How to Spot Fake Pokemon GBA Games, Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Fake Pokémon games are getting more & more frequent in the used gaming community. Really, it's not just Pokémon games, it's pretty much all the popular games from the Game Boy Advance library. With large online auction platforms allowing counterfeits to freely be sold. Counterfeiting these popular games are really becoming a problem.

This article shows a real vs fake Pokémon Emerald GameBoy Advance game as the example

The same principles can be applied to spot other fake Pokémon games. Below are seven essential tips that have helped many gamers tell if their Pokémon Emerald real vs fake Pokémon Emerald cartridges. For larger images, please visit our Pinterest page. You can also watch our youtube video covering the topic.

Spot Bootleg Pokemon GamesThe Nintendo Seal & Imprinted Numbering:

As you can see by the photo below, the counterfeit label on the left clearly has more of a metallic shimmer to it. The Nintendo Seal is off and not easy to read. 
 
There are no imprinted numbers on the front label. If you look at the genuine cartridge on the right, you'll notice the Nintendo seal clearly.
 
The imprinted numbers on the front label are probably the quickest way to check for a fake or legit copy. 95% of all the pirated carts I've encountered don't have the imprinted numbering. Labels do get worn, so you may need to angle the cartridge in the right light to get a good view of the label.  The numbers may vary, but you'll generally have two numbers like [11, 03 or 0B].


pokemon emerald real vs fake

The Cartridge Board:

For many Game Boy games, checking the circuit boards inside can help determine if a Pokémon game is counterfeit. A real Game Boy Advance game has its internal chips; on the motherboard, marked with the lettering “MX”. Where most bootleg carts do not or have Japanese writing on them.
 
The photo below shows an authentic Pokémon Emerald game on the right and a fake Emerald game on the left. The font and font size for the lettering “Nintendo” is different on each board. An Authentic Pokémon emerald always has an internal battery on the inside of the board. As you can see, the fake Pokémon game, does not have a battery, but instead a black circle blob shape.  The game below the battery has been removed.
 
how to tell if pokemon emerald is real
 

The Bottom Cartridge shell:

The cartridge color for the game is light green. A genuine Nintendo shell, has two square rectangle stamps on the inside of the back cartridge shell. As, if you look closely, the fake cartridge does not.


pokemon emerald authentic vs fake

 The Inside of the Front Cartridge Shell:

On legit Pokémon game boy games, you will see an imprinted rectangle; this is located just behind the label. Also, to note on the fake Pokémon game cartridge shells, see how the label shows through the shell.
 

fake pokemon games

 Color of the Cartridges:

NTSC Pokémon cartridges have colored cartridge shells, which means Pokémon Leaf Green and Emerald should be green. Pokémon Sapphire has blue cartridge shell, Pokémon Ruby & Pokémon Fire Red both have a reddish cartridge shells.
 
The only versions that are not colored is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon & Pinball for GBA, as they are gray. In the image below, you can see the differences between real cartridges and fake ones. The Photo Below Shows a Real Pokémon LeafGreen Vs a Fake Pokémon LeafGreen.
 

bootleg gba games

The Nintendo Font on the Back of the cartridge shell:

Pokémon cartridges will have Nintendo stamped into the back of all Nintendo NTSC cartridges. Look at this and make sure Nintendo is spelled correctly on the back of the cartridge, and do the same on the front of the cartridge. Many of the Pokémon bootleg games will have a spelling mistake.

Watch Out, Fake Pokémon Games Work:

This point is really what got me started with this article. With bootleg Pokémon games, the game will start up like normal. Except, the save files are not immediately accessible. The game will ask you if you want to load the save file, which is definitely different from the authentic games. 
 
With authentic Pokémon games the game will load up like normal, and once you press start you have the option to view your save profile.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How to tell if Pokémon Sapphire is real?

You would use the same methods listed above:

1. Check the Nintendo Seal
2. Check for imprinted Numbers on the front label.
3. Open the cartridge up and examine the game board
4. Analyze the Bottom Cartridge Shell
5. Analyze the Top Cartridge Shell
6. The color of the cartridge, is it the appropriate color?
7. How does the game load up.

How to Spot fake Pokémon Games on eBay?

  • The easiest way is to ask to see a couple front & back pictures of the game board. Ask to see a good clear photo of the front label, to try and view the seal & the number imprints.

Are fake Pokémon Games Playable?

  • Yes.
  • As I mentioned above, the game starts out different, but for the casual gamer there is not much difference.

Are fake Pokémon Games Bad?

  • No, I don't have a problem if you buy them for yourself, and play them. Many people do buy counterfeits because they are a lot cheaper than the real thing. I draw the line when you sell a counterfeit as the real thing.

These are just a few of the points to look for with Pokémon fake games.

Is there any missing here? Are there any methods to determine if a Pokémon game is authentic or counterfeit that I missed? Feel free to share your experiences with reproduction cartridges in the comments below.