How do I tell Legend of Zelda NES versions apart?
I've recently become interested in collecting old NES games. I'm trying to find an original NES Legend of Zelda game CIB. However, I'm having trouble distinguishing different versions of the game. All of the Legend of Zelda games have a box, owner's manual, cartridge, sleeve, styrofoam, and a map with secrets. However, when I search on eBay for Legend of Zelda games (CIB), I get several variations. Namely, different games vary on extras in the box (i.e. a Nintendo Power poster, an invitation to subscribe to Nintendo, an invitation to join the Nintendo fun club, etc.) According to Wikipedia, the original NES version had the invitation to join the Nintendo fun club, but I really have no idea if that's correct. When I see different Legend of Zelda game boxes, some say Rev 1, others say Rev A. I would like to get as early a release as I can find.
My question is: How can I tell which versions of Legend of Zelda NES are early and which ones aren't? Moreover, is it possible to identify a "first edition" Legend of Zelda game, or anything similar?
I've tried extensive Googling but to no avail. I have found a few different online databases but nothing with the information I'm looking for. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Best Answer
When a game has "Rev (x)" on the label, it usually means it has already been revised. This means that it is not the original release, and is more than likely a newer release with bug fixes etc. The original release shouldn't have any revisions on the label.
As for which is newer - A or 1: it's more than likely that this is the same version of the game, just released in different countries. I don't remember off the top of my head if there was still a PAL/NTSC variation back then - but that may have something to do with it.
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What does Rev A mean NES?
\u201cRev-A\u201d signified a change in design to the cartridges from the original 5 screw to the new 3 screw design. To denote it, Nintendo decided it was necessary to change the box, as well as the cart label and other pieces contained with the game.What color was the original Legend of Zelda NES cartridge?
When Nintendo published the game in North America, the packaging design featured a small portion of the box cut away to reveal the unique gold-colored cartridge. In 1988, The Legend of Zelda sold two million copies.What does 5 screw NES mean?
Yes, there are those of us who get excited by the number of screws in a Nintendo cart. Official cartridges for the NES come in two flavors, the common 3-screw and the uncommon 5-screw. This refers to the number of screws used on the bottom to hold the cartridge together.How can you tell if an NES cartridge is real?
If it's a Nintendo cartridge, check the labels for an impressed stamp. You should see at least 2-digits pressed into the caution label on the back. If the cart doesn't have a caution label (like the handheld games) then it's pressed on the front label.The Legend of Zelda - NES Cartridge Variants
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