(Discussion) Are Reproduction Games Bad and Should You Buy Them? - Retro Bird

[@SeveredLegs]

Best reason for owning repros? Because I'm not paying 80 or 100 for a game I can get for 30 in a heavy duty authentic looking cart with a new/custom label. As long as people are clear with what it is, it's fine. No tricks!

[@sanderkoekkoek9866]

I did buy a little samson this morning. I did pay 10 dollar for it, little samson still goes for like 800 dollar....

[@RetroAP]

Yeah it's ridiculous how much a lot of these games are going for. I'd much rather buy a 5-10 dollar gba pokemon game as a repro instead of spending 120 bucks on an original

[@SeveredLegs]

@@RetroAP this guy Retro Gaming and Backups has really high quality stuff for fair prices.

[@RetroAP]

@@SeveredLegs I've just been buying off aliexpress but I'll check it out! I've been gaming for years but new to the repro scene

[@SeveredLegs]

@@RetroAP his stuff is noticeably better quality than what you will find on AliExpress. retrogamerandbackups.com

[@mooch4274]

Nothing wrong with repros imo either, they have their rightful place, as long as people are informed and not duped. They help keep the retro games alive, allow people to own a copy of expensive titles, increase awareness of retro games, provide fresher looking packaging etc, there are plenty of pros. Essentially, the creators and publishers have had there profit from these games by now, now its more important that the titles and the games themsleves are preserved through history. I can't really afford £1000 plus for a copy of rendering ranger, but why should i miss out on playing such an excellent game! Same with Macross Scarmbled Valkyrie, I shouldn't, so I'll get the ROMs or I'll buy a repro cart for my original system. This is the way.

[@jmogler]

It doesn't allow people to own a copy of an expensive game cause a repro copy is not expensive. Emulate please instead of contributing to counterfeiting.

[@smolopossummaxwell9624]

@@jmogler emulators are hard and annoying to run, the company's already got their profits and considering capitalism gaming companies are not exactly angels

[@leeartlee915]

The internet keeps retro games alive. Repro carts help keep bootleg Chinese manufacturers alive. I would never buy them.

[@leeartlee915]

@@smolopossummaxwell9624 You don’t need to emulate. Everdrives, ODEs, etc let you play on “real hardware” without owning a ghetto cart/disc.

[@jesterscorner879]

A multicart (ie Everdrive) makes Repros obsolete and a waste of money. They are made for a wide variety of older consoles.

[@gameingdude2266]

Yay he took a topic I suggested to him

[@NESADDICT]

Congrats!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yes, and that did influence me picking it. I do take suggestions into consideration if I feel like they are something I can cover properly :)

[@lonreed9743]

I have a reproduction cart of Mighty Final Fight on NES and I’m extremely happy I never paid what an official copy goes for on eBay.

[@The_Future_isnt_so_Bright]

Before the retro game craze where prices went through the roof, I bought Duck Tails 2 for $0.99 at a thrift store. Amongst other games as well but it was the most expensive one.

[@mooch4274]

I remember when the PS1 took off you couldn't give megadrive and snes games away, people were literally throwing them in the bins and skips all over the place.................now look!

[@thecynicalsprite1847]

Personally I don't mind repros as a whole as long as the purchaser knows what they're getting. It's the best way to play rom hacks and fan translations on OG hardware and have it feel legit. That plus I like the look of having each game individually rather than all crammed into an sd card on an everdrive or something.

[@mtshark7]

Awesome video man! I agree with you 100%. I own a few repros as well as repro cases to make my loose games look better on the shelf.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad to hear!

[@SgtSega]

I love how the slow down has been fixed in Gradius III. It's hard as hell now, but so worth it!

[@gametourny4ever627]

Great Topic! The only Repros I have are the first examples you gave. Nes- Mother(Earthbound 0), The True Final Fantasy 3, and Sweet Home. Snes- Dragon Quest V, Dragon Quest VI, Tales of Phatasia, and Terranigma. Notice a Pattern. All those great RPGs we didn't get and needed English Translations of.

[@tennessee5405]

You got to know what to look for with repros. As an NES guy you have to match the regional shortcut on the cart. I think its a great way to play an expensive game cheaply (i.e. Little Samson, Panic Restaurant, etc). But a modded system is the easiest way to go now. Great video as always RB.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed!

[@coffeefox5703]

5:30 - Personally, I try to make high quality repros for personal use since I like having cartridges to go into my system. In regards to the labels, you can make them virtually indistinguishable from the real deal if your willing to put in the effort. I even bought a Silhouette Portrait just so the labels would be just right (it can laminate too). Although, the paper required can get kind of expensive since it's good stuff.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I think as long as that stuff never makes it's way out into the wild, you're okay :)

[@shoot_the_glass5654]

I bought a repro once, from a seller who made it clear it was and I bought it because it the original was a rare game. It was expensive but the build quality was good for what it is, it used flash ram saves instead of CMOS and most importantly it works. The best thing about repro games is you get a brand new cartridge.

