How to spot FAKE / BOOTLEG Pokemon Games

HOW TO SPOT FAKE / BOOTLEGGED POKEMON GAMES [EMERALD]

This is different from most of my posts, but recently I've been buying Pokemon games on Ebay and, well, I got had. :-) Figured before I send'um back for a refund, I'd help others identify and possibly help them not get screwed (ha ha)

Firstly, DO NOT BUY GAMES OVERSEA [HONG KONG/CHINA]

 Only buy games with ACTUAL photos of the ITEM you are PURCHASING. If they have box art/clip art as their image, then you take a risk yourself (even if the sellers are from the USA).

This is an example of clip-art. You do not see the actual item you are purchasing.

If you do buy with clip art photos (like I did--go me), then make sure they have A LOT of feedback and are 100% postitive.  They spent YEARS earning that feedback through transactions. They would NOT want negative feedback and will be more willing to work with you. (BE CAREFUL: check their feedback on items they have sold. If they have sold A LOT of the same exact games in a very short period of time, I would use caution and email the seller for more details / photos.)

Alright, first, PHOTOS!

  Alright, here ya go! I got three Emeralds, and two of them are fakes! The only way to really tell when looking at a photo is by the label. The first two are easy to spot as their stickers are not shiny like the real one (3). All real pokemon games for GBA GBC have shiny labels.

**2013 Update: I have yet to purchase any 'fake' games recently but have noticed while surfing on eBay that some of the "newer" fake games actually have shiny labels! One definite way to tell if it is a fake or not from photo is to look at the 'E' rating on the cartridge. The bootlegged versions tend to be not as bold as a legit copy of the game.

Fake game--Shiny, deceiving label. Look at the 'E' Rating to help identify these bootlegged games.

Back side can be rather hard to tell the difference. The board wiring itself is rather whacky on fake games (noticeably noticeable on 2). But, on real games, you can see the pins on the back as circled in picture.

Here are more close ups

BOLD 'E' Rating

Alright, one FINAL way to DEFINITELY tell if your game is fake is...well, by openin' her up and check out her circuit board! :)

I was kind of surprised to the the one on the left (FAKE) had rust on the battery o_o; And the black goop...err..I'm not too sure what that is...I'm assuming it's something that helps conduct electricity, but that really doesn't look too good for the circuit board in the long run...

And this one...it's rather sad at how obviously fake it is! The battery is on THE WRONG SIDE!! Obviously fake.  And there is no Nintendo Copyright trademark inside.

See the -->>2002 Nintendo <--- Copyright? And the serial code following it? That, my friends, is a legit copy of Emerald (or any pokemon game)

 Gotta give this one a shout out, it at least has the battery on the right side...and a 'serial' code (but no NINTENDO copyright).

You'll be able to notice a few things too with the actual cartridge. One thing I noticed was that they were slightly bigger--they seemed a little harder to insert into my Gameboy Advance...

Now, the FINAL and FOR SURE way to tell if your game is fake is if you see something like this...

...As soon as you hit START...

 And your just plain screwed if you see this. Lol...except, it happened to me ;-(

I have also heard that fake games do not respond / transact with other games. This including battles, trading, and other online activities.

All in all, if you buy a fake game, do not expect it to be a long lasting game. It's a cheap rip-off from an awesome company. Buy the real game--get the real experience. Don't settle for something cheap.

There are a few helpful guides you can follow if you do get a fake game and you want to return it. I will give you these links and let you look them over.

0) You should contact the seller first and ask for a refund. DO NOT ACCUSE THEM OF SELLING YOU A FAKE GAME! (Honest to goodness, they may have not realized it). Just tell them the game you received was fake (not an official Nintendo game of Pokemon ___________) and you would like to return it for a FULL refund. You can use this blog as a guide to explain how you know it is fake. If things seem to not be going well............

1) Filing a Claim through Paypal: http://reviews.ebay.com/Refund-from-Paypal-for-Fake-or-counterfeit-cds-dvds-etc?ugid=10000000008027203

2) You can also Report the Buyer on eBay if they are unresponsive.

This is just for eBay alone. Other sites have other ways of reporting buyers. If you would like me to add any additional information or have any questions, do not hesitate to email me or comment below.

Most of the time sellers are willing to work things out with you and refund you. Its up to you whether you give them negative / positive feedback. I would strongly advise though reporting them to eBay / the site if they continue to sell counterfeit products.