How to find bootleg/hacked games?

[Nerisyns]

Hello all.

I have a very deep love of the strange/weird/funny, and this had led me to the world of bootleg games and hacked games. I would love to actually start collecting them, but the problem is I don't know how to start looking. I figure the best place to find these games would probably be eBay...but how should I search for them? Should I just buy games that look promising and hope for the best? Or is there a better way to go about it?

 

[Fishaman P]

Lots of flea markets have shady sellers with bootleg stuff. Also, eBay has a LOT of bootleg GBA games. Just take any old listing for Pokemon Emerald that uses a stock photo, and it's probably fake.

 

[elmoemo]

For what consoles? If disc based why not do your own?

 

[sandytf]

Try romhacking.net.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

A few times I have ran across some very good printed PS2 and Xbox games at my local thrift stores.

By good I mean the disk and box looks almost commercial quality, the only problem is that I suspect they would still be detected as burned disks? (I was curious but not 5 dollars curious... lol)

I do own some import games I picked up that way, always fun to find something rare or unusual

Edit: By not being sure if they would run, what I mean is that the games where obviously not original yet they where not just normal burned games. They did look like they where pressed, the thing that gave them away as not being legit was the overly thick printed disk graphics (possibly on paper stuck to the disk?) and the case was way too cheap to be a normal case and the paper label was like color printed on normal paper.... (not glossy at all)

 

[The Catboy]

The problem is, it's actually illegal to flat out say one is selling bootleg games since that's copyright infringement, I believe so is selling hacked games.
So your best bet is to check ebay, especially pokemon games, also thrift starts and flea markets. In flea markets if you find anyone selling fake trading cards, you are mos likely going to find bootlegged games.

 

[Veho]

For what consoles? If disc based why not do your own?

Because they lack the badly printed, badly designed labels that are the hallmark of a good bootleg disc.


But I think the OP was thinking about those "100 games in 1" cartridges, or those Pokemon romhacks sold as legitimate games.