[@poleythepolarbear9706]

A local Mom&Pop store accidentally sold me a repro of Sunset Riders. There was a misunderstanding that lead to it happening. They were very embarrassed about it once they realized what took place, and very apologitic.

[@48hourrecordsteam45]

I like the newness if the reproductions. The cases are more vibrant and the cases are nicer . But the reproducer should maybe touch up things in the game that they are able to. Like super street fighter, make the sound a bit clearer, fulllee colors and things like thagv

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Sometimes you'll see modified roms put onto reproduction cartridges. For example, "Earthbound Uncut" is one that I see a lot.

[@postindierock5063]

The reproducer can't touch up a thing because they don't have the skill to, they just steal the translation of other hardworking translation groups and profit off of them.

[@do0rkn0b]

@@postindierock5063 how hard is it to get the boards and the fake carts and put the rom on it? most of the repros i have bought cost 20 bucks surely they can't be making a huge profit on them?

[@InnocentSoul0283]

I get repros of fan translated games, homebrews, romhacks, and games that have no official US release but were available in PAL. I have currently have Terranigma, Seiken Densetsu 3, and Bahamut Lagoon. I don`t get repros of games officially released but are hard to find (ie Earthbound)

[@jmogler]

You can emulate all of that without contributing to the counterfeiting market.

[@alfredl3831]

I would love to afford the entire 16 bit libraries but I am not bothered at all now to buy a reproduction. If Nintendo and Sega wants to get my money they will give me a legal way to purchase these older games.

[@Trinnitus]

Would they damage a original SNES?

[@ASTR0TALKSPHILOSOPHY]

@@Trinnitus no, they are pretty much the same thing other than different components and different paper and labels...

[@Trinnitus]

@@ASTR0TALKSPHILOSOPHY ok, because I bought a Earthbound uncut reproduction cartridge, cuz I don’t have money to buy the original copy

[@Videogamelover58]

NAH. Selling Repos is only bad if you don't let the customer know about the repro than its bad. Outside of that, Repros are good!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yes, being honest about what they are is a must.

[@BigFamilyGaming]

What a thorough and well thought out video - I totally agree that the #1 reason for a repro is when a game did not release in your region - one I own that comes to mind is Gleylancer. The 2nd one I have is a High Quality Handmade Repro of Spiderman Web of Fire with that game reaching $1k+ I just couldn't justify spending that. The Person that makes them does a great quality Job but does tweak it so you know it isn't authentic. Great Video!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you for the compliments! Yes, Gleylancer is a repro that I've considered for a while as well. Great shooter.

[@mooch4274]

Ye I bought a repro of Gley Lancer, fantastic game thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn't afford the £500-700 price for an original unfortunately. The repro i have is decent quality aside from the clear slip cover, I will replace the case with a genuine megadrive one at some point from an game.

[@xXxVespidaexXx]

I mean, I'm trying to get some games I used to play that I lost years ago. DS games? Particularly games like Pokémon Platinum? Starting to get expensive. I don't even think nintendo itself is making cartridges anymore. I could find a seller who makes repro and has built themselves a good reputation as the legit repro guy and potentially lose at most $20 since repros go pretty cheap, or buy an older, usually used copy that might already have a lot of damage, cartridge of that game that is going for $160 and is steadily increasing.

[@32_bit_gamer]

I try not to avoid reproductions if possible, but I do have repros of Terranigma and Alcahest for SNES and Trip World (with a clear blue shell) for Gameboy. I try to only own reproduction that are obviously repros with no design to sell it.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Terranigma has always been a popular repro from what I've seen. I mean, it's one of the best SNES games.

[@lonreed9743]

Also, I own a lot of cart only genesis games and plan on getting repro clam cases with the box art to make my genesis collection appear beefier. They’re fairly cheap at $10 on eBay!

[@dioxeto]

I am 100% agree with you!!! Sometimes I saw your videos and I think that you are reading my mind!!!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Perfect! That's what I like to hear!

[@8BitGlitch79]

I have basically all the kinds of repro carts you mentioned in this video. I bought the collector's edition of Holy Diver from Retro Bit cause as you know that is a Famicom game and even though I have a famicom and an AVS this release came with some cool goodies. I have a PAL/SFC only game as a repro for the same reason you said, no US release and it's expensive for the original. I also have Little Samson on NES and Dracula X on SNES cause well too pricey for me and I wanted to play them on my OG systems. I also have hack games but that's a different category all together. Basically I see no issue with repro's as long as people are not trying to pull one over on someone. I also would never sell these carts, and probably never get rid of them if I did I would probably just give them to a person and tell them they are not real but I could never charge someone for them, but unfortunately not everyone is that good of a person.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, I find a lot of people who have repro carts say that they have no intentions of ever selling them.

[@futurenightmares7976]

I personally will buy Repro carts (when I have the money) just because I like the idea of having that cartridge itself, it makes the whole collection feel more "complete". Though I do mark my repros with a small sticker on the back just in case if I ever do forget if its a repro or not.

