Game & Console Verification

[radiant hound]

but this isn’t something i’ve gotten good at yet. thanks in advance!

[naive tangle]

[glossy patio]

Rev1 game

[naive tangle]

The four squares and battery aren't really good indicators, as some fakes have that too.

The little notch under the top right corner of the label (on the inside of the cartridge) is usually concaved on authentic cartridges. That's rarely ever present on fakes (if at all).

It can help with verification, but look for other signs as well. I think there's a guide in here somewhere.

edit: check pinned messages

[molten pawn]

pinned messages

[naive tangle]

Yep

[molten pawn]

[naive tangle]

or if you're on mobile, tap the channel name above, and tap "Pins"

[radiant hound]

ah pins. forgot about that. thanks will do next time

[naive tangle]

All good. Just thought the resources would be helpful since you seemed to want to learn how to identify :)

[delicate hornet]

From this pic can you tell if it’s real or fake?

I’m getting more pics unless it’s obvious fake

[hybrid rover]

At a glance, real

[delicate shore]

My thoughts too

Need backs to confirm

[delicate shore]

real imo

[naive tangle]

All real

[delicate hornet]

Yall are beats, thank you for your time

[delicate hornet]

Can you do it when it’s not Pokémon?

[short forge]

Are these real

[delicate hornet]

🐐

[hybrid rover]

Looks real(ly blurry)

[hearty shuttle]

so much for buying a new phone

is discord messing up my quality

[hybrid rover]

Looks real to me

Rather than your phone being bad, make sure you're supplying sufficient light and assist your autofocus

[molten pawn]

if your phone is within the past ten years, it is objectively a great camera
that being said, getting the best picture kinda needs you to help it out

i'm on an iPhone and it can just focus on anything with a tap
get a small lamp to shine onto it as well

[glossy patio]

#1343391636415316089 message
Just did these pictures with a pixel 4a
Proper light will goes a long way

[naive tangle]

the ELI5 would be:

Without enough light entering the lens, the camera can't see what's supposed to be there, so it ends up filling the rest of the image with what it thinks should be there. Hence, the unwanted noise.

Think of it as you walking into a very dark room. You can kind of make out the rough shapes of certain objects, but it's not fully visible. So, you end up guessing what object is what.

The noise can be reduced by increasing the exposure time.
Most phone cameras will do this automatically, BUT without a tripod or holding it veeeeeeeeery still, this would also mean that any little movement or vibration gets amplified, thus making the output blurry. You might also notice some artifacting. Just like taking photos in an unlit area, at night.

So, TL;DR: more light = less noise and potentially less blur

[hearty shuttle]

not the same SMA2 copy**

[hybrid rover]

Okay Myztik, take the photo further away then crop it

[hearty shuttle]

not my photo unfortunately

[hybrid rover]

Fair

Still blurry though

Also, real

[naive tangle]

I have a good feeling about the bottom one.
Can't really see the top one clearly
Too blurry to tell unfortunately

[hearty shuttle]

I appreciate all of you

[hybrid rover]

While it's fine to double check here, before I (or anyone else) answers, I want to see if you've learned anything yet. Why do you think this is real/fake?

If you're looking to buy many games, it's important you learn to identify them yourself

[hearty shuttle]

everytime i ask/view on here i get to learn the patterns and ins and outs and what distinguishes real from fake

[hybrid rover]

Yup, so show me: on this yellow, what signs make you think fake and what signs make you think real

[hearty shuttle]

suspected fake sign: the rated E for everyone logo

real: the 22 on the right

engraving

[tardy comet]

so I believe pkmn yellow had 2 label editions with different esrb logos on the sticker

[hybrid rover]

Nothing's wrong eith the ESRB logo, this is a real cart

Double check the info in the pinned guide

[glossy patio]

There are databases if you want to doublecheck
You need to refer to the code on the left of the sticker, here it is a USA-1 version
You can then search it here :
https://gbhwdb.gekkio.fi/cartridges/DMG-APSE-0/gekkio-1.html

If the game you are looking for is not listed yet, consider making a picture donation 🙂

https://gbhwdb.gekkio.fi/contribute/cartridges.html

[hearty shuttle]

time to invest in a 3.8 mm screwdriver

[glossy patio]

Get an iFixit kit

[hybrid rover]

Both real

[karmic cairn]

Long story but I basically got it for free from a lady that was going to sell it to my local game store

[keen ravine]

nice. now open and clean it

[hybrid rover]

Real but the plasticizer is leaking

Open, clean shell with soap and warm water, clean cart with isopropyl

[karmic cairn]

What is that?

Pardon my slowness

Shit I forgot to turn off the @

[grim raptor]

bascally the plastic in the shell

really common issue with these carts

can just open it and clean

[karmic cairn]

I see I have never heard it being called that before

[grim raptor]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/246604458744610816/689670149594415126/image0.jpg?ex=67c07ea1&is=67bf2d21&hm=e97fd6e2578bdc4f426060a4e28917abc21175855171f18c824942896fd23be6&

gotta clean the cart too

[delicate shore]

The plastic leaks

[karmic cairn]

Leaf green or emerald

[grim raptor]

Emerald

[tight jacinth]

Real?

[lusty apex]

is this real? Please and thanks. lmk if u need more photos or info

[proud ore]

Real? If so I might consider picking it up

[keen ravine]

yes, looks good

[vocal plover]

The game is legit but I’m unsure of the label. Also, if you’re considering the purchase, it is liquid damaged.

[karmic cairn]

My message didn't send but ik it's a relabel

[karmic cairn]

Where do you see liquid damage?

[vocal plover]

This area here is cooked.

[grim raptor]

Repro label

[karmic cairn]

The game runs fine what should I do to fix it

[vocal plover]

Move to troubleshooting

[karmic cairn]

Yard sale ❤️ 💙 💜

[quiet sequoia]

Not much info on this one

Is this real?

Looks too clean for me to think it is.

[hybrid rover]

Got any more photos?

If not, got photos of other listings by this seller?

[glossy patio]

From the shimmer of the label, how pronounced the back grooves are, and how the back insertion part is about pristine, I'd say fake
More photos would be good to confirm

[delicate shore]

Colours look off imo

The top of the cart ‘grip’ cuts don’t seem deep enough as well

[quiet sequoia]

Yeah that was the only pics. It’s an eBay listing. I thought it looked too good honestly. Thank you all!

[eager granite]

Sellers who sell fakes will often use photos that are just low-res and fuzzy enough to sow doubt and maybe create plausible deniability for later.

[delicate shore]

Some sellers also have no idea and just think flipping carts from Aliexpress is #sidehustle

[naive tangle]

The little triangle on the cartridge doesn't look right. It looks a bit too "tall" and "horizontally squished" 🤔
The surface finish too

[open fog]

not many pictures of this one yet, the shell looks too good to be true. Maynly its the n and e of the logo, i think they look a little bit squished compared to a real one?

[glossy patio]

Looks all good

[karmic cairn]

Ebay for 30 bucks

[delicate shore]

Yeah real - not sure why there was an earthquake when they took a picture of the pcb though

[formal dove]

Real ?

CIB for 55$ is it a good deal ?

[formal dove]

👍 thanks

[lilac plinth]

Trying to check if these are real before doing it. The looks pretty convincing that someone just forgot it's existance and just put it on ebay, but ye

thank you ❤️

[brittle trail]

do the pokemon red, blue and yellow cartridges look good?

[hybrid rover]

Yup, looks real

[brittle trail]

oh nice

[reef moss]

Does this look real

[glossy patio]

Can't be sure, ask for more photos

[naive tangle]

Looks real, but not sure either. The pic is a little too noisy to tell

[night python]

does this look legit? I realize might not be a good enough pic to tell

[naive tangle]

[limber temple]

yeah looks real to me

[lilac plinth]

I’m not sure if I was asked here but here is how the Metroid fusion Aus version looks inside

[hybrid rover]

[robust apex]

found it for pretty cheap and im wondering if its real or not

[keen ravine]

looks fake

[molten pawn]

[robust apex]

damn

[hybrid rover]

[robust apex]

thanks anyway

[molten pawn]

remember
if it sounds too good to be true
it most likely is

[hearty shuttle]

im pretty sure its real but the “2001 nintendo” is throwing me off

[grim raptor]

real

[vestal schooner]

is this real? thinking about buying it

[naive tangle]

[lilac plinth]

can anyone tell from this if itis real ? Looks old and loved enough to be but if anyone can tell

[vestal schooner]

The logo on it is from the seller ( label is missing)

[hybrid rover]

Shell is real, no idea about the board inside it

[lilac plinth]

for the one i posted or the green cart

[hybrid rover]

For the leafgreen

[hybrid rover]

Looks authentic, but cannot confirm

[vocal plover]

The screw is missing on it. They could pop it open and photograph the board easily.

