11 replies to this topic

[Carey85]

I just received this cart in trade and I thought I would share it here. It's the Parker Bros. version of Frogger in an Atari cartridge shell. I traded for this not knowing what version of Frogger was included on the cartridge and was expecting to see the Starpath version due to a Rabbit Transit in an Atari casing being known to exist, so seeing that it was indeed the PB version of Frogger came as a bit of a shock. As far as graphics and gameplay go, it's virtually identical to the released PB version with the exception of some occasional graphical garbage in the scorebox as well as a non-existent "splat" sprite when the frog dies. Also, the game resets back to the attract screen after approximately 15 seconds of gameplay in all game modes and I don't know if this is as result of this being an unfinished version of the game or if it could be attributed to bitrot.





It is interesting to note that there is another label underneath the top lab loaner label on both the front and end labels. Also, the cart weighs out at 2.8oz. I would be interested in having this dumped just so that the binary could be picked apart to find all the differences between this and the released PB version. It would also be nice to find a date to determine whether or not this was something Atari Inc. worked on or something that Atari Corp. was working on around the same time that they licensed and released Q*Bert. I'm planning on bringing the cart with me to MGC this year if Tempest or someone else in the community has the means to dump the cart onsite, as I'm not crazy about the idea of sending it off to someone. I'm also not interested in selling at this time nor am I interested in entertaining offers. I just found this to be interesting and I don't see any other documented instances of this cartridge out there in internet land.

Edited by Carey85, Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:05 PM.

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

Another case of industrial spying. There are existing Atari loaner carts from other companies like Activision and Imagic as well.

Nice find although it sounds like that the game is damaged!

[Tempest]

I'd be interesting in seeing this at MGC. I have a dumper I can bring, but someone else will need to supply the computer and a parallel port (remember those kids?).

Tempest

[Wonder007]

Interesting find....I have a few Frogger eproms that came from Atari that I bought from somebody (don't rememeber who)...they came in an Atari ROM Pattern folder if I am not mistaken.

I have a few protos that came in shells from other companies.....Demonds to Diamonds (Atari), Rabbit Transit (Atari), Kaboom (Atari), Bobby Goes Home (Fox) just to name a few.

Great find Carey85..

[Wickeycolumbus]

Wonder007, on Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:25 PM, said:

I have a few protos that came in shells from other companies.....Demonds to Diamonds (Atari)

That is an Atari release, do you mean Demon Attack?

[Rom Hunter]

Yes, I think Wonder is talking about this one:
http://www.atarimani...tack_19376.html

[Wonder007]

I am sorry...I meant Demon Attack....long day at work....thanks for the correct Wickey and Rom...yes the one that ROM shows is the one that I own.

[kamakazi]

Hope you don't mind. I would like to borrow the image of the cartridge end for a college assignment I am trying to complete which, of all things, is also being posted on these forums here at http://www.atariage....19#entry2373619 . I have an idea that can make use of it

[save2600]

Not a 90's BEST Electronics lab loaner made to look beat up? I always thought it incredulous that someone would go through all the trouble to (nearly) perfectly align the "lab loaner" labels over the originals back in the day, if they really were just lab loaners.

Love the blank end label!

[Tempest]

What ever became of this anyway?

[Megaman Legends]

about the cart I would think that some one was testing an "updated" verion of Frogger at atari or PB

[Megaman Legends]

http://www.google.co...1t:429,r:3,s:15

I know its long but heres some pics of other loaner carts and I also think It might have been for testing the "new" game and seeing if there was any bugs.