Cartridge and box variants - help needed

[oldcomputr]

Hi all,
I'm writing an article about all the box and cart label variants of the cartridge games made by Commodore for our beloved VIC 20.

Can you help me complete the table below?
I own or have photographic proof of every variant I listed, so you can focus on missing entries.

BOXES
For now I'm focusing on the most common box variants. This leaves us with four types of boxes:
A-1. Box with hole and "The Friendly Computer" tagline, mostly sold in North America.
A-2. Same as above but with English and French text, mostly sold in Canada.
A-3. Box with hole and "Colour Computer" tagline, mostly sold in UK and Europe.
A-4. "Personalised" boxes, one for every game, sold worldwide. Sometimes Hong Kong reprints could be slightly different.

There are other boxes that are very country-specific so for me it's more difficult to write down a complete list.
If we can get a list of those boxes, I will gladly include them in the article and in the table here. In my knowledge there are three other kind of boxes:
B-1. Japanese small boxes (blue and red "square root" graphics). Always generic, with a label containing name and code of the game. Sometimes the label is professionally printed, other times it's a simple label printed on a dot matrix printer. I'm sure about Avenger, Rally-X, Pacman, Night Drive, Omega Race (dot matrix), and I have a picture of Clowns and Mole Attack instructions in Japanese... there should be more of them.
B-2. German boxes: all game names are translated, graphic layout and illustration on the front are different, the cart often has a silver sticker on it. I have a few of them but too few to start a list. Any German collector with a complete set?
B-3. For completeness, Handic versions of C= games. Cartridge shell and label are different, not sure about boxes and illustrations - I've only seen the usual VIC Stat / Graph / Rel covers.

I'm quite sure about the A-3 ("colour computer") and A-4 (personalized box) sets; I think I'm missing some entries in sets A-1 and A-2.

CARTRIDGE LABELS
There are three types of labels:
1. Metal label with big text. Only a handful of games have this one.
2. Metal label with "three arrows" graphics.
3. Paper label.
There are some variants on a few games (e.g. Scott Adams with and without SYS 32592) but those will be treated as exceptions.
But what about the "Atomic Mission" variant of "Impossible Mission"? I have only seen pictures of the box not the cartridge. Can someone share a picture of the cartridge? Maybe Mayhem may answer? (pun intended)


Please provide proof of any correction: include a picture or a link to a site that has a picture.

I will update the table with the new information.

Thanks for your help!



Notes
(1) I've seen two versions, with green or black text.
(2) The silk printed text on the label is "Night Drive".
(3) Brown (utility) shell, with a sticker on the label.
(4) En+Fr box but instruction in English only

[Mayhem]

I was going to ask, just interested in the box type, and not the artwork as I've got several variations from Australia for example. Will see if anything I have differs to the table below

Is the name in the list going by the name on the cartridge, or the name on the box? I do have a version of Radar Rat Race with just Rat Race on the box (but the cart label is RRR).

And in answer to Atomic Mission, only the box is different, my copy of the game still had a Mission Impossible cart label heh.

[oldcomputr]

I was going to ask, just interested in the box type, and not the artwork as I've got several variations from Australia for example. Will see if anything I have differs to the table below ;)

In my article draft I mention the Australian versions, some other country specific version (I have a couple of Italian boxes with a generic cover and a stamp or label with the name and/or code), and some kind of monochromatic covers in light blue. I didn't mention them here because they're quite uncommon and difficult to register, but maybe it's easier for the Australian ones because in my knowledge there are just a handful of them... or am I wrong?

Is the name in the list going by the name on the cartridge, or the name on the box? I do have a version of Radar Rat Race with just Rat Race on the box (but the cart label is RRR).

I didn't pay much attention to that. Maybe I should choose the cartridge name because that's what you see if you have a loose cart.
Or have more columns with the cart name and the name on each box version.
We could end with something like this:
Name on cartridge: Radar Ratrace
"Colour Computer" box name: Rat Race
"Friendly Computer" box name: Radar Rat Race
French Name: Chasse Au Rat
German name: Katz u. Maus
Personalized box name: Radar Ratrace

More work, but maybe more complete. Opinions?