[lilac plinth]

I understand, feel kinda shaky about it because its a pawn shop, but idk if someone just tricked them or something. They refuse to show the pcb 😦

[naive tangle]

Yeah, I'd personally stay away from it if they're refusing to open it up (especially if they have the tools for it).

or it could just be that they don't have the screwdriver for it

[keen ravine]

another option is to take the tool with you and simply open it in your presence after purchase.

[grim raptor]

Who goes outside without their ifixit kit in the first place?

[glossy patio]

I've sold a few game to a guy that had a "trick" 😅
" if the cart stays up right when put flat on the connector it's a real cart "
Obviously it is bollocks and I was able to show him it is all real by having my screwdriver to show the PCBs

[wise marten]

Legit?

[night python]

I'm not even sure how an SP could be not-legit. I don't think anyone is out there making detailed SP repros. Wouldn't be economical. Looks like a stock AGS-101 to me from that backlight behavior but damn that's in good condition.

[wise marten]

Yeah, I wasn’t thinking it’d be a full on fake SP. I just meant it might’ve been reshelled or had the screen swapped

[wise marten]

The seller did ship with its box tho

[night python]

Oh nice. Yeah idk looks stock to me but i'm far from experienced with the SP.

[wise marten]

Ow

[hybrid rover]

I don’t see any red flags, but I imagine this guy’s packing a hefty price tag

[wise marten]

350 bucks

Those pics are mine

I bought it

[keen ravine]

350 bucks?

or do you mean 35?

this is just a 101 in medium condition. it shouldn't cost more than 100 dollars

[hybrid rover]

No, this is a rare color

The Sword of Mana color iirc

[keen ravine]

just looks like this silver blue one to me in the pictures

[hybrid rover]

If it’s with box I can understand $350

[keen ravine]

ah ok. didn´t know about this color

[hybrid rover]

He’s got a spotlight on it that’s washing out the blue

But mine eyes doth not be deceived

[keen ravine]

surf blue?

[hybrid rover]

We’d need to see the box to tell for sure

[keen ravine]

but, quite apart from that, the SP looks real

[wise marten]

It was with the box in very good condition with all manuals and also the inlay

[wise marten]

Hold on

And yeah it's an 101 which is especially rare in this color because only the EU version was released with that screen model

[glossy patio]

All good to me but check on console variation's website for details

[hybrid rover]

Ah dang @keen ravine ya got me

Twas yer color

Mine eyes can be deceived

[lilac plinth]

yeah looks close and it's aus region probably too niche to fake, but idk somethis feels off I will wait for a better listing

I will see if he agrees me returning it if its not real

[naive tangle]

The outside looks pretty legit. I meant the board inside

[naive tangle]

I doubt it, but worth a try haha

[lilac plinth]

ye i got you meant that

[naive tangle]

or like mentioned earlier, if the place is nearby, just take a screwdriver with you and have them open it, if they agree

[lilac plinth]

unfortunately that place was in another state

[ornate rose]

How do I know if these JP red and blue carts are real?

[hybrid rover]

The answer to your question is in the 📌 pinned messages

(Hint: they are real)

[ornate rose]

I looked at this but saw nothing about unopened jp carts sorry

https://imgur.com/a/Hj5fda8

[hybrid rover]

The post right above that one

[ornate rose]

Ah sorry

Just thought it was weird Nintendo is in the top left of one but not the other

[molten pawn]

hey there's some of the same pictures
yeah a good amount of the rules still apply

[hybrid rover]

Nah that's fine

[vagrant rock]

japanese Pokemon Blue is a later edition, it was originally Red and Green. they improved the games for international releases and decided to upgrade Green to Blue in Japan as well

[vestal schooner]

Does this look authentic? (Don't have back pic)

[hybrid rover]

@vestal schooner perhaps you should do even like, two seconds of self-research before asking

There is no "Zelda Collection" for Gameboy

[vestal schooner]

First of all, you always complain about being pinged, why ping me? Second of all, I came here for an answer, if you want to answer the question I'm asking in a douche way just don't respond. It's not that hard

[glossy patio]

We try to help anyone who needs help, but we're not a google search bar either
There is no zelda collection that ever got released, and that's something you can find right away, first result of a google search probably

Can you imagine if everyone here asked us instead of google for every basic things game boy related ?
I don't think you'd read fast enough to follow the message feed

Here is the first result I get by googleing your game name : https://www.reddit.com/r/zelda/comments/zsy3o9/all_whats_the_deal_with_the_gba_71_zelda/?show=original

[vestal schooner]

I did search it and had no relevant result. I would have no problem with his response if almost every message he sent didn't have that super a-hole connotation where it feels like I'm being bashed for just asking any question or doing anything

[glossy patio]

Well you do come out very entitled, and March is really gentle handling things

[glossy patio]

I will say this with absolutely no intent to spite you or anything but : maybe you don't know how to google things well ? 🤷‍♂️

[vestal schooner]

Don't understand how I come out entitled when I'm just trying to get help and I get scolded for every little thing. Not just March too, a lot of people respond like that here, I am just trying to communicate respectfully, and I did keep it to myself for a while but almost every single message from other people is like that, I don't know if that's just how I'm perceiving it but that's my point of view

[molten pawn]

i was gonna say a spoonfeeding joke but it's not even that

[vestal schooner]

Not everyone is an expert, like I said I just got into this recently and I don't know alot, what's wrong with asking questions?

[glossy patio]

I wouldn't say a sentence containing " first of all / douche / just don't respond " feel respectful

[vestal schooner]

I'm talking about my previous messages before March's response

[glossy patio]

Reading march's message, there was no aggressiveness

[vestal schooner]

Let me show some examples, hold on

[glossy patio]

I said the same thing he did

Keep in mind that helpers see hundreds of message like yours
While people needing help only ask once, helpers help hundreds of times, so it is only normal to treat helpers with consideration

Meaning do minimum effort before asking them

Referring you back to my first message

Let's move on shall we ?

[vestal schooner]

The difference is that I was being told that I was not doing research when I honestly was, its not just that though. If you look up in Gameboy chat a few days ago you can see when I was asking questions and advice for my system, they jumped to conclusions and assumed I wasn't trying. Here's an example, one member though the pictures weren't good, instead of saying, "hey can we have some more pictures at ( ) angle?" They said that I did crappy pictures and that it was my fault. It isn't the worst thing in the world but almost everything communicated was in a negative- semi aggressive type of response

[vestal schooner]

No problem with this, just voicing my opinion

[delicate shore]

Thats alot of yapping for someone who couldn’t use google

Just sayin

[molten pawn]

[vestal schooner]

How do I tell real games vs fake?

[molten pawn]

sigh

[hybrid rover]

There is a guide to determine a game's legitimacy in the pinned messages

[naive tangle]

In other words, it's all in the details. Pay close attention to stuff like the font, spacing, texture, embossing height, sharpness and texture of the label, shape, etc.

The guide explains pretty nuch everything.

Not trying to throw shade at you btw. Looked it up out of curiousity. This was Gemini's respone 💀

[vestal schooner]

Crazy

Is this real?

It's listed for 22 dollars, but I found mixed results in the pricing of ALTTP for GBA so I'm not sure

[naive tangle]

Have you checked pricecharting?

or eBay sold listings?

That might give you an idea

[vestal schooner]

How do I do that?

