I got myself a Marble Madness prototype!

[BeaglePuss]

Game inserted into my region modded Duo-r.


Debug message I mentioned earlier.


Credits.


Attract mode.


Attract mode pic 2.


"Practice Race."


"Beginner Race."


"Intermediate Race."


"Aerial Race."


"Silly Race."


"Ultimate Race."


Debug menu 1


Debug menu 2.  If you hit the run button, the songs from the game begin to play.  The keys for the song light up on the keyboards, effectively showing you how to play all the tunes.  How fucking cool is that?


Debug menu 3.  You can change the wave on the screen and it controls the pitch of a song.  Kinda weird.


Debug gameplay 1.


Debug gameplay 2.


Debug gameplay 3.  You'll notice on the first debug screen there's a "Pallette Filter" option.  For the above screen shot I chose the "Monochrome" option, but there are like ten different styles to choose from.

That's it for now guys.  I hope you're enjoying everything so far!

[Chuplayer]

What does widescreen do? Does it make for a 16:9 presentation?

[BeaglePuss]

What does widescreen do? Does it make for a 16:9 presentation?

Haven't tried it to be honest.  I could give it a spin I suppose.

I do love the fact that this game has gone undiscovered for 20+ years, and the first question someone has after it's finally unearthed is "What does widescreen do?"  Hahahaha!

[BigusSchmuck]

Here's a pic of the board to hold you over for a moment (Note: I added the stickers.  The EPROMs had no covering when the game was purchased).


As for the preservation of the game, I think I have things under control lol.  This ain't my first rodeo fellas.  I've purchased, dumped, and preserved hundreds of prototypes over the years.  This is nothing new for me.

Now, back to my original post....
Can anyone fill me in on other owners of the game?  Someone mentioned early on in the thread that there are "very few" of these out there.  Well, how few?  Was there a Yahoo Japan auction?  What other history can you tell me about the game.

I have more pics and screen shots that I will be slowly leaking over course of the day/week.  I'm really interested in the history of the game at the moment though, not it's potential distribution.  No offense meant of course, just don't want to put the carriage in front of the horse is all.

All I know about the game is that the guy who had the prototype to the arcade of Marble Madness 2 supposedly had the pce/turbo version and he wouldn't dump neither rom. This was of course many years ago on zophar domain's message board (mid to late 90s ish?) and to this day I bet whoever he is probably will never dump the roms. BTW, sorry for the delayed response, been real busy at work as of late just got home. ^^

[FiftyQuid]

Thank you for those pics!  It's awesome to see this on a console!  I use to dump quarters into the arcade machine.

[BeaglePuss]

Here's a pic of the board to hold you over for a moment (Note: I added the stickers.  The EPROMs had no covering when the game was purchased).


As for the preservation of the game, I think I have things under control lol.  This ain't my first rodeo fellas.  I've purchased, dumped, and preserved hundreds of prototypes over the years.  This is nothing new for me.

Now, back to my original post....
Can anyone fill me in on other owners of the game?  Someone mentioned early on in the thread that there are "very few" of these out there.  Well, how few?  Was there a Yahoo Japan auction?  What other history can you tell me about the game.

I have more pics and screen shots that I will be slowly leaking over course of the day/week.  I'm really interested in the history of the game at the moment though, not it's potential distribution.  No offense meant of course, just don't want to put the carriage in front of the horse is all.

All I know about the game is that the guy who had the prototype to the arcade of Marble Madness 2 supposedly had the pce/turbo version and he wouldn't dump neither rom. This was of course many years ago on zophar domain's message board (mid to late 90s ish?) and to this day I bet whoever he is probably will never dump the roms. BTW, sorry for the delayed response, been real busy at work as of late just got home. ^^

The Marble Madness 2 arcade rom has been available for years now.  Are you sure you're remembering the story correctly?  Do you remember if he posted any actual proof of his TG-16 prototype? 

I read at one point that there was a Yahoo Japan auction "A long time ago" for a Marble Madness prototype, but I'm wondering if it's all a bunch of internet lore at this point.

[Sadler]

...

That's it for now guys.  I hope you're enjoying everything so far!

I certainly am! That looks awesome. I never owned Marble Madness, but some of my earliest video game playing memories are of that game. I'd love to mess around with those debug modes! Thanks for sharing!

[BeaglePuss]

Thank you for those pics!  It's awesome to see this on a console!  I use to dump quarters into the arcade machine.

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying them.  These things are a lot more fun when you share them with people that are equally enthusiastic.

