So I'm somewhat curious what features on a cartridge one should look for to identify prototype carts for the Famicom. I've seen some boards, I've seen some cartridges, I've seen some weird things like switches on them, I've seen some labels on them in hand writing with no label, but I don't see any clear visual that separates protos from retail carts. That said, is there any easy way to know if there's a difference between them?
I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure there wasn't any standard labeling for them like with Super Famicom/SNES carts. Hell, even the Famicom test carts have crappy completely fake-looking labels on them.
I'm curious what a switch in back of a cart would be for. Any ideas? Its like a little simple sliding switch.
The thing to remember about Famicom/NES dev is that many studios made their own equipment, so there isn't necessarily a standard. The thing to watch out for is what is being included, it is rare but there were people who created bootleg devices that swapped chips for different games.
I'm not quite sure, but I've seen the same switches on those blank ROM carts that cartridge-based Famicom game copiers use. Maybe it's something to do with erasing data? Someone else here might know.
