Author Topic: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software  (Read 1858 times)

esteban

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HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« on: September 01, 2012, 05:51:57 AM »
DragonMasterDan's NA CD RELEASES (by year):

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=12918.msg254205#msg254205

NA HUCARD RELEASES (by year):

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=12918.msg254148#msg254148




ORIGINAL POST: First, I'm going to ask DragonMasterDan (or anyone else) to provide the "sloppy* release dates" for all HuCARDS and CD's released in North America:

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=12817.msg252015#msg252015

I totally need this, pronto. STAT!

*sloppy = year-only, and hopefully the correct year.




Second, I am going to fantasize that someone has attempted to create a more accurate list (wouldn't it be awesome if we had stocking/shipping receipts from, say, Toy-R-Us or Electronics Boutique!? Or something?) for North American releases.

Since I don't think this exists (yet), does anyone have any good ideas on how we could obtain this information? Sadly, I don't think we have much to use...

(1) Magazines are a poor source of information for dates (content for an issue is compiled well-before publication...lead time was usually 3 months?...delays/cancellations were rampant).

(2) A better source of information might be EB or ___________ catalogs (they were released a few times a year)...so we could narrow it down to "quarters" or "months"....but even software in catalogs suffered from cancellations/delays.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
« Last Edit: June 22, 2014, 02:02:01 AM by esteban »
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nodtveidt

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2012, 05:54:28 AM »
There's a list on wikipedia about it.

esteban

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2012, 05:58:12 AM »
There's a list on wikipedia about it.


Thank you, yes, I now have the sloppy release dates.

Now, how can we go further and determine more precise release dates?


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nodtveidt

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2012, 06:02:56 AM »
Ask the companies? :)

A Black Falcon

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2012, 06:24:39 AM »
What about release dates for later US CD titles?  I mean, are actual, precise (or even sloppy) release dates known for the last two games released (not counting Bonk 3), Godzilla and The Dynastic Hero?  Were they 1993 releases, or 1994?

Damon Plus

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2012, 09:41:52 AM »
From what I've read, wasn't Bonk 3 August 94 and Magical Chase July 94?

DragonmasterDan

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2012, 09:51:12 AM »
From what I've read, wasn't Bonk 3 August 94 and Magical Chase July 94?

Those were both released in late 1993. Those dates were derived from the TTI mailing list. Unfortunately, getting exact dates or even months is going to be pretty hard.
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DragonmasterDan

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2012, 10:00:56 AM »
HuCards by year, I think this is all of them but I'm too lazy to do a total count.

1989:
Alien Crush
Blazing Lazers
China Warrior
Deep Blue
Dragon Spirit
Dungeon Explorer
Fantasy Zone
Galaga 90
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones
Legendary Axe
Military Madness
Moto Roader
Ordyne
Power Golf
R-Type
Space Harrier
Takin it to the hoop
Victory Run
Vigilante
World Class Baseball
World Court Tennis


1990
Aero Blasters
Andre Panza Kick Boxing
Battle Royale
Bloody Wolf
Bonk's Adventure
BoxyBoy
Bravoman
Chew Man Fu
Cratermaze
Cyber Core
Devils Crush
Double Dungeons
Dragons Curse
Drop off
Final Lap Twin
Jack Nicklaus's Turbo Golf
JJ & Jeff
King of Casino
Klax
Neutopia
Ninja Spirit
Pac-land
Psychosis
Raiden
SideArms
Sonic Spike Volleyball
Splatterhouse
Super Star Soldier
Super Volleyball
Tiger Road
Timeball
Tricky Kick
TV Sports Football
Veigues Tactical Gladiator

1991
Bomberman
Bonk's Revenge
Cadash
Champions Forever Boxing
Davis Cup Tennis
Impossamole
Legendary Axe II
Parasol Stars
Silent Debuggers
Sinistron
Talespin
Turrican
TV Sports Basketball
TV Sports Hockey
Yo Bro

1992
Air Zonk
Ballistix
Chase HQ
Darkwing Duck
Dead Moon
Falcon
Ghost Manor
Gunboat
Hit the Ice
Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu
New Adventure Island
Neutopia 2
Night Creatures
Order of the Griffon
Samurai Ghost
Shockman
Soldier Blade
Somer Assualt
Time Cruise

1993
Bomberman 93
Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure
Legend of Hero Tonma
Magical Chase
World Sports Competition

« Last Edit: September 01, 2012, 10:34:58 AM by DragonmasterDan »
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DragonmasterDan

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2012, 10:45:08 AM »
What about release dates for later US CD titles?  I mean, are actual, precise (or even sloppy) release dates known for the last two games released (not counting Bonk 3), Godzilla and The Dynastic Hero?  Were they 1993 releases, or 1994?

Those two were 1994. Godzilla came out around January or February, Dynastic Hero wasn't available to the public until TZD took over in May or June of 1994.
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A Black Falcon

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2012, 11:02:43 AM »
What about release dates for later US CD titles?  I mean, are actual, precise (or even sloppy) release dates known for the last two games released (not counting Bonk 3), Godzilla and The Dynastic Hero?  Were they 1993 releases, or 1994?

Those two were 1994. Godzilla came out around January or February, Dynastic Hero wasn't available to the public until TZD took over in May or June of 1994.