[Deletion]

It's cool just to witness all of this. Thanks for sharing, BeaglePuss. Hopefully some day we'll all be able to enjoy this forgotten game.

[Mathius]

First things first. How are the tunes???

[TheClash603]

Very cool pics.  Glad to see one of my favorite multiplayer games of the era on the best system of the time.

Are you familiar with the other ports of the game at this time, such as the NES and SMS?  How does this game compare with those?  Does it feel as though it is complete, or did you notice any rough points?

[BigusSchmuck]

Here's a pic of the board to hold you over for a moment (Note: I added the stickers.  The EPROMs had no covering when the game was purchased).


As for the preservation of the game, I think I have things under control lol.  This ain't my first rodeo fellas.  I've purchased, dumped, and preserved hundreds of prototypes over the years.  This is nothing new for me.

Now, back to my original post....
Can anyone fill me in on other owners of the game?  Someone mentioned early on in the thread that there are "very few" of these out there.  Well, how few?  Was there a Yahoo Japan auction?  What other history can you tell me about the game.

I have more pics and screen shots that I will be slowly leaking over course of the day/week.  I'm really interested in the history of the game at the moment though, not it's potential distribution.  No offense meant of course, just don't want to put the carriage in front of the horse is all.

All I know about the game is that the guy who had the prototype to the arcade of Marble Madness 2 supposedly had the pce/turbo version and he wouldn't dump neither rom. This was of course many years ago on zophar domain's message board (mid to late 90s ish?) and to this day I bet whoever he is probably will never dump the roms. BTW, sorry for the delayed response, been real busy at work as of late just got home. ^^

The Marble Madness 2 arcade rom has been available for years now.  Are you sure you're remembering the story correctly?  Do you remember if he posted any actual proof of his TG-16 prototype? 

I read at one point that there was a Yahoo Japan auction "A long time ago" for a Marble Madness prototype, but I'm wondering if it's all a bunch of internet lore at this point.

If he really did decide to dump it thats news to me, all I know is that I haven't been able to find a rom of it anywhere let alone the machine. Anyway, back on topic, its great that you posted some screenshots of this game and I hope we see a reproduction coming to a Turbob near you!

[CrackTiger]

Very cool pics.  Glad to see one of my favorite multiplayer games of the era on the best system of the time.

Are you familiar with the other ports of the game at this time, such as the NES and SMS?  How does this game compare with those?  Does it feel as though it is complete, or did you notice any rough points?

There is a Genesis version, although I don't think I ever bothered to try it. I never got into Marble Madness. It would still be cool to see how the 16-bit versions compare though.

[ParanoiaDragon]

First things first. How are the tunes???

My thoughts exactly!  How are the tunes!  Man, this is epic!

Ofcoarse, for me, one of the first things I'm thinking, is that we could finish the game(assuming it's not finished), put it on cd, & I could make redbook tunes for it!  This is one of those games I've often tbought about trying to get Nod to create it from scratch, so I can do cd tunes, since we never got the official game released.  Heck, maybe we could even have an enhanced mode with more colors, shading, effects, etc.  It's probably fairly close to the arcade I would assume.

As to the game itself, I've always wondered if it existed, & just figured any pics of it were mockup's/arcade shots, & nothing more.

BTW, I didn't see anyone else ask this, but, it sounds like you got more then just Marble Madness, or am I wrong?  You said, & I quote "I purchased a massive lot of prototype materials from Tengen/Atari, one of which is a Turbografx-16 copy of the unreleased title "Marble Madness.""  Maybe you were waiting for someone to point out that there was a "lot" of games you won?

[TR0N]

Interesting i like to see a reproduction made of this if that is even possible.

[cabbage]

BeaglePuss, Congratulations on tracking this one down. What an exciting find! Thanks for generously sharing such nice photos and information. I've been waiting a long time for a MM proto to surface Good luck with whatever you decide to do with this treasure.

[Damon Plus]

So it is real! I love the original Marble Madness, and this seems a good conversion, very similar to the Genesis one or even the arcade. Thanks for sharing.

[Otaking]

That's it for now guys.  I hope you're enjoying everything so far!

Wow, great images thanks.
 

[soop]

Hahah, this is great! Hope 2 player is implemented.  Though as pointed out, it looks like it's pretty much done, I'm sure someone would be able to finish the last bit.

I love it that a gem like this can be found so long after the system "retired".  Wonder why they didn't release it though?

Tell you what, if there are credits anywhere on the ROM, maybe we can get hold of someone who was there and find out?

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Awesome pics, thanks for sharing.  I too would like to know how if the tunes are good, how it compares to other ports, and also if it controls nicely.