And in answer to Atomic Mission, only the box is different, my copy of the game still had a Mission Impossible cart label heh.

Thanks! I will add a note to the table or insert the name in the "cartridge name" column...

[ka20]

B-1. Japanese small boxes (blue and red "square root" graphics). Always generic, with a label containing name and code of the game. Sometimes the label is professionally printed, other times it's a simple label printed on a dot matrix printer. I'm sure about Avenger, Rally-X, Pacman, Night Drive, Omega Race (dot matrix), and I have a picture of Clowns and Mole Attack instructions in Japanese... there should be more of them.

I have several of the Japanese boxes and instruction sheets as shown below. Let me know if you would like pictures or scans of these.

[ka20]

CARTRIDGE LABELS
There are three types of labels:
1. Metal label with big text. Only a handful of games have this one.
2. Metal label with "three arrows" graphics.
3. Paper label.

I would say Commodore used 8 types of labels for VIC-20 carts, although you may consider some of these exceptions. See photo below.

[oldcomputr]

CARTRIDGE LABELS
There are three types of labels:
1. Metal label with big text. Only a handful of games have this one.
2. Metal label with "three arrows" graphics.
3. Paper label.

I would say Commodore used 8 types of labels for VIC-20 carts, although you may consider some of these exceptions. See photo below.

I consider them variants. My draft already has a paragraph about GORF – the game with most label versions, one about Jupiter/Super Lander, and one about the "stickers on brown case" at the end of the VIC 20 life.

In my table, I assigned the "sticker labels" to the "metal label" category and added a note (see note 3)... I don't think it's worth to assign a label category for every sticker :-)

[oldcomputr]

B-1. Japanese small boxes (blue and red "square root" graphics). Always generic, with a label containing name and code of the game. Sometimes the label is professionally printed, other times it's a simple label printed on a dot matrix printer. I'm sure about Avenger, Rally-X, Pacman, Night Drive, Omega Race (dot matrix), and I have a picture of Clowns and Mole Attack instructions in Japanese... there should be more of them.

I have several of the Japanese boxes and instruction sheets as shown below. Let me know if you would like pictures or scans of these.

At the moment I don't want to waste your time with scans... a group photo would be enough, just to keep a proof of every entry in the table.
Thanks for your offer though, I will surely contact you if I will find the time to create some kind of complete online database of Commodore carts – something that I have in mind for the future. Too many projects and so little time...

[ral-clan]

I think I might have some of the Canadian English/French boxes you need, according to that list above. Is the list still current?

[oldcomputr]

I think I might have some of the Canadian English/French boxes you need, according to that list above. Is the list still current?

Yes, if you can confirm more En+Fr titles it would be great.

[ral-clan]

I have the following English/French Canadian cartridge boxes:

Clowns
Supersmash
Pinball Spectacular
Draw Poker
Personal Finance and Visible Solar System - NOTE: These are a "flip-able" instruction books / box covers. Half the book is French, half English. So depending on which way the book is inserted into the cartridge box sleeve, it will either show a French OR an English cover. So it's different than the other Canadian covers, which are Bilingual on the same side.

PM me with your e-mail address and I will send you scans/photos.

[oldcomputr]

I have the following English/French Canadian cartridge boxes:

Clowns
Supersmash
Pinball Spectacular
Draw Poker
Personal Finance and Visible Solar System - NOTE: These are a "flip-able" instruction books / box covers. Half the book is French, half English. So depending on which way the book is inserted into the cartridge box sleeve, it will either show a French OR an English cover. So it's different than the other Canadian covers, which are Bilingual on the same side.

PM me with your e-mail address and I will send you scans/photos.

Thanks! You have mail :-)

[Gorf]

I'll try and get into my VIC stuff sometime over the next few weeks and look at my cartridges and stuff. I know my box variant is of the A-1 variety though.

[srowe]

It would be good to have scans of the boxes for the wiki too.

[ral-clan]

It would be good to have scans of the boxes for the wiki too.

If you need any scans just ask and if I have them I'll send them to you.

[Gorf]

It would be good to have scans of the boxes for the wiki too.

I would scan the box, but I don't have a large enough scanner and the box is ripped up anyway. If I have any carts that need scans, I can scan those in though.