[hybrid rover]

Yes, this one is real. The main things you can see at a glance are how the GAMEBOY ADVANCE text on the shell is flat and textured on the real one (the fake text is tall, smooth, and thin) and the state of the label: how it's kind of worn and how it has that 20 stamped into it. Also, the colors are accurate; you can use Google Images to search for a cart and compare how they look, you'll notice that real and fake ones look distinctly different

Ah, that ping was an accident

[vestal schooner]

it's fine pings don't bother me

[hybrid rover]

Pricecharting.com is a website you can use to see the average price of a game

[vestal schooner]

It says around 40 dollars is the median for ALTTP which makes me skeptical even though the picture is legit

[naive tangle]

There is a filter for CIB, Loose, etc. Make sure you're checking the right chart

I'm not sure what the default one is

[molten pawn]

it is a broadstrokes reference that relies on already sold ebay listings, actual value is heavily subjective

[hybrid rover]

If you wanna sus it out, you can

• check the seller's other items to see if they're sus
• take a picture from the listing and images.google.com them to see if the seller didn't just copy the images from online (if they did, they'll send you lile a fake)

[vestal schooner]

I think this one is real because it's from the official salvation army eBay account but I'm not sure

The Gameboy text also checks out from what I can see

[molten pawn]

it's beat up that's for sure

and thrift stores/charity shops are NOT guarantees

[hybrid rover]

So aLttP GBA is weird in that the background color of the label, that dull deep gold, changes wildly between copies

[molten pawn]

those places just take whatever's given to them without doing much checking

[vestal schooner]

Yep, that's why I checked

[hybrid rover]

This one is real, by the way

[vestal schooner]

You think it's beat up to a point where it won't work? They say that they tested it to the title screen

[hybrid rover]

Not at all

[vestal schooner]

do you think 40 is overpriced for one in this condition though?

[hybrid rover]

I wouldn't pay more than $15 for one with a good label

[vestal schooner]

Dang, I can't find one for anywhere near that that I'm certain is real

[molten pawn]

most of the condition defects are aesthetic
as long as the gold contacts are somewhat clean it has a chance of working

[hybrid rover]

You're right, so for me: since I will never find one that isn't overpriced, I will never buy it.

No Gameboy games are a good value/ worth it anymore, especially thanks to good flashcarts

[vestal schooner]

I haven't had any luck, could you help me find an authentic one at a semi decent price?

[hybrid rover]

Nah, my level of "decent price" died in 2020

Ain't no good reason to buy authentic carts anymore, so I've largely stopped looking

Like I said, I wouldn't pay more than $15, and you simply won't find that anywhere

If I were you and I were just getting into the hobby, I'd buy an EZ Flash Omega DE instead

[molten pawn]

and a junior

[hybrid rover]

And a junior

I love when newbies have that "but it doesn't feel the same" comment

[vestal schooner]

I like the collecting aspect of it too, gaming isn't the entire thing so it doesn't really bother me the prices because if anything they will go up in value

Sorry for ping

Mb

[hybrid rover]

See I don't get that

As a collector, why does it matter if they go up in value

[molten pawn]

the chance to invest was ten years ago

[hybrid rover]

If you are gonna keep it, the value doesn't matter, right? And if you're buying now to sell later, why not just buy stocks

Like I have a ton of expensive carts, and I want the prices to completely tank, because as a collector that means I can buy more

If they go up, I can't collect them easily? Isn't that counter intuitive?

[limber temple]

I'm happy I got the robopon gbc carts cheap lol. I want stuff to tank cause its stupid how expensive pokemon is

[vestal schooner]

I don't care if they do, I'm just saying if I ever get sick of it I can just sell it and make money

[molten pawn]

you're not gonna make that much money back

[vestal schooner]

I don't think now is the best time to buy stocks...

[hybrid rover]

Fair

[limber temple]

sure it is

you buy low lol

[hybrid rover]

But still, buying anything with the idea of "I can sell it if I get tired of it" kind of reeks of "maybe you shouldn't buy it in the first place"

[vestal schooner]

Like I said, I'm not doing it for the money, I'm doing it for the collection, and I'm happy that it will retain its value

[vestal schooner]

With this kind of instability? No way

Back to what I was saying, does this look real?

[hybrid rover]

I already answered that

[vestal schooner]

This one?

[hybrid rover]

Here

[molten pawn]

holy light exposure, batman

[vestal schooner]

Found one for 1/2 the price in better condition

Not sure if it's good though

[hybrid rover]

I'll answer in a sec, but from what we've learned what do you think?

[vestal schooner]

Learned about determining fakes, or value and stuff?

[hybrid rover]

Fakes

[vestal schooner]

Can't tell with all of the light with the color, and I don't see any visible differences in the Gameboy logo, so idk

[hybrid rover]

It's real

[vestal schooner]

You think in the current market, 30 is fair?

[hybrid rover]

Despite the light, if you look closer you can still determine the GAMEBOY ADVANCE logo is textured rather than smooth

[hybrid rover]

No

I already said what I think is fair in the current market

People are batshit insane to pay the "current prices"

Genuine insanity

[livid lotus]

The only winning move is not to play

[molten pawn]

something that's also mentioned in the pins
the picture should be crystal clear in a balanced lighting
which you'd think is easy considering how every phone in the past decade or so has a great camera

if it's a seller, ask 'em for better pics
if it's your own photo, just take a better photo

[vestal schooner]

I thought you were talking about your opinion solely and not generally if in this market it was fair

[hybrid rover]

You're asking a bad question, as no price in the market is fair. A price can be below average, but even then it is overpriced and a bad purchase

[molten pawn]

it's your wallet and your money
if you wanna bleed it out this much it comes down to you

[hybrid rover]

And for "below average", we already showed you how to check that

[molten pawn]

in other words
do you want the bloody cart or not

[vestal schooner]

the prices were all over the place and there wasn't a consistent median

[hybrid rover]

Pricecharting has the median

[molten pawn]

it just says what others have bought it for and averages it

it isn't an objective tell

[hybrid rover]

Is the average of what people bought not the average price?

[vestal schooner]

Well it may not be accurate because the sold listing could possibly be fake offsetting the median

[livid lotus]

It also does not account for all the sales of carts in the history of the known Universe

[hybrid rover]

So since you're asking me instead of trusting Pricecharting, do you suppose I've personally looked at every sold listing, filtered the fakes, and averaged the price?

It's not perfect, but it's the best you've got

[molten pawn]

once again
refer to here

[vestal schooner]

No, I just thought that in your experience, you may have established an average price

[hybrid rover]

Any price above what they were in 2019 is completely ignored by me

In my experience I've determined this to not be a hobby worth pursuing

[naive tangle]

The average is never a constant. It moves with the market sentiment over the years.

[vestal schooner]

This seller finally got back to me

[glossy patio]

I still wonder about this

[keen ravine]

either they age differently or there are 2 labels for the game

[glossy patio]

That's different labels for sure

[livid lotus]

the glossy layer on top seems to have changed between revisions/versions

[vestal schooner]

are those yours?

[glossy patio]

yes

[grim raptor]

How come mom lets you have TWO zeldas

[torpid solstice]

Hello everyone,
I really need help verifying whether these Game Boy Micro is real or fake.

So I found someone on facebook marketplace selling new gameboy micro for $140

[orchid lodge]

verify the serial number to the paperwork.

[torpid solstice]

Ok i will ask him to do that, anything else?

• is the price good for new condition?

[naive tangle]

or you can check pricecharting.com and filter by CIB (since that is CIB) listings, to see how nuch they normally go for

Aside from the serial number thing mentioned earlier, looks good so far

[robust apex]

real or fake??

[keen ravine]

What makes you think it's new?

[molten pawn]

this channel's for game boy games only, either #pokémon, #off-topic, or the verification thread in the DS system server (check id:guide)

[grim raptor]

not new if its opened

[glossy patio]

Great shape tho - I'd get one if it's not one of the cursed shatery grey micro
You can check that by looking at the plastic tabs on the cartridge slot sides : yellowed means no no

[robust bobcat]

Is this faceplate oem? I can't find it anywhere with reverse image search, and it's not in consolevariations website

It's like the famicon but black

[glossy patio]

I don't think so, at least I never saw it - but it's has wear like an old one

[robust bobcat]

Yeah, wear looks legit. Reverse image search only returns this image and some anbernic consoles with 4 buttons.
Edit: found them, from gameboymicroking, multiple colours

[glossy patio]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/1hasl38/does_anyone_recognize_this_gameboy_micro_faceplate/?show=original

Oh well you got it 🙂

[robust apex]

Real or fake?

