Are my Pokemon video games fake?

[jerrythecrazyguy]

I recently bought a few vintage Pokemon game cartridges at an auction I've been going to for a while now.  I was planning on selling them on eBay.  When I bought some of them, one guy I know told me they fake these.  It didn't even cross my mind because when I think of fakes I think of Louis Vuitton purses and Rolex watches, not video games.

I tested the Sapphire one and not only it plays but it plays perfectly.  I even played it for around 15 minutes and it seems legit.  One of the copyrights on it was for Game Freak which I looked up and that company is legitimate for Pokemon.

I still want to be on the safe side so I'm posting all these pictures on the blog and if they do turn out to be fake I want to have my talk to the auction people and the auction is every Wednesday so it would be tomorrow so I hope I find out soon.

All the games I have came in these plastic cases which I know is not original Nintendo/Pokemon but I pictured one just in case for evidence.

I also have a Nintendo 64 game worth about $75 on eBay that came in the same lot as the Pokemon games but if the Pokemon is fake I might as well get the 64 game checked out so it's also pictured.  The 64 game is in a shrink-wrap style bag which made me think it was brand new.

I have quite a bit in these games so I'm hoping if anyone knows so I know whether to list them or attempt to try to get my money back from the auction.  Thank you for any answers.

[average.sell]

Hello, these, at first glance, look legitimate because they say Nintendo on the plastic. However, to be certain they are genuine, you would need a tri-wing and N64 screwdriver tools to open these up and see the circuit board of these games. Carefully look at the game art on the case and compare to known genuine cartridge art. If the circuit board says Nintendo and the Nintendo copyright with the real year when these were released, these could be authentic. Does the circuit and pins look badly make? If so, could be fakes. I suggest doing this and looking online on YouTube to verify if these are authentic or not. If these are fake, I would return them on eBay and try to get your money back, if you are still within the 30-day timeframe. 

[average.sell]

If you did not buy these on eBay, then try to get your money back.

[mudshark61369]

@jerrythecrazyguy,

  I recently bought a few vintage Pokemon game cartridges at an auction I've been going to for a while now...".

Was this an ebay auction, or a local one?  If it is a local one I doubt you have any purchase protection.

  "When I bought some of them, one guy I know told me they fake these. It didn't even cross my mind because when I think of fakes I think of Louis Vuitton purses and Rolex watches, not video games".

If there is money to be made on an item the Chinese will counterfeit them.  Older game consoles and cartridges are popular and therefore counterfeited.  Have you considered taking the games to Game Stop or other dedicated gaming store, some of those employees know what to look for to tell you if they are real or not.

FYI, If you are going to continue selling on ebay,  If you are using a phone for your photos, and you have a tripod, you should get a cell phone tripod adapter for it.  If you don't have a tripod there are inexpensive ones available. Try cleaning your lens as well.

If I saw a listing with some of the photos you posted, and some of the ones in your sold listings,  I would hit the back button.  All are a bit foggy, some have camera shake, and some are out of focus.  Cell phone cameras are pretty good, but are made for taking scenic portrait and selfie photos.  Their focus and metering systems are not meant for product photography.  Also learn how to turn off your flash. You can take much clearer photos with an inexpensive digital point and shoot camera. Practicing with any camera helps as well. 

[joschadw-0]

Bootleg Pokémon games are getting more & more frequent in the gaming community.  Really, it's not just Pokémon games, it's pretty much all the popular games from the Game Boy Advance library. 

For today's article, we are going to talk about counterfeit versions of pokemon games, but the same principles can be applied to other GBA games. Below are some points that have helped thousands of gamers make a determination if that pokemon emerald real vs fake.

The Nintendo seal should always be clear and the Nintendo seal print should be very visible and legible. With the fake label, the Nintendo seal has worn off.

For many games, opening up the game and examining the circuit boards can be a dead giveaway for spotting bootleg pokemon game. A real Pokémon gameboy advance game has its internal chips; on the motherboard, marked with the lettering “MX”.

As you can see, the cartridge color for the game is light green. A genuine Nintendo shell, has two square rectangle stamps on the inside of the back cartridge shell. As, if you look closely, the fake cartridge does not.

[doms_garage]

I know this thread is old, but I hate to tell you this but your Sapphire, Fire Red, Ruby, and Leaf Green are all fake. The main way to tell is if you flip the cartridge over on the back side and you look in the left corner you should see a gold rectangle on the board through the plastic cover.

[soh.maryl]

Since you know this thread is old, isn't it a little late to offer that advice?  

[doms_garage]

There may be other people with the same question that view this thread and see my comment, so it doesn't hurt to comment.

[mudshark61369]

@soh.maryl,

That reply may help someone who opens the topic after it is locked.

[kh-stanley1]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.