Birthday Mania Cartridge.

[vintagegamecrazy]

I just started posting here recently, I post on Digitalpress often though, but I have heard many rumors of confirmation of this game, Marco was saying he knows someone who owns one, I also think Jerry Griener owns a copy, I would like some proof it exists. I believe it does but I want to see it in the online guides, I also would like to know what kind of game it is, I know it is some kind of monogrammed game, but which one, and any info about the company who released it. A cart scan would be GOLD for me. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[jeffgamer]

Yes, the cartridge does indeed exist, and it's high time I figured out how to upload pictures and then carved out the time so I could get some pictures of the cartridge, as well as more information, out there into the gaming community!

 

The basic object of this paddle-based game is to blow out the candles as they fall toward you, similar to Kaboom! Each wave of candles is more intense than the last. As the candles fall toward you, you blow at them (your shots). You start with 50 breaths of air. Each time a candle hits the ground, you lose one breath, and when the 50 breaths has dropped down to zero, the game is over.

 

The cartridge was sold somewhere in the US, I suspect in the mid-North part of the country. The company basically marketed it as a great birthday gift...each game is personalized to the birthday boy or girl. On the label, there's a spot to write who the cartridge belongs to, and when the game loads up, on the opening screen, it displays the birthday boy/girl's name while playing "Happy Birthday To You."

 

The cart was made by a company called "Personal Games Co." It has a red and white label with blue balloons and a spot to write your name. The end label is white with red lettering, and reads c 1984 Personal Games Co.

 

Note that the game actually does make use of the A/B difficulty level switch...when the right difficulty switch is in the "B" position, you have continual "shots/breaths"...when it's in the "A" position, you can only "shoot" one breath at a time. I'm not sure if the left difficulty switch does anything, though.

 

I'm attaching two pictures below...one from a top-down angle and one that includes the end label as well. Note that I laid a small piece of white paper on the label, in the otherwise-white square for the birthday recipient's name. The name written in the appropriate space on the label is not my own...I bought/traded this from the cartridge's SECOND owner ten years ago...and there's no way for me to know if the original owner is willing to have her name splashed all over the Internet.

 

 

 

 

[Crazy Climber]

That is soooo cool man, I've never heard of this cartridge. Does anyone have any idea how many of these are out there?

Thanks for posting pics of that buy the way

Maybe you could post a screen shot some time if you have some time to kill.

Killer item for a collection man, I'm very jealous

[CPUWIZ]

Yes, the cartridge does indeed exist, and it's high time I figured out how to upload pictures and then carved out the time so I could get some pictures of the cartridge, as well as more information, out there into the gaming community!

 

The basic object of this paddle-based game is to blow out the candles as they fall toward you, similar to Kaboom! Each wave of candles is more intense than the last. As the candles fall toward you, you blow at them (your shots). You start with 50 breaths of air. Each time a candle hits the ground, you lose one breath, and when the 50 breaths has dropped down to zero, the game is over.

 

The cartridge was sold somewhere in the US, I suspect in the mid-North part of the country. The company basically marketed it as a great birthday gift...each game is personalized to the birthday boy or girl. On the label, there's a spot to write who the cartridge belongs to, and when the game loads up, on the opening screen, it displays the birthday boy/girl's name while playing "Happy Birthday To You."

 

The cart was made by a company called "Personal Games Co." It has a red and white label with blue balloons and a spot to write your name. The end label is white with red lettering, and reads c 1984 Personal Games Co.

 

Note that the game actually does make use of the A/B difficulty level switch...when the right difficulty switch is in the "B" position, you have continual "shots/breaths"...when it's in the "A" position, you can only "shoot" one breath at a time. I'm not sure if the left difficulty switch does anything, though.

 

I'm attaching two pictures below...one from a top-down angle and one that includes the end label as well. Note that I laid a small piece of white paper on the label, in the otherwise-white square for the birthday recipient's name. The name written in the appropriate space on the label is not my own...I bought/traded this from the cartridge's SECOND owner ten years ago...and there's no way for me to know if the original owner is willing to have her name splashed all over the Internet.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally!

 

Thanks a lot Jeff.

 

* waits for Marco & Wonder007 to send an offer via PM *

[+Wonder007]

Yes, the cartridge does indeed exist, and it's high time I figured out how to upload pictures and then carved out the time so I could get some pictures of the cartridge, as well as more information, out there into the gaming community!

 

The basic object of this paddle-based game is to blow out the candles as they fall toward you, similar to Kaboom! Each wave of candles is more intense than the last. As the candles fall toward you, you blow at them (your shots). You start with 50 breaths of air. Each time a candle hits the ground, you lose one breath, and when the 50 breaths has dropped down to zero, the game is over.

 

The cartridge was sold somewhere in the US, I suspect in the mid-North part of the country. The company basically marketed it as a great birthday gift...each game is personalized to the birthday boy or girl. On the label, there's a spot to write who the cartridge belongs to, and when the game loads up, on the opening screen, it displays the birthday boy/girl's name while playing "Happy Birthday To You."

