How to Spot Fake Nintendo Games & More!

[@TheInternetIsDeadToMe]

How to spot fake video games: They’re the reasonably priced ones.

[@IAmNotASandwich453]

Good advice. So i can sell my fake copies for a really expensive price and trick people into believing it's real

[@ZhannArt]

I found a genuine copy of Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap for €20 so I impulsively bought it from ebay, fyi I just bought a genuine copy for an higher price. (~€37-) So I am gonna use that extra copy to sell in a few years for an higher price.

[@AJ24773]

This, i bought Pokemon SoulSilver & White for $20 each. I didn't know they were reproduction copies

[@LivaRules]

@@AJ24773 if you're looking for a legitimate copy of HeartGold and SoulSilver you can always ask the seller to check if the game connects to the PokeWalker. If they say it's not or if they're not sure, it's probably fake.

[@itsmesteve1081]

No. Any price can be fake

[@MUSQUIZanimation]

I recently bought Earthbound 64. I’m starting to think it’s not real.

[@tootyrnt5533]

Did you compare it to a genuine copy?

[@karnovrpg]

I did too, my copy has some blue spandex guy flying through rings for some reason.

[@ismathem]

Damn... 🤣

[@cmos9020]

Life hard tho

[@TheMelonFarmers123]

@@karnovrpg comment of the day.

[@LimeyOtoko]

I found out I had a fake copy of Digimon DS Dawn once when I tried to trade it in and the shop owner showed me that the game said it was made by "Nintondo" on the back.

[@paulnewhouse5126]

Nintondo is the best ;)

[@billcook4768]

If I were a bootlegger, just for fun I’d have the carts stamped by Nintendon’t.

[@Keezawea]

"Genesis does what Nintondon´t"

[@Tamago-xe4eb]

NINTONDO DEE ESSS.

[@androidoficeandfire9667]

Ah yes my favourite video game company great games like Zolda

[@tgbandroid17]

This would happen less if Nintendo did more than limited re-releases to preserve their games. There's no reason at this point why every Nintendo owned game from previous generations isn't on a Steam-like platform that carries over from generation to generation.

[@toast99bubbles]

Yeah, whilst having a VC is nice and getting games like Earthbound or the first two generations of Pokémon on modern hardware and without breaking the bank, as soon as you get the new system, you're locked out of those digital purchases. That's one thing I wish the VC did, allowing you to continue to use your purchases on another newer Nintendo platform. I wouldn't expect Wii U or 3DS specific titles to do that, but VC games purchased on the Wii, Wii U or 3DS should at least be available on Switch too. Plus if they did this from the start, it would help with not having game droughts early on, because at least people could play their VC purchases or lurchase new VC titles.

[@Silverdragon98]

There is: money. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but that's why.

[@toast99bubbles]

@@Silverdragon98 Yeah, because a lot of the bigger games on Nintendo's platforms are by them directly, they get all the profits for every time they make fans rebuy them. It's not so much of a problem on Sony and Microsoft platforms because there aren't very many first-party titles. PC games have this to a greater extent because PCs generally have backwards compativbility built in for productivity purposes, so games get those benefits.

[@JCO78]

People will make and sell cheap bootlegs regardless of what any platform holder does. And collectors are going to want to own a real cartridge they ain't gonna settle for some digital ROM.

[@tgbandroid17]

@@JCO78 hence the reason why I said “it would happen less.” Sure there’s always going to be a collectors market, but there wouldn’t be an influx of average consumers trying to buy a product in said market if it were available in a marketplace like VC or steam, and said marketplace carries over from platform to platform.

[@anthonyrubel4057]

Ah yes, Cory in the House is my favorite generation of Pokemon. Hasn't quite been the same since. Edit: Got a like from Nintendo Life, awesome ^_^

[@gipsyg27]

Oh yeah, I grew up Pokémon thats so raven version. Best gen IMO

[@rainpooper7088]

Only watched the Anime

[@xa5785]

It's the best Anime ever

[@ichibantsumugi4457]

@@rainpooper7088 Ay ... Yo pfp gay AF !

[@mr.pickle5334]

Pokemon Cory in the House and Pokemon Thats so Raven

[@Novaros]

Need to point out that the GBA Mario kart cartridge you showed, was a european version of Mario Kart though. That's actually the PAL Region seal that nintendo puts on items, it's a circle instead of an oval, and says "original nintendo seal of quality". It's still printed to this day on European and Australian Nintendo products. The CE stamp next to it, which stand for "Conformitè Europëenne", saying it's conform to certain european regulations and stuff. It is indeed a fake though, the code they printed on it was supposedly the code that should be on the box. The real one should always end on -EUR. Cheers!

[@jasonmurphyfilms]

I checked my copy as well...

[@Thelodis]

I noticed that too. My Mario Kart cartridge looks like that, except that this seal of quality logo is too yellow and mine says "EUR". But a quick Google search indicates that NEU6 also is an European region code, can't find exactly where though. Edit: So NEU6 is actually printed on the box and not the cartridge? So thats why NEU6 is so common on games complete in the box, for one second i thought that they all were fake.

[@v9491]

Correct, this is the official look of European and Australian Nintendo Products (and even in some Asian countries). Unfortunately, Americans still have no idea there's an entire world around them. But in this particular example the seal is fake and it even says "Orighinal" and the font is not accurate. The -NEU6 part of the product code is also an easy way to spot the fake cartridge. The shell design is pretty accurate though.

