Tips for identifying bootleg Famicom games?

[DTJAAAAMJSLM]

Hey, I picked up a used copy of Higemaru Makaijima this afternoon. When I was browsing online earlier, I noticed that all the pictures I find show a blue cartridge. The one I bought was actually orange. It does feel a bit heavy, too.

http://i27.tinypic.com/1ryzo9.jpg

http://i28.tinypic.com/1jn56p.jpg

I could just be paranoid, but was my orange copy a bootleg? Also, what tips do you guys have for identifying them on the Famicom?

[Brianvgplayer]

The top one looks faded/off color in some areas of the label and the ones I normally see are blue, so I think it's a safe bet that it's a bootleg. The label of the top game is less clear than the bottom label as well (another sign of a bootleg). From what I have seen, good signs of bootlegs are faded/off color labels and different cartridge shells than what the game usually has. However, a different cart shell from the company's usual doesn't always mean a bootleg. Some Konami (Gekikame Ninja Den, Yume Penguin Monogatari, Bucky O'Hare, Rampart) and Sunsoft games (Shanghai 2) are in Nintendo shells (same shape as the shell of Higemaru).

As for tips, I'm new to the famicom buying thing, but I try to look at feedback and compare with other sellers and pictures of the game. Japangamestock has worked pretty well for Famicom games so far and I heard good things about rising stuff. I have been mostly going for cart only stuff, though.

[Parodius Duh!]

dead give aways would be different cartridge colors, label colors, lack of text, etc.....yours almost looks like an official label that was peeled off of the legit cart (looks like sticker peel/pick marks on the right side) and has since sunfaded.

This is a japanese made bootleg so its harder to tell. Hong Kong boots are usually easy to spot, they just dont look right, have super crummy labels with enlarged graphics and no text whatsoever.

ALWAYS look or ask for a pic of the legit cart that you are interested in and compare before buying. Also most LEGIT sellers on ebay will tell you if its a boot or not, especially Japanese sellers (they are more honest than Hong Kong sellers in my experience)