[limber temple]

Looks real to me. I'd say open to be sure but you also don't see italian versions bootlegged that frequently

[vestal schooner]

Are these real?

[naive tangle]

Yes

[vestal schooner]

What is the yellow stuff on it?

There is some sort of yellow goo in some areas of the insides

[hybrid rover]

Flux

[vestal schooner]

What's that?

[hybrid rover]

Solder goo

[vestal schooner]

Yeah my hand got irritated when I accidentally touched it

[molten pawn]

flux is what we insist people use a lot of, it's what helps solder flow and bond

[keen ravine]

I don't believe you

[tiny gust]

Hi, is this Gameboy a knockoff or is this just some kind of lens protector/ aftermarket lens?

[limber temple]

the lens is absolutely a knock off one

[vestal schooner]

Why would I lie about that

[torpid solstice]

Hello everyone, i just purchased new gameboy micro and when i tried to charge it i see green light on start and select for a moment and then turn off
What is the problem?

[glossy patio]

#1006398521576005663 for this kind of questions 🙂

[hasty wren]

hey does the lens look authentic?

ive confirmed the console itself is good so just wanted to see if the lens was changed out

[whole phoenix]

Lense looks legit. You can tell by the shade of pikachu. If it matches the shell it's more than likely a repro

[summer bobcat]

This seems off, the vias look funny, but can I get a second set of eyes on it?

[molten pawn]

not the best photo but fake

[summer bobcat]

Yeah I thought so

[summer bobcat]

I didnt take the pic so I cant help there

[molten pawn]

you can ask the seller for more pics if they aren't good enough

[summer bobcat]

That seller was in japan

I didnt see the point when I already was under the impression it was fake

But if they are in a timezone where folks are actually awake in relation to mine then I can and will

[lilac plinth]

The gamble payed off

[naive tangle]

Nice

[lilac plinth]

It froze and started beeping, did some cleaning fully on it with alcohol, feels fine for now. Is there anything else to do on that situation ? Sorry if bit off topic

[mossy stratus]

Real or fake?

[pliant galleon]

Epic

[sharp birch]

Hi guys, I found these at a thrift store, just want to know if they’re legit, tried taking the photos as clear as possible.

[hybrid rover]

Blue is authentic

Other games I have no idea, you can check those in #off-topic or in our sister DS Discord

[sharp birch]

Bet, they didn’t have a designated one so I just shot my shot, thanks tho 🙏

[molten pawn]

they do, same channel

https://discord.com/channels/1100824110969393192/1101176425073086575

[sharp birch]

I think I might be blind

I made sure I fixed everything on the other server, thanks a lot

[distant mural]

Hello could anyone tell from these seller photos if its legimate. As he is selling at very good price of 50 euros. While prices usually for it are higher in my country.

Ah now I know why old fire emblem game prices have crashed. They added it to switch.

[glossy patio]

If anything I'd say this tend to make the prices go up

[raw cypress]

How do you guys know what is fake and what is real that's uncredible

[hybrid rover]

There's two guides in the 📌 pinned messages

Also we have years of experience that keep us safe

[austere vessel]

Could I ask for a second opinion on this GBA SP 101 listing

https://www.ebay.com/itm/177030427011?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=yp_onmscstk&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=yj6jmajjt4w&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[keen idol]

I've attempted to sanitize your url: https://www.ebay.com/itm/177030427011

[naive tangle]

[coral seal]

Go on...

[molten pawn]

knockoff shell, knockoff label, hella aftermarket board

massive off-the-shelf ROM chip they didn't even remove the sticker from, a blob chip directly below the battery

[coral seal]

I wonder then where it came from

[naive tangle]

I have the same one actually. It was pretty common in Malaysia in the late 2000s.
Also, the real game won't have the message "The game can be played"

[molten pawn]

from a factory that doesn't care

[coral seal]

Guess it just goes in trash then

[molten pawn]

try getting your money back if it's already yours

[naive tangle]

It has a rewritable chip (MSP55LV128) if you have a cart flasher and want to mess around with custom ROMs or anything, but don't expect it to save properly

but yeah, you're SOL otherwise. That's your other option above

[coral seal]

Tbh
I've had this for years and years
I can't recall where it ever came from

[naive tangle]

Yeah, it's pretty old. I got mine when I was younger as well. It's one of the early repros.
If I recall, around 2010

[coral seal]

Well
Is good to confirm what i suspected

Annoying messages, but if it can be played like a legit cart, what's the harm?

[molten pawn]

the harm is playing hot potato with your save file which can and will die at random (usually near the end)

[coral seal]

Got it
Thanks

[distant mural]

Prices here dropped from 250 to 50 euro

Does this seem legit eu version?

[hybrid rover]

Homeslice I can count the pixels

Can I have more resolution, please

[glossy patio]

Same but I'm 99% sure it's

[glossy patio]

There must be a trick here because there is just no way.
Where are you looking ?

[magic cliff]

Hey guys, i am interested to get this dmg Gameboy but i am not sure if the shell is original or a replacement, can you help me please ?

[molten pawn]

shell appears to be real, screen is obviously aftermarket, and that mega man game is fake

[magic cliff]

Thank you for your help! How much do you think it should cost ?

Without the game of course

[molten pawn]

whatever it is, it's probably too much for a pre-modded work

[magic cliff]

The guy ask 120 usd but i am not sure

[grim raptor]

Consider that a screen alone usually costs like $50~

but ultimately

[magic cliff]

Ok thanks

[near iris]

Is this legit?

[limber temple]

May be a repro shell but the cart looks right to me

[near iris]

Thanks!

[naive tangle]

I'm convinced it's a real shell, just no label
It's got that battery tab cutout.

[limber temple]

Fair just really brightly lit

[near iris]

Thanks! That sram looked weird, just wanted to be sure. Got it for an acceptable price.

[split pollen]

thoughts on this? looks legit to me but when i see one this clean i always second guess it.

the screw is really throwing me off

[hybrid rover]

Nah, looks fine to me

[split pollen]

i got two more i could use your opinion on

[naive tangle]

Both are real

[split pollen]

thanks

[robust bobcat]

Out of curiosity, what game is this?

[vague sundial]

Pokemon emerald

[robust bobcat]

Oh, I never saw one with the short flash chip before

[limber temple]

I think that's why they were questioning if it was real or not

[near iris]

Follow up on that one: was water damaged and had rusted out traces. Which was probably why the seller had the image all blown out because it was plain to see through the case. Returned.

I got a very fun and lengthy lecture from the seller about how they'd never knowingly do a thing like that and assured me that it worked. And it did, it booted. But replacing the battery still did nothing because of the rusted out traces.

[glossy patio]

Most people won't open their carts
Somebody recently sent me a cocacola drenched GB cam cart and I know they had no idea

[eager granite]

I mean, that is the whole idea behind requiring security bits, to keep ~~ filthy casuals~~ most people out.

[near iris]

Above a certain price point I feel like it's the bare minimum to spend a dollar on a screwdriver. Ten dollar game? It's whatever. $150+ Pokemon Emerald? Maybe do a bit of research on your item before selling it blind.

[split pollen]

able to tell well enough from just this photo?

[hybrid rover]

[surreal oak]

only thing im worried about is the indented letters but im like 70% sure i can see them

[naive tangle]

[naive tangle]

Yeah, it's right here (re: image). Everything else checks out too

[surreal oak]

thank you

$100 reasonable?

[naive tangle]

I don't have a definite answer for that. As always...

[surreal oak]

yeah my bad

thanks

[naive tangle]

It depends on what you think is a reasonable price. You can search for sold listings on eBay to get an estimate of how much they go for.

Pricecharting can give you a similar estimate. Just filter by "loose"

[molten pawn]

it's a broadstrokes guide
at the end of the day, only you can decide if it's reasonable

[grim raptor]

real game real box, turn it around in the box protector pls

[wise marten]

Oh

[grim raptor]

looks better that way

[wise marten]

Thanks btw

[rocky jewel]

Do you guys think it’s legitimate?

[hybrid rover]

Real, both of em

[plucky oar]

yep

[rocky jewel]

Fr?? Like I can’t see the number clearly
It was with a bunch of fake games lol

You know, the invisible number

Also thanks for the fast replay 😄

[hybrid rover]

Yeah, but there are plenty of other ways to tell outside of the numbers

[plucky oar]

the numbers, mason

[robust bobcat]

This is real, right? Or is the sticker suspicious?