[@shayminkironebby5175]

Exactly correct, I noticed that as well. I like to research regional differences in GBA game cartridges, and this is a very bad fake even still, but not due to the lack of an ESRB rating or the Original Nintendo Seal of Quality. (That "Orighinal" though... Gotta admit, that's pretty funny.) Also, "NEU6" isn't a region in the world, so there's also that. :P

[@jessek8137]

It is good to note regional differences, particularly with handhelds. The entire Game Boy line is region free, for instance.

[@alfiehicks1]

5:24 Just in case any people in PAL territories think they've got a fake copy - that's not a fake seal, it's actually the European version of the seal of approval. It's easy to distinguish, as it's circular and it says *"original* Nintendo seal of quality", instead of the US one, which is elliptical and says *"official* Nintendo seal of quality". However, this also becomes another potential thing for bootleggers to get wrong. If the label has a PEGI rating with a US seal, or has an ESRB rating with an EU seal, then it's fake.

[@Awesome_Dawson_Films_Official]

PAL Nintendo games for systems released before the DS don't have PEGI ratings. The DS, DSi, 3DS, New 3DS, and Switch carts do, as well as Wii and Wii U discs.

[@nintendolife]

CORRECTION: Some PAL Region Nintendo games actually did use the word “Original” instead of “Official” in their Nintendo Seal of Quality! The suspected fake Mario Kart Super Circuit cartridge we featured also features an incorrect Region code, so it is indeed still a fake! Thanks for the correction Tim! 🙏

[@Lillian2167]

I was about to type this! lol PAL versions have some differences from American releases. :)

[@pedroalmeida7905]

Also a dead giveaway, is the fact that it's written "orighinal" instead of original

[@RandomBurfness]

I don't get it. You couldn't have reached out to either Jon or Alex about this video and asked if there was something you missed in your research? Like all I get from this is information I cannot use since I'm European.

[@shayminkironebby5175]

Didn't know that you guys caught this before I made my comment, haha! This was a really great video, by the way! :D

[@kyuketsuki5736]

I would pin this comment, as it will be the first comment, and in case of any other corrections for quick checking.

[@dericksoto9045]

Bootleggers watching this vid - "Write that down! WRITE THAT DOWN!!"

[@danielpruitt8550]

God help us all smh.

[@SpongeB00b_is_a_savage]

*scribbles on the notepad*

[@marblebongos2794]

O|X| X|O|O |X|X

[@WinterSWW]

@@marblebongos2794 O|X| X|O|O X|X|X

[@GiuseppeGaetanoSabatelli]

Same is true for counterfeit analysis on Magic the Gathering channels like Alpha Investments (fun to watch lol). It's still important to educate people. The counterfeiters certainly know what some of the flaws are, but it's a cost/margin thing. The more we know, the more money they have to spend replicating every detail, which hopefully makes it expensive enough to do that they're less likely to continue business. Counterfeiters are usually in it for a quick buck. Unlikely to invest heavily in illegal reproduction that, even in China could face some barriers. This is why knowledge for the masses is better.

[@siddhantbanerjee3328]

4:04 when you buy Pokemon heart gold but get a massive upgrade instead

[@user-nr2cs2rq7h]

Well said. Lucky bastard.

[@Lightspeeds]

I got one of those for black/white 2.

[@TheGameCreator13]

404 ERROR Game has upgraded unexpectedly

[@benfenner7496]

"I came looking for coal but found gold instead "

[@PokeObsession]

They even said it was soul silver when it was a video of a heart gold game

[@bowserjrsoutsidestory7125]

I yearn for the day that bootleggers get so good at their craft that they just start genuinely reproducing these old games

[@ArtemyMalchuk]

Especially disc based games! Want me some Saturn titles, but I'm not in the right financial league for originals.

[@drunkensailor112]

@@ArtemyMalchuk saturn can't read cd-r so that's never gonna happen.

[@ArtemyMalchuk]

@@drunkensailor112 Ah sheesh. So, Saturn games weren't just CD like Playstation?

[@drunkensailor112]

@@ArtemyMalchuk playstation also doesn't play cd-r unless mod chipped.

[@prcr364]

Yeah but then it’s gonna be overpriced for a new old game, and you won’t know if you’re getting an authentic. It really is a lose lose situation.

[@nickk3077]

Seriously, thank you, Nintendo Life! Recently, I’ve been getting into more retro gaming with the DS and GBA and I had no idea that I wanted a video like this!

[@stevesteve0521]

Gba is the system with the most repros. Be careful when you buy those games. Check to see if there are two numbers stamp on the cart which is what shows it’s authentic.

[@royalmanatee6]

@@stevesteve0521 The little stamped letters are very extraordinarily hard to recreate so generally it’s a surefire sign of a real cart. One extra thing I didn’t hear though is the font and shallow depth of the GAME BOY ADVANCED logo on the top and the arrow on the bottom though. Those are definitely really helpful if you’re on a site like ebay or amazon and don’t have the best pictures to work with

[@stevesteve0521]

@@royalmanatee6 you’re right I didn’t mention the font because I’ve come across some repros with nearly perfect fonts of the authentic games. I’ve yet to see a repro with the stamped numbers though

[@stevesteve0521]

@László Buzaspeople start considering games retro after 2 generations. Right now 360, PS3, Wii and ds have made it to the retro category. By the next gen, ps4, Xbox one, Wii U, vita and 3ds will be retro. Sounds crazy but that’s how it’s been for a while.

