Please contact me if any information is wrong or if you have any info that could be added.
When I first started collecting Neo•Geo MVS games, I had no idea that bootleg cartridges even existed. Eventually, I bought a Puzzle Bobble and it wasn't working right. The sound would go in and out, and there would be little graphic flikers. I asked around on the neo-geo.com forums and I got my answer. I had purchased a bootleg cart.

As time went on, I didn't encounter many bootleg carts. I felt that as long as they worked properly, I didn't really care if they were bootlegs or not. When I started getting closer to completing the MVS collection, I began running into more bootleg carts. The next ones I received were Metal Slug and Bust-A-Move Again EX. After that, Twinkle Star Sprites, Top Hunter, Zed Blade, Waku Waku 7, and Over Top.

This is when I became fed up with Bootlegs. Overall I must have gotten more than 20. It took me 5 tries before I got a non-bootleg Puzzle Bobble. These bootlegs almost always had problems with them (no sound, missing sprites, or completely broken). Usually the seller will refund my money, but it is a hassle dealing with that. I have had sellers refuse to refund my money and then I am just screwed. I will not sell a bootleg without letting the buyer know it is a bootleg so I always take a big loss. I don't want to ruin my reputation by selling these, plus I just feel it is wrong. I don't want to hurt anyone or steal their money.

I have gotten to the point where I will usually only buy from reputable sources like the NeoStore, Japan Games Now, and a few sellers on the neo-geo.com forum. If I do buy somewhere else, I require pictures of the boards inside the cartridge before purchasing them. I would much rather spend more money and know I am getting an original cart than get stuck with a bad one.

Below I am going to show you how to identify bootleg carts and tell you what to do if you do get one. I have gotten much of this information from the neo-geo.com forums and from http://www.jamma.nl/. If you have any advice you don't see here, please email me so I can add it.
The first step is to examine the outside of the cartridge.

This really doesn't tell you much though. Games may have replaced labels and possibly even a replacement shell.

Sometimes this indicates a bootleg, but not usually.

In the picture to the right, all of these games have different labels and shells, but they are all legit.
All different, all contain original boards
The next step is to open up the case. Some people are wary of this and think it may devalue it, but let me tell you — nothing devalues a cart like being a bootleg. So open it up and find out for sure.

Look to see if the board has the SNK or Playmore names on it. If it does not, you have a bootleg.

Some bootlegs however, are built on authentic SNK boards, so if it does say SNK, you're not safe yet.

The first picture on the right is an original SNK board.

The next picture is a board made by bootleggers.
Legit board from Super Dodge Ball
A board made by bootleggers from Waku Waku 7
The next thing to check is the ROM chips and other parts on the board. This is the best way to check for bootlegs.

The easiest thing to look for is EPROM chips. These are chips that have small windows on the tops of them. When the window is exposed to UV light, it erases the chip. These chips are widely used by bootleggers.

There are a few games that are legit and have some EPROMS though.

On the right is a picture of a board with EPROMS.
A Zed Blade board with 2 EPROM chips
Another type of chip to look out for is MX Flash ROM chips. These are very common and look quite authentic. SNK never used these however.

If you see a big "MX" on the chips, you have a bootleg.

On the right is a picture of a board with MX Flash ROMS.
MX Flash ROM Chips in a Twinkle Star Sprites board
There are many types of odd chips that are used in bootleg carts.

Here are pictures of a few different boards with bootleg chips.

All are different, all are bootlegs.
Grouped ROMs and Altera MAX chips from a KOF 2001
Intel ROMs on converter boards in a Neo Bomberman
Different ROMs socketed in a Puzzle Bobble 2 cart
Here is a picture of the chips used in original MVS cartridges. I'm not sure if this is all of them though. Please send me pics if you have different original chips.
NGH #
Part Name
Date Code (eg. 9546 = 46th week of 1995)
There. You should be able to identify a bootleg. Now, what do you do if you think you purchased a bootleg?

1. If you are unsure, go to the neo-geo.com forums and post a picture of the boards in the Tech Support section and ask if anyone can help you identify it.

2. Ask the seller for an exchange or a refund. He/She may not have known it was a bootleg, so let them know how they can spot them.

3. If they will not give you a refund, and