[@leeartlee915]

That’s really odd to me. You don’t really own it. You own something someone made within the last few years. Might as well download the ROM online and throw it on a flashcart.

[@NoLongerUploadingHere]

@@leeartlee915 That is a genuinely dumbfounding comment!

[@leeartlee915]

@@NoLongerUploadingHere You know what’s funny? I don’t think my comment was meant as a reply to this OP. It doesn’t even really make sense.

[@TVP90]

Great video! These Terranigma repro carts you're referring to, they're original PAL game boards put onto an NTSC cart? Thanks again! You're one prolific bird.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yup, it's the PAL rom of a game stuck onto an NTSC cart so that it can play on a US Super Nintendo.

[@TVP90]

Retro Bird Thanks! That's great. I might get one of those.

[@erneststackhouse1133]

Quick little story for ya my 1st reproduction game was Alien Soldier for Genesis like you, but my reason was I didn't like the load time on the Mega Drive. So Reproductions from CD to Cartridge are good by me. However I did get burned a few years back on a Rally-X game on the NES. Rally-X back in the day never came out on home consoles just released for computers. So I knew going in it was a reproduction but the person who did it made it run way fast. Not like the original, so I got burned there. Got the 1/12th scale Arcade from Namco so I'm happy again!

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

I have 3 repros in my collection, Chrono Trigger, Soul Blazer, and Terranigma, and CT and SB are both perfect, Terranigma on the other hand seems fine until you try to load a save, and it corrupts all your items. I live in Europe and my whole setup is European, hence buying CT and SB as repros, and I got Terranigma as a repro because even in Europe an original copy goes for thousands, primarily since so many have been brought to America by importers. Terranigma was by far the most expensive, which is why I’m so upset that it doesn’t work properly, and it’s well passed the refund period as the issue didn’t seem to manifest until an hour in and I didn’t try to test this when I first got the cart as it seemed to load just fine, and then I took a break for a few weeks before playing it very much. I hope it turns out to be fixable somehow but I don’t have much hope, it’s a real shape it’s not working properly as I really wanted to play it on my real SNES. I’ll probably just end up emulating, and my repro will just become a decorative piece, but it’s just such a shame.

[@Bkuuzin]

I think as long as the game isn’t currently being sold officially and hasn’t been translated by that company, go for it! I’ve thought about getting the Mother 3 English translation on eBay.

[@postindierock5063]

The translation groups providing the translation, which makes playing the game in English possible to begin with, ask that their work not be stolen for profit. So there is the whole ethical angle which is very valid. These repro companies are shady AF.

[@AndDeathForAll82]

I think it’s even ok if it’s being sold officially. I want to play SNES games on my actual console, not on the Wii U on an HD display.

[@wulver810]

Yeah, I have Wiley Wars, and that is it. What do you think about home made cases that look legit? I'm thinking I may need to do that, I like to see some on the shelves if cases aren't available.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I would never want those myself but if they didn't look too close to the original then it's not as much of a concern that they'd be passed off as originals. I know it's popular to have custom harder clamshell-type cases for NES, SNES and N64 games that originally had the more flimsy thin cardboard boxes and I have always thought those looked nice on a shelf.

[@coryrabbit]

I have no issue with repros. If they're sold honestly as a repro, they can be a great way for people to have access to games they either couldn't get, couldn't understand, or where just priced out of in the heinous market that is retro games. I've been focusing mostly on cheaper Japanese games, but I plan to pick up quite a few, just to save money.

[@NottJoeyOfficial]

This is why I like GameBoy repros, they're all very clearly bootlegs. I bought a repro of Shantae because no way I was paying $300 for a legit copy just to play it. It was a $10 bootleg from China. GameBoy bootlegs are cool, they're all made of super cheap plastic, can be different colors, and they say GAME where the GameBoy logo is on a legit game. Super easy to tell it's a bootleg and I get a super expensive game for dirt cheap. They also have a normal screw instead of game bit on the back. I'm interested in the Shantae repro from Limited Run Games that I bought, I'm excites to get that soon and try it out, an official Shantae repro is going to be nice to have.

[@fluffhead7892]

I've seen listings where it states in the description as a repro and they set it as auction style and I've seen like 50-75% of the normal value. People gotta pay attention.

[@chansadres]

The only singel game repro I own is Fix it Felix Jr. for the Genesis. What I do own are multiple game repro. I mean, Everdrives can be expensive and some 200 and some in 1 cart can be bought for like ten bucks.

[@ShinryuZensen]

If you don't "collect" for the sake of display but for the sake of playing..... repros are good. I have a few of my favorite games and I don't care if they are repros.

[@KidoBedo]

Hey, how do they play? Is there no way to tell the difference between the original and repro when played side by side? Was thinking of buying the more expensive ones

[@ShinryuZensen]

@@KidoBedo Repros are usually rom dumps, and as far as I can tell, there's no difference whatsoever unless you are aiming towards the special chips games such as Yoshi's Island for the SNES.. those kind I can't really say cause I don't have them. Chrono Trigger and FF6 are flawless though.

