Namco Page, Incorrect Dates - Galaga '91 and others

[Jethro]

Hi Rik,
(Sorry for my bad english)

http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Namco/Galaga.htm

I just wanted you to notice that this handheld is certainly not released in the year 1981. On the front is marked copyright 1981 because that is the year of the Galaga Coin-Op.
I believe that this handheld is from year 1991 (as the name suggests) or later. There is another game named Galaga '91 and is a cartridge for the GameGear and it's released in the 1991 (as well as other versions called Galaga '88 are released in the 1988 or 1989).
I bought the game yesterday, here are the pictures ... it has not yet been delivered. It is sealed, but I think I will open it ... If I find some dates let you know.
As you can see it's distributed in Italy by "Cititronics"; you can add it to the other distributors nominated on the main page of Namco.

Regards


_________________
** My Collection **

[Jethro]

In truth I believe that all the dates of the handheld Namco on the site are wrong (I also changed the title of the topic).
For example, look also Splatterhouse: On the front of the game is printed "1988 namco LTD All Rights Reserved" ... Once again, this is the date of the Coin-Op released.
It 'pretty obvious that the handheld has been released when the brand "Splatterhouse" had already become famous, certainly not in the same year of its release in the arcade.
You can also note that the number of Splatterhouse is "LCD-113" and that of Galaga '91 is "LCD-111". For what I said in the previous message I'm pretty sure that Galaga is 1991 and so I think that Splatterhouse has been released after this date.

Again sorry for my bad english.
_________________
** My Collection **

[Rik]

Yeah, those are obviously incorrect. That info was taken from the FAQ when I took it over (at the time I had never seen the games themselves), and people just look at dates printed on the games and assume that's when the game was released...

But, as you've noticed, that's the date of the copyright, not the release... According to the FAQ, there was a _lot_ of Pac-Man handhelds released in 1980/81, many using technology that didn't exist then!

There's also many cases where it's the date the game was created (i.e., internally in the company), but it was actually released to the public a year or two later, but all the dates on the game/box/manual reflect that original creation/patent date... It can make dating these things hard sometimes.

But, with 'Galaga '91', it's probably reasonable to assume it came it in 1991. Although it was also released as 'Galaga 2000' (and I doubt that the same game was re-released 9 years later)

I think they all came out at roughly the same time, likely as a series...

And, if I can talk you out of opening that game, I'll buy it off you! (Gotta try to protect the sealed games! )

[Jethro]