[@AaronWhatIFTran]

You can dramatically reduce the odds of running into repros online on eBay by making sure 1. The seller has 97+% feedback. 2. They are NOT BASED OUT OF CHINA/HONG KONG (run away) 3. The listing includes AUTHENTIC in the title and has pictures of the OEM board. And most retro stores worth their salt should check for bootlegs before accepting any trade ins (at least the ones near me do). Best of luck in your collecting journey.

[@billcook4768]

You skipped the two big giveaways IMO. First is price. If it’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true. Second is location. The odds that a mint NA release from 20 years ago just happens to be in Asia is effectively zero.

[@ArtemyMalchuk]

A whopping TON of Earthbounds from Hong Kong sellers. I don't think as many Super Famicoms had sold there in the 90s as many Earthbound lots from there are now up on Ebay.

[@AaronWhatIFTran]

Yep, a good rule of thumb is to run away from any listing based out of Hong Kong/China. This also applies to anime figures lmao.

[@darthpaul99]

This happened to me twice with Pokémon games! Once with a copy of Fire Red and again with a copy of Soul Silver.

[@DroidsR_Us]

That's harsh man

[@matt5740]

i had the same problem with 4 of mine from local shops... i know better now but 10 years ago is was much less common and even the dude in this video can't distinguish fake from real either with 100% certainty. problem being that his diamonds are fake and he labeled them as real... i have a fake diamond, heartgold, sapphire and leafgreen as well as real copies of them... only good thing about the fakes (ds games) is you can replace the flash chips on the legit ones with those on the fake if they're dying because they're a pain to find online and something is better than nothing... hgssbb2ww2 are all ntr-31 carts which are translucent under light but dppt aren't and you have to know what the boards look like as well as the pins. the outside shell is too easily replicated for those games and i dont even look at that anymore on first glance. i go right to the pins and board if allowed.

[@billcook4768]

Keep in mind that just because a cart doesn’t match a legitimate copy, that doesn’t mean it’s fake. Often there were multiple production waves of a cartridge with very different insides.

[@okami1101]

what about the part of you can see through the cart

[@rynomclaughlin1595]

A good point is glob top NES/SNES/GB games that cut costs, you can always look up specific board variations

[@TheGameCreator13]

I found this to be the Case with Wii U Pro Controllers. At a certain point the labeling on the back was changed

[@coopercummings8370]

@@rynomclaughlin1595 Nintendo did occasionally use glob tops on NES and SNES cartridges with games that didn't need to store much data, but every one I have seen was glossy and square/rectangular. I have seen circular ones more often on bootlegs, and several of those were matte.

[@kintrellreaves6366]

Who really cares as long as it works

[@supersaiyajintony]

For anyone trying to get Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red or Leaf Green. Another way to spot a fake not listed in the video is to use an original DS or DS Lite which have a GBA slot use a Generation 4 game (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Heartgold or Soulsilver) and insert the GBA game as well as the DS game, boot the system and on the file select screen for the DS game scroll down and it should say “Migrate from ...” this message will inform you that it’s a legitimate cartridge as opposed to a fake. I learned this when a Gamestop sold me a fake copy of Fire Red.

[@bewearstar9462]

Some bootleg actually work on the ds however

[@royalmanatee6]

Just a little additional thing about the GBA games because I’ve found that those have the most bootlegs floating around that are getting very close to the originals. On the front, the GAME BOY ADVANCED font is very distinct and is also set very shallow into the cart. However, bootlegs are often made with cheaper plastic and it’s way deeper and the letters are narrow. Same for the little arrow at the bottom. And just a little side note the batteries in the gba Pokemon games are actually just for the internal battery, but that’s not too relevant here. Thought I might help for anyone collecting, but overall this video is amazing for anyone starting out! Thanks!

[@stevesteve0521]

Gba is notorious for having the most repros out there. Be careful people when you buy them

[@ZhannArt]

I apparently have all genuine copies of games, Donkey Kong world 2/3 etc.

[@JeskidoYT]

@@ZhannArt you can get a car if you sell them all

[@danielpruitt8550]

True 🤣

[@sonnyrynsaard3567]

I'm surprised he didn't mention for GBA games you can look at the cartridge pins and if there's a nintendo logo above them which you can see when he opened tha cartridge, you're probably good. Some fakes one have it but all the one I've seen have been obviously duped

[@ToffeeJim19]

The use of music in the background of this video is immense, great choices of OSTs too...

[@stereoplayerdx2308]

fake copy's turnabout

[@carter812]

What is the music they use for opening up the cart

[@ToffeeJim19]

@@carter812 if you’re talking about the gameboy advance one then it’s called ‘about town’ from professor Layton and the curious village :)

[@cogboy3587]

An excellent guide. An additional point to make with GBA games is that, if you look into the connection pins and use a light, you should seea printed serial number on the inside. Usually a Copyright symbol, followed by Nintendo, then a string of characters: AGB (Advanced Game Boy) then two additional 3 strings. Make sure this code stretches across the entire width of the board, rather than a small section. Additionally, for GBA pokemon games, you can easily check by using a legit copy of a Gen 4 game. Using the Pal Park function, a legit copy will allow you to transfer 6 pokemon across, provided that their is a save file with at least 6 'mons. Bootlegs simply lack this feature, and nothing will display on the title screen if you try to activate the Pal Park feature.

[@paulnewhouse5126]

Ebay has become outrageous.

[@YAHWEH-YESHUA-MINISTRIES]

I never use eBay for cartridge based games

[@Clay3613]

Calm down.

[@tymuckensturm4672]

@@YAHWEH-YESHUA-MINISTRIES where do you get yours from then

[@GumCow]

@@YAHWEH-YESHUA-MINISTRIES I haven't had any problems yet, besides prices being too high. Luckily I only care for pokemon games

[@Gary_Sherman]

Just a quick correction, pokemon gba games use flash memory for saving, and the battery for keeping time in the in game clock.