Hmm, I think it's fake. Cartridge letters too thin

[livid lotus]

The Nintendo Seal of Quality is missing its spikes

[molten pawn]

at first i thought it was just blending into the gold color

and then i was looking at font imperfections

[icy salmon]

Recently bought does and just want to make sure they are 100% real

[rose bluff]

Real or Fake ?

[rose bluff]

Help !

[naive tangle]

Real

[raven shadow]

Hoping for some help on some pokemon carts that I recently got:

Gold-

Blue-

Crystal-

Fire Red missing sticker-

[naive tangle]

[rose bluff]

Real ???

[livid lotus]

Looks original, and pretty scuffed too, that adds to the realness, I guess

[fervent blade]

Tending to OEM shell, what do you say?

[naive tangle]

That is cleaaaan,
and OEM :D

[fervent blade]

Haha, thanks for verification! Got even an OEM charger and a 4in1 link cable

[icy isle]

Is this box legit? Sorry if this doesn't count as a game

[split pollen]

is this authentic? the chips have some different text compared to my copy of silver and the label doesn’t have a number stamp

[hybrid rover]

[glossy patio]

There's several component suppliers
It is normal to see some differences 🙂

[split pollen]

interesting, ty

[oak moon]

Just curious about the number stamp, is it on the Official Nintendo Quality Seal in the lower right? As they said, it's legit, but can't tell if that's the stamp or a weird scratch. 😄

[split pollen]

yea it’s there but very faint

[split pollen]

you know now that i look closely, i can't say for sure if there's a number stamp there. if it is, it's just a single 2. if that's not the stamp then i don't know if there is one. 🤔

[shut socket]

Is this real?

[shut socket]

nvm looks fake

[naive tangle]

Fake

[keen ravine]

whenever someone shows you the nintendo logo on the pcb, you have to be careful. usually only bootleg sellers do that

[livid lotus]

wow someone went and made repros in Italian, go figure

[naive tangle]

I've been seeing a handful of multi-language fakes pop up on AliExpress nowadays

[whole phoenix]

Yep, most pokemon ones now have a bundle for different languages

[livid lotus]

I know, but that one looked like older than average for whatever reason. I have a Link's Awakening DX in Spanish that I overwrote with the DX romhack that lets you play with six buttons on the Super Game Boy

[radiant hound]

how did i do at gamestop? seems legit. although it’s weird that ruby doesn’t have a number/letter stamp on the sticker

but the shells have that cutout in the top right so i’m pretty confident

also if anyone has tips on how to clean sapphire i can take it to another chat. sticker’s in good shape minus…whatever that stuff is. considering rescuing it

[oak moon]

Going to want to replace the batteries too, 16 and 17 year old batteries.

[radiant hound]

yeah i’ve been contemplating that. the gamer in me says do it but the collector in me says leave it in its original state. but obviously since battery leak is a thing i think i’m leaning more towards just removing it and leaving it battery-less

[whole phoenix]

It's just a battery, even if you sell it, no one will care if it's original

[grim raptor]

Eh, it’s just for RTC

I can count the amount of games I’ve seen with battery corrosion on one hand

[livid lotus]

It's a long shot, but I have seen a fair share of them

[radiant hound]

ended up just taking them out to be safe and reapplying solder to the pads. did the same with my original silver. was surprised that one didn’t leak bc it wasn’t stored in the best conditions

[errant oriole]

Does this look legit found it on eBay and it’s the only picture he has

[grim raptor]

all fake

[errant oriole]

Found these on Facebook marketplace would like some help to know if they are real or fake

[errant oriole]

Aw man 😦

[keen ravine]

report him for selling bootlegs

[vocal compass]

Hi, got these two a bit ago and just wanted to double check

Would appreciate any help as I'm still new to this stuff

[glossy patio]

Console is real and I think it is the plastic shattering kind
Either be mindful of it or re-shell it

[vocal compass]

Yeah I was already a little worried when I noticed the marks but knowing it's real is already a relief, I'll wait for confirmation on the game, thank you

[fervent blade]

Any chance you could open the game? Shell looks okay, but the PCB would be a better indicator

[vocal compass]

I don't really have the proper screwdriver on me at the moment so not really without risk of damaging it

[glossy patio]

Game is real, no issues

[vocal compass]

Oh alright, thanks again

[floral stag]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/356867174895

is this game real?

[forest orbit]

So I tried to apply the pinned message information on how to see if it is real just from looking (not opening) I think they are real, did I apply it wrong?

[keen ravine]

they look fine for me

[lost wigeon]

Can’t tell if real or fake or re labeled since I don’t see the little stamp
eBay listing

[livid lotus]

Looks like a relabel

[eager granite]

Isn't the PCB edge also weirdly thick and unrefined? Do they always look like that on black carts? (have none here now)
For the label, I also think that's non-original, the radii that the corners are cut with are close, but not quite right, the print quality: same, on the ™️ like.

[livid lotus]

I wouldn't trust this to be tbh, too many warning signs, unless you get pics from the cart board it might not be worth it

[lost wigeon]

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking too

[floral stag]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317024915995?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20250324083038%26meid%3D55ab4abedb5a4ab6b02cec98bb3abaa2%26pid%3D101952%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26mehot%3Dnone%26itm%3D317024915995%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DWatchlistVariantWithMLR_BP%26brand%3DNintendo&_trksid=p4375194.c101952.m162921&_trkparms=parentrq%3Aa2bd8d941970ab19350ec025fffc5792|pageci%3A2000b44c-5117-11f0-bf10-ce0850616ea3|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

[keen idol]

I've attempted to sanitize your url: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317024915995

[floral stag]

im going to buy this soon

i just wanted some help for verification

[queen wren]

It's up to you, but I'd avoid a seller with no feedback who is selling a special edition

[floral stag]

oh, well it seems very real

my only real issue is the fact it has a crack on the faceplate

but considering faceplates are swappable then it doesnt matter too match

[keen ravine]

buy the original and then replace the plate with a replica?! that makes no sense to me

[lost wigeon]

I was actually a no review seller when I sold my micro… but I was honest and posted clear pictures of the 1 dent it came with haven’t listed anything else since

[floral stag]

no not a replica just find another. just an option, i probably wouldnt do anyway bc it looks fine

all i wanted to know basically if it was real or not tbh

[keen ravine]

in that case, you might be better off looking for one in better condition, which will probably be cheaper as to buy this one plus a replacement frontplate

[paper sluice]

If I were buying a micro, I'd only buy one that is in somewhat good condition that works. Aftermarket parts are generally crappy and don’t feel or fit as nicely.

[hushed flame]

Checking to see if all of these are real

(These are two different copies of red. First two sent vs second two sent)

[glossy patio]

All is

[hushed flame]

Out of curiosity, does the E looking different between the two red copies mean anything or no?

[glossy patio]

You've got the two versions of the E

[hushed flame]

It seems our brains went to the same place xD

[glossy patio]

I believe the white one is older, but I'm not from the US

[hushed flame]

Alright noted

One thing I noticed is that the white E seems to have an issue loading the Pokemon in the main menu

It just shows a weird red and brown texture

[glossy patio]

Something something ESBR logo rules changing

[hushed flame]

Noted

Wait sorry the black E is the one with the menu glitch*

This happens on both my sp and color

[glossy patio]

You might have a cold solder or something
https://discord.com/channels/246604458744610816/1006398521576005663 to get help about it, but in short : get us some pictures of both sides of the board

[hushed flame]

Alright ty

I also got this but it won’t load. Nintendo anti-piracy logo doesn’t seem to like it

[glossy patio]

also, same thing, https://discord.com/channels/246604458744610816/1006398521576005663 ! 🙂

[hushed flame]

Ty ty

[grim raptor]

https://www.videogamesage.com/forums/topic/6629-pokemon-generations-i-to-iii-us-box-printvariant-guide-with-contents-and-population-survey/

[blazing dust]

original shell and case?

[molten pawn]

this channel is for gameboy games only

you already asked in the DS game verification thread anyway

[delicate hornet]

My bad boss

Do yk if it’s real tho👀

[olive pelican]

Picked up, box only. JP FireRed.