[@dapardine]

I actually purchase from a company that specialize in reproduction games that never had a release here in the states whether digitally or physically. Teranigma, sweet home, and Earthbound uncut are ones that I purchased a few years ago. And the company did a gorgeous job with the manuals, posters, box, and the cartridge. And it’s 100% clear that it’s a reproduction cart. There’s no mistaking it. All their boxes have reproduction on the box clear as day and they even make it look really nice. I also buy reproduction carts of games that I know I’m never gonna find in the wild because they are just way too expensive and impossible to find. Sunset riders on the snes is another one along with the adventures of Batman and robin. Those are games that I bought on Etsy. The guy made it very clear that those were reproduction carts and the boxes were like mini boxes where the cartridge just barely fit in there with a mini sized manual. It’s clear what it is. I actually thought it was pretty neat. And it’s nice to have those games that I can actually play them. These are games that are not available on E shop. So this really is the only way I can play them

[@Jarod_Schultz]

I want to get repro's for rare games like Little Sampson. But I think some repro's are too expensive. I was looking online at a repro of Nintendo World Championship, but it was priced at over $70. That's an absurd price for a repro. I think $20 is a fair price.

[@TechWizard28]

What would be cool is if sellers took their carts apart and labeled the repros with a permanent marker somewhere

[@the_kombinator]

I've been thinking of selling my Metal Storm, but I don't have the screwdriver to open it and take a pic of the PCB.

[@dwightdixon8508]

Yes, I buy new Genesis releases like Xeno Crisis, Tanglewood & Paprium. I also buy repro's like Flink & Dragons Lair that weren't released in my region. I don't like the cheap repro's of legitimate releases.The boards are actually thicker than the original and can harm the console pins.

[@AndDeathForAll82]

I have a few repros like Terranigma and BS Zelda. I also bought a multicart that has Little Samson. I’ve got no issue at all with them as long as they’re obvious repros. Deceiving buyers in any way is 100% wrong. I also get multicarts with ROM hacks. Mario is Missing Done Right is especially great.

[@PEHfinale]

I have about 10 Genesis repros, all of games that didn't release in North America (and one fan made rom hack). I try to spice things up by having every repro be a in different color cartridge. Makes it obvious that they're not real and also makes them their own cool little subset of my Genesis shelf ^_^

[@Lorfarius]

I'm all for them. I have the Japenese release of Enduro Racer on the Master System with english labels/box. Never came out in the West but had 5 whole new tracks added and practically doubles the game length. Was like finding a hidden gem for one of my fav racers. I recently picked up a copy of MetalStorm on the NES from Retro-Bit. The original can go for over $300 and I'm all for having a version like this. They did an amazing job with a limited edition box too so worthy of collecting on its own. Final Fantasy 7 and Pokemon Yellow are also on my pickups list. I'm all for these types of games if they are something special.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I'm all for releases like the ones retro-bit is doing because I find it to be far more legitimate. Also, it's just nice to know that a company in modern times cares enough about retro games to do that.

[@Lorfarius]

@@RetroBirdGaming I find Etsy to be a goldmine for a lot of this stuff.

[@timwolfel659]

I use repro Neo Geo MVS Games. Some of them are very rare to find or very expensive. So repro is the way to go.

[@sanderkoekkoek9866]

I have a neo geo aes multicart, i am not going to pay 1000s of dollars to play games.

[@blackwalls]

Good topic! Now do one on homebrew games! :)

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I'm not sure if I know enough about Homebrew games. I could certainly do a video about Indie Games though!

[@bryanb6747]

Or repro homebrew games, lol. I feel bad buying Zelda Outlands and found out it was from China.

[@Lookwhatthesandsdonedidtome]

I am going the repro route with those expensive Japanese Sega Saturn games. We shall see how good the product is...

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I wish you luck!

[@Lookwhatthesandsdonedidtome]

The two I got were exceptional. Funny, I was looking for more on eBay and most of the Japanese Sega Saturn repr listings were pulled in the last week...weird but that may say something. Maybe eBay is cutting down on technically fake items.

[@called2voyage]

I have one repro cart. It's the original Puyo Puyo, since it was never released in the US apart from the Mean Bean Machine localization. After playing Puyo Puyo Tetris i got interested in finding out the history of the series and played the original Madou Monogatari and loved it, so i wanted to get the original Puyo Puyo for my Genesis. I read that it's possible to play the Japanese version on the Genesis but you have to cut the cartridge slot to widen it and i didn't want to do that. The repro is really good and you can easily identify it as a repro based on the screws. I'm glad to own it.

[@corgibuttz2550]

I totally bought a repro of Metal Warriors. It was before I discovered flash carts. I wanted to play the game on the original hardware, and straight up couldn't justify the 250 dollar ebay prices. I know it's fake, but I play it just the same and I don't care.

[@jagoomanra4443]

How is it fake . If it plays some body made the original the exact same way but in a different building

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

I'm all for repro games and cases. I own a repro of Pokémon Yellow, and Mario DX (with Mario looking like Stalin on the label 🤣) several homebrews/hacks, and a bunch of repro Genesis cases, and hard shell NES and SNES custom cases.

