Avoid Bootleg seller: Sikstine

[TecXero]

I ordered a copy of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for GBA from Sikstine. What I got was a fake/bootleg/unlicensed copy. This is just a simple warning to avoid them. Here's the proof:

Spoiler: Fake Cartridge

As you can see, the label is completely wrong. My camera isn't very good, but the plastic is also smoother than it's supposed to be. The print on the back is thinner than it's supposed to be as well.

 

[pastaconsumer]

Does it run the actual game? Does it save? If yes and yes, then it's not too bad. All it is is an ascetic bootleg... You could find a legit game that doesn't work or is terrible and pop the internals into that game. Replace the label... BAM! done.

 

[TecXero]

It doesn't have to work, as long as it's a licensed copy and can be used for a clean dump. I already have one, this is meant for a friend so we can legally play Four Swords. Either way, I figured I'd just warn people. If people are fine with fakes, then there's nothing stopping them from buying from Sikstine.

 

[pastaconsumer]

It doesn't have to work, as long as it's a licensed copy and can be used for a clean dump. I already have one, this is meant for a friend so we can legally play Four Swords. Either way, I figured I'd just warn people. If people are fine with fakes, then there's nothing stopping them from buying from Sikstine.

I will say, $100 for GBA games... outrageous...

 

[TecXero]

I will say, $100 for GBA games... outrageous...

That's more than I'm willing to pay. Luckily, I don't care for the box or booklet, so I normally only have to pay around $10 to $20 for more popular GBA games. Maybe $30 rarely.

 

[Knight of Time]

I paid around $100 for a copy of Disney's Aladdin (USA) for the GBA a couple of months ago on eBay (it came CIB with the box, manual, and cartridge)...it's definitely no surprise that a rare game could cost more these days, especially if you find it new or used (but still CIB in the case of the latter)...even when the game isn't a fake, it can still be more expensive if it has been around for years and has become hard to find.

The game itself is a port of the SNES game, if anyone is wondering.

Edit: As it turned out, that copy of Aladdin I got was bootleg. I have a real copy now.

 

[Sicklyboy]

If it's a bootleg (sorry, I really can't tell anything from your pictures...) You should definitely file a claim with Amazon to have an infractionf iled against the seller and hopefully prevent other people from buying them in the future.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200783750

 

[TecXero]

I filed a claim immediately. The seller apologized and offered a refund. I do have to return it, which makes me think they will try to resell it until they get someone that doesn't know the difference or doesn't care.

Also, a big difference is it doesn't use a battery save. In one of the pictures I posted, you can see it has a battery in there. Bootlegs use batteries a lot as it's cheaper.

 

[xdarkmario]

True, most gba games use nand save.

 

[jefffisher]

that's an extremely old bootleg too i don't think the chinese even manufacture ones with those yellow batteries anymore.
i don't mind bootlegs i've bought some before for myself from chinese sites for like $5 but i definitely don't like getting a bootleg for full price when it's being sold as a real game.

 

[gbatempnoob]

Thanks for the heads up about the seller. Could be that the seller doesn't know as well but I'm glad you filed a claim.

 

[zoogie]

I bought a bootleg Pokemon Emerald GBA game from gamestop once. Fooled me for years until, by chance, I checked the crc32 of the dump and it matched the crc of a known bootleg instead of the official release. I confirmed by comparing screenshots of the real thing with my cart. Some of these bootlegs are really well done so this seller might have been fooled just like gamestop in my case and many others i'm sure.

 

[cearp]

I paid around $100 for a copy of Disney's Aladdin (USA)

is the game that good?

 

[TecXero]

I bought a bootleg Pokemon Emerald GBA game from gamestop once. Fooled me for years until, by chance, I checked the crc32 of the dump and it matched the crc of a known bootleg instead of the official release. I confirmed by comparing screenshots of the real thing with my cart. Some of these bootlegs are really well done so this seller might have been fooled just like gamestop in my case and many others i'm sure.

It's possible, at a glance. Once you really look at it, though, you could tell this one was fake. The housing was too smooth, the image on the sticker was all wrong and stretched, and the print on the back was far too thin.

 

[migles]

no one will mention the fact there is a soldered PCB above the normal pcb? for me that raises a big flag

 

[TecXero]

no one will mention the fact there is a soldered PCB above the normal pcb? for me that raises a big flag

The sore thumb to me was the battery save. There's that as well, but I think most people would notice the battery more.