Funvision (updated list on post #1!)

[Rom Hunter]

Three versions of Funvision games are known to exist.

 

The first version comes in the typical V-grooved case.

These games come with a manual that credits a manufacturer called Fund. Int´l Co Ltd.:

http://atarimania.com/lst_soft-MENU-2-TYPE...I-SOFT_LIB.html

 

The second version looks just like it was made by K-Tel Vision as it has the same type of box, T-handle case and label:

http://atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?MENU...VERSION_ID=8484

http://atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?MENU...VERSION_ID=8093

 

The third version comes in a blue Zellers-like box.

The games also have Zellers-like labels, but there is a generic (Halley's Comet) Funvision label underneath:

http://atarimania.com/lst_soft-MENU-2-TYPE...I-SOFT_LIB.html

 

The fourth version has an Ultravision label with a Funvision sticker stuck over the Ultravision brand:

http://atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?MENU...ERSION_ID=15442

http://atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?MENU...ERSION_ID=19800

 

Funvision - Fund. Int´l Co Ltd.:

http://atarimania.com/lst_soft-MENU-2-TYPE...TEUR_ID-91.html

 

Additional info is more than welcome!

 

Edited May 14, 2008 by Rom Hunter

[Foxsolo2000]

Rom are you saying that Zellers bought up old Fun Vision cartridges and put their own lables on top of them? Was that a common practise?

[Rom Hunter]

That's what I want to know.

Maybe Marco can answer this question.

 

[Omegamatrix]

Rom Hunter, I'm not sure if this will help or hinder but...

I have an Ocean City Defender cart (NTSC) that I bought loose on eBay from an American seller. It looks exactly like the Zellers cart only that the ROM is strange. In the AA database the game says Imagic on the bottom of the screenshot while my cart clearly displays Funvision. Atariguide displays a similar screenshot. Since I got it loose who is to say who actually made or distributed this cart? I would lean more to it not being an actual Zellers cart just because it's from the USA. What I have to offer you though is that I've been looking at the cart all day trying to determine if there's an another label underneath the front label. I won't peel it up, but if there was a label underneath it would have to be damn thin as there are no ridges showing. Anyway Rom I hope this helps a little. I know you were inquiring with Marco so if this is really a PAL question then I can't help.

[Rom Hunter]

Thanks, Omegamatrix.

I know about the Ocean City Defender from Zellers with the Funvision logo on screen and it's interesting you brought that one up.

The AA database screenshot is wrong.

Ocean City Defender from Zellers is an NTSC hack of Imagic's Atlantis with the Funvision logo on screen.

It certainly is an interesting link between Zellers and Funvision, but I don't think it has anything to do with the blue Zeller-like boxes Digital Press is talking about.

I'm 99% certain that Ocean City Defender from Zellers has no Funvision label underneath its label.

 

[Omegamatrix]

Also Rom, I was talking with another member today who said his Ocean City Defender looks like the screenshot in the AA database with Imagic been written at the bottom of the screen. From what I read in these threads it was one company (who no one knows much about) producing a lot of carts for other companies. It was pointed out to me that Zellers could have stopped using the Imagic rom halfway through distribution to avoid lawsuits and copied the Funvision rom instead. My own idea (stuck in my head) is that a lot of these games seem mish-mashed put together however they could, by whatever was left over. I've seen label variations on Atariguide that have Inca Gold labels for Bank Heist etc. Does anyone have any credible information about the main distributor?

[Cootster]

Also Rom, I was talking with another member today who said his Ocean City Defender looks like the screenshot in the AA database with Imagic been written at the bottom of the screen. From what I read in these threads it was one company (who no one knows much about) producing a lot of carts for other companies. It was pointed out to me that Zellers could have stopped using the Imagic rom halfway through distribution to avoid lawsuits and copied the Funvision rom instead. My own idea (stuck in my head) is that a lot of these games seem mish-mashed put together however they could, by whatever was left over. I've seen label variations on Atariguide that have Inca Gold labels for Bank Heist etc. Does anyone have any credible information about the main distributor?