Then why do the US versions of both titles say 1993 on their boxes and title screens, while the Japanese releases of the same titles say 1994?  Were they planning  on releasing them sooner but didn't or something?  Looking at the boxes and title screens, you'd think the US versions of those games came out in '93.  I know those dates can be wrong, but usually are correct...  Even Wikipedia says '93 in the Dynastic Hero page, surely because of the title screen date.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2012, 11:15:40 AM by A Black Falcon »

DragonmasterDan

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2012, 11:13:11 AM »

Then why do the US versions of both titles say 1993 on their boxes and title screens, while the Japanese releases of the same titles say 1994?  Were they planning  on releasing them sooner but didn't or something?  Looking at the boxes and title screens, you'd think the US versions of those games came out in '93.  I know those dates can be wrong, but usually are correct...  Even Wikipedia says '93 in the Dynastic Hero page, surely because of the title screen date.

Yep, they were planned to be released earlier than they actually made it to the market.
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A Black Falcon

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #11 on: September 01, 2012, 11:16:33 AM »

Then why do the US versions of both titles say 1993 on their boxes and title screens, while the Japanese releases of the same titles say 1994?  Were they planning  on releasing them sooner but didn't or something?  Looking at the boxes and title screens, you'd think the US versions of those games came out in '93.  I know those dates can be wrong, but usually are correct...  Even Wikipedia says '93 in the Dynastic Hero page, surely because of the title screen date.

Yep, they were planned to be released earlier than they actually made it to the market.
Ah, that makes sense.  It's just odd because I'd think the Japanese versions would be the originals, so why go in and put an earlier date in the US release?  Were they planning to release them in the US first for some reason or something?


On the note of Wikipedia though, I find it odd how they have a TG16-only list, but don't have a Turbo CD-only list, and don't even list the US release dates in the PCE/Turbo CD list -- it's only Japanese release dates, unless the game was US-exclusive.  The US dates were often different.

DragonmasterDan

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2012, 11:19:14 AM »

Ah, that makes sense.  It's just odd because I'd think the Japanese versions would be the originals, so why go in and put an earlier date in the US release?  Were they planning to release them in the US first for some reason or something?


On the note of Wikipedia though, I find it odd how they have a TG16-only list, but don't have a Turbo CD-only list, and don't even list the US release dates in the PCE/Turbo CD list -- it's only Japanese release dates, unless the game was US-exclusive.  The US dates were often different.

Wikipedia isn't the best source of this information. Also some games actually came out here first, though I don't believe those two to be examples of this.

With that said TTI was a very small operation so just manufacturing those games took a lot of their resources. Once they had a finished and tested game it may have taken them 90 days or more to ship, and if there were any unforseen delays that would push it back even more. Remember, lots of games (Battle Lode Runner, Fantasy Star Solider/Star Parodier, Wizardry 1 and 2) were supposed to come out but didn't. They missed a lot of planned release dates.
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DragonmasterDan

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2012, 12:38:16 PM »
TurboGrafx CD and Super CD release list. This isn't final I may be missing a few.

1990
Fighting Street
Final Zone II
Jack Nicklaus Turbo Golf
Last Alert
Magical Dinosaur Tour
Monster Lair
Valis II
Ys Book I and II

1991
Addams Family
J.B. HAROLD MURDER CLUB
Sherlock Holmes Consulting detective
Ys 3

1992
Cosmic Fantasy II
Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes
Exile
Forgotten Worlds
Gate of Thunder
It came from beneath the desert
Lords of the Rising Sun
Loom
Prince of Persia
Riot Zone
Shadow of the Beast
Shape Shifter
Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Volume II
Splash Lake
Valis III

1993
Beyond Shadowgate
Buster Bros
Camp California
Cotton
Dungeon Explorer II
Dungeon Master: Therons Quest
Exile: Wicked Phenomenon
John Madden Duo Football
Lords of Thunder
Might and Magic III
Sim Earth
Super Air Zonk
Syd Mead's Terraforming
Vasteel

1994:
Bonk 3 CD
Dynastic Hero
Godzilla
« Last Edit: September 03, 2012, 10:09:17 AM by DragonmasterDan »
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A Black Falcon

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Re: HELP: Sloppy & Precise Release Dates for North American software
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2012, 04:23:14 PM »
Wasn't Buster Bros. a 1993 release, not 1992?  Also, wasn't the CD version of Bonk 3 released in late 1994, and not along with the cart version in 1993?  Wikipedia lists those as you do there, but is certainly wrong about those.  Also weren't Fighting Street and Monster Lair released in 1989 along with the system, not in 1990?


Ah, that makes sense.  It's just odd because I'd think the Japanese versions would be the originals, so why go in and put an earlier date in the US release?  Were they planning to release them in the US first for some reason or something?


On the note of Wikipedia though, I find it odd how they have a TG16-only list, but don't have a Turbo CD-only list, and don't even list the US release dates in the PCE/Turbo CD list -- it's only Japanese release dates, unless the game was US-exclusive.  The US dates were often different.

Wikipedia isn't the best source of this information. Also some games actually came out here first, though I don't believe those two to be examples of this.
You're right that it isn't, but are there any good sources for this information other than this forum?

Quote
With that said TTI was a very small operation so just manufacturing those games took a lot of their resources. Once they had a finished and tested game it may have taken them 90 days or more to ship, and if there were any unforseen delays that would push it back even more. Remember, lots of games (Battle Lode Runner, Fantasy Star Solider/Star Parodier, Wizardry 1 and 2) were supposed to come out but didn't. They missed a lot of planned release dates.
Good point.  They announced lots of titles that never got anywhere... but still, changing the release year on the title screen then delaying it out of that year seems a little odd.  Oh well, it happened. :)