Legend of Zelda Cart Variations (GBA)

[Pezcore343]

I was wondering if anyone is aware of what the different variations are of the GBA Zelda games. I work at a video game store so I see a lot of carts all the time, and mostly they are the same. Recently however I've noticed something strange. I have a copy of Link to the Past/Four Swords for GBA and my personal copy just says "Also includes new multiplayer adventure Four Swords" and doesn't mention Link to the Past, although it is still both games. However, all of the copies I have ever seen in the wild list it as Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and then mention Four Swords underneath.

I've also noticed a copy of Minish Cap at my store that has a whiteish yellow label, however my copy, and every other copy I've ever seen, has a red label. Does anyone know what the difference is between these? I don't have the boxes for any so I don't know if one is player's choice or some other reprinting.

My copy of A Link to the Past/Four Swords
http://picture.vzw.com/mi/427247056_1483700794_0.jpeg?l

My copy of Minish Cap
http://picture.vzw.com/mi/427247752_1483703342_0.jpeg?l

[Lostdwarf]

wait what game store do you work at, i mean ur 2 mins from where i work so just curious

[Pezcore343]

I work at the GameStop in East Rutherford.

[Blitzwing256]

there are a great deal of bootleg gba games with differnt labels out there (theres a plague of them on egay) look very closely at the labels for missspellings and low quality labels, as well as the nintendo logo being spelled wrong or replaced with "game" or other such sillieness.
the only varients. could potentially be a pal version too (look at the game code on the label)

[DDCecil]

Your pictures aren't working.

Does the Minish Cap look like this:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121899

[Pezcore343]

Sorry, here's photobucket pictures.





Nope, the one in my store doesn't look like that. It looks exactly like my red label one except with a whiteish yellow label rather than red.

[joshnickerson]

That is SO a bootleg.

Best way to find out is to get yerself a tri-wing screwdriver, pop 'em open and check the circuit boards.

[the_great_deku]

Attachment 2492 Does this look like your copy of the Minish Cap that you were talking about? This is a picture of a copy that I aquired recently that I believe to be a pirate.

[Pezcore343]

That is SO a bootleg.

Best way to find out is to get yerself a tri-wing screwdriver, pop 'em open and check the circuit boards.

I don't have a tri-wing but maybe I can borrow one from somebody just to check. I never even considered it being a bootleg until I saw the other variation, because the game works perfectly all the way through, it was (I believe) purchased at Toys 'R' Us, and it has the same kind of cart as every other GBA game I have. All the bootlegs I've seen have had slightly different carts (i.e. different patent numbers, slightly different groove shapes, or different text size on the back).

Anyone else ever see a cart like this? Maybe it is a reprint or something? Or is it definitely a bootleg?

Also, I found a picture online of a cart like the one I saw in my store of Minish Cap. Apparently the yellow label ones are bootlegs. Here's the picture.

http://img207.imageshack.us/i/minish...ap%20cartridge

Update: I just realize you can look for the Nintendo logo on the board through the bottom of the cart. Stupid me. Yeah my Link to the Past is a bootleg. Balls, that sucks.

[Leo_A]

You don't need to open them up.

From my experience, it's easy to tell. Labels will be a applied crooked, labels won't have that code embossed into it, and the cartridge will likely be harder to insert into a GBA cartridge slot than typical GBA games due to the poor quality construction. Also, often the save functions won't work correctly.

It's a poor quality bootleg, there's no chance of that label being applied in the factory. It's extremely ugly, doesn't have the proper name of the game, doesn't appear to have a code embossed on to it, etc.

Only chance is someone might've destroyed their label and went out of their way to make a sucky replacement to apply to it.

[Pezcore343]

Oddly enough the game is in a legitimate GBA cart. I've compared it very closely to all of my other GBA carts and it's identical. It fits in fine, it plays fine, it saves fine. It even has the entire game, unlike a lot of bootlegs that end after a short time. The translation is fine and it's a normal copy of the game code. The only odd thing about it is the label (which is a tad crooked actually), and the fact that the exposed part of the board doesn't say Nintendo. I must admit, it's the highest quality bootleg I've ever seen, and like I said, I never even expected it was a bootleg until I noticed what the real carts looked like.

[Leo_A]

I've never encountered a GBA bootleg whose cartridge casing didn't seem identical to a legitimate GBA cartridge. They don't make custom cartridge molds or whatever, they use real GBA cartridges to create a mold from, which they then use to produce further cartridge casings from.

However, I have noticed that they tend to be harder to insert and eject from cartridge slots, I suspect due to the poor quality plastic mold and production process leaving slightly more plastic than there should be, or the cartridge board and contacts being slightly thicker than they should be.

And I don't think bootlegs tend to end early. Seems like it would be more work than its worth to actually hack a game apart to give it some sort of a timer and such, rather than just burning the entire thing to a eprom. I'd never seen a pirate that isn't the entire game.

You have a typical bootleg GBA cartridge from my experience, besides still being able to save. From my experience, you'll probably find that the battery backup will someday quit working while all your legitimate GBA cartridges will remain fully functional for many years. Every GBA bootleg I've ever seen, the battery save function was DOA.

Hold a real GBA cartridge in your hands and closely examine the label, you'll find a combination of letters and numbers as a code in the bottom right hand side of all the labels that has been embossed into the label. I've never encountered a pirate cartridge that had that, and all retail GBA cartridges do. It's the easiest way to avoid buying a bootleg GBA cartridge in person (Though it doesn't help any if your buying online).

[bazariah]

I never even expected it was a bootleg until I noticed what the real carts looked like.

haha you work in a gamestore yet cant distinguish a real game from a bootleg

[Pezcore343]

Ah good tip on the letters and numbers on the labels. Never thought of that before. I have however seen a good number of bootlegs that were in carts that were either a slightly different color, or shaped slightly different, or had slightly different markings on the back of the cartridge. That's how I usually catch the ones I do catch at work. I actually saw a Bust-A-Move cart like that a few weeks ago.

EDIT: Also, to the person above me, suck it, asshat.

[djbeatmongrel]

Easy way to tell a bootleg is: No part part number, no nintendo seal, no esrb rating.

[Jorpho]

And I don't think bootlegs tend to end early. Seems like it would be more work than its worth to actually hack a game apart to give it some sort of a timer and such, rather than just burning the entire thing to a eprom. I'd never seen a pirate that isn't the entire game.

Well, there have been cartridge games which have had some sort of copy protection that causes them to end early when played on a copier or a flash cart - but indeed, I haven't heard of a GBA game that acted like that.

[Pezcore343]

I was at work tonight, and I decided to look through all of our GBA stock, and I found 6 or 7 bootlegs which I removed from our inventory.

[Lostdwarf]

i was gonna say hey ill stop by tomorrow but i remember bergen county, sunday, most things are closed. where exactly is your store? im at best buy on 46

mike

[Pezcore343]

Rt 17 South. It's open Sundays though.

[Pezcore343]

Finally opened the damn thing up. Not that any more proof was needed but here's what I found on the inside.