[@senatorarmstronger475]

And FireRed and LeafGreen don't have batteries at all.

[@UltimateFunBilly]

There is a list of GBA games that use batteries. Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and a few others have a caveat, stating the battery powers the internal clock or the solar-powered doohickey that makes the game light or dark

[@kingjonny394]

I only found out years later that most of my gba games were fakes. They still work fine so I'm not bothered

[@markasscop]

I had a fake minish cap and it took about 5 years for the save to get corrupted

[@ZNemerald]

@@markasscop maybe you can change the battery it use for saves

[@elblazemonkey1]

@@ZNemerald GBA games didn't use battery backups.

[@senatorarmstronger475]

@@elblazemonkey1 Some of them did, and some of them didn't.

[@elblazemonkey1]

@@senatorarmstronger475 Less than 1% of the GBA library use a battery in the cartridge

[@skaterisme2]

One thing I learned that really helped me with N64 carts was looking at the nintendo logo on the back of the cart. A real one is supposed to have a square for the dot in the I in nintendo while fake ones just have a regular circle as the I dot

[@That_Lady_Charlie]

Tip 1: NEVER buy from a seller that won't accept returns. Tip 2: if the sale listing looks too good to be true, that means it is.

[@theakiwar9118]

Sometimes it is too good to be true. I got my CiB Metroid Fusion copy for 30 bucks last summer. But most of the time you shouldn’t fall for some things. And I have experience finding fakes

[@OK-ei6pn]

I got super mario odysey for £15 on ebay

[@magicLP76]

Love the Game Trade shoutout at the end! It’s absolutely one of the best retro game stores I’ve ever been to! I went to college in the area and I always make it a point to stop in whenever I’m in town visiting friends.

[@martinlvm]

Don't want to be that guy but, the GBA Pokemon games uses a battery for the clock only (RSE), the 5 games saves in flash memory. Good video btw (Y)

[@zackyd4100]

ZION, this has to be your best video. Between your presentation, editing, and just overall tone, you can tell you've been stepping up your game. Great video and great work!

[@Monodi91]

As GameBoy/Color/Advance games go, the stamped numbers are my favorite checkmate if the label looks suspiciously uncanny. Something else I have learned is that some copies of GBA cartridges will have the "GameBoy Advance" logo on top a bit too marked, while genuine cartridges have it more like a very subtle relief.

[@EXPLOSIV3ORANG3]

Original seal of quality is on the EU GBA cartridges, so just because it has that doesn't mean it is fake

[@JackLucasCaffrey]

Glad someone pointed that out!

[@DrRank]

Also, if you have a game released in the PAL regions, its manual should not be in colour.

[@zac3249]

Yeah there’s a few different versions of the seal which I found pretty confusing.

[@aporue5893]

the plastic is different,check many examples

[@ridleykiller1994]

Emerald uses its internal battery for the real time clock, not for save data. I did most of my playthroughs with a dead battery with no save issues, before I got around to replacing it

[@Lillian2167]

My Ruby internal battery ran out ages ago, but my save is fine too. I think the Gen 1 & 2 games used the battery for save data, as all my old gen 1 games no longer save, which is due to the battery dying. :''3

[@Punmaster9001]

I have a Final Fantasy 1 & 2 GBA Cart I picked up at a convention that I knew had to be fake even when I bought it (it still works and has the game on it) and now know how to spot it. Like the "GAME BOY Advance" engraving has an oval around it instead of just being shaped around the letters. The image on the front is blurry and isn't even the right image for the game. No number indented on the label either. I only paid like $2 for it, which was the first sign of it being a fake.

[@rquinn0111]

As an eBay seller, I'm concerned about selling counterfeits. I don't want them in my store, but they are seriously hard to spot, especially at garage sales. I appreciate your content and ways I can look out for counterfeits!

[@Thatguy101987]

One way to tell with pokemon GBA games, is by inserting it into a DS with pokemon diamond, pearl, or platinum. Assuming you have pal park unlocked, you should see the option to migrate pokemon from the GBA cart. Bootlegs generally won't show the migration option.

[@arturo7926]

Year 2076: Thank you for calling Official Retro Video Game Inspectors, what will we be inspecting for you today? Me: BATTLETOADS - A LINK TO THE PAST STADIUM DX 64 2

[@PSNGormond]

The easiest way to tell a fake GBA game (if the sticker looks legit) is by looking at the pins which you can see without opening it. The solder points should all be along the top and not at various points on the pins as shown at 6:34. Once you open it up it becomes very obvious but as you need a triwing screwdriver usually you cant ask an Ebay seller to show you that part.

[@Froge0]

I ended up with an FFV bootleg... I was like "alright I'll just go with it" and lost my save after about 20 hours.

[@wowzagh]

Fat ouch

[@PikaLink91]

If it's any concellation mate, I accidentally formated my memory card and wiped 80 hours of progress from FFIX.

[@paulpope5157]

Brilliant video Zion 👏🏻 ... also, I liked the way you treated your GB Metroid, I was shocked you didn’t fling it like most things in your videos

[@avtron446]

At 5:30, you stated that the 'Original' SoQ was fake however it is like that in PAL regions so if Jon and Alex see that they should be fine :)

[@sparkeythehamster]

I used to have so many issues with this on the GBA. I bought a copy of FireRed second-hand and it was a fake, I took it back to the shop, they gave me a voucher and I ordered another. It took me 17 attempts to get hold of a real one because the shop didn't believe me and kept putting the fake one back on stock, then when I ordered a FireRed they'd just keep sending me the same one. The worst thing is that Pokémon games are the easiest fakes to spot because when you load up the game a fake always says: "The save file has been loaded successfully" before you get to the continue menu.