[@PaulRockey]

I love my English reproduction of the shining force iii scenario trilogy for Sega Saturn. It’s too bad we only got scenario one officially here in the United States. The entire saga is one of my top 10 games ever, and I wish more American players got to play the entire thing.

[@baldpipesmoker1]

I'm am so happy that repro games are made. Can't afford to pay the outrageous prices of rare and highly sought after games. Plus with repros we can play games that never came to North America like he mentioned, such as Terranigma. Shout out to the translators too

[@SgtSega]

Some games never got physical copies, are only in Japanese on carts that are incompatible with US systems, or were completely altered or unfinished. Rom hacks can be put on repro carts too and those are a lot of fun. But some rom hacks are more practical and fix issues with games like translation errors, glitches, long load times and slow down, ect. Then you have the homebrew scene that even go as far as making entire new games from existing ones!

[@jesterscorner879]

This is where a flash cart (ie Everdrive) really shines. You can load up as many unreleased titles, hacks, imports, etc. directly on your original hardware. If you end up with bugs or glitches you can delete and update with the latest version.

[@GedH-316]

I'm in the PAL region, Ireland specifically and we didn't get Earthbound or Chrono Trigger here. I watched all these videos of how good they were so I emulated them and loved them. I actually was surprised I missed them first time around, not realising they never came out here. But I am going to pick up some Repros of them at some point in the future so I can play them on my SNES. But I'm definitely about authentic were I can

[@Doubledge11]

Before I got my ever drive, I bought a couple of repro carts, I used my label maker and put repro on them, because I want in no way people that believe they're original. I have zero problem with people having repos in their collection if it makes the hobby more accessible, as long as people are up front with what they're getting.

[@xjohnnygrimmx]

Reproduction cartridges should not be made to look like the original. That's outright misleading, and unethical without paying the creators of the games. The only positive thing about fake copies of games (and this is a selfish reason) is that they can hide the original versions of a game for a person who knows what to look for. I think we can all benefit from reproductions in some way, but it doesn't make it right.

[@xjohnnygrimmx]

PS another benefit of reproduction cartridges is that some suckers might mistakenly list their rare games at reproduction prices. And we all love scoring some good deals! (Still kinda messed up though). I think that just in general reproduction cartridges help to keep the price of expensive games lower. They're not for me, but my dark side makes me glad that they're out there to satisfy part of the demand, or mislead some poor souls, and make my hobby more affordable XD

[@Jerrel28]

Honestly man why does it matter, most of the games getting reproductions over 20 to 30 years old at this point. The guys on Ebay selling that crap game Little Sampson for $800 dollars is not going to be giving the creators a cut of it. You're not paying for the game, its just a rom and I could get that for free somewhere online. What you're paying for is the cost to make that repro, case, artwork, materials, ect. All these games are secondhand are this point, so no matter if its official or not the original developers aren't getting a cut.

[@xjohnnygrimmx]

@@Jerrel28 I think it's fine if you mention that the game is fake when you're trying to sell it. Some ads out there are misleading. I also think the term "reproduction" is a way of getting away with piracy. Plus it sounds more like the act of making babies! I've bought a couple fake games by accident before, I think that's why I'm a bit salty about repros lol. But another good thing about them is that they add more copies to the market, keep prices lower, and help to satisfy the demand. So I guess we all win :)

[@MasterRoshi8974]

I bought a castlevania bloodlines and didn't know it was a repro. So when it came in I was bummed, but I was like whatever it was cheep and now I can play it..... Nope on the last stage the characters disappear and i can't go further 😥

[@Yuuretsu]

I watched a few of your videos just now, including the ones on pressure to own games and not liking popular games and decided to subscribe. I think repro's are fine as long as sellers are honest about them. I have repros of Battle Mania Daiginjou and Musha, as wel as several PC Engine shmups in the several hundred dollar range because I just can't justify ever paying those prices for a video game.

[@luiscortazar6291]

Here's my opinion/ experience. I bought a copy of Pokemon Platinum from Gamestop. I paid full used price for what turned out to be a repro cart. I also bought an SNES Jr. Which turned out to be a deceptive hardware clone. I think Repro carts should always have a small repro label and the sellers have to do a better job of advertising their games as Repros. On FB market place, almost everyone says new or read description, but I think they should do better.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, it's so widespread with the Pokemon games that I'd say it's fair to call it a problem.

[@Mr.Plant1994]

I think the best reason for reproduction games, and emulation is that it shows gaming company’s that there is a market for retro video games. Which has lead to reprints, ports and mini consoles which has brought down the cost for everyone albeit in different ways.

[@left4shred406]

Repros are just another form of game preservation. Scamming people with them is wrong but that's not the fault of the repro. As the price of originals continue to rise and more and more originals are graded and sealed away repros will become more acceptable I think.

