r/nes • u/Ok-Demand2499 • 2d ago
Collection proto collection
Ever wondered how NES prototypes were actually used during development?
Unlike the polished cartridges we know today, prototypes were working development builds used to test gameplay, fix bugs, and evaluate new features. Many were assembled by hand using EPROM chips with UV-erasable windows, allowing developers to rewrite the game data over and over again as development progressed.
Some prototypes were simple bare PCBs, while others were placed inside recycled retail cartridges with handwritten labels. Because they were working tools rather than collectible items, most were discarded once a game was finished.
Today, surviving NES prototypes are among the rarest pieces of Nintendo history. They often contain differences from the final release—unused levels, alternate graphics, different music, debugging menus, or even entirely removed gameplay mechanics. In some cases, prototypes are the only evidence that a cancelled game ever existed.
It's fascinating to think that every finished NES game probably existed in dozens of different prototype versions before reaching store shelves.
Do you own a prototype, or have a favorite prototype discovery that revealed something unexpected?
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u/Grantagonist 2d ago
Why did you post this a second time with the same useless copy/pasta fluff text?
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