[grim raptor]

fake, no holo foil

unless that was only with the wireless adapter version?

I kinda doubt it tho

still think it’s fake cus of the colors and the white edges on the back

[olive pelican]

It is holographic.

[grim raptor]

still think it’s a repro

white edges + “for sale in Korea only”

https://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/186462436724

[floral stag]

ordered it and currently on its way 🥳

[raven copper]

Hey, I have a real CIB of Spuds Adventure at home. Recently I saw a repro of this Game on Etsy - seriously how can i distinguish those two? They Look very similar. Maybe someone can Help me

The only issue is maybe the color of the repro, but this could also be the camera. Ive Seen many CIB which looked different on Pictures but were real

[placid hound]

I have this GBA cartridge. I don't know how I got it as it has been with me for a while now. I don't have a GBA to test it out. I've looked online and I didn't find pics of this specific game's board, so I'm unsure if it's real or a reproduction. It has some marks of wear in the plastic so I think it might be real, but it's the only GBA game I've got in my hands.

[keen ravine]

it´s real

[placid hound]

How do you know it? I'm curious as other boards I saw had a battery

[keen ravine]

from experience how a game has to look like to rate it as oem. here are a few posts pinned where you can see what you have to pay attention to

[glossy patio]

In case of emergency doubt break the glass use this link :
https://gbhwdb.gekkio.fi/cartridges/AGB-BPPP-0/3615retro-1.html

[placid hound]

Oh alright, thanks lad

Ohh that's perfect, I was looking for a while but never got pics of the board. Thanks man

[remote mortar]

Hello, I am curious about cartridges I found while searching on vinted :

Has there been an european/american version of pokemon green ? iirc it was japanese only, and we got red and blue editions

it's apparently displayed as french on the seller's console

[molten pawn]

faker than a three dollar bill

[remote mortar]

🤣

[molten pawn]

green doesn't exist outside japan, all the japanese carts use standard gray colored shells, any instance of an "english green" is a repro with a graphical ROM hack of the english blue slapped onto it

[remote mortar]

bro's selling it for 25 euros 💀

[molten pawn]

that's 25 euros you can spend on a mcdonald's family meal and not this

[remote mortar]

fr

25 euros you can spend on a real game

[glossy patio]

@remote mortar Que des contrefaçons
Astuce : pokemon version vert n'existe qu'au japon

[remote mortar]

c'est bien cque jme disais, jvoulais juste confirmer, merci bcp

[raven copper]

No one can Help me? 🥲

[grim raptor]

pretty noticeable with the edge

if you look at how the boxes are made it doesnt make sense

to be clear not all fake boxes are like that too

[karmic cairn]

Idk why I took so many pictures lol

[lusty apex]

i believe this is real because of the golden rectangle in the back. but just to double check

[light dome]

Need help guys, are these real? I’m not sure

[molten pawn]

both are fake, but next time please ask outside this thread in #off-topic, #pokémon, or the sister DS server in id:guide

[light dome]

Oh alright thanks!
Can I ask what are the dead giveaways ?

[molten pawn]

look at the nintendo logo

[icy isle]

do these games look legit?

hard to tell if they have the stamp

[hybrid rover]

Do you have any better photos

[icy isle]

No this is the seller's only photo

[hybrid rover]

Then the best I can give you is "maybe"

[icy isle]

it looks like golden sun has the stamop

[hybrid rover]

You're seeing digital compression

This photo does not have the fidelity to show the GAMEBOY ADVANCE text on the cart; an indent on a sticker will not be visible

[icy isle]

idk this looks like something to me

[hybrid rover]

Compression

[keen ravine]

a good sign for originals are the curve radii of the stickers. but, pictures not good enough

[icy isle]

is this real?

is there any way to distinguish real and repro boxes?

[glossy patio]

Experience and attention to details
Rule of thumb here : boxes with flyers and other generic manuals are almost all real

That said, the picture is not amazing and I would prefer to see the flaps of the box
But it looks real

[icy isle]

rip it sold and was a good deal

I have a hard time trusting the minty looking boxes

[glossy patio]

Which is a good thing

[icy isle]

are repros able to replicate that shine gen 2 boxes have?

[glossy patio]

Some, yeah
But with good pictures you can make the difference
I only know there is one Fire Red fake box that is honestly super hard to differentiate - even with experience

[icy isle]

like this fake looks really good

[agile roost]

cant tell if this is fake or real : https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1517731420?iid=187435605917

[keen idol]

I've attempted to sanitize your url: https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1517731420

[agile roost]

im starting to think its fake because i reverse image searched and it came up with some exact matches

[next oracle]

It’s fake

[agile roost]

k

[molten pawn]

reverse image search is enough of a fool
as are other methods, we have guides in the pinned messages of this thread

[agile roost]

oh okay

i found this on ebay. it seems real to me since it does have the engravings. and the correct arc at the top (i think). also is for sale at 95$ so id say its reasonable. just want some clarification

[lusty apex]

usually just look at the back

[hybrid rover]

The shell and sticker are authentic

[agile roost]

Ohhh okay but does that leave a possibility the insides are fake?

Oops I accidentally pinged

Srry

[hybrid rover]

There's no way of confirming the insides if they cannot be seen

However there's something to be said about being overly cautious as well

[agile roost]

I do have imgs of inside and back

[lusty apex]

its real

rectangle is a big giveaway

[hybrid rover]

No it is not

Fakes can have the rectangle

[lusty apex]

oh

i thought they didnt. my bad

[hybrid rover]

It is a noteworthy detail, but it is not a be-all-end-all

[lusty apex]

gotcha

[agile roost]

so its still a possible fake

[hybrid rover]

I will agree that this cart seems real however

[agile roost]

k

ill take the chance

[hybrid rover]

I think it's a safe one

[agile roost]

bc i can return it within 30 days anyway

[agile roost]

yay

if its fake ill return it ig

[hearty shuttle]

i cant tell if its the lighting or the cart is green/aftermarket

[molten pawn]

it probably got a bad tan/is the lighting

sure it's , but tbf, who would wanna bootleg sonic 1 GBA

[hybrid rover]

Looks like bad lighting, good cart

[hearty shuttle]

you would be surprised…

[hearty shuttle]

Update: cart came in and it’s authentic!

[lusty bane]

Looking at 2 cartridges on eBay. I haven’t got a photo of the back of the first one unfortunately

[lusty bane]

Sorry to be a pain! I’ve got two more here

[paper sluice]

As far as I can tell the shell and label are real

Side note: I never realized European copies didn’t say “Special Pikachu Edition”

[grim raptor]

it does on the box fwiw

typo

[patent oyster]

Hey guys I know this is a game boy server but is there someone who could help me and tell if a ds game (pokemon platinum) is original or fake?

[grim raptor]

try #off-topic or the DS server

[patent oyster]

Ohh, there's a DS server? I didnt know that, thanks for the info

[graceful sage]

Seems like authentic wear to me but hoping there's someone who knows for sure

[sharp jacinth]

Does this seem legit? I can't point out anything specific that's off but it's just in insane condition for a loose item without the packaging.

[hybrid rover]

No it does not

The sticker on the back was very gently placed, and placed a hair too high. You can see how it isn't form-pressed into that top left corner, and overlaps a bit

Also, the lens did not come with protective film out-of-the-box on an OEM Gameboy; having it there means it's a new replacement lens

[sharp jacinth]

Thank you. 🙂

[vagrant rock]

i'd argue that "legit" and "OEM" are two very different terms, to me "not legit" would imply that it's a fake Game Boy, some kind of a clone etc. while i'm somewhat certain that's just a reshelled genuine AGB. might be wrong, of course, the insides aren't shown.

if someone is selling it as "100% OEM original rare", then the seller is not legit though :D

[kind tendon]

Hey! im looking for an authentic pokemon crystal, but to my understanding real copies of early pokemon (1995-2002[ish?]) dont have a "rated E" symbol on them. every "authentic" copy i find on ebay seems to be fake

is it even true that early ones dont have rated e? need some educating-- thank you! ("REAL" sc taken from youtube video called "Unboxing Every Pokemon Ever (1998-2024)"

[grim raptor]

You’re comparing European and American copies in that image

[kind tendon]

That explains it, didnt know there was a difference

[glossy patio]

As a matter of fact, the one on the right is fake

Just not because of the [E] logo

[hearty shuttle]

emerald and ruby, i want to know if just by the looks these are repros? motherboard looks way off

i just saved myself 150 buuuuucks

thanks guys

[keen ravine]

they are worth $5 each

[old snow]

Seller says he bought it in store at the time but there is a printing error, and a somewhat blurry area. Some people say inner cardboard color is not right too.