[@overnightdelivery]

Or you can collect for rare/unpopular systems like the Neo Geo Pocket where there are no known reproduction carts. ;)

[@MiguelGarcia-xz8sg]

I got Pulseman on sega genesis for the same reason. I just wanted to play it on my original Genesis. It was never released on cartridge here in north America

[@GoodVibeCollecting]

Some repros are poorly designed and can even harm your system. Also, just because there is a real board inside doesn't mean it's the same game. Be sure to exam the board carefully and make sure the product code on the label matches the rom chips inside. Otherwise that Earthbound could contain a Madden '95.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yes, and there have even been horror stories of people buying games from places like Gamestop only to receive repros with different games on the inside.

[@GoodVibeCollecting]

@@RetroBirdGaming Which is sad because they used to sell old games during their early days when they transitioned from Funco Land/Babbages.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, I miss those days.

[@eduardomata4731]

One can be savvy as hell yet the seller could own a legit copy, show you photos of it and send a repro.

[@phazon0138]

Just bought my first repro carts. Metroid zero mission and fusion. I own them digitally that I bought on The e shops. But I want them physically for my collection and I didn’t on’t wanna pay what they are going for. Figured what’s the harm if there just for me.

[@leeartlee915]

The only thing I have ever done is bought repro cases. Personally, I’ve gotten out of the game of physical collecting but back in the day it felt “weird” to have a game in a Blockbuster case or whatever. Now, I could care less.

[@michaelstanton7840]

I gave in and bought a repro Pocky & Rocky 2 for $19. I works great...but I feel dirty.

[@ghostly836]

I'm debating with myself about getting a repro of panic restaurant. It's the most expensive game on my NES list to buy. 6 to 7 hundred dollars is insane to me. However, I'm really about collecting authentic games. That's why I only buy physical.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Depends what you think of the game I suppose.

[@NESADDICT]

It’s cool if you just really wanna play a game but at that case I’d just get a rom* on a modded system.

[@Videogamelover58]

Agree

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I tend to feel the same way.

[@Deadite8593]

To me the only problem comes from people being dishonest, I almost got duped by a local video game store a couple years ago. They kept all their high-end games in a glass display, I asked to get one and they took it straight to the counter. As I was being checked out I picked it up and the weight of it felt too light for a SNES game (Mega Man 7). I asked if it was a reproduction and got told no, and then looked closer and immediately realized it was fake. No back label, the screws holding the cart together were fake molded into the plastic, the label printing was messy, etc. I unsnapped the cart in front of them revealing some generic fake PCB inside and they got mad and asked me to leave. I do own a few repro carts, but like yours they are games that were not released in my region. Megaman Wily Wars (Gen), Alien Soldier (Gen), Megaman&Bass (SNES), Holy Diver (NES). My problem isn't the cart itself, it's that it wasn't made in a way to distinguish itself from the real thing. Mold the plastic out of weird colors or mold REPRO into it, print the labels with the wrong artwork, etc and I'll be fine with it.

[@moandaindesigns]

I mainly just stick with fan games or fan translation games. Repro sales just need to be informed.

[@darreneugenerichards]

I have made my own reproduction carts for games I love but would never pay their asking price. I only use translucent colored shells so as not to be mistaken. I love little Samson and it makes it more special to me. Because, if I ended up with a REAL copy I would feel an insane amount of anxiety sitting on a game that goes for that much.

[@sadisticD]

I have a few repros because I wasn't paying over $100 for Dracula X because it's definitely not worth it. While Chrono Trigger is amazing it's way to expensive for my taste right now.

[@riggel8804]

The only concern I have about repros and flashcarts is that some of them send the wrong voltage and can damage your console. Retro RGB did a video on it but I can't find it. All the talk about authentic stickers, authentic screws, original release etc. sounds like silliness to me.

[@riggel8804]

@@ragread Cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@Frogdoddofficial]

I cane around to repros when my original games got destroyed in a flood. There was no way i could afford to replace all of those original carts.

[@Bitis11nasicornis]

I have been ripped off twice by bootlegged copies, and this is where I say their is a difference. A bootleg copy is one that's an intentional counterfeit, with intent to capitalize on profit. The game in question, is Contra Hard Corps. Both times on Amazon and why I refuse to use their services, both times they were marked authentic copies but I couldn't see images. They were $100 each, and I got refunded and got to keep them both. However, I show people what these games are that are counterfeits. One the label is discolored, the end label has no title on it, the plastic is cheap and flimsy, their is a sticker on the back saying assembled in USA versus it molded into the plastic, the shell of the cartridge is flimsier the Bill Cosby's morals, the security screws are Phillips screws that are unusually rusted, and the board is a reproduction board. Like everything about the cartridge and board is faker than fake. I still have yet to source a Contra Hard Corps game, and I don't feel like paying $200 plus to get ripped off without ever seeing it in person. Same with the rest of the Konami games I am missing. Thank you Grandma for getting me Rocket Knight's Adventures for Christmas. Still have that complete in box too.

[@FrappMocha]

I bought a couple of repros already and money well spent. Metroid Zero Mission for over $10 to me is so hard to ignore. And it works perfectly as well. With all these Retro games skyrocketing at insane price, I don't mind buying more repros and or even, digital at this point.

