For as long as I can remember, the retro video game market has been littered with fake games, reproduction carts, and misleading merchandise. Although repros have their place (for instance, ROM hacks, translation patches, or homebrew titles), many sellers attempt to pass them off as legitimate items. Following up on the previous post, it is clear that anyone looking to buy and collect retro games must distinguish the real games from the fake games. While there is no single method to do this (as every console’s games have their own distinguishing features), I thought it would be prudent to provide a few tips and tricks to ensure your game hunting goes as smoothly as possible.
Cartridges vs Disks
Generally speaking, retro games fall into one of two categories: cartridges and disks. Most games from the 1980s and early-mid 1990s are usually found as cartridges. Nintendo in particular held onto cartridges far into the 2000s era (handheld mostly). Sony, on the other hand, preferred disk-based media right from the beginning. In my experience, cartridges tend to have a lot more fakes out there and are much harder to distinguish. Although disks seem like they might be easier to fake, the labels on a fake PlayStation game for instance almost always look and feel cheap, making them easy to spot. Most of the following advice will be surrounding cartridges, many of them from Nintendo consoles, and I’ll talk about disk-based media in a subsequent post.
You Said Something About Labels?
Game labels are the first thing anybody should look at when determining the legitimacy of a used retro game. Fake games often have cheap labels or are just blatantly incorrect. Understanding what the label should look like is important. You should definitely do your research. Here’s an example of a fake Pokemon Gold cartridge compared to a real copy.
As you can see, the label on the fake is not as glossy as it should be, and you can notice certain elements (such as the ESRB rating) are in the wrong location. In the real copy, the ESRB rating and Nintendo logo are on the left-hand side and the Nintendo seal is on the right. Additionally, the real copy doesn’t have the original Pokemon tagline, “Gotta Catch Em All”. It really is all in the details!
Another important detail about labels, especially on Nintendo cartridges, is the number imprint. You can see it clearly on the real copy of Pokemon Gold above and it is entirely missing from the fake game. The imprints are present on all Nintendo cartridges (for handheld games, they are usually on the front, and for home consoles, on the back). A game missing that imprint is a sure way to tell that the copy is bootleg.
My Label Looks Good! So Did I Find A Fake Game Or Not?
There are several other potential tells that the cart you are holding is fake. Even if the label looks good, there are a few other things you should look for. If you look at the picture of Pokemon Gold again, you can tell that the fake game has a much different-looking shell. The legitimate copy has a shimmery shell, while the knock-off cheaped out on the plastic. This is another easy way to tell that your game might be counterfeit. In addition to shell quality and color, certain characteristics of console cartridges are often overlooked when counterfeits are produced. One example is the Nintendo logo on Nintendo 64 carts. Here is a picture of a real N64 cart:
The “dot” above the “i” is distinctly square. Many repros will often overlook this and have a circle dot. This is another surefire way to detect a fake game.
Another obvious thing you see is the type of screw used on the cart. These can vary from console to console, so if you are trying to determine legitimacy based on the screw, I recommend doing some research about the proper hardware used on the particular cart you are looking to buy.
I Can’t See Anything Wrong With The Outside. Is My Game Legit?
If all of the obvious checks have passed, you might be convinced that you’ve found the real deal. Unfortunately, it is still not a guarantee. There are times when real shells are used, but the game is still a counterfeit. To be perfectly sure of what you’re buying, you might need to open up the cart. Obviously, this can be difficult when buying online, but oftentimes, some listings will show the board in a picture. This is always a good sign.
Boards can be tricky to distinguish but as always, there are a few signs that what you have is real. For example, Nintendo would print their logo on the boards and fake games seldom have this (as shown above). Sega Genesis games also often have “Sega” or the name of the game printed on one of the chips. All of these qualities are things to look for, especially if you are concerned about the outer look of the cartridge.
So I Definitely Do Not Have A Fake Game?
The tips I’ve provided here are certainly not comprehensive. But using these tools, you should be able to make an informed decision as to whether or not you have a real game in your hands. Of course, if you still aren’t sure, don’t buy it! It’s okay to be a skeptic. There are a lot of people out there who are intent on making a quick buck, without any regard to the quality of their product. I hope this helps somebody out there, and if you have any questions or additional insights, drop a comment! The more advice we can collectively provide to the retro gaming community, the better.