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying them.  These things are a lot more fun when you share them with people that are equally enthusiastic.

Heck yeah!  I'm so damn enthusiastic my pants are getting uncomfortable.... perhaps I've said too much.

Tell you what, if there are credits anywhere on the ROM, maybe we can get hold of someone who was there and find out?

That's what I was thinking too.  There's a few different dudes listed on the credits pics - maybe one or more of them can be tracked down and will remember something.

[Samurai Ghost]

Wow, thanks for all of the screen shots!! I'd love to mess around with that debug menu one day. Looking forward to hearing the music if you could post a video at some point. I've always loves the marble madness tunes as well as the TG16 sound chip!

[soop]

I think this is the perfect place to introduce everyone to

Marble Madness - The Movie!

[_Paul]

This is fantastic news, I'm really interested to hear some of the music from this version.

[Mathius]

This is fantastic news, I'm really interested to hear some of the music from this version.

Aren't we all! The arcade version's tunes makes for a wonderful atmosphere. Even the NES port was able to convey the same atmosphere, so I am eager to hear what the Turbo can do with it.

[mrhaboobi]

i'm really interested in some of the background stories around how you have tracked these down.. the find is awesome.. but the story is almost more interesting to me ;)

[Tatsujin]

No slightlest sights of thibaut yet. what a big surprice

[ParanoiaDragon]

Hmm, no video's yet?  I was hoping maybe there'd be a lil' more info each day, ah well.  I shall be patient.  Really looking forward to seeing & hearing it in action someday!

[esteban]

First, let me say that this is truly a wonderful development in the Turbo universe. Thanks*, BeaglePuss.

*Even if we have to pay a few rupees for the privilege.



Second:

i'm really interested in some of the background stories around how you have tracked these down.. the find is awesome.. but the story is almost more interesting to me ;)

Absolutely. I want to hear as much as BeaglePuss is willing to share about procuring this (an other) Tengen/TG-16 items.



Third, I wish Tengen's Off The Wall prototype was traveling a similar path, but it appears to be stuck in a cul-de-sac.


Fourth, BeaglePuss: are you holding on to a TG-16 port of Pit Fighter? A playable version of Marble Madness is much more exciting, but there was a time when I would have loved Pit Fighter on TG-16. 

Very cool pics.  Glad to see one of my favorite multiplayer games of the era on the best system of the time.

Are you familiar with the other ports of the game at this time, such as the NES and SMS?  How does this game compare with those?  Does it feel as though it is complete, or did you notice any rough points?

Excellent question.

BeaglePuss confirmed that this version of Marble Madness was played to completion (single player mode). Hopefully, whovever played the game (if it wasn't Beagle himself) can share his/her thoughts on how this version compares to other ports of Marble Madness.

Overall, I have been pleased with the quality of Tengen's commercial releases (on various platforms), so I think it really comes down to: does this prototype represent a 95-100% complete game? Retail-ready?

Personally, I want to play this no matter what (I love Marble Madness). I'll gladly play a TG-16 version, even if it is rough around the edges.

First things first. How are the tunes???

Absolutely! BeaglePuss, if you have any pity on us, allow us to hear some of the music. Sure, it might accompany a video (should you share one), but I'm talking about some extended, 100%, unadulterated Marble Madness tunes.

[kiketonto]

That is pretty badass dude.  I love Marble Madness on the NES, but I especially love it with a trackball in the arcades.

The original way to play the game.
Awesome find, congratulations!

[Greg2600]

Definitely looking forward to hearing how this exchange took place (came from Tengen/Atari themselves?).  And how it contrasts with the NES and Genesis ports.

PS: Esteban, I can't imagine Pit Fighter for Turbo CD would have been any less a disaster than the SNES port.

[Otaking]

Definitely looking forward to hearing how this exchange took place (came from Tengen/Atari themselves?).  And how it contrasts with the NES and Genesis ports.

PS: Esteban, I can't imagine Pit Fighter for Turbo CD would have been any less a disaster than the SNES port.

The Pit Fighter port to the SNES is possibly the worst game ever.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Honestly, as bad as Pit Fighter is, I too am still waiting for the day someone discovers the cd version, if not the card version.

[Otaking]

Honestly, as bad as Pit Fighter is, I too am still waiting for the day someone discovers the cd version, if not the card version.

oh yeh agree I'd be interested to see a PC Engine/TurboGrafx port.
The Pit Fighter arcade game was below average but not diabolical, it's just that SNES port was sooooooo crap.

