From what I've heard, EarthBound checks to see if the SRAM is bigger than normal. It's basically protection against copier devices. A good EarthBound repro cart should work fine, as long as the SRAM is the right size.
You're thinking of the copy protection. It was designed to cause problems for people playing on Copiers in the 90s like the Super Wild Card and Pro Fighter. It worked primarily by detecting the amount of SRAM available to the game. Until later on copiers would always map all of the available SRAM in the copier to every game. Even those that didn't use it. The problem is that now you have a clear difference between a real cart and a copier running the ROM. So most games just had a nag screen saying you can't play this game, modified system, blah blah. You can actually trigger this screen by having a dirty cartridge or connector. Later copiers such as the Game Doctor SF7 and probably the Super Wild Card DX supported SRAM size restrictions which removed this difference between the real cart and the copier. Another form of protection used primarily by Capcom was called ROM mirroring. Basically again copiers just mapped their DRAM which held the loaded ROM file in a straight line you could say. This works great to run games, until they expect for the ROM to be mirrored like on a real cartridge. Mega Man X and Demon's Crest used this mirroring behavior as protection and implemented it in ways that were not easily bypassed nag screens.
Now reproduction or bootleg cartridges will not have these problems since you can easily patch the ROMs with cracks that were made over a decade ago to play the games on copiers, or they won't need them at all if their donor has the same amount of SRAM and ROM data is mirrored properly in the case of the very few games that use that protection.
Anyway, we've established it is a bootleg without the need to open it. I'd advise against it unless you have to so you can avoid any whining that you opened the game. Plus you avoid any chance of damaging anything while trying to open it.
I am sure if someone wanted to make a fake one they really could. I am glad they have done a crappy job and you have shown us what to look for. When I seen your pictures I was afraid to check mine out but got the nerve to look and its real. Thank you for the education though!
Can't link to any further back but here are their listing numbers:
#140737164757
#140639992591
#140497304268
I understand the backs can be changed and these may not be fakes but it seems odd that every single back has been changed? I don't know, just want to make sure people get the real thing. Only one real way to find out, lets open them up! lol
Edit: Thats a total of 7 Earthbounds in 20 months.
^Again, the back doesn't mean crap. Mine got the Made in Japan on the back and the back was just switched. One look inside the cart and you can tell the difference.
ETA: Just typing that again because the listings you posted look good to me.
The back looks like a legit back, though it could have been swapped from another cart. The front looks definitely fake though. Open the game up and snap a pic of the board. It's possible that he just swapped labels/cart shell. It's impossible to say if it's a pirated copy unless we can see the board.
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Proud owner of post #1800 in Inner Circle HQ thread
I got a cart with the screw holes glued before, but that was from a rental store not wanting people switching the boards. In this case however, it looks like someone didn't want you to look inside to see it was a fake since the obvious fake label and the fact that there's no "rental wear" on it.
Dude! I met up with this guy he was from Saint Jerome, I saw it and immediately knew it was fake so I told ohim to F off...Sorry to hear this I had posted an ad warning people about a month ago but Kijiji took it down
People need to stop reproing rare crap and passing it off as legit. It seems like there's a ton of scammers doing it now-a-days, and if too many people start selling fake repros as genuine, innocent unknowing resellers will end up getting their reputations ruined, as well as buyers who don't even know they're geting duped. If you're that hell-bent on making Earthbound repros, then print reproduction somewhere on the label, and change the artwork so it looks nothing like the original. Geeze...
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~From the Nintendo/Atari addict formerly known as StarDust4Ever...
Originally posted by: stardust4ever
If you're that hell-bent on making Earthbound repros, then print reproduction somewhere on the label, and change the artwork so it looks nothing like the original. Geeze...
I think it is safe to say anyone making an Earthbound repro is out to scam and doesn't give a shit who gets burned.
In your dispute I wouldn't mention about it being a pirate copy.
I would just say it doesn't work.
When it comes to paypal and bootlegs, copied games etc. it turns into a headache and drags on for ages.
Unless it states sold as is or untested in the auction, I CBF going through the piracy headaches anymore and just say it doesn't work.
Send it back and get the refund... Sooo much easier.
I've never had an issue at all with Paypal and proving things are bootlegs. It's as simple as showing a picture of each product and writing down an explanation of how you know it's fake. I've done this at least a dozen times over arcade boards over the years. Usually everything's worked out inside of a week and the money's back in my account.
People need to stop reproing rare crap and passing it off as legit. It seems like there's a ton of scammers doing it now-a-days, and if too many people start selling fake repros as genuine, innocent unknowing resellers will end up getting their reputations ruined, as well as buyers who don't even know they're geting duped. If you're that hell-bent on making Earthbound repros, then print reproduction somewhere on the label, and change the artwork so it looks nothing like the original. Geeze...
Resellers are the last group I would be concerned with. If you are going to make your money pumping a collectibles market, you better know how to spot a forgery. No sympathy for anyone in that group who gets caught with a fake piece.
Can't link to any further back but here are their listing numbers:
#140737164757
#140639992591
#140497304268
I understand the backs can be changed and these may not be fakes but it seems odd that every single back has been changed? I don't know, just want to make sure people get the real thing. Only one real way to find out, lets open them up! lol
Edit: Thats a total of 7 Earthbounds in 20 months.
went through his feedback and he has sold a lot of rare games with a UGC, several copies of the same.
even Play_eva bought an aero fighters from him.
If this seller selling fake carts, he is cluttering all ebay, cause major sellers are supplying from him.
Originally posted by: stardust4ever
If you're that hell-bent on making Earthbound repros, then print reproduction somewhere on the label, and change the artwork so it looks nothing like the original. Geeze...
I think it is safe to say anyone making an Earthbound repro is out to scam and doesn't give a shit who gets burned.
Also, i know there is a PAL Earthbound patch that has an intro that says it is a reproduction bla bla bla, plus PAL. So there might be a lot of PAL earthbounds running around in Europe .
Label is crooked, but 100% legit. Click for larger image. I have owned this for over 3 years now, and I've also taken it apart a few times. And the back says "Made in Mexico"
http://goo.gl/xmzKR...