929410[/snapback]

 

There are so many companies that released the same pirate games and hacks that catching up to the original source now 22 years later would be difficult. Nothing can distinguish a loose Zellers cart from a Taiwan Simple (and often hilariously misspelled) cart. They shouldn't even be a separate category, as the only added value of a Zellers boxed cart comes from the price sticker, which may no longer be on the box or may have never been placed there in the first place.

 

However, all Zellers titles have properly spelled and comprehensible names (no Sparker Gardon, Reever Raad, or Peetfal), which may hint that the company didn't just purchase a bunch of random carts, but somehow influenced their production.

 

Also, it appears the people responsible for these carts only manufactured hacks of games by major producers (Atari, Activision, Coleco, US Games, PB, Imagic) and didn't sell the Homevision/Suntek/whoever unique titles like other pirate companies.

[Omegamatrix]

However, all Zellers titles have properly spelled and comprehensible names (no Sparker Gardon, Reever Raad, or Peetfal), which may hint that the company didn't just purchase a bunch of random carts, but somehow influenced their production.

929632[/snapback]

I've been wondering about these weird names. Are they badly translated titles by the Taiwanese or are they from an actual langauge?

[Rom Hunter]

Also Rom, I was talking with another member today who said his Ocean City Defender looks like the screenshot in the AA database with Imagic been written at the bottom of the screen.

So actually there is a Zellers Ocean City Defender with the Imagic logo on screen.

I'm wondering if it has altered spaceship graphics, like the Funvision one.

Is it possible to ask him a screenshot of the game?

 

From what I read in these threads it was one company (who no one knows much about) producing a lot of carts for other companies.

Maybe this is an answer:

http://www.atariage.com/cart_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2370

 

V-grooved and Funvision like labeled.

 

I don't know much about this company and I don't know exactly what the encircled 157 means, but if it means that this company produced at least 157 pirated titles, then it could well be the company you were reading about.

Atariguide also has a scan of an unknown River Raid (numbered 151) from the same serie. It's listed under 'Unknown':

http://www.atariguide.com/menu/2600manframe.htm

 

Nothing can distinguish a loose Zellers cart from a Taiwan Simple (and often hilariously misspelled) cart.  They shouldn't even be a separate category, as the only added value of a Zellers boxed cart comes from the price sticker, which may no longer be on the box or may have never been placed there in the first place.

I think they can (and should) be distinguished.

Real Zellers boxes have a small white, printed price square on the top right corner of the box with the name 'Zellers' in it.

Surely there were Taiwan boxes with a Zellers price sticker on them, but I don't consider these as 'real' Zellers boxes.

The same goes for Quelle.

 

Now back to my question:

Marco, do you have a picture of a Zeller-like cartridge with a generic Funvision label underneath its final label?

Which Funvision game labels were underneath?

 

Edited September 12, 2005 by Rom Hunter

[Shawn]

I used to have a copy of Spider Maze and IIRC it says FunVision at the bottom of the screen. And yes it was the Canadian K-tel Record's version. The Plot Thickens!!

[Rom Hunter]

I used to have a copy of Spider Maze and IIRC it says FunVision at the bottom of the screen. And yes it was the Canadian K-tel Record's version. The Plot Thickens!!

929751[/snapback]

That's no surprise.

K-Tel Vision, Ultravision, Goliath (and Zellers) are all connected with Funvision:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...61&hl=funvision

 

Edited September 12, 2005 by Rom Hunter

[Marco]

 

 

Cheers,

Marco

[Rom Hunter]

Excellent.

That's the scan I'm looking for.

Thanks, Marco!

 

The only problem is that I can't take a closer look at it, because the picture won't enlarge.

 

Marco, correct me if I'm wrong, but is that black 'Busy Police' a sticker or is it printed?

Was that Busy Police label stuck over the Halley's Comet label?

I bet the name Funvision or Fund. Int'l Co., Ltd. is readable inside the casing or on the back of the EPROM board, but is it also mentioned somewhere on the label, box or manual?

 

Edited September 15, 2005 by Rom Hunter

[Rom Hunter]

Here's an interesting scan (thanks to FND!) of two Funvision titles (Time Warp and Space Monster) with K-Tel Vision Vulture Attack labels underneath and a scan of a K-Tel Vision Vulture Attack with an Ultravision Condor Attack label underneath.

 

 

 

Good examples of how Funvision, K-Tel Vision and Ultravision were connected.