NEU6-5

[glossy patio]

I've been talking with Sha about it, it looks good to me but I was not able to find another NEU6-5 online

[old snow]

Went to a local retro game store and the guy thought it's not a repro but wasn't 100% certain, so he advised me to go to another store where I shall present my item to the final boss of Game Boy in my area

[glossy patio]

I'm 95% sure it's legit - just not listed anywhere to compare

[old snow]

At least I would be sure then lol. Some other collectors on Discord were certain it was a repro

[rapid mantle]

Only the one pic of this listing - is it enough?

[sharp jacinth]

Does an off-center sticker like that mean it's been replaced?

[molten pawn]

not necessarily

sometimes that's just how a stock unit comes out of the factory

[sharp jacinth]

Is there a reliable way to tell if a battery cover is fake? This looks like two different shades of glacier to me.

[teal oxide]

Does this look real or fake?

Seems too good to be true price wise

[molten pawn]

[teal oxide]

what gives it away

so I can recognise it going forward

[molten pawn]

there's guides in the pinned messages of this thread that tell you

[glossy patio]

#1013203552866414692 message

[teal oxide]

oh

my bad

anyhow thank you all for saving me 40$

[limber temple]

This is what got me. Like guides are good but specifics help also

there's a hole in it lol

[fierce ridge]

I suck at this, but I see lack of a battery and all the alarms go off

Actually wait, is there one?

[vagrant rock]

yes, there should be a battery in Emerald. also you can instantly see at least the shell's not genuine because all regular GBA shells (afaik) have a diagonal indent on the inside where the battery is, that's always visible on the front upper right corner in translucent carts

[delicate shore]

No gold rectangles top left on the back, no battery, pcb hole, label wrong. Actually alot wrong with it the more you look

[floral stag]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/257022559304?_trkparms=ni_actn%3Anav|ni_nt%3AWATCHITM_GTC|ni_apos%3A1|ni_sg%3A1|ni_pos%3A1|ni_st%3ANEW|ni_wh%3A1|ni_nid%3A661331417982|ni_nsid%3A257022559304|ni_bn%3A1&_trksid=p2380424.m570.l5997

[keen idol]

I've attempted to sanitize your url: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/257022559304

[floral stag]

i saw this game ive wanted a while and just needed some help :),

[livid lotus]

the color of the back is off, no visible marks in it, I can't see the numbers engraved on the label, I would pass on this, but maybe someone can provide better advice

[vagrant rock]

the Game Boy Advance text looks wrong too, it's too "deep". i'd say it's a fake

[robust bobcat]

Do you think this is an oem shell? Can't get better quality pics.
Not OEM, djedditt helped with photos and good info 👍

[floral stag]

its a shame its fake because its so hard to find jet set radio gba that isnt like £80 or above

[floral stag]

so i looked for some more

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/277273523988?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20250324083437%26meid%3De195b9ffa7ab440eb0ec12fc6b690695%26pid%3D101963%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26mehot%3Dnone%26itm%3D277273523988%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DWatchlistVariantWithMLR_BP&_trksid=p4375194.c101963.m47999&_trkparms=parentrq%3Acea4c3751980ab42ac446b1cffe07dec|pageci%3A17a2a2a5-7eda-11f0-a271-decff9c484c9|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

[keen idol]

I've attempted to sanitize your url: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/277273523988

[floral stag]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/157244760291?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20250324083437%26meid%3De195b9ffa7ab440eb0ec12fc6b690695%26pid%3D101963%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26mehot%3Dnone%26itm%3D157244760291%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DWatchlistVariantWithMLR_BP&_trksid=p4375194.c101963.m47999&_trkparms=parentrq%3Acea4c3751980ab42ac446b1cffe07dec|pageci%3A17a2a2a5-7eda-11f0-a271-decff9c484c9|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

[keen idol]

I've attempted to sanitize your url: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/157244760291

[floral stag]

oops i did each one twice sorry

[molten pawn]

you didn't, DMG did

[floral stag]

lol

[molten pawn]

everything after that first ? in the URL is unnecessary tracking data

[floral stag]

this one

[floral stag]

and this one

[glossy patio]

It'd be better to link the picture so the chat is not full of all this clutter 🙂

[floral stag]

yes i will, and thank you very much for the help 🙂

[rugged garden]

Can someone legit check my Gameboy advance-sp. It has the two backlit brightness settings but I’m pretty sure it’s a reshell. I also have another Gameboy advance-sp with a ips mod in it pretty sure. I could send that one too maybe another time. I got this one a few years ago before I knew that there even were fake Gameboys. Thanks.

[keen ravine]

yep. it´s reshelled

[cobalt mantle]

yeah it's a reshell 100%

the font on the back label doesn't match what was used for the labels on actual SPs

the "Advance" in the logo on the screen lens also isn't center aligned like it should be

[rugged garden]

Alright thanks. What should I do? Should I buy a new shell and replace that one?

[old snow]

It looks pretty clean imo

why bother

[rugged garden]

Ig yeah that’s true

Thanks for helping.

[cobalt mantle]

yeah it looks pretty good still aside from those inaccuracies

if it works it works

[rugged garden]

Yup

[floral stag]

what i normally think is that if its not like a limited edition oone and just some base colour sp it doesnt really make much difference it being reshelled so you should be all good

[teal oxide]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/396930060260

This feels like a reshell but does it look legit to you all?

[hybrid rover]

So ignoring the several things that make this an obvious reshell

If you see refurbished and they don't specifically say "original shell", assume it's a reshell

[teal oxide]

I have one more I want to run past this channel

I'll read the pinned post to see if I can learn how to ID them

But the pokecentre ones are faked so often I just never even bother to look for one

I just assume i'll get ripped off

[hybrid rover]

So I'm not nearly as good at IDing systems as well as games, but there are several green flags on that one

I'm not gonna point them out specifically however, so you can further scrutinize while trying to find them

[teal oxide]

My guesses are as follows

1. Faded decals showing actual use (a reshell would look newer)
2. Includes the tote bag and other stuff
3. The buttons look more naturally seated in the console
4. Pokemon Centre sticker looks a bit rough like its been there a while

[glossy patio]

My thought :
I have never seen fakes with all the goodies and accessories

[teal oxide]

Too bad I don't have the money to spend on this right now 😔

But I have it in my watchlist

[grim raptor]

looks good. funnily i have that gba cart case but without the pokemon markings

[teal oxide]

interesting

yeah ill keep it saved, if after my next paycheque i still feel like its a good purchase, and its still around ill go for it

[grim raptor]

br*tish

[teal oxide]

im not bri'ish

[teal oxide]

Does this ultimately look legit? I'm not sure about Gameboy Colors how common it is to fake them

[keen ravine]

the shell looks legit, not sure about the lens

[teal oxide]

the lens is like the plastic over the screen?

[keen ravine]

yes

[teal oxide]

i see

i guess it looks a lot newer compared to the rest of the console

[keen ravine]

yep. which is why I´m not sure if it have been replaced

[teal oxide]

its tough cause like

i want a pokemon centre gameboy, the SPs are so expensive for what you get (I decided against getting a verified to be authentic torchic sp cause like, its just an orange sp that's quite faded for 500$

And the gameboy colors are a lot more down to earth in price (250-320$ CAD)

but so many have super clean lenses, so im at a loss to what is completely oem and what isn't

[teal oxide]

This one looks rather legit to me, but idk

[fierce ridge]

Im no expert, but the scuffs on the shell and the fading on the serial sticker make me think this is legit

[glossy patio]

This looks all good to me

Same for the next one

[teal oxide]

cool thanks you two

[grim raptor]

Fwiw it’s supposed to changing between gold and silver in different lighting

[copper rain]

Hi, I am curious is this the so called "ice blue" model?

