Question about new sega genesis games?

[buffquinn]

Is there a way to tell if a sealed sega genesis game is truly factory sealed? i.e. like the NES and the horizontal line.

[portnoyd]

Genesis sealed titles are not a beast you want to mess with.

Here's what I know by looking at my own stuff:

EA titles do not have hang tags attached to the plastic of the case. MOST EA titles sealed will have a clear plastic flat hang tag on the back. Some do not (My John Madden Football does not), but every other title from EA I have (Risky Woods, Normy's Beach Babe-O-Rama, NBA Live 98, James Pond 3) has that tag. That's your general identifier. If it's there, it's legit. If it's not, it may still be so.

For normal plastic hard cases, no hangtag = not real. All of these had them, so if it's hacked off, it's not legit. ONE exception: Accolade plastic case releases had no hangtags whatsoever. I found this out the hard way just now, when I opened up an obviously brand new Pele II.

All hard plastic sealed games I have have the tag, unsealed at the top, OR folded down and sealed into the package. There is a line around the entire case in the shrinkwrap on the spine side either way.

For cardboard boxes, and oh boy, these are fun, they can have a line on the spine side on 2 sides (top and bottom OR both sides), or 3 sides (I have 3 instances of three different sides) OR all 4 sides around. And at the top, they can have an opening, supposedly for a hang tag that no longer exists.

Now the validity of these cardboard seals is obviously suspect - but the open tops are from a case of 24 Izzy's Quest for the Rings. So that has to be legit. The 2/3 sides is from a CV: Bloodlines (from Toys R Us overstock), UMK3, Light Crusader, Izzy, NFL 98, and Weaponlord (and probably more). There is no reason for these to be fake. Are they? Well, I can't rule that out.

Wisdom Tree titles, Early EA titles, Razorsoft's Stormlord, and the Action 52 I have no idea. I have one sealed WT game and A52 sealed, and they look normal - no reason to be fake, yet again. The WT game has 4 lines along the spine side, and Action 52 just has 3.

And if people can fake NES seals, they can fake these blindfolded. My advice: Only buy low value sealed Genesis titles - because generally, reseals will look exactly like the real thing, and if you can get it for under $10, who cares if it turns out to be fake as long as the game is complete? What I'm trying to say is, if you see Pirates! Gold sealed up on eBay, just skip it. Unless it's going for $20... can't go wrong really. I got a sealed Gaiares for $20, and it looks 100% AOK.

If you want to be insane like skiier_addict and buffy-G, go for it.. but be ready when you can't verify 60% of your collection like you can with SNES and NES.

dave

[buffquinn]

Wow, thanks for all the info. Yes I can see how it would be difficult to determine all of those factors. I will have to tread on loose ground. How much would you say a sealed Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel for the Genesis would go for?

[portnoyd]

Wow, thanks for all the info. Yes I can see how it would be difficult to determine all of those factors. I will have to tread on loose ground. How much would you say a sealed Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel for the Genesis would go for?

I'd say it'd be something I would try not to pass up, but pricewise... I dunno. It's a tough call. $50 tops? As low as possible? :) Does the seller know it's a rare game? Even on an open market like eBay, I think it'd be hard pressed to go above $50 anyway.

dave