📖 How to tell an original Nintendo cartridge (Game Boy, SNES) from a bootleg

Bootleg games have been around for a long time and the best copies have become hard to spot. This guide covers Nintendo cartridges for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Super Nintendo. No single clue is enough on its own: combine them.

1. Read the top and back of the cartridge

• On an original Game Boy, the top of the cartridge should read "Nintendo GAME BOY™"; on a Game Boy Advance, "GAME BOY Advance". A top without the Nintendo wording points to a bootleg.
• On the back, official Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges carry the Nintendo logo and/or "Made in Japan".
• On a Game Boy Advance, "GAME BOY ADVANCE" is lightly etched under the lip of the grip.
• Translucent grey Game Boy Color cartridges with "GAME BOY COLOR" at the top have, according to a specialist wiki, never been replicated properly by bootleggers.

2. Study the label

• An original label has colours consistent with the game's release. Fakes often have wrong tones or reuse the box art instead of the cartridge art.
• If the label looks like it came off a home printer, it is probably fake.
• Check that the printed code matches the game.
• Look for the number stamped or embossed into the label (two digits on many cartridges): it shows up better under raking light.
• Beware of regional label variants: compare with photos of the right version.

3. Check the screws and shell

• Factory Pokémon Game Boy games use proprietary 3.8 mm "Gamebit" screws: any other type may indicate a fake.
• Super Nintendo cartridges should be closed with metal security screws on the front and carry the Nintendo seal of quality.
• The weight can differ from a genuine cartridge: if you own a reliable copy, compare.
• On Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (GBA) the shell is deliberately smoky, but you should still be able to see the circuit board inside.

4. Open the cartridge if you can

• Signs of a fake: stacked circuit boards, a sticker inside, a badly cut board, or a chip hidden under a black blob.
• Official cartridge pins have no holes, and "Nintendo" on the board should be spelled correctly.
• A black blob is not proof by itself: some very early official Game Boy games have them too.

5. Before you buy

• In a shop, keep photos of genuine cartridges on your phone to compare, and ask the seller to open the cartridge so you can see the circuit board.
• Online, a good seller shows several photos of the game, including the circuit board if the cartridge is open. Be wary of "tested, works" with no close-up of the contacts and label.

⚠️ Watch out for

• One failed check does not settle it, and neither does one passed check: the best fakes copy the outside and only give themselves away inside.
• A fake can boot and run, but save problems are common.
• For other consoles (Mega Drive, PlayStation, etc.) the clues differ: look for a console-specific guide before paying a lot.

Sources : Nintendo Life (comment repérer les jeux pirates) · Epilogue (repérer les faux) · Johto Times (faux jeux Pokémon) · ConsoleMods Wiki (cartouches GBA : repérer les faux)

Updated on Oct 6, 2026. These pointers are indicative and do not replace an expert's opinion: for a valuable piece, have it appraised.