[grim raptor]

Yes it is

[copper rain]

Thanks

[lusty bane]

Hello! Wondering if this is all genuine. Thank you :)!

[livid lotus]

no reason to think otherwise

[misty carbon]

Hi guys can you help me

Fake or real

[misty carbon]

gonna open it soon so i can give more information

[glossy patio]

I removed my react as we're having a bet about it being real or not : the prize is a baguette
We'll be waiting for the picture of the board

[old snow]

I bet real

[misty carbon]

okey gonna try get the screwdriver for open it

[livid lotus]

it's tough, this one

[misty carbon]

guys

Bet started

[livid lotus]

somewhere in France, a baguette is exchanging ownership

[misty carbon]

And backsite

[glossy patio]

It's real

[keen ravine]

yep. Now I have to send the Frenchman a baguette

[misty carbon]

NICEEE bought i did thenç

[livid lotus]

Felicitaciones

[inner eagle]

Hi, I can't find if CHN games should have the code imprinted on the label or not. I just want to know if this label (without code) is legit

[glossy patio]

Sometimes the stamp is very faint but I don't remember if CHN are different on that matter
@grim raptor ?

[grim raptor]

chn games dont have stamps

[glossy patio]

There you go

[inner eagle]

Ok, thank you so much for the info

[sweet palm]

Fake GBC? It was a gift from my uncle along with some games

[vague sundial]

Aftermarket lens, but the system looks legit

[hybrid rover]

Rather

Looks like a very old aftermarket screen protector?

Either way, I agree that the system itself is legit @sweet palm

[sweet palm]

btw the tag on the bact of the shell

lable

had "Nintende" on it. however the front shell has the classic square tittle on the i

*label

jeez can''t spell anything today

[molten pawn]

aftermarket sticker

[sweet palm]

ah... OK

[teal oxide]

nintende 😭

[sweet palm]

They weren’t even trying lol

[fierce ridge]

issuod

[sweet palm]

HOLY I NEVER NOTICED THAT

[vagrant rock]

so that's where the o from Nintendo went!

[grim raptor]

real

[shrewd trail]

What aboot this one

[glossy patio]

Not a very good picture but probably real

[grim raptor]

any more pics?

[shrewd trail]

It better be real or I’m bout to hunt a mfer down

[keen ravine]

I always ask myself why people are so stupid to buy something if they doubt its authenticity after buying it.

You should ask these questions before buying

[shrewd trail]

I don’t doubt it, I just want someone to validate me

The gold I bought like five years ago, the crystal two days ago

[keen ravine]

Both look good, but that doesn't change the fact that you should clarify all your questions before buying. This avoids unpleasant surprises

[shrewd trail]

The only thing that threw me is how clean it is

I trusted the seller, friend of a friend

[keen ravine]

There are enough people who have used it little or who handle their things well

[shrewd trail]

He buys and sells games pretty regularly, has bunches of 5* on marketplace

[grim raptor]

Tbh

The average buyer doesn’t really know this type of stuff

So having a high rating is kind of meaningless

[shrewd trail]

He said he has this thing the cartridge inserts into that verifies it?

[glossy patio]

I could dump a ton of links of people selling only fakes yet having 10/10 ratings

[glossy patio]

GB Operator probably - not a bulletproof verification

[shrewd trail]

Paid $20 for the gold cart, $150 for crystal. I think $150 is a little high but the price checker thing on the subreddit said that’s about right so I just sent it

[shrewd trail]

I would agree with you wholeheartedly, but sometimes you just gotta fly by the seat of your pants too. It’s okay to take an L every now and again as long as you learn from it

[keen ravine]

Maybe. But my feelings leave me cold when it comes to $150 for a Pokémon game

[shrewd trail]

My feelings always leave me cold

[grim raptor]

$20 for gold is a fantastic price nwowadays

back when u got it, maybe not

but

it is the moment that matters

[shrewd trail]

Right at the start of Covid

[grim raptor]

yea wouldve been a p good price back then

[shrewd trail]

I was a full blown idiot and when my original gold didn’t save I threw it away. I still cringe

So I bought a new one

[grim raptor]

Ouch

[shrewd trail]

In my defense I was like 16 and didn’t know any better

[grizzled ruin]

This this copy of fire red authentic? I see that it has the four gold rectangles in the back but i see some copies without the “15A” and “E4” marks above the official Nintendo seal. Not sure if some copies got that mark. I just want to be sure before I spend a lot of money on this game. I can add more pictures if needed.

[fierce ridge]

It seems okay to me at a first glance, but definitely post more pictures if you can

[grizzled ruin]

Only included 2 pictures of the cartridge and some photos of the game running. Not sure if the in game picture will show any indicators but here it is.

[molten pawn]

the gameplay footage won't tell us anything. show the cartridge itself, including the label and if possible the PCB

[grizzled ruin]

I posted the picture with the label. It’s just above the load of pictures I’ve sent.

[molten pawn]

please don't ping
and can you tell i just woke up

[grizzled ruin]

Na

[teal oxide]

can you get them to open the cartridge

[grizzled ruin]

I just asked

[teal oxide]

the cartridge colour checks out imo

the stamp on the cartridge is no longer a silver bullet though

depends on the internals i would say

[grizzled ruin]

So if the lister posts a photo with the cartridge open that’s a good indicator that they have nothing to hide? Tbh I’ve been avoiding listing with photos of the cartridge open.

[teal oxide]

yes, that's a good sign

i mean they could send a fake internal

like a screenshot

maybe ask that they include their username or name, but at some point you need to just trust if it all checks out

[fierce ridge]

What site is this on?

[teal oxide]

good question

eBay has good buyer protection

[fierce ridge]

Yes

[grizzled ruin]

eBay

[teal oxide]

alright then if they send the internals and this channel says its all good, then id say go for it

if they fake it, just file a claim with eBay

[grizzled ruin]

They said they don’t want to open it because they don’t want to risk breaking it in anyway. They said the pictures posted are a good indicator of its authenticity. They mentioned that the “15A” stamp is a good indicator.

I also see this listed at a similar price.

[keen ravine]

it´s real but needs some love. it´s corroded there

[hybrid rover]

I would skip this listing

[grizzled ruin]

I wasn’t even thinking about corrosion.

This one is way more expensive but looks good and clean.

[teal oxide]

people open the cartridges all the time for auth checks this is a big red flag

[grizzled ruin]

Anyone here tried DKoldies? Is that site legit? I remember seeing YouTube shorts of their products. Now that I got myself a gba again and looking to buy more games I’m wondering if that’s a trust worthy site.

[teal oxide]

DKOldies is a huge AVOID. AVOID. AVOID.

[grizzled ruin]

Ok ty

[teal oxide]

np

[grizzled ruin]

You’ve been really helpful

[teal oxide]

i try my best

[hybrid rover]

For relevancy's sake, some details:

Their standards for "refurbishment" are bare minimum, usually little more than a wipe down with a rag or alcohol wipe. Their quality control is little to non-existent. Their return policy is abhorrent. Their prices are significantly higher than average despite this all

[shrewd trail]

I’ve heard they have taken a turn in the right direction as of late though

[fierce ridge]

Looks real to me

[shrewd trail]

What’s it worth with a dead battery?

[molten pawn]

about as much as one with a live battery

[shrewd trail]

Wants $50

[delicate shore]

Label looks off, but pcb okay

[shrewd trail]

Yeah I think it’s a new label

[vernal bear]

Just trying to find my brother a real copy without complete insane prices

Im asking the seller for pcb pictures or better pictures

Just realized this is what the back kinda looks like

Nvm, its real, he showed me the board

[remote mortar]

Hi do you think this one is authentic?

[molten pawn]

no, also holy blur batman

next time some focus would be appreciated
lay it down on a flat surface with good lighting

[remote mortar]

yeah, sorry about that

i noticed there weren't the four square at the left of the back

[shrewd trail]

@molten pawn @worthy arch well now I am confused

[molten pawn]

like TDC said
fake as shit

[shrewd trail]

I remember him playing this with me as a kid which is why I am so confuse

[molten pawn]

either you misremember, or they got duped

[shrewd trail]

I’ll ask him next weekend. Oh well.

[molten pawn]

bad label, bad shell, bad board, they don't have giant-ass ICs on them or whatever's underneath the battery