[@emily_042]

None of the Pokemon games for GBA use the battery to store your save. They have a real time clock that the battery is powering. FireRed and LeafGreen are just lacking this feature.

[@donnylurch4207]

I spent $30 on a repro Super Smash Bros (n64) box and manual from Etsy (including shipping from UK to USA) because I couldn't find anyone on ebay selling JUST the box and manual. There were only CIB listings, but I already have the game cartridge! It can be hard just to find the darn things. The repro is OK, but it's blurry. Works for my shelf display at least.

[@Retrotude]

Honestly if Nintendo's gonna be as stingy with their releases of old games as they have been since the start of the Switch era, I don't care at all if repros provide an affordable way for the average casual retro game fan to play a classic on a real system. I only take issue with anyone who doesn't label their games and packaging as repros and price them as high as the real deal.

[@ArtemyMalchuk]

The other way around for me. I care for genuine games more than I do for systems. When both of my SNES consoles went down in flames, I bought a Classic2magic and continued playing my carts through SNES Classic. I used to play genuine black Playstation CDs through laptop CD drive, too.

[@Retrotude]

@@ArtemyMalchuk That's perfectly fine too! Old systems get harder to maintain and use on modern TVs every generation, so I definitely see the appeal in a high quality clone system, especially if it means better A/V quality.

[@ArtemyMalchuk]

@@Retrotude But some systems are impossible to recreate, unfortunately, if you want to play your old games. Say, you can play NES and SNES and Mega Drive through RetroN, but N64? Nay. CD and DVD games depend on how powerful your PC is, really, and Dreamcast games are impossible to play on conventional drives altogether.

[@rynomclaughlin1595]

Just buy flash carts and don't support bootleg games, it's literally selling a rom illegally while flash carts can play everything including hacks and translations and you don't have to give Chinese bootleggers a dime

[@KenKai-xq2nr]

@@rynomclaughlin1595are there any sites that you recommend perhaps?

[@Mac_Omegaly]

Thank you very much for this guide. I have been in a Game Stop years ago where they had wrong colored cartridges, poor lable imitations and just obvious fakes. When pointing thus out to the manager he said that as long as the game on the system plays the same it didn't matter. I was so mad. Fakes and "reproductions" should be labled as such.

[@George_M98]

I bought Leafgreen and Sapphire off eBay over 10 years ago now and when I was younger I used to be so confused why the game data on both games would just delete itself every so often but looking at the cartridges they’re 100% fake rip

[@joemungusphart]

In my experience, the cart and especially the label's condition is the first dead giveaway of a fake, especially on the DS. It's a portable console meaning game carts are moved around a lot, pushed in and out of a slot, tossed haphazardly in a case with a dozen other games. And many of these games were owned by kids who don't think twice about how they handle their games. My childhood copies of Pokemon Black and Soulsilver have scuffed (but not torn or damaged) labels from general use and handling over the last 10+ years. It's not an infallible method of weeding them out (see that FireRed cart) but it's easier to trust a game that looks its age. On a side note, I was in a retro shop near me and was about to buy a copy of Mario 64 when the cashier and I started noticing "wow this thing is almost in TOO good condition" and in a moment out of a comedy sketch we both looked at each other realizing it was fake. TL;DR Don't trust game carts that look too new.

[@lloydkaplan8605]

You guys nearly gave me heart attack over an English translation of Fire Emblem Heroes of Light and Shadow that I bought off eBay in December

[@Kiirabu197]

5:25 Actually just learned about this! For some odd reason, in the PAL region, the "Seal of Quality" is "Original" and circle-shaped whereas in the US, it's "Official" and more ovular. Same goes for some Game Boy cartridges and boxes where it's either "official" or "original" game pak.

[@jonathanbarrus2326]

I just bought a gold NES Legend of Zelda cart as well as a Link to the Past cart. I think they're legit x)

[@PurifiedShino]

Watched this several times over. This is definitely a good reference to go by as I try to complete my GBA and DS collections.

[@Hario338]

I thought my pokemon white cartridge was acctually fake because of the black cartridge lol, glad I found this!

[@wilfredynunez5263]

You forgot to mention one of the most tell tale signs for DS cartridges. The Nintendo logo on the back is embossed, it has very fine and subtle depth. You can feel it by running your finger over it. If it feels flat, it's almost guaranteed to be a repro, as they never get that detail right.

[@zigazav1]

OK, looks like Zion is picking up where Candyevie was doing before she felt the bootleggers were using her "how to spot a bootleg" game videos. Unlike Candyevie at the time though, Zion seems to not be entertained by times where bootlegs are hilariously messed-up trying to pass off as the real deal and failing epically. Also, I once got a bootleg myself. I had my mom buy a copy of Megaman Battle Network 6 Cybeast Falzar, which when it arrived at our home, I noticed the label looked washed-out abit, but I tried playing it, and oh boy was it a fake that failed to fully mimic the real deal. While it did hold your save data, every time you progress in the game to an exact point of the game, the rom crashes, and when you boot it up again, all your save data on it is gone. Mom threw-out the fake copy of that game and later bought me a legit copy of it. The bootleg always crashed at that exact point of the game and erase your save data. Good she threw it out though, no longer will any time of that specific fake cart will be fooled by that one anymore.

