Ultimate Air Combat (Prototype B)
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A prototype of Ultimate Air Combat for the NES.
Notes
Analysis: Frank Cifaldi
Object Analysis:
Object is an NES cartridge with a handwritten label identifying the game title, it's version number (v.00), a date (7/12/91), and hardware information. Windows are cut out of the shell in order to allow the game's data EPROMs to protrude. The labels on the EPROMs show a later date than the shell's label (specifically, 8/13/91). Our research indicates that Nintendo received the final ROM data on 9/17/91 and that it was the third submission, so it is possible that the ROM data presented here is from a prior, possibly rejected, submission.
The cartridge shell was not opened, as doing so risked damage. I was unable to accurately identify the PCB, however it appears to be a Nintendo prototyping board, part number NES-TKEPROM, though it is unknown which revision of the board this may be.
Data Analysis:
The data differs from the final game, and does not match any data available on the internet. No gameplay differences were observed.
Provenance Notes:
According to the submitter, this item was purchased from the McLaren Auction Services "Vintage Nintendo Online-Only Auction," which ran from March 25 to April 1, 2022. McLaren claims that these items came from Steve McKay, former "General Manager of the Mexico Division" at Nintendo. Approximately 97 items from this auction were submitted to WATA at once. Given that the auction listings are not archived on McLaren's website, I was unable to verify each individual item as having come from the auction. However, I did view this auction when it was live, and can attest that the scope of this collection is in line with my memory of what was available.
Conclusion:
Given the authentic parts used, the provenance, and the unique data available across the items from this McLaren auction, I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this item.
Origin
