Was Ghostbusters for the SMS the first password game?

[Zap!]

Was this old Sega Master System game the very first video game cartridge ever to use the password system (at least in the US)? I have reason to believe that it is, and no one ever gives it credit for it's huge landmark. While I don't know exactly when in 1987 it was released, I bought it in April of that year. Metroid and Kid Icarus, the first password NES games, didn't come out until late in 1987. On a somewhat related note, The Legend Of Zelda (July, 1987) for the NES has got to be the first game ever to take advantage of the battery backup feature still used in cartridges today.

[TwinChargers]

Well, Punch Out was released at some point in 87, and it too had a password. Not sure what game came first though. I'll keep searching.

[Rob]

Dragon Quest came out on the Famicom in 1986, and used the password feature. The US version that came out in 1987 used a battery save.

I'm sure there was a 2600 game that used a password, wasn't there?

[TwinChargers]

Boy, I'm pretty sure there isn't a 2600 game that had a save feature. None of the games were that big and even more of them were never ending. It would have to be either an early NES or MasterSystem game.

[Zap!]

Well, Punch Out was released at some point in 87, and it too had a password. Not sure what game came first though. I'll keep searching.

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! was November/December, 1987.

[Zap!]

Dragon Quest came out on the Famicom in 1986, and used the password feature. The US version that came out in 1987 used a battery save.

I'm sure there was a 2600 game that used a password, wasn't there?

US games only.

No pre-1987 (or post-1987 for that matter) 2600 games I ever played used a password. It's realy looking like Ghostbusters for the SMS.

[Rob]

This has got me interested to the point of doing some research.

If we're talking strictly consoles, then Ghostbusters missed it by a couple of months.

Ace magazine puts the SMS release of Ghostbusters as the summer of 1987, which could have been June-August.

Castlevania hit the U.S. in May 1987.

Here's a list of all the NES launch titles for October 18, 1985. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of these had a password feature:

* 10-Yard Fight
* Baseball
* Clu Clu Land
* Donkey Kong Jr. Math
* Duck Hunt
* Excitebike
* Golf
* Gyromite
* Hogan's Alley
* Ice Climber
* Kung Fu
* Mach Rider
* Pinball
* Stack-Up
* Super Mario Bros.
* Tennis
* Wild Gunman
* Wrecking Crew


So as far as I know so far, Castlevania was the first US release to have a password feature.

[Zap!]

This has got me interested to the point of doing some research.

If we're talking strictly consoles, then Ghostbusters missed it by a couple of months.

Ace magazine puts the SMS release of Ghostbusters as the summer of 1987, which could have been June-August.

Castlevania hit the U.S. in May 1987.

Here's a list of all the NES launch titles for October 18, 1985. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of these had a password feature:

* 10-Yard Fight
* Baseball
* Clu Clu Land
* Donkey Kong Jr. Math
* Duck Hunt
* Excitebike
* Golf
* Gyromite
* Hogan's Alley
* Ice Climber
* Kung Fu
* Mach Rider
* Pinball
* Stack-Up
* Super Mario Bros.
* Tennis
* Wild Gunman
* Wrecking Crew


So as far as I know so far, Castlevania was the first US release to have a password feature.

Castlevania did not have a password feature. Part II did though, but that was 1988 or so.

Ghostbusters was released before the Summer, 1987. It was my fourth SMS game. I have a sheet of passwords from that game that I even dated. I'm 99% positive it's dated April, 1987. I'll have to look it up.

[Rob]

I could have sworn that the first Castlevania had passwords. It has, however been awhile since I've played the US version.

See, you start hanging out with European games and your knowledge of US stuff flies out the window.

[Zap!]

I could have sworn that the first Castlevania had passwords. It has, however been awhile since I've played the US version.

See, you start hanging out with European games and your knowledge of US stuff flies out the window.

Did the Euro version have a password?

The first US NES games with a password were likely Metroid and Kid Icarus. They were released (I think) pretty much the same day, around November, 1987.

[Rob]

I'm playing Dracula's Castle, a euro port of the original Castlevania on an MSX emu. It has a password feature just like the one on CVII, except not as long-winded.

[Zap!]

I'm playing Dracula's Castle, a euro port of the original Castlevania on an MSX emu. It has a password feature just like the one on CVII, except not as long-winded.

So does everyone agree it's Ghostbusters? No NES password games until late 1987, right?

[Rob]

Until further evidence shows otherwise, it has to be Ghostbusters.

[Zap!]

Until further evidence shows otherwise, it has to be Ghostbusters.

A true piece of history, and it doesn't get any credit for it whatsoever. I will find out more by posting this topic over at DP.