Hello everyone, as you all know GBA cartridges can be extremely difficult to find in person nowadays and even more so for some authentic ones. That being said, if you're unsure in any way how to determine a fake from real cartridge, this is the post for you!
For more help, feel free to visit r/gameverifying for all your identification needs!
Keep in mind that to ensure the best chances of an authentic cartridge, you should be wary of:
- Unusually low prices (if it's too good to be true, chances are it's too good to be real!)
- Products made or sent from China (enough said)
- Sellers using stock images (NEVER purchase a product that isn't an image of the cartridge itself)
That being said, where do we start looking?
It can be a bit difficult, but there are actually some very good tells when it comes to finding real games like the color, font, positioning, and quality of the cartridge. For example, let's pretend you're looking for an authentic US copy of Pokemon Firered.
Some things you can look out for should be:
- Color: All Pokemon GBA games come in their respective colors (including Leafgreen and Emerald by a slight margin) with Firered being red and not orange. While most cartridges come in a singular shade of gray, two particular exceptions are the GBA video cartridges which come in light gray casings and (Classic) NES series which match the console's respective color. Interestingly enough, due to the GBA's expansive library there consist of unique games that do not fit the standard color and size of a GBA cartridge, which include games such as Yoshi's Topsy Turvy, Drill Dozer, and many other variations listed here. (1)
- Label: By observing a label's ESRB rating, official seal, game code, and more, you can determine its authenticity. Unlike other GBA games, Pokemon games will always have a shiny/holographic label, an indented circle in its center, and an embossed number on the right side, which is pretty much its production number. However while it is a good way to determine authenticity, there are cases where these numbers will have naturally worn away or quality repros that have embossed their own cartridges. All in all, always make sure to compare your cartridge to an authentic one online to confirm fonts, font sizes, positioning, etc.
- Cartridge: In the case of buying a physical cartridge yourself, this may be one on the most helpful things to know. The easiest things to look out for are the Gameboy logo on top of the label, and arrow below the label. If the logo is written in the wrong font, appears to have been cut deeper than normal, or if the arrow is too small, it's a repro. The back will always state: MODEL NO. AGB-002 / PAT. PEND. MADE IN JAPAN like its GBC predecessor. However, this is easy to reproduce so the final thing to check yourself is both the screw and board under the cartridge. GBA cartridges will only ever use a triwing screw, the same one used on all GBA consoles. More importantly (if you can), be sure to grab a flashlight and check the slot. Above the pins, there should be an official Nintendo logo and presumably its cartridge number.
In the case of Pokemon games always check for:
- A holographic label and an embossed number if possible
- Proper fonts and positions (FRLG and RSE labels are mildly different)
- A battery behind the label on the right side (only applies to RSE)
- Four squares on the back of the cartridge ( always on the left)
- Pins on the board ( One of the easiest things to spot on faked cartridges, all GBA games will always have pins )
If there are any other questions, please feel free to leave them below and discuss!
Useful Links:
(1) https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/6i19k4/gba_game_cartridge_colors/
