Canadian Release Variations

[phitter]

I have a question regarding variations for those games released in both the U.S. and Canada.

For instance, Rik has photos of the Entex Baseball 1 games released in the U.S. and Canada, with the Canadian version having a completely different box, game field markings, bilingual game unit stickers and a second instruction manual in French.

I have the Canadian Entex Baseball 3 and the Canadian Entex Hip Pocket Baseball, so I am curious if anyone knows:

1. Did Entex release Baseball 2 in Canada with a different box, game field markings, bilingual game unit stickers and French instruction manual?
2. Did any other companies release games (baseball themed or otherwise) in the U.S. and Canada in a similar manner for which game, box and instruction manual variations exist?
3. I like to collect the variations, when I stumble across them, but does anyone else here actively collect variations like these?

-phitter

[Rik]

I know Coleco released their mini-arcade games in Canada with French writing on the box and a separate joystick overlay in French. This can be seen on Pac-Man:

http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Coleco/PacMan.htm

I've had Ms Pac, Galaxian and Frogger like this as well. An easy way to tell on an auction photo is to look at the word 'By' on the 'By Nintendo', 'By Midway' whatever line (just beneath the name of the game on the box). Even on the tiny picture on my website you can still see that it looks like the word 'By' is written twice (once in English, once in French). That's just usually the easiest thing to notice even on a tiny box picture.

Not sure about Entex Baseball 2, but I would suspect that they released many of their games in Canada... Although they might have only included a French language manual on some of them...

Rik

[blue6demon]

For the Canadian versions they had to have box and instructions in english and french, it's a law in the country.
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Keep on playing... no matter what !

[Rik]

Was it a law back in the early 80's? I wasn't sure if that law has always been in affect, or if came about after the era of handheld games.

[blue6demon]

I'll have to check if i can find a date for that law... but to my knowledge it started in the mid 70's. But i'm not sure if it's not only our province that has that law... politics...
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Keep on playing... no matter what !

[nicknicknickandnick]

I checked my own image collection that I've saved off eBay pages for the past few years, and I have no Canadian variation for Entex Baseball 2. The Entex variations that I have seen are Baseball, Baseball 3, Football 3, Hockey, Raise the Devil Pinball, Space Invader, Turtles, Defender, Electro Baseball, Gin Rummy & Blackjack, and Poker.

Canadian handheld unique packaging has been around from the earliest times, I would guess. The Parker Brothers Merlin and the Tomy Blip (which was packaged with the Parker Brothers brand) had Canadian packaging.

I found this at Wikipedia:
In 1974, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act required the use of both French and English on all consumer packaging across the country.

[nicknicknickandnick]

OK, look at this. An Extex Baseball 2 with some French on the game. Also, the box is different from the US in that there is no flap. If buying, be aware of the note about missing battery cover and controls cover.
http://cgi.ebay.com/vintage-El.....dZViewItem
[Archived: 290194211770 ]

[phitter]

Interesting, but I think $24 is a little steep for the game condition.

At least this confirms that it exists. I will just have to keep looking!!

-phitter

[LEDFreak]

The Canadian version of Mattel's hockey is different than the American version. The former has no penaties, and you can'y skate behind the net.
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'76-'84 LED and VFD collector.