 

I'm still looking for a proof of a PAL Vulture Attack and Spider Maze from K-Tel Vision.

Does somebody have a PAL Vulture Attack or Spider Maze T-handle from K-Tel Vision?

Do they even exist?

 

Edited September 15, 2005 by Rom Hunter

[Marco]

Marco, correct me if I'm wrong, but is that black 'Busy Police' a sticker or is it printed?

Was that Busy Police label stuck over the Haley's Comet label?

I bet the name Funvision or Fund. Int'l Co., Ltd. is readable inside the casing or on the back of the EPROM board, but is it also mentioned somewhere on the label, box or manual?

931808[/snapback]

 

It's indeed a sticker that displays the name of the game, and the Busy Police label is glued on top of the Halley's Comet label. There are no markings of Funvision to be found anywhere else, not on the box, cart, case, or pcb. There's no manual.

 

 

 

Cheers,

Marco

[YOK-dfa]

Does somebody have a PAL Vulture Attack or Spider Maze T-handle from K-Tel Vision?

Do they even exist?

According to my list i am the proud owner of a Spize Maze from K-Tel Vision. Unfortunately my games are in storage some 3000km from the place i'm currently living so i can't make any pictures at the moment. I'm afraid you have to wait until Xmas before i can make a positive ID...

 

For Vulture Attack, check http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=70351&hl

 

It looks like the label says K-Tel vision. The seller was in Holland, so i'm pretty sure it's pal

[deathtrappomegranate]

I've seen Spider Maze for sale a couple of times in the UK and Australia, but I have no way of knowing whether they were PAL.

[Rom Hunter]

It's indeed a sticker that displays the name of the game, and the Busy Police label is glued on top of the Halley's Comet label. There are no markings of Funvision to be found anywhere else, not on the box, cart, case, or pcb. There's no manual.

Thanks for the Info, Marco.

 

One last question:

How do you know it's from Funvision?

 

I've seen Spider Maze for sale a couple of times in the UK and Australia, but I have no way of knowing whether they were PAL.

The strange thing is that Gamereset presents Vulture Attack and Spider Maze from K-Tel Vision as PAL games, while AA presents them as NTSC games.

Either both versions exist or one of these sites is making a big mistake.

 

Edited September 15, 2005 by Rom Hunter

[FND]

You said you could not enlarge the photos so you cant see were it says

Funvision on the label. I took the liberty of enlarging the photo for you

and posting it

 

[Rom Hunter]

Couldn't see that.

Thanks, FND.

For some strange reason only Marco's pictures won't enlarge for me.

It's great to see an original Funvision title.

 

BTW: what game was Halley's Comet originally?

 

Edited September 15, 2005 by Rom Hunter

[YOK-dfa]

The strange thing is that Gamereset presents Vulture Attack and Spider Maze from K-Tel Vision as PAL games, while AA presents them as NTSC games.

Either both versions exist or one of these sites is making a big mistake.

I'm pretty sure they exist. I found my Spider Maze in the wild and if i remember correctly it was PAL. Also i have seen other K-Tel T-handle games (like Vulture Attack) on dutch 2nd hand sites. It could ofcourse be that K-Tel sold NTSC games on the european market, but i seriously doubt that...

[Marco]

BTW: what game was Halley's Comet originally?

I figured it to be some kind of sub label / manufacturer / producer, not a game.

 

Cheers,

Marco

[Foxsolo2000]

Hate to disagree with you Marco but that looks like a title of a game label. Was Bust Police the game in that cartridge or something else entirely for it wouldn't be the first time that a cartridge had said one thing but been another thing entirley.

[Marco]

Hate to disagree with you Marco but that looks like a title of a game label.  Was Bust Police the game in that cartridge or something else entirely for it wouldn't be the first time that a cartridge had said one thing but been another thing entirley.

933185[/snapback]

I have a dozen or so of these, and they all have the same Halley Comet label underneath the picture label. The design of the HC label just doesn't strike me as a particular game label, but more of a generic sticker they slapped on everything. Of course, I have no proof of that, it's just a feeling/theory.

 

Cheers,

Marco

[Foxsolo2000]

Ok I stand corrected on that one. I wasn't aware that you had so many of the same label.