Retro forum taboos: Why roms and not reproductions and pirate carts?

[leatherrebel5150]

Here is what I want to know from those against reproductions, carts specifically. I can understand where you might find issue with someone selling them at a profit constantly like a business. But what about the people who just makes one for themselves (I'm talking mainly about games that were never released or hacked games) assuming they don't sell it do you have a problem with that? To me its not much different than burning a cd to listen to.

[Duke.Togo]

In practicality, I see no difference between repros and pirates. I have no problem with either of them existing and being sold, as long as it is clear what they are. The amount of money made from these endeavors aren't enough to warrant attorney's fees in most cases. Is it legally wrong? Yes. Am I personally against it? No.

There is obviously a market for repros and pirates, and the copyright holders aren't going to sell new carts. Some of us enjoy playing games on physical hardware as opposed to emulation, so why should we be excluded from translations and unreleased titles?

I am against counterfeiting. All pirates and repros should be clearly distinguishable from real items.

[treismac]

There is obviously a market for repros and pirates, and the copyright holders aren't going to sell new carts. Some of us enjoy playing games on physical hardware as opposed to emulation, so why should we be excluded from translations and unreleased titles?

Here, here.

[markusman64ds]

Here is how I tell the difference between a pirate and a real cart.



A real licensed cart. Has a nice label. Everything is in the right spot. Nothing unusual.



A pirated cart. Crappy label. Stolen artwork. Wrong characters. Strange title.

[Shulamana]

Repros wouldn't bother me if people didn't slap "official" logos all over the things to make them look more legit.

[Edmond Dantes]

I like that repros exist. I don't like emulators because they don't feel authentic enough--and what's the point of having real hardware if you're not gonna use it?

What I don't like is the whole "donor cart" thing, and how for every repro made there's another game lost forever. This is okay when its something dirt common like Super Mario Bros, but I've heard of people using fairly rare games as donor carts (someone on these very forums once used Bandit Kings of Ancient China as a donor) and that kind of thing just scares me.

[treismac]

I like that repros exist. I don't like emulators because they don't feel authentic enough--and what's the point of having real hardware if you're not gonna use it?

What I don't like is the whole "donor cart" thing, and how for every repro made there's another game lost forever. This is okay when its something dirt common like Super Mario Bros, but I've heard of people using fairly rare games as donor carts (someone on these very forums once used Bandit Kings of Ancient China as a donor) and that kind of thing just scares me.

"Donor carts" concerns me as well. With websites like retrousb selling boards and cases, I believe it is unacceptable to kill a video game that didn't need to die. I have similar feelings about the NES rgb mod where a PPU from a Playchoice 10 is stripped, killing a Playchoice 10. The ethical issue is mitigated in the later case because there is no alternative method to do the rgb mod, which some tech savvy individual should solve.

[wingzrow]

I like that repros exist. I don't like emulators because they don't feel authentic enough--and what's the point of having real hardware if you're not gonna use it?

What I don't like is the whole "donor cart" thing, and how for every repro made there's another game lost forever. This is okay when its something dirt common like Super Mario Bros, but I've heard of people using fairly rare games as donor carts (someone on these very forums once used Bandit Kings of Ancient China as a donor) and that kind of thing just scares me.

I'm scared too. I'm all for using sports games but when you take something as rare as that and turn it into something else, that could have easily be emulated you've gone too far.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Repros wouldn't bother me if people didn't slap "official" logos all over the things to make them look more legit.

This bothers me too. It gets even worse when people add fake barcodes... that's just going too far.

[Parodius Duh!]

Im pretty sure nobody uses rare games for donors unless its absolutely necessary, and even then its not like its any super rare title. For Example to get a US copy of Mr. Gimmick, you can only use Batman Return of the Joker, which I would have no care about chopping up for a US copy of Gimmick..... especially compared to that horrendous label version retrozone offers. I like my repros to look as close to official as possible, usually leaving a small but significant marking designating that its a reproduction. Honestly though, if you are collecting for a specific classic system you should be aware of repros and know for a fact what was officially released or not.


If you guys think dudes are out there chopping up Ducktales 2, Panic Restaurant, and Bubble Bobble 2 carts you are highly mistaken.