I have recently found myself looking into the booming business of fake Pokemon cartridges for Gameboy and Gameboy Color (Colour to us Brits).
I had wanted a copy of red for my display of Pokemon games on my wall and could not find my copy of Pokemon Red. So I ordered one from ebay. I was instantly suspicious when it arrived because it was so shiny and new. When I found my copy of red, it was clear something was up.
The one on the left is the fake. shiney, new looking, and with the wrong text on the top part (it just says “Game”). Also, the colouring in the image is off and the “this side out” text makes no sense at all.
Spotting a fake
It seems there are a few ways to spot a fake pokemon cartridge.
Cheaper Gamer lists several factors to look out for.
- First and foremost the cartridge should say, “Nintendo GAME BOY TM” on the top. Not “Game” or something else.
- Weight – you need a real one to compare with.
- Wrong art work
- Poor quality case
- Wrong game rating system used
The old school game vault also has a guide for spotting fakes. They list such factors as:
- Nintendo seal
- Serial number
- The circuit board itself
- The cartridge colour
- The way it loads (asking if you want to use the save, for example).
Have you see a fake Nintendo cartridge in the wild or have further tip[s for spotting one? Let me know in the comments below.
