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Know what the cartridge should look like: Just like the Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles, Pokémon games on the Game Boy Advance have a distinct look and feel. Pokémon FireRed (real) with embossed numbers on the right side of the sticker.
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Fake games often don't have this text or may just say something like "GAME." Make sure you check for this text, as it's one of the easier ways to tell a dud from the real deal. Meanwhile, Game Boy Color games have a convex thumb grip that reads " Game Boy COLOR". Look for thumb grip and embossed text: There's a concave thumb grip at the top of every Game Boy game with text that reads " Nintendo GAME BOY™". If you see a gray cartridge with a sticker showing any language other than Japanese, it's not authentic. In Japan, Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, and Silver games were produced in gray cartridges, with Gold having a darker cartridge than the others.
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Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal have golden, silver, and icy blue cartridges. Each game's cartridge color corresponds with its name - Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow have red, blue, and yellow cartridges. Nintendo has never produced any Pokémon title on the Game Boy or Game Boy Color in a gray shell. if It's missing, the cartridge is fake.īeware the grey cartridge: If you see a North American or European Pokémon game in a gray cartridge, run away. The Nintendo logo should have a trademark symbol on the far right. It's not uncommon for a fake cartridge to have mostly similar text but with a letter or two that aren't correct.
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(Image credit: Rebecca Spear / iMore)Ĭheck sticker image, spelling, and trademarks: Look around at the sticker and any text on the cartridge to make sure they match up with what the authentic cartridge looks like. From left to right: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (real), Game Boy Color with Wario Land 3 (real), Pokémon Red (real).
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