[@LittlestPetShopPup]

I bought a couple bootlegs of the gba pokemon games years ago and I learned all of the cool things you said about the labels and its rrally nice to see someone making a video about this topic. I was able to get my money back but I was super disappointed that they were fake copies. I ended up giving them to ppl who didn't care and just wanted to play the game anyway. I didn't havr the tools to open my games to check those things but I was curious so im happy u made a video including all of that too. This was so cool

[@NCozy]

This is why I will never get into retro game collecting.

[@123goofyking]

This applies to collecting anything worth something

[@NCozy]

@@123goofyking Idk, I've been collecting movies and rarely ever have this issue like yeah bootlegs exist but they're usually pretty distinguishable

[@gilmeza]

@@NCozy he said ''anything worth something''...I too collect movies but lets be honest they're not in the same ballpark financially.

[@NCozy]

@@gilmeza The only reason why that is is because the games industry doesn't do nearly as good of a job preserving old games as the film industry. The fact that most old games are super expensive is the fault of publishers neglecting to actually rerelease them on modern hardware. Plus even the more rare movies I've seen don't have bootlegs.

[@gilmeza]

@@NCozy I partly agree with you sentiment; but its not completely accurate. There are numerous examples beyond this; but the most expensive sealed game on record is SMB3. I can fire up the Switch online and play it in its original NES format; or hell ''remastered'' (Mario All Stars) on SNES. I can fire up Pokemon Yellow on a 3ds virtual console and the complete, physical game is in the hundreds. This isn't news to you, but gaming although widespread; occupies a much more ''niche'' space than a consumer of films does; the average person has/had a stack of VHS tapes + DVDs + Blurays, etc. The ''average'' person does not collect games. That reflects on pricing more-so than the (lack of) gaming industries preservation of said games. A big example is the SNES mini being released having ZERO impact on the pricing of any of the complete games included. So.....LOL

[@KittStargazer]

9:08 I like the fact that they left Pocket Monsters on the cartridge, which is never used in the states. Maybe in another country outside of America and Japan. But in the states I believe it conflicted with another games name ( I believe it was Monsters in my Pocket ) and thus they shortened it to Pokemon and stuck to it.

[@thierry8978]

"Hello sir, I'm interested in this rare copy of Earthbound you have on sale here. Mind if I pop it open with a screwdriver to see if it's legit?"

[@eskimoprime09]

As a person who works in a retro video game store, if someone was interested in buying a >$300 game and that would make the sale, I wouldn't think twice. I've done this before, actually. The only stores that wouldn't be willing to open one up are the shady ones.

[@J05Youtube]

This video has lead me to realizing that my Mario Party Advance cartridge that I've had since I was like 5 and I thought I somehow broke was actually fake this entire time. Neat!

[@DE23]

How did I not realise that a 20 dollar sealed warioware diy in 2021 was a bootleg

[@kadosho02]

Good idea to bring this up. The past is a treasure to many. Hopefully those that do seek those adventures, they are all the original versions of the game

[@4444aa]

One oddity I find with DS bootlegs (sometimes) is that they seem to have issues with going into sleep mode. For example, something like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnnLgIqcqtFpaKM where the game does not enter sleep mode.

[@RyeJ_86]

I hadn’t realized how widespread this was. Recently been buying back into some older consoles and games I had sold off years ago. Recently got a reproduction collection of the first two Pokemon generations on GB, I knew they weren’t real but I just wanted to have physical copies again for my own nostalgia and the price of repros meant I wouldn’t be blowing rent money to do it. I couldn’t believe how good they look. The only immediately obvious thing was the labels were peeling up slightly at the edges and the general condition is way too good. I’m just glad the seller didn’t try to pass them off at authentic prices, even if it wasn’t immediately clear in the item description either.

[@HandlebarOrionX]

The bootleg of Super Monkey Ball for the GBA looks like a start to a creepypasta

[@shayminkironebby5175]

Very good video! There are many good tips for newcomers to learn and to keep in mind for future retro purchases! Editing is also very well done, might I say top-notch, and I must say that I love the sense of humor! This video was a lot of fun to watch! :) With that being said, there is one glaring error in this video: The fake Mario Kart: Super Circuit cartridge is trying to pass itself off as a European copy of the game. A big thing to keep in mind about EUR copies of GBA games is that they should NEVER have an ESRB rating on them, Rather, they have a CE on them, which from what I know is a type of European classification (I'm not European, if you couldn't tell, I just like to research regional differences in game cartridges/discs including GBA carts. There was a comment somewhere within this comment section that talked about the meaning of CE, if you're able to find it). Another thing is that EUR GBA cartridges do in fact say "Original Nintendo Seal of Quality", rather than USA cartridges which say "Official Nintendo Seal of Quality", and on newer games, "Official Nintendo Seal". Aside from that, however, this is a great video that will very much help you out if you don't know how to identify real cartridges from fakes. This video gets a like from me! :D

[@aegis7225]

I recently bought a copy of Pokemon Emerald for like $15, which I'm now learning is fake.

[@NCozy]

Unless you're a collector at that point you might as well emulate it. Idk, not really a point in straight up buying it when you're likely gonna get a bootleg and you aren't even supporting the developers.

[@michaelharris5281]

That's the most anyone should pay for a reproduction game

[@louiepikmin3184]

@@NCozy What about transferring the pokemon to future generations?

[@NCozy]

@@louiepikmin3184 PKSM and a hacked 3ds. You can use PKSM to import your old save and transfer them to newer gens and as long as you caught them legitimately you should be fine.

