All official Nintendo games should say "Pat. Pending Made in Japan" on the back. Most pirated games do not. If it does not say this, it is pretty much definitely a pirated cart. Pirated games are usually the wrong color. Compare the color of the cart to games that you know are real. Pirated games are usually a darker shade of grey. Games that Nintendo has released in "special" colors (red, blue, yellow, whatever) are often still grey when pirated, and even if they are colorized, they are usually way off If you look inside the end of the cart (where it plugs into the Gameboy Advance), there should be some assorted codes in there (the code varies by game.) Most pirated carts don't bother with this detail. Many of you know, there are way too many Hong Kong sellers on eBay selling pirated Gameboy Advance games. After speaking with eBay regarding this issue, they said that only Nintendo can get those auctions pulled. So, I spoke with Nintendo, and they do have a department setup to handle this issue. They have an email address: auctionpiracy@noa.nintendo.com Simply email them the auction site, in this case it would be eBay, and the auction number. They will take care of the rest. Why should you care? Because these pirated carts are very substandard. They tend to fail after a few months of operation, especially the save function. Even if you know not to buy from Hong Kong sellers, many parents out there buying games for their children do not. It would be nice to help them out. Bear in mind that not all pirated game sellers are in Hong Kong. Some are in Canada, and even a few in the United Stata. You can usually tell right away when they are selling a flat box with their games, but here lately they have been selling the cart only as used to try and look more reputable. If you are not sure, go ahead and report the auction and let Nintendo decide. Reasons not to get a pirated game: Their internal battery has a tendency to die within a month, meaning you will have a useless cartridge. Their manuals and boxes are cheaply printed and are abbreviated. They are illegal to own and sell. If purchased, they will encourage the sellers to continue with their illegal business. Stay away from: Sellers that have negative feedback claiming game is a bootleg, pirated, or not an original. Sellers from crazy pirating areas of the world (Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc). Sellers who do not post pictures of the game, box, or manual (stock pictures do not count). Sellers who seem to be big game "dealers" but only sell Gameboy Advance games. Sellers who offer the full packaging, but the boxes have been disassembled for shipping purposes (counterfiet boxes). Label on game is unusually glossy and/or has no numbers imprinted on label. Font for "Gameboy Advance" on front of cartridge looks different from other Gameboy Advance games you own. "Nintendo" on the back is spelled wrong. I have seen "Nintendo" and "Nintondo". "Pat. Pend. Made in Japan" missing on the back. Even that little circle on the back (with the white dot in the middle) will look different. Auctions that are for the cartridge only (no manual or box) are very likely to be pirated games. A pirated game seller will use the a picture of the original box art in their auction. They may charge excessive shipping on a small item that can be shipped at a very low price. Their "location" might state "Bid on more items to save on shipping". The game you are searching for has numerous matches for the same item, with the exact same item title/description. Try to avoid companies that sell used electronics or entirprises, most them just sell pirated games. Often times, counterfeiters copy and paste these pictures as a mean to deceive you. Don't be fooled by a picture, read the entire description. look for other red flags. Differences between orignals and fakes: Authentic Doom game Pirated Doom game Authentic F-Zero GP Legend Pirated Pokemon Fire Red Pirated Game and Watch Gallery four; Authentic Mario Kart: Super Circuit (Front) Pirated Game and Watch Gallery four; Authentic Mario Kart: Super Circuit (Back) Unfortunaly even EBGames, Gamestop, and Game Crazy sell used pirated games now. If you ever look shop there or at a swap meet, or yard sale, look closely at it and you should see 2 or even 4 numbers imprinted onto the cartridge on the right side. Usually pirate games never have these numbers imprinted on them. Check your games and see for youself. If you have doubts ask if you can try out. If you struggle to get it in and out the Gameboy Advance then it is a fake. The Nintendo logo is semi holographic on an orignal game but on a pirated game it is just dull and lifeless. If you do buy a pirated game then return it with the reciept and you get to pick a game of equal value. Just say it is pirated. Amazon.com is also a shady place to buy Gameboy Advance games. Avoid buying from intelshop or any "shops" check their feedback, it is a lifesaver on Amazon.com. This also applys to eBay too. If you really want to buy a Gameboy Advance game and are doubting if it is a fake just ask the seller like I did a couple weeks ago. I sent him a e-mail asking if he was selling a pirated game and what to look for if it is. I hope this helps all of you.
Thanks for the info!Now,I'll be more careful while shopping in Malaysia and yes,I know about the cheap printed covers.Malaysia is well known for pirated goods.<.< I saw this pirated W.I.T.C.H. game.How do I know?The packaging.The back was wrong and was about a different game! Thanks for the info anyway.
thanks for the info :D this may be kind of off topic....my neighbors buy pirated dvd's. they had POTC 3 the week after it was in the movies. it was in a thin case like the type that come with the blank dvds that are used for home made movies. the cd didnt have a picture on it like most real ones do and the cover picture looked like it was printed from someones computer. i dont think my neighbors even know that they have illegal copies.
Nice info. This will help. My friend got a DBZ game a few years ago once. After he turned it on his GBA, it was like a pixeled mario version of DBZ >_>
Most pirated games also do not come with manuals or the free gift found on the packaging.They will also not say "Licesned by Nintendo"