 

The cart was made by a company called "Personal Games Co." It has a red and white label with blue balloons and a spot to write your name. The end label is white with red lettering, and reads c 1984 Personal Games Co.

 

Note that the game actually does make use of the A/B difficulty level switch...when the right difficulty switch is in the "B" position, you have continual "shots/breaths"...when it's in the "A" position, you can only "shoot" one breath at a time. I'm not sure if the left difficulty switch does anything, though.

 

I'm attaching two pictures below...one from a top-down angle and one that includes the end label as well. Note that I laid a small piece of white paper on the label, in the otherwise-white square for the birthday recipient's name. The name written in the appropriate space on the label is not my own...I bought/traded this from the cartridge's SECOND owner ten years ago...and there's no way for me to know if the original owner is willing to have her name splashed all over the Internet.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally!

 

Thanks a lot Jeff.

 

* waits for Marco & Wonder007 to send an offer via PM *

 

Already have....man are you psychic or what CPUWIZ??????

[Rick Weis]

i'm sure Marco sent an offer to jeff LONG before today!

 

Rick

[Omegamatrix]

Wow! I never thought I'd see a pic of this cart. Thanks for sharing, and I would love to see a screen shot of this game. I love it when these unknown companies come to light. I want to know more. I see Rom has already made an entry in Atarimania.

[deathtrappomegranate]

That really is pretty cool

[Dusk2600]

Thats insane, great find

[jeffgamer]

That is soooo cool man, I've never heard of this cartridge. Does anyone have any idea how many of these are out there?

Thanks for posting pics of that buy the way

Maybe you could post a screen shot some time if you have some time to kill.

Killer item for a collection man, I'm very jealous

 

My guess is there had to have been only a few made, as it's clearly a specialty/novelty item that, due to it's personalized content, couldn't be mass distributed.

 

I'll see what I can do about that screen shot. Marco has been after me for well over a year to get a picture of the cartridge...clearly, I've been verrrry slow...but I'll try to take a shot of the screen some time in the next few days (if it actually comes out...I remember having a horrible time as a teen trying to take screen shots of my high score in Laser Blast...)

[Dusk2600]

did the person u got this from know what he/she had? or did u get it for like a dollar?

[Crazy Climber]

I've become obsessed with this cart.....I can't stop looking at the pics, totally cool man

[jeffgamer]

did the person u got this from know what he/she had? or did u get it for like a dollar?

 

 

I didn't fully know what I had. I got this 10 years ago, only a few months after discovering that there were other collectors beside myself and one other local guy. I was on RGVC, checking out the posts, when someone posted a message entitled "Has anyone heard of Birthday Mania?" I wrote him back, asked some questions, told him if he was interested in selling or trading it, I'd be interested. Apparently, I was the only one who bothered to write back to him...which led me to believe that either people thought he was making it up or that the other serious collectors already had the game...and he DID say he'd be interested in selling it. It didn't cost a dollar, no, but, if I recall correctly, he wanted something like $20, Pitfall, and Pitfall II. I bought it and sent him the two cartridges he'd wanted...it was a lot for me to spend on a cartridge at the time, since it was far more than I'd ever spent for a cartridge before in my life (except for a Sean Kelly multi-cart, I believe). But I still walked away feeling quite pleased that I'd added it to my collection...that same feeling you get when you find a game you don't have out at a flea market and you can't stop beaming down at it the whole drive home. And, yeah, 10 years later, I recognize how good a deal it was...!

[Dusk2600]

now u could prolly get 3K for it Great story man.

[CPUWIZ]

he wanted something like $20, Pitfall, and Pitfall II.

 

[+Wonder007]

Wow, what a story!!!!! I need to find my Pitfall and Pitfall II carts......

[z28in82]

Jeff,

 

She is a beaute, and the envy of quite a few around here. And that is one helluva story. Must get better with every retelling.

[jeffgamer]

Okay, while I've got the momentum, I went and took screen shots. Don't know why the images came out with a kind of double exposure, so I apologize for the quality of the pix.

 

 

[+Wonder007]

Very nice shots Jeff, thanks!!!!!

[Omegamatrix]

That's cool! If you haven't already I suggest you have the cart dumped at least for your own self. That way if the game ever fails it won't be lost forever. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts it's an eprom. Thanks again for sharing.

[jpfalcon2003]

Really cool. Never knew about this game.

[Dusk2600]

this needs to be added to the rarity guide, if it has not already

 

id say it is an R10

Edited December 26, 2006 by Dusk2600

[Marco]

Finally!!

 

Great stuff, Jeff, thanks for showing these pics

 

Cheers,

Marco

[Albert]

this needs to be added to the rarity guide, if it has not already

 

id say it is an R10

Yes, definitely.. Jeffgamer -- do you have a scanner? If so, would you be able to scan the cart (main and end labels) for me?

 

Thanks,

 

..Al

[homerwannabee]

now u could prolly get 3K for it Great story man.

I think you might be a little off on this one. This is the only cartridge known to exist. I would venture a guess more in the range of 4K to 5K.