[@toast99bubbles]

I recently bought a reproduction cart of Pokémon Silver on ebay, but the seller made sure to advertise it as a repro cart and was selling it much cheaper than any official copies were going for. For me in that situation, it didn't matter that it was a repro cart because I wanted to try out the Game Boy Printer features of the game and give it a go on the backlit Game Boy I had just got, so I was happy with it. Not long after I picked up some romhacks for various Game Boy, Game Boy Colour and Game Boy Advance games. One thing I noticed is that the repro cart for Silver and the other GB and GBC games all had triwing screws holding the cartridge, rather than a gamebit screw. Plus the copy of Silver was actually put onto a GBA flash board with a flash chip for the save (the other GB and GBC games were on GB/GBC flash boards and even had new batteries for battery saves). Another thing I noticed was the the two GBC games I ordered were Crystal hacks and their cases were just a clear blue plastic in the same mould as a GB cartirdge, rather than the fat type for GBC carts, even having the notch for the og Game Boy's power switch. I gave them a try in an og Game Boy and it thought I'd put the game into a Game Boy Pocket/Light and gave a message saying to use a GBC. The GBA games I got were similar flash boards to the one in Silver, and I ended up ordering a blank one from InsideGadgets, along with a USB-C cart flasher, to see how that works. Apparently, I should be able to take my actual copy of FireRed, put it into the flasher to make a rom bcakup of my own, then randomise the game and flash that the the blank cart to try out some randomisers on official hardware (something I'm pretty excited to try). Repro carts do have their place in existence, and I feel that place is better suited for those who wish to try out some rom hacks on official hardware (if they own the original games, that is), or to at least allow you to be able to play games that are no longer that easy to play, due to battery save deteriation and such (at least Gens 1 and 2 of Pokémon are on the 3DS VC, and I already do own Silver on the VC, so I don't feel so bad having purchased a repro when another option to support devs is available, especially when the repro allows for a feature no longer available in the VC release).

[@ExpressoTheCat]

grandma: i'm gonna pretend i never saw that

[@Chocopaan]

For anyone still suspicious about certain cartridges, here are some more tips! In the case of GBA cartridges, one of the most telling shows of authenticity is based on the embossment of the Gameboy Advance logo. Most fake cartridges will cut the logo deeper when compared to a real cartridge; this applies for both the front and the back. As such, the size of the arrow below the label follows the same logic. Font are also just as important when comparing labels, as a change in size or spacing may provide very obvious answers. Some minor but relevant thing to be aware : 1) Aside from Pokemon games, an ample amount of cartridges are also uniquely colored and should never be dismissed without careful evaluation. 2) All GBA cartridges us triwing screws in the back and are fitted to do so. If the fixture is shoddy, reevaluate. 3) As many people have stated, ratings vary per region. America uses an ESRB system, Europe uses a large CE label for confirmation, and while Japan usually displays developer logos, some may use Cero labels on their boxes. 4) While imprinted or embossed numbers are often used to prove authenticity ( mentioned at 5:45), these numbers also fade in time so be sure to double check your cartridges. As mentioned earlier, embossment also plays a role in DS cartridge authenticity from the back. Much like the GBA, if the text is cut deep enough to stand out, it should be reconsidered. While previously mentioned design changes continue on the DS label art, one interesting tidbit is that *an authentic DS cartridge will have an imperfect logo* in comparison to a fake label. If you check any DS game shown in this video, the bottom square of the logo should always be imperfect while fake games will smooth it out with a perfect shape. Finally, in the specific case of Pokemon cartridges, it should be known that the HGSS, BW, and BW2 cartridges will ALWAYS be black due to their use of the Pokewalker and infrared capabilities respectively. The only other games with black cartridges/infrared support are Personal Trainer: Walking and Active Health with Carol Vorderman. Good luck on your finds!

[@HaohmaruHL]

“How to spot fake video games” Me, a russian: I was born in the dark, molded by it.

[@ArtemyMalchuk]

Still have your big stack of bootleg PSX games, братан? I bet, nobody in the West could gather as many legit games as we gathered bootlegs.

[@bewearstar9462]

You guys live of games like 7 grandad and somari

[@spencerwaters5962]

The fake ones usually have blurry labels, this goes for counterfeit movies on amazon and other legit online retailers. At 2:54 in the video, they show a good example of two versions of Digimon World Dawn. You can clearly see small artifacts around the words 'Digimon World Dawn' on the left cartridge showing it was printed with a lower quality printer and paper. The words on the real one are sharp in contrast and easier to read.

[@emanuelprado6896]

Alright, this is useful.

[@tonk82]

That is some mighty Nintendo DS collection man. I love it. Bonus points for the stamped numbers on the GBA carts, not many people notice it and most bootlegs dont have it.

[@Twisty_26]

Me, who pirates my games: Aw yes great video!

[@dirk5388]

GBA pokemon games all use flash memory to save, however the third gen games have a Real Time Clock which the battery is used for.

[@12thMandalorian]

Honestly if it looks good on my shelf, I’m happy

[@SnipeMD]

Here's a few extra tips for spotting fake DS games in particular: · Fake DS games often get stuck in your DS's card slot, especially if they are poorly made. · If you have a DS game that you suspect is fake and one that you know is real, hold them both up together (doesn't matter what the real game is, just that it is real). The little arrow on the very bottom of the cartridge that shows what direction the game goes into the DS will ALWAYS be indented into the cartridge itself on fake DS games, whereas the real game will have the arrow sort of "glazed" onto the cartridge, if that makes sense. · If you have a bright light, look at both cartridges under the light. The fake one will have slightly different looking plastic on the front. It will look ever so slightly darker and more grainy.

