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Fake SNES cartridge teardown

Thread starter SylverReZ
Start date Monday at 9:44 PM
Read time: 1 minutes

Views: 26

Alternative title: Teardown of a bootleg SNES cartridge I received (I got scammed by Aladdin)

He told the genie that he wished to have his game physically, didn't like how it came, then chucked it to me to tear apart and laugh. Joking aside, I received a bootleg copy of "Aladdin" which wasn't original as advertised, even though the eBay listing said so. At least, for one, it plays just fine, and hasn't fried my SNES, unlike the later bootlegs that use a glob top and 3V flash chips. A hot take, but I prefer the European version over what Capcom made for elsewhere; better graphics and presentation; at least the music isn't as cheesy, like Capcom's sound engine for all of their titles.

And, if you're curious as to what the PCB looks like with close-ups, then here they are, so you can reverse image search as to what type of board they're based off―Google's image search can't find anything.

(left: 16-pin CIC clone (no markings); middle: two mask ROMs (JY43x); right: 74LS139B by ST Electronics (demultiplexer).)

Written by

SylverReZ

Let's All Love Lain! From The Wired

I'm SylverReZ, and I love computers, researching into security and modding game consoles. People know me as a 'jack-of-all-trades' when assisting them with problems and I like solving them as I go along.

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Tonyhax International (adding new AP patches): https://alex-free.github.io/tonyhax-international/
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G.L.a.D.O.S. said:
Very cool.
Another good way to spot a fake is either the screws, as a lot of the times they will have standard screws, or the markings on the back.
Even fake carts with the Famicom/SNES markings won't look quite right. Also, good post.

They came with regular security bits. Even the shell had no indication that it was a bootleg; the Nintendo logo was embossed correctly, and the "PAT PEND. MADE IN JAPAN" text didn't look off. Except, for one, the sticker didn't have a number stamp in the top-left corner. But other than that, I would be none the wiser if I wasn't aware that it's a fake.

All in all, I think this is a very interesting overview as to how bootleg games were made. Of course, you need a way to play those games, which is where they cloned the CIC chip to work on the console it was designed for, unlike the NES, where early attempts would be to short the voltage to the CIC using a simple yet complex stun circuit used by Wisdom Tree for their unlicensed games. It cannot be said, however, for Tengen, who illegally stole the source code to the CIC lockout by lying to the US courts that it was for going against Nintendo for anti-consumer practices and for use on their unlicensed carts in protest to Nintendo's licensing scheme at the time; this obviously backfired and led to Tengen's bankruptcy.

Very cool.
Another good way to spot a fake is either the screws, as a lot of the times they will have standard screws, or the markings on the back.
Even fake carts with the Famicom/SNES markings won't look quite right. Also, good post.

Because Gaming Heaven doesn't accept longer titles for blog entries, I shortened it to "fake SNES cartridge teardown." The alternative title has been added to provide clarity.

gaming-heaven.net

Fake SNES cartridge teardown

Alternative title: Teardown of a bootleg SNES cartridge I received (I got scammed by Aladdin) He told the genie that he wished to have his game physically, didn't like how it came, then chucked it to me to tear apart and laugh. Joking aside, I received a bootleg copy of "Aladdin" which wasn't...

gaming-heaven.net

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