[@kokotheclown2588]

My local retro store sells a bunch of repro games like Pokémon games and even N64 games for cheap well the N64 games around 40 and the Pokémon games for 20 and they work great and I have no issues for the GB idk about the N64 but I’ll get myself one too see

[@DanielBrown-nb9zz]

heck yes you should buy and promote repros! It is the right thing to do because it maintains the presence of games that would otherwise become unavailable due to the passage of time and the effects it has on old stuff. PS I love to collect repros! I don't care about "authenticity" if it plays the game i want to play that's enough for me. Also I don't sell them I play them.

[@PaperBanjo64]

It also takes a sale away from greedy collectors price gouging their crap.

[@thesurge242]

My biggest issue is with some of the sellers themselves. I entertained the notion of getting a cheaper alternative to this famicom game once, and when looking at one repro cartirdge being sold I checked the seller's site on ebay, and the link to their site led me to what looked like a virus filled, chinese site with porn. Not suprisingly all the positive feedback on their ebay page was listed as private sale.

[@cd4playa1245]

Would you consider an English translation of a formerly Japanese only game to be a reproduction, or is it a modded game that happens to be on a cartridge?

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I tend to think of it more as a modded game that happens to be on a cartridge. The only issue I can see with that is if somebody was tricked into buying it for a lot of money (thinking it was an official product).

[@AlastorShadow0]

Yea, but are repros bad for your game systems? Will playing repros in a authentic game system mess up the game system at all?

[@nealdavis7276]

I have a couple of repros so that I can show people the differences and teach them how to recognize repros.

[@cd5sircoupe]

I got burned once last year buying Chrono Trigger for about 2/3rd of the price of the original on eBay. I got it in hand and immediately was like this is too clean, label's too shiny, etc. I took it apart and sure enough it was a cheap pcb board inside. Luckily I got my money back but the seller listed it under the pretense that it was authentic, nothing about reproduction anywhere. I told him I'd keep it if he refunded me by half of what I paid, which I think it more than fair considering the cost to put one of these together as a repro, but he just took it back and refunded in full. He either deleted his account or got banned shortly after. I have quite a few reproduction cover art & cases for ps1 & dreamcast games. They're for (now) expensive games that I either bought loose or missing the manual but with the rear art for cheap years ago. These are titles I'm unwilling to pay CIB prices for in today's market, or nobody sells just the case/manual (or if they do in some cases it's more than the disc alone). Other titles I have been fortunate enough to find manual or case/manual so I scoop those when available. At least with the ps1 & dc I have not found anyone that repro's the entire manual, it's typically the front cover art and the inside cover only, but I'll take it over having a naked disc. And it's usually like 15-20 bucks. Oh, I have also bought some repro cartridge stickers for a few Genesis games that have been ruined from a certain few game resellers putting their price stickers on the artwork...

[@megadan2988]

i try to stay away from repros because even if its an expensive game i always wonder if its the actual rom

[@RetroBirdGaming]

It can definitely be reassuring to open up any cartridge you're not sure about and check the circuit board.

[@jesterscorner879]

I think Repros that are sold as Repros for a fair price (ie $30 or less depending on how rare the original is) are fine for some. My issue is the number of dishonest sellers flooding ebay, amazon, etc. with Repros and conveniently leaving out any mention of reproduction in the title and description. My personal favorite these days are the sellers who try to simply list "100% new" or similar in the description and feel that is sufficient to cover them legally, while being less than honest about their product. One other issue is that they do often cut corners on the Reproductions. I have 4 Repros that I bought before I knew much about them, 3 I bought from a local shop that clearly sold them as Repros while 1 was from a less than honest Amazon Seller. I took a couple of them apart and was surprised to find that they don't bother putting the inner screws in holding the actual cartridge firmly in place. Needless to say I don't give much for it's chances if it's dropped. In addition I found the cases to be a rough cut and a pain to put back together compared to the OEM Cases. Not a lot of fun for the periodic deep clean. Add in the reports of them not lasting and crapping out early and I have decided to switch to making my own Repros, since I can make them with higher quality components.

[@killerkevin001]

Nothing wrong with repros, some games are crazy expensive and you just want to play it on original hardware.

[@computerkid1416]

The only repro game I own is an NES copy of Super Mario Bros. 2 Japan, which obviously never came out for the NES originally.

[@thebigbean8783]

I think they're a good thing for the market. Even though people still charge 30-40 for a n64 cart repro as if it were real. Terribly annoying to recieve repros as gifts as well because that means I still have to buy it :/

[@charleybarley7148]

Reproductions are just fine. If you're worried about getting ripped off, you should get the tools necessary to open up carts and check 'em out. Every reproduction has a feature that gives it away. Just be careful.