[@segunthepikachufan1470]

Way to tell if it's real: you spend a scalper price on the game online. Also you insert your Pokemon GBA game into a DS Lite with a Gen 4 game to migrate

[@blackjacksetzer7748]

between this and how to deal with your backlog, zion is there making me a better gamer

[@Linkfin]

The way you can tell is you have to use your GAMER EYES

[@PokeObsession]

4:04 that’s heart gold not soul silver

[@scoobingtonmcwigglesnatch9985]

I remember back in like 2008 I bought a dubious copy of Mario Kart DS on ebay for $10 and it ran like a dream! 10/10 would bootleg again.

[@ellebastonart]

EDIT: A difference between real and fake cartridges that I didn't see mentioned in this video is that sometimes the letter indicator for the age rating on the label has a different width to it - on a lot of bootlegs I see the large E in the ESRB square thing isn't as thick as a real one. Sometimes the GameBoy Advance logo on the cart's plastic has a thinner font than a legitimate one too I definitely learned some new from this video! Before it even ended, I anxiously went through my entire collection of OG DS games just to be extra sure (luckily I only have 15). Fortunately, none of the secondhand sellers I bought them from were lying in saying they were authentic, but this gave me some new tools to identify what's real and what isn't, so thank you so much for this video!

[@carolinebelmore2595]

Pokéman is one of the best video games.

[@weebsquit347]

GameStop sold me a bootleg copy of Megaman Battle Network 5: Team Colonel. I don't know how that even happened. I didn't find out until years later.

[@ssjduelistDD]

I'm fairly certain 99% of all gba carts are fake 😂

[@jwill7998]

I didn't even realize bootleg GBA games were a thing when I bought a copy of Aria of Sorrow over 15 years ago (at Gamestop, no less). When I went to sell it, the buyer immediately recognized it as bogus. That MF'ing cartridge cost me $30.

[@litchtheshinigami8936]

@@jwill7998 jesus.. i mean for the fakes i have i all bought those in turkey.. so it makes sense for them to be fake.. all of my others that aren't fake however came from regular stores or from the market here as there was a stall for 2nd hand games back in the day.. i got a few pokemon games from there (i got Yellow,Gold,firered and ruby from there)

[@rockhyde7775]

I’d like to think that repros are made for the reason being to combat high prices of retro games. Though not all retro games are super expensive. Does anybody have fears of the future because of downloads being delisted or some digital stores shutting down or physical games becoming costly and wish for a time machine? This is why we need time machines in the far future so that nothing will ever be lost to time ever again but it’s probably not gonna happen for a hundred years.

[@praythunder]

A little note from me, on the GBA games Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald use flash memory for saves, the battery is for the in game time, so berries will continue to grow while the game is turned off.

[@thaddeusrussell8919]

As far as N64 games go The imprinted numbers on the back are a dead give away because they'll be missing Otherwise the stickers are usually insanely glossy Good content

[@NiGHTS1980]

Thanks for the video. It was very informative. I was unaware there were even bootlegs for the Game Boy so thanks for shedding light on the subject.

[@chawa623]

one thing I learned over the years of game collecting is, do a shake test...just a quick gentle shake too make sure there's nothing loose in the console, cartridge, add on, etc.

[@grantmortensonva]

Lots of legit games have shaky bits, even 3DS and Switch

[@Wings_Of_Nightfall]

This is why my copy of LeafGreen is nearly as old as when the game was released. Sure the sticker has long since fallen off, but it still runs as smoothly as it did all those years ago.

[@dorkenspache8353]

Thank you for this. I just bought a copy of Pokemon LeafGreen and was wondering if it was fake. I am so glad to find out that it is a real copy and that I didn't waste almost $70.00.

[@ryans7097]

Good lord I didn't even realize this was a thing for retro game collecting, I like sneakers and this a huge problem in that industry as well. It amazes me how much time and effort is put into makes fake products but I guess it is what it is.

[@seraphimsforge-master5433]

Love the ending 😩 _I actually think about that all the time_ If you're poor enough ... Some people have the financial resources to put you in a matrix where information and applications are specific to you and what you see

[@StephenDickerman]

Thanks for sharing these tips and tricks, Zion. My preference is to always buy new, and this really helps solidify my already firm neurotic tendency. But really, it was great to get some insight into the underbelly of collecting "older" games.

[@theinitiate110]

I worked at Nintendo in North Bend WA around 2004. Let me say security is no joke at Nintendo in the fulfillment production center. Games would go through several checks before being issued to the machines that would package the games.

[@Jack-kx5mh]

I’ve been reselling games for a while now and had to learn all this stuff myself, such a fantastic videos to post I wouldn’t be surprised if mom and pop game stores use this to train their employees

[@foorocker91]

Great video Zion. Very helpful for buying on the retro market!

[@Elrinth]

FF6 on GBA was the first pirated game I came in contact with, I even told the seller I did not want it if it was a fake. I contacted the seller and he payed me back and I could keep the fake game... Since then I am very very careful. Now it is really common for the very expensive rarer games (even on japanese auctions). It pisses me off so much.

[@DekuScrub_]

This is a lifesaver. I've had a GBA for the longest time but I haven't bought any games since its pretty much impossible to find legit copies of the pokemon games unless you're willing to pay at least £40. I learnt the hard way since my friend let me keep his fake copy of FireRed and my save file got deleted after not playing for a few weeks :/