Mario Party DS Bootleg?

[rgw825]

Which one of these is the real Mario Party DS? Is it the top one?
I just ordered a DS Lite off of Ebay last night and went shopping for some games and noticed 100's of what appears bootlegs everywhere and if they are bootlegs, there's more of those being sold then legit copies. I decided to narrow it down and only search USA sellers and even USA sellers are selling them. I guess it might be better to buy it brand new from the store with all this confusion. The thing that tipped me off is auctions saying the games works on DS and DS Lite but not DSi. I was trying to save a few dollars and buy a copy used.


http://i.ebayimg.com/21/!Bkige!g!mk~$(KGrHqYH-DQEs+YzuL,pBL(88qN0eg~~_12.JPG

http://www.kidultgarden.com/digibazaar/photo/tvgame/gm-nin-nds-marparty

[portnoyd]

Just by the fuzzy NOA seal, I'd say the bottom one is the fake.

[Jorpho]

Word is an easy way to spot a bootleg is to look at the pins and the quality of the embossing on the back of the cart.

From these pictures alone, the uneven label placement on the bottom cart does not look very promising.

[Bojay1997]

I would highly recommend not buying DS games from Ebay. I have noticed even seemingly legit US based sellers are starting to sell bootlegs and the copies are getting pretty sophisticated with legit looking labels and even cases and inserts.

[Vectorman0]

Things to note about the bottom one: it has an old seal Nintendo hasn't used for many years; the label isn't well centered (or cut); the label finish, while glossy, doesn't have a flat sheen to it; the label seems smaller than usual; the label seems to be low resolution; the plastic on the cartridge shell is of noticeably poor quality; the part number is different from the top picture and is probably for another game.

[GrandAmChandler]

Ask yourself this, when is the last time Nintendo used an "Official Seal of Quality"

I think you have your answer.

[PapaStu]

Am I missing something? I only see one picture in the OP.

**edit**
Wow, whatever that second pic is, its loading like molasses. I can now see the very top of the label, but nothing else.

**edit 2**

With whats loaded in so far in pic #2 its quite obviously the cover art for the game. Nintendo doesn't do that with ANY of their DS games. Actually from all the DS games i've got (almost 400) I can't think of a single one that copies their cover art for the label art. The correct one is the top game. I've got Mario Party at home, and both the kiosk demo AND the regular game use the top lablel. Also, the NTR-# is incorrect for the lower one. ALL DS games NTR#'s end with E (ie NTR-A8TE-USA the actual Mario Party NTR#)

[izarate]

NTR-A8TE-USA is the serial for Mario Party DS
NTR-AP1P-USA doesn't seem to match anything. Maybe it's made up.

[rgw825]

Thanks for the info. Still debating where to buy it from. Looking for a good deal.

[YoshiM]

I ran into that same problem buying Tetris DS for my little sister. Luckily, the bootleg was obvious as the case was HUGE but even looking at the cartridge, you could tell something was not right.

[Famidrive-16]

Ask yourself this, when is the last time Nintendo used an "Official Seal of Quality"

I think you have your answer.

Damn, never noticed this before. Good info.

[rgw825]

I have noticed another difference

The real one has the E everyone box is the bottom left hand side

http://i23.ebayimg.com/01/i/001/0c/17/bedd_12.JPG


And the fake one has it on the bottom right hand side.

http://i.ebayimg.com/09/!Bl!s(UQ!Wk~$(KGrHqEH-DcEt!1gpj,LBLZ4E!wJIg~~_12.JPG

[Borman]

Best way is just to buy it new from a trusted source, IE Amazon (and not the Amazon stores). Buying used at Gamestop or elsewhere is crap too, as they have been known to have bootlegs. And buying new from an untrusted source is just as crappy sometimes. Its a shame really.

[rgw825]

I ended up buying off Ebay. It looks like a legit copy from a legit seller. And i got it at least $6 cheaper than some stores are selling it new. Guess i'll find out in a few days.

[johndarkness]

There's also The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass bootleg flying around.

[SegaAges]

Wow, I am not a huge DS collector, but this thread is awesome. I have something to pay attention to if I want to get a game off of eBay

[Jorpho]

Wow, I am not a huge DS collector, but this thread is awesome. I have something to pay attention to if I want to get a game off of eBayLike I said, it is my understanding that the differences on the backs of the carts are much more easily recognized. (Same goes for GBA carts, I reckon.)

[SegaAges]

Yeah, I made that mistake once with Mario Kart for GBA.

The cart did not fit into the slot of my ds very well (the cart was way bulkier), everything was unlocked from the beginning, and I could not save.

[ScourDX]

I don't see a lot of DS bootleg thanks to flash cart. Most people just buy flash cart and fill in DS games of their own choice. Since Nintendo is clamping down on Flash cart and suing flash cart developer, I notice DS bootleg games are on the rise.