[@Tergg246]

I found a sonic 3 reproduction and it's for 3.29 shod I git it idk help me plz

[@devindeyoung6140]

I got screwed at a retro game store on a 200 dollor game having realy fake cover art and a fake case so i have a repro cover art that drives me nuts

[@totallyfrozen]

I don’t mind them as long as the seller labels them as reproductions. Lately, a lot of sellers on eBay have been good about this. The listening is tagged and “brand new” or “new (other)” and when you look in the listing it tells you it’s a reproduction. Remember this…As a general rule of thumb, if the game is coming from China it is a reproduction-ever time. My question is: Do you consider compilation carts to he “repro” or do you consider it a different category? I bought a cart if 151 NES games for the GBA. It’s well made and had a good menu system. It obviously not OEM Nintendo.

[@TwoGendersOnly]

I bought goldeneye 64 and it was the one and only time i got a reproduction cart. I knew something was wrong when i took it out of the box and noticed the cart was brand new condition and Pierce Brosnon had a skin tone comparable to that of a Mexican

[@latt.qcd9221]

Repo games aren't terrible, per say. I just wish they made it more obvious to spot and didn't mix in a bunch of nearly identical games into the supply.

[@spicyricu7217]

I like having authentic and real games, but there's a game I really want to experience because I just a newborn when it first came out (it's a popular game as well so it doesn't help haha). I'm not looking to collect this game, just to enjoy it and see what I missed while I was fresh out of the womb.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I hope that you're able to track it down and play it, repro or not.

[@spicyricu7217]

Retro Bird Thanks, I hope so too!

[@bryanb6747]

I have respect for legit companies producing repro games. But they are also usually expensive. So ya. Some games I just have to accept that I will not play. Still cool that some people are working on making physical copies of digital only, or really expensive games. Companies like that make it clear what you are buying, and people gotta respect if they are gonna sell. Honestly, they shouldn't sell. But if they do, it should be extremely evident. Otherwise you become part of the problem.

[@Der_Kleine_Mann]

I bought a repro of "kirbys dreamland 3" for the SNES, because the game didn't get a release here in Europe.

[@do0rkn0b]

i bought a repro of pokemon green, obviously no one will ever think it's real. works good too.

[@ChaosShadowZero89]

I like reproduction cartridges cause all I have to do is plug and play, not blow on the damn thing how many times and try 5 to 10 times to get it to work lol

[@TXFDA]

I think the problem here, is that everyone's just thinking about the "collector's" point of view. "Oh, but collectors don't like that there's fake copies of the games around", "Oh collectors might get screwed buying a fake copy of a game they thought was legit". But, not everyone's a collector. Some people just want to buy a game to play. And in their case, repros are probably fine. Assuming of course they know it's a reproduction, and aren't spending a ton of money on it. Some people just want a cheap copy of Earthbound or something. I get that, someone that's a collector might have problems with repros. And I get why. But not everything is about them. And personally, I think a reproduction is a great way to get games that you might not otherwise be able to afford or wouldn't be able to play because it wasn't released in your region. Now, where I DO take issue, is when reproductions are made for rom hacks and fan-translations, but the person that made the hack or translation gets absolutely zero compensation for it. People making money of someone else's work with the original creator getting nothing in return, is bullshit. Thing is, that's super common. Very VERY rarely will the maker of a hack or translation actually get asked for permission or get any compensation back from their stuff being sold. Like, most of the repros of hacks you see on places like Etsy, AliExpress, or eBay...none of 'em have permission to sell those hacks. Some of the hacks even have a splash screen that specifically says "if you PAID for this rom hack, you should get your money back." There used to be a site called Timewalk Games. They made super high quality reproductions, mostly of rom hacks and translations. But they had this bad habit of stealing artwork, and selling hacks and translations without permission. Hell, one time a guy asked them to remove their hack from the store, and Timewalk just removed the guy's name from their site and kept selling it. There was another time when I saw an unboxing video of one of Timewalk's repros, and it came with a fancy poster. I liked the art, couldn't find the artist's name on their site, and did some googling. Found the artwork on Deviantart and I asked the guy if he even knew Timewalk was using his art. He had no idea and said he was gonna look into some kind of legal action about it. I think reproductions can be fine. A great way to play expensive or unreleased games for cheap. But like the video said, if you ever re-sell them, you need to make sure people know it's a repro. And when it comes to rom hacks and translations, there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it. I'd say, if you're trying to get repros of hacks and translations, go with a blank cart and a rom flasher to make your own repro, so you're not paying the wrong people for it. I'd also suggest just getting a flash cart so you can load as many games on it as you want and not have to worry about it. I personally have an Everdrive GB X5 for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, and an EZ Flash Omega for Game Boy Advance games. I love the things. I also have an emulation handheld.

[@nealdavis7276]

Basically, I think they are okay in some cases, but not in others. As long as it is being advertised as a repro, I think it’s alright. But if they are being dishonest and trying to trick people, then that’s just wrong. But if someone just wants to play the games and doesn’t care as much about collecting, then having repros for them to play just frees up more authentic copies for us collectors (and hopefully reduces the price, with how supply-and-demand work).

[@Butter-Milk]

Suggestion: PS1 collecting guide.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Added it to my list of ideas!