New Kids on the Block Prototype NES Nintendo Box
Written by Link 
14. Oct, 2009 
10 Comments
This auction is for one of the weirdest NES items I've seen in quite some time.
This auction is for an early sample box for the New Kids on the Block game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This is a BOX ONLY. Please see the high res image below of the actual item you'll receive.
The white spot on the B in Block is a sticker, not a tear. It's possible that it could be removed. It looks like the print was made on a high quality printer using glossy photo paper and adhered to a cardboard box.. This came from the office of a major video game magazine. As you can see from the photos, it's pretty beat up. The black squares on the back are Velcro. This 'box' does not open up.
Very shady, but very awesome. From a legit seller as well. I would expect the final price on this one to surprise you, as it's truly one of a kind.
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
Listen up everybody if you wanna take a chance
Just get on the floor and do the New Kids dance
Don’t worry about nothing cause it won’t take long
We’re gonna put you in a trance with the funky song!
Cause you gotta be…
Hangin’ tough
Singing tough
Singing tough
Are you tough enough?
Hangin’ tough
Singing tough
Singing tough
We’re rough!
Very shady indeed.
Box made but no proto?
I don’t know about this 1.
I don’t see how it’s that shady, it’s a box mockup that was used for a video game magazine. They did this a lot for when games hadn’t been released yet, but they wanted to advertise an upcomming game. I have some pictures of Acclaim and LJN NES games from CES that look as though they used this same idea since the games weren’t in production at the time of the pictures being taken.
It’s essentially an existing NKOTB poster with a Nintendo and Parker Bros logo grafted on. Very likely legit, just not as interesting as one would like.
It’s shady in the design, not in its legitimacy. Velcro? Seems like a weird and bad idea to use that.
This item was once owned by ex-EGM editor Andy Baran’s (I’m 100% sure). Andy passed away this past July from pancreatic cancer, but this was one of the items in his cubicle at EGM that was certainly memorable.
When he passed away we did an episode with Andy memories and the NKoTB NES mock-up box was mentioned in a story. You can hear that episode at:
http://www.playeronepodcast.com/2009/08/02/episode-145-8309-cincinnati-style/
Hey CJ. Tracy here. Thanks for confirming the box’s origins.
(I’m the seller, and I’m Andy’s wife.)
EGM is legendary! I’m sorry to hear about Andy’s passing even though I never knew him. But i’d see his name in the credits of the magazine.
Those mocked-up NES boxes were always seen at the CES trade shows. Nintendo would simulate a “World of Nintendo” center complete with display cases of empty mocked-up NES/SNES/GameBoy merchandise.
183 with tons of time to go!
NKotB box went for $589.00. Pretty respectable.