Originally posted by: austin532

Yes, all Black Box games came with the poster and baggy. All licensed NES games have at least one insert whether it's a poster or NP insert.

Originally posted by: TheBiRD

Man that post is a must to be pinned!!!

Originally posted by: Contra__Man
  Okay thanks! So is it safe to say that the black box games typically ONLY included:

- Game Cart
- Manual
- Box
- Styro
- Baggie
- Nintendo Dust Sleeve
- Nintendo Game Plan Poster

No other inserts, right? I'm guessing it was too early in the timeline for them to have Nintendo Power inserts and what not?

One other side comment/question which I feel fits appropriately in this OCD thread....
- Is it believed that the baggies are PVC free and/or to some degree archival safe? Has there been any evidence of people opening CIBS or Factory Sealed games and the plastic baggie having any damaging affect on the contents?

 

Originally posted by: Cintoman

I too have never been diagnosed, but my daughter was diagnosed and had to be treated for severe OCD back in 2014 when she was 12.  Local hospital/treatment place in RI is among the best in the world and was amazing in treating her.  She is 100% back to her normal self.

--Cintoman

Originally posted by: Quaze
 
Great to hear, I was diagnosed back in the late 90's, and been living with it ever since. I don't think it'll ever go away, it's too engrained in my psyche to ever just turn off, but very happy to hear your daughter got the treatment she needed. You hear the term "I'm OCD about this and that" every day, but having actual OCD is an entirely different animal. I have little neuroses about cleanliness and organization like everyone else, and its just not the same as having actual Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at all. It's like having a small poison ivy rash and saying "ugh I have such cancer on my leg right now!". I get why people use the term, but it really "cheapens" what OCD actually is. 
 

Originally posted by: austin532

I guess I'll start. I've been collecting complete NES games since the late 90's and I've always been picky about making sure the games are as close to brand new as possible. Meaning I like them to have all the original items that were included when they were brand new. I definitely feel like I am in the Top 10 OCD collector's when it comes to this but I wouldn't be surprised if others are worse off than me. Alright, down the rabbit hole we go:


BOXES

There are only 2 different styles of the regular sized boxes:
1. Paperboard which is used for the majoroty of games.
2. Cheaper white Paperboard is used for games not manufactured in Japan as well as Unlicensed games. These are more flimsy and are more susceptible to damage.

There are only 3 different games that came in big boxes:
1. Gyromite
2. Stack-Up
3. Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?


FOLD OUT POSTERS/PAMPHLETS

All Nintendo published NES games came with a poster, fold out, pamphlet, whatever you want to call it showing the more popular games that you were able to buy at the store.

1985 - R.O.B. Poster (The Nintendo Game Plan) Lasted from Fall 1985 to about Summer of 1986
1986 - R.O.B. Poster (The Nintendo Game Plan) Lasted from Summer 1986 to about Fall of 1987
1987 - R.O.B. Poster (Now You're Playing With Power.) Lasted from Fall 1987 to about Summer 1988
1988 - (Now You're Playing With Power!) Lasted from Summer 1988 to about Fall of 1989
1989 - (Now You're Playing With Power!) Lasted from Fall 1989 to about Summer of 1990
1990 - 4PL-NES-USA (4 Player Game) Lasted from Summer to about Fall
        - 4PL-NES-USA-1 (4 Player Game) Lasted from Fall to about Winter
        - GP-NES-USA (Now You're Playing With Power) Lasted from Summer 1990 to about Summer 1992
1992 - GP-NES-USA-1 (Classic Action Classic Challenges) Lasted from Summer 1992 to about Summer of 1993
1993 - GP-NES-USA-2 (Classic Action Classic Challenges) Lasted from Summer 1993 to Winter 1994


NINTENDO POWER SUBSCRIPTION INSERTS

All officially licensed games came with a Nintendo Power subscription insert starting in 1988 and would vary from year to year.

1987 - Nintendo Fun Club (Free Membership!) Lasted from Summer to about Winter
       - Nintendo Fun Club REV-1 (Free Membership!) Lasted from Winter 1987 to about Summer 1988
1988 - PMG-US (Introducing Nintendo Power) Lasted from Summer 1988 to about Spring 1989
1989 - PMG-PT-USA (Super Mario Bros 2.) Lasted from Spring to about Summer
       - PMG-QU-USA (Castlevania II) Lasted from Summer to about Fall
       - PMG-VR-USA (Track & Field II) Lasted from Fall to about Winter
       - PMG-MW-USA (Zelda II) Lasted from Winter 1989 to about Spring of 1990
1990 - PMG-AA-USA (Becky Delong) Lasted from Spring to about Summer
       - PMG-BB-USA (Jamie Clark) Lasted from Spring to about Summer
       - PMG-CC-USA (Jeff Benson) Lasted from Spring to about Summer
       - PMG-DD-USA (Marty Ramirez) Lasted from Spring to about Summer
       - PMG-USA (Nintendo Power Dude) Lasted from Summer 1990 to about Spring 1991
1991 - PMG-USA-1 (Danger!!!) Lasted from Spring 1991 to about Spring 1992
1992 - GP-NES-USA (Ultimate One-Up!) Lasted from Spring 1992 to about Summer 1993
1993 - GP-NES-USA-1 (Woah!) Lasted from Summer 1993 to Winter 1994


PLASTIC BAGS

As far as I know there are only 4 different plastic bag designs:
1. Standard design with small hole in the middle (All games released between 1985-1992)
2. Standard design with bigger hole in the middle (All games released between 1992-1994)
3. Special design bag with huge hole in it which was exclusive to both gold cart Zelda games. This was so the gold would shine through the shrinkwrap better.
4. Cheaper quality bag with small ridges on the top that came with games not manufactured in Japan. Acclaim, LJN, Virgin, etc.


