are no dates anywhere on these games. Nothing on the box, nothing in the manual, and nothing on the title screens, save the information from the original releases. Only one of them, in fact (Serie Esportes Radicas) actually has its own title screen. To further compound this issue is the fact that Game Box Serie Esportes (Great Volley, Super Futebol II, Wimbledon) seems to be later than 1994. The reason for this is the manual style matches the later run TecToy games, AND it is the only one of the four to include TecToy's internet address on the insert.

The next mystery involves three of these. Esportes Radicas, well, it's just a stripped-down budget version of California Games with a slightly altered title screen. The other three, however, at least my copies, default immediately to the first game listed on the box and in the manual. There are no title screens. I can't exactly read Portugese that well, but the manuals seem to indicate you need to wait freaking 10 DAMN MINUTES for it to switch to the next game. Does anyone else have a copy of these so they can verify this? Or are there variations with title screens?

[Maxim]

Aren't the others just toggle-the-power-to-switch like most cheap multigame carts?

[Stan]

Oh, so you're saying I can simply turn it off and on to toggle this? I'm pretty sure I did that with one of them, but I can't remember. When I first saw that Corridas kept defaulting straight to Super Monaco GP, I thought the title screen was being skipped, so I kept it in and did it again but it went back to it. I'm going to translate some of the manual to see if I can figure it out, but all signs seem to indicate (based on my scant Portugese) that it flips every ten minutes.

[Melanogaster]

@stan: I believe you misunderstood the manual. On the back of the cover we have (for Série Corridas, for example):

(...)
Durante o jogo:

• Descanse pelo menos 10 minutos por hora quando você estiver jogando video game.

(...)

Which means:

(...)
During the game:

• Rest for at least 10 minutes per hour while you're playing the videogame.

On page 1 we have:

(...)
4. O primeiro jogo que vai aparecer na tela é o Super Monaco GP. Se desejar trocar de jogo, basta ligar e desligar o console, que um novo jogo vai aparecer, e assim sucessivamente. (...)

Which means:

(...)
4. The first game to show up on the screen is Super Monaco GP. If you wish to change the game, just turn the console on and off and a new game will appear, and so on. (...)

[Stan]

Hmmm, but I tried this. Thanks for the translation! Now I need to remember, did I take the cartridge OUT first, or did I flip it back on after shutting it off? Great, here we go... Do you happen to know anything about the release dates on these my man?

[Melanogaster]

Can't say for sure... your observation is correct, though -- Tec Toy's site came out only on 1997, and unless we have variations of Esportes' cover (mine's also got the website on the back) somewhere out there we can estimate at least its release year. Although I'd expect Corridas and Lutas to be released around 1995 or so and Esportes Radicais to be close to Esportes since it's the only one with a custom title screen and I don't think Tec Toy started messing with ROM content earlier than 1997 or so. But I could be wrong...

[Stan]

Thanks for the date. It has to be around 1997 for at least that one, considering the manual differences too. Perhaps the ROM content for Radicais was easier to work with? 95 is probably a better estimate. Geraldinho has the same problem, 94 seems to be the agreed upon date, but there is no way to know for sure. If they didn't start messing with ROM content until later, then that throws a wrench in there. Probably released around the same time as TV Colosso.