Had a quick look on GameFaqs it has 11 reviews all with 1/10
http://www.gamefaqs.com/snes/588576-pit-fighter/reviews

[ParanoiaDragon]

Well, to keep us interested & hold us over till we get to see some video's or hear music, here's something I found on youtube!

Man, this guy's got all kinds of stuff, even Soldier Blade & JJ & Jeff!!

[Keranu]

Well, to keep us interested & hold us over till we get to see some video's or hear music, here's something I found on youtube!

Man, this guy's got all kinds of stuff, even Soldier Blade & JJ & Jeff!!

Thanks for posting, that JJ & Jeff boss rendition was awesome!! About what I'd expect if JJ & Jeff were to have ever become a CD game in a parallel universe.

[esteban]

Definitely looking forward to hearing how this exchange took place (came from Tengen/Atari themselves?).  And how it contrasts with the NES and Genesis ports.

PS: Esteban, I can't imagine Pit Fighter for Turbo CD would have been any less a disaster than the SNES port.

The Pit Fighter port to the SNES is possibly the worst game ever.

I lust for the TG-16 HuCard/CD version!

Hany meekly adds, "It holds great promise, this Pit Fighter prototype that BeaglePuss most certainly possesses."

[shubibiman]

Wow! What a nice find! When I first read the topic's title, I don't know why but I actually thought of Off The Wall. I just realised now that it was a different game we were talking about! Thanks for the screenshots! I really expected that game back in the time and was really disappointed that it was not released!

[niknice]

is there any more news or updates about this? A video of it running would be really sweet

[esteban]

is there any more news or updates about this? A video of it running would be really sweet

I concur.

[PCEngineHell]

Definitely looking forward to hearing how this exchange took place (came from Tengen/Atari themselves?).  And how it contrasts with the NES and Genesis ports.

PS: Esteban, I can't imagine Pit Fighter for Turbo CD would have been any less a disaster than the SNES port.

The Pit Fighter port to the SNES is possibly the worst game ever.

Pit Fighter on Snes was handled by THQ. Back then THQ was a pretty subpar game maker, and in Pit Fighters case, it was heavily censored by THQ and characters were missing. More or less it resembled a 25-40 percent complete port really and should not have been released. At one point THQ announced plans to release Time Killers on Snes. Most everyone I knew loved Time Killers, so we were all pretty horrified by that announcement considering how bad Pit Fighter was handled by them.

[spenoza]

I don't think the OP will be back until he's tracked down the info he wants. Our community is secondary at the moment to his information search.

[incrediblehark]

Great find Beaglepuss  / Mr. Mark! It always amazes me how you can dig up all of these prototypes, although having money helps out a lot I'm sure (which I don't have ) Im really looking forward to reading more information about this game, and if you do end up going the route of a HuCard release *fingers crossed* I know you'll have no trouble getting the majority of the forums members here to preorder a copy. As much as I want to hear the music, its one of those things I would like to wait and hear playing in person. Marble madness was definitely a fun game, one of the things i like about it is that even when I talk to my friends who aren't that into gaming, marble madness is one of those games that they remember back in the day.

[SuperPlay]

Thanks for sharing the pictures of this game.

Here are a few magazine scans.

Marukatsu 93 Vol 01:
/marukatsu93vol01copy.jpg


PC Engine Fan 92 May
/pcenginefan92may.jpg

[bust3dstr8]

That's a nice find for Nolan Inc. 

I am a big fan of Marble Madness and hope it's closer to the
NES port than the awful Genesis version.


If you ever stop by to get your Neo....will you let me touch it

[ParanoiaDragon]

Hmm, that's that thing that says Inner Eyes?  Is that the name of a game?  That picture almost reminds me of Peter Packrat, which was also being made by Tengen but never saw the light of day.

[Mathius]

Hmm, that's that thing that says Inner Eyes?  Is that the name of a game?  That picture almost reminds me of Peter Packrat, which was also being made by Tengen but never saw the light of day.

It looks really similar to a Konami game on the MSX. The name escapes me at the moment.

[reno5]

Great find.

[ccovell]

"Inner Eyes" is just the name of the article box.  The game in the box is Peter Pack Rat.

[esteban]

"Inner Eyes" is just the name of the article box.  The game in the box is Peter Pack Rat.

Ha! Paranoia Dragon mentions Peter Pack Rat at least once a year .

I never knew why he did. Now I know.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I think you're thinking of Riftwar Saga being mentioned atleast once a year, I've always had an obsession with that game, especially seeing as how I can play the arcade version of Peter Pack Rat, but there is no version(yet) of Riftwar Saga to play.