PRECAUTION BOOKLETS

Most games released between 1992-1994 came with a fold out Precaution Booklet:
1. NES-USA/CAN-1 (1992-1993) First prints of these were actually stapled.
2. NES-USA/CAN-2 (1993-1994)
3. NES-USA/CAN-3 (1994)


SEAL OF QUALITY

There are two different Nintendo Seal of Quality seals:
1. Original first print games from October 1985 - February 1989 had the Round Seal
2. Games from February 1989 - December 1994 had the Oval Seal.


SHRINKWRAP

At least 3 styles of shrinkwrap:
1. Almost all officially licensed games have what's known as a y-fold horizontal seam on the back.
2. Very few third party games are known to not have the traditional horizontal seam.
3. Cheaper made shrinkwrap for games not manufactured in Japan. Has a vertical overlap seal as well as seams all around the box.


SLEEVES

All Nintendo published games had the Nintendo sleeve.
All third party licensed games had a plain black sleeve.
It's possible some other companies may have used Nintendo sleeves as well but we need more info on this.

There are actually 3 different types of sleeves for both Nintendo and Third Party:
1. Nintendo sleeve with smooth cracked design (All games released between 1985-1991)
2. Nintendo sleeve with a textured design (All games released between 1991-1993)
3. Nintendo sleeve with a textured design but the logo is shiny (All games released between 1993-1994)

1. Black sleeve with smooth cracked design (All games released between 1985-1992)
2. Black sleeve with a textured design (All games released between 1992-1994)
3. Black sleeve with a very rough texture and cheap feel to it. These came with the few licensed games not manufactured in Japan by Nintendo like Overlord, Wizards & Warriors III, and Terminator 2 for example. (1991-1993?) Need help with these releases dates.
The sleeves got thinner and softer each year as well. For example the original Black Box games sleeves from 1985 feel hard and stiff compared to later ones. I've been doing this for so long now I can almost tell which sleeve goes to which year just by the feel of it.


STICKER SEALS

There are at least two different sticker seals:
1. Original first print Black Box games had a matte sticker seal
2. Later print Black Box games had a glossy sticker seal


STYROFOAM PIECES

There are at least 4 different types of Styrofoam pieces:
1. Original design which used bigger polystyrene beads (All games released between 1985-1992)
2. Original design which used smaller polystyrene beads (All games released between 1992-1994)
3. Much thinner and is slightly blue looking in color (All games that came with the tall SNES style manuals)
4. Custom sized one for Monster in my Pocket so that the included figure could fit.
Also did you know there is a correct way to insert the styrofoam? Look for the side that has marks that look like a n or u design. Turn it to where it looks like a n, then flip it upside then and slide it into the box. That mark is caused by the two tabs at the bottom of the box. (I told you I was OCD with this)
5. It is now confirmed that some games like Captain Planet actually came with a hollowed out cardboard piece instead of styrofoam. Not much is known about this and needs more research.


WARNING SHEETS

Most games starting around 1989 started coming with warning sheets, there are:
1. Gray Epilepsy Sheet - NES-DOC-USA (1989)
2. Yellow Do not use with front or rear projector tv Sheet - NES-RPTV-USA (1990)
3. Gray Epilepsy Sheet - same as 1989 (1991)
4. Gray Epilepsy Sheet - same as 1989 (1992)
5. Gray Epilepsy Sheet - NES-DOC-USA/CAN (1993) I'm not sure why some games have this and some have the Precaution Booklet.


MISC. SIDE NOTES

1. Most first print Nintendo published games from 1988 did not have the seal of quality on the cart label.
2. Most games from 1990 and after seem to have a matching 5 digit number on the right tab of the box and on the last page of the manual.
3. All boxes that say Rev. A indicate that the game is a 3 screw or 3 security bit type.
4. Just like the Nintendo Power inserts, some of these items listed above would carry over to the early next year.
5. Some games had multiple variants and include a -1,-2, or * next to the game code.
6. All games released during and after summer 1992 now had a new back label which was now in English and French with the code NES-USA/CAN.
7. Most games from 93-94 used what appear to be galvanized screws instead of nickel plated screws to hold the cart together.


I think that about covers it for now. If I am missing some things please let me know.
 

Originally posted by: hoisinberg

Man. If anything, this thread makes me want to quit collecting entirely. The behavior is scary and sounds like an incredibly depressing way to spend the limited amount of time we have outside of work and other commitments.

Originally posted by: austin532


SLEEVES
...
The sleeves got thinner and softer each year as well. For example the original Black Box games sleeves from 1985 feel hard and stiff compared to later ones. I've been doing this for so long now I can almost tell which sleeve goes to which year just by the feel of it.

Originally posted by: Mr. CIB
 
How do you think history has been recorded over time? Someone took the time to document it. If this makes you want to quit it says more about you than the thread.