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Piecing Together the History of Nintendo NES Game Box & Cartridges: Here are Some Clues to Use When Dating & Authenticating NES Boxed Games & Cartridges
- Promotional Copy in the USA
*A note about Box Flap Codes: Game codes seem to have been introduced to the box flaps of games sometime in the year 1987. Box flaps often feature a numeric code on them that seems to correspond to the date of production. Example: “81021” would translate to October 21, 1988. The first number indicates the year digit, which is followed by the month, then day. Please note that the earliest variations of black box games do not feature a code on the box flaps.
Dating the PCB Chips: Clues Inside the Cartridge
Say you don’t have a box to work with and you’re wondering when your game might have been produced. Or say you would like to confirm that the PCB inside your game is authentic and a likely match to the box that came with your game. Well, good news! You can peek at the game’s printed circuit board and find a date on its chips, most of the time.
The date format can vary by game.
Some chips use a YMW format, indicating the year, then month, then week of the month. For example, 5K2 corresponds to week 2 of October 1985. How did we get October? K is the 10th letter of the alphabet, and October is the 10th month of the year.
Other chips use a YW format, indicating the year then the week of the year. For example, 8549 would indicate the 49th week of 1985, approximatel
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Indicators that your Super Nintendo Console is a Rare 1-CHIP Model
Is my SNES a 1 Chip model? The very first Super Nintendo system was released in 1991 in North America. The Super Nintendo console delighted video game enthusiasts with its improved sound, visuals, and accompanying game library.
Although even the first Super Nintendo was groundbreaking in these areas, a later model released around 1995 called the "1-CHIP" SNES was especially pioneering. The motherboard design of the 1-CHIP SNES enables it to output better graphics than earlier revisions of this Nintendo system. The 1-CHIP is highly sought after by collectors because it offers some of the best gameplay visuals you can get on a Super Nintendo. It is also somewhat rare to find, which makes treasure hunting for it even more thrilling!
Prior to the year 1995 or so, Nintendo designed their Super Nintendo console motherboards so that they used 3 chips for graphics and central processing. These three chips are called the CPU, PPU1, and PPU2. When Nintendo revised the SNES motherboard around 1995, all 3 of these chips were combined into one single chip called the S-CPUN. This hardware change is what gave this model of the SNES more graphics processing power.
How do I know if my SNES is a 1-CHIP version?
1. Look at the serial number.
The serial number barcode is printed on a sticker located on the bottom of the console beneath a barcode.
One obvious indicator that you may have a SNES with a 1-CHIP motherboard design is if the console's serial number begins with "UN3". A 1-CHIP SNES serial number will always start with a UN3. However,
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The Basic Essentials of Soldering when it Comes to Gaming Systems and Video Game Save batteries.
Soldering can be scary for a lot of people at first. My first SNES save battery took me at least 50 minutes! Vegas Stakes! Now, it usually takes me 5 minutes. I wasn’t using the right equipment and obviously people tend to get better with practice. These are some suggestions for setting yourself up to solder!
- Buy a nice solder station. (Usually, will come with a roll of solder roll)
- Use the appropriate solder. (some elements work better with electronics than others) We recommend a 60 percent amount of tin and 40 percent lead.
- Use copper desoldering wick/braid with flux. (We recommend 2.4mm in width)
- Have flux handy! (No-clean flux preferred)
- Isopropyl alcohol. (preferred percentage minimum of 90%)
- Q-tips.
Let’s start with something simple:
- Power on your soldering station to approximately 600 to 650 Farenheit (You can use lower temperatures).
- Place your no clean flux on the old solder you want to remove.
- Cut a piece of copper wick braid to use for desoldering
- Copper conducts electricity, so be prepared for the braid to become hot
- Once your soldering iron is at the correct temperature place it over the old solder and hold it into place until you see the old solder s
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Save The Dreamcast: The Fans Rallied (Failure of Sega's Last Console)
The Road to Failure: Did It Start with the Saturn?
Absolutely. The seeds of the Dreamcast’s downfall were sown long before its launch—with the Sega Saturn.
1. Complex Hardware = Developer Nightmare
The Saturn used a dual-CPU architecture that made development notoriously difficult. Meanwhile, Sony’s PlayStation was a breeze to program for. Guess where the developers went?
2. Surprise Launch Debacle
Sega of America randomly launched the Saturn early in May 1995—months ahead of schedule. Retailers like Walmart and KB Toys weren’t told and flat-out refused to carry it. Worse, devs weren’t ready either, leaving the launch lineup bone-dry.
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Why the PlayStation 1 Is Still One of the Best Retro Gaming Consoles in 2025
When Sony released the PlayStation 1 in North America in 1995, it wasn’t just launching a console — it was changing gaming forever. The PS1 brought true 3D graphics into the home, introducing an entirely new style of gameplay
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What Is the Sega Saturn 6 Player Multitap Adapter?
When Did It Launch?
North American gamers first saw the 6Player in 1995, priced at $49.99 USD upon release Sega Retro.
Games You Can Play with Up to Six Friends!
Here are three standout titles that really shine when you’ve got a full couch:
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Saturn Bomberman (1996)
The king of party chaos—battle up to six players on one multitap, or go wild with ten folks if you’ve got two adapters Wikipedia. -
Guardian Heroes (1996)
Beyond its branching RPG story, the Versus mode supports six warriors duking it out simultaneously—perfect for impromptu tournaments. -
Fire Pro Wrestling S: 6Men Scramble (1996)
This deep, sprite‑based wrestling sim goes full arena battle with up to six wrestlers in tag‑team or battle‑royal mayhem GameFAQs.
Fun Facts to Impress Your
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What and Also Where is the Final Fantasy VII Misprint Typo Error for the Sony PS1 Game Short Video?
What and Also Where is the Final Fantasy VII Misprint Typo Error for the Sony PS1 Game? A YouTube short visually showing you exactly where the misprint is on the early black label print of Final Fantasy VII on the Sony PlayStation 1 - PS1 variant. It's located in the word masterpiece to the back artwork. Not all black label Final Fantasy games will have the floating "i" artwork error or typo! videogamegemvault.com Watch video!
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A Guide to Popular Video Game Genres, Terms, and Slang
As a millennial... some of these terms have been around, but my Gen Z niece says words that I have to Google... yes, we all do it after age 30! Video gameplay comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but most fall into specific genres that define how they play. You may love COD Black Ops, but hate COD Modern Warfare, I do. But, I have yet to find a Rockstar game I do not thoroughly enjoy! Whether you’re into fast-paced shooters, immersive RPGs, brain-teasing strategy games, or bullet-dodging shoot 'em ups, there’s something for everyone. Here’s a rundown of some major game genres, along with common slang terms and a few examples from both retro and modern generations.
First-Person Shooter (FPS)
Fast-paced action, where you view the game
What and Where is the Nintendo Product Code on a DS and 3DS Video Game Cartridge and Case?
A Nintendo product code or (sometimes referred to as the MPN) for Nintendo DS and 3DS games is a unique identifier printed right on the cartridge label, box, and manual — used to catalog and differentiate each title. Think of it like Nintendo’s internal cataloging system. This helps collectors and sellers (and curious gamers) figure out exactly which version of a game they have — whether it’s North American, European, or Japanese. (Usually, there are other obvious dead giveaways such as different language or a CE on the cartridge and different rating systems) And just like PlayStation has their SLUS, SCUS, and BLUS codes (but that’s a whole different blog! 😉), Nintendo kept their own system consistent across these handhelds.
The format looks like this:
NTR-XXXX-XXX (for DS)
CTR-XXXX-XXX (for 3DS)
Breakdown:
- NTR = Nintendo DS hardware codename, “Nitro.”
- CTR = Nintendo 3DS hardware codename, “Centra.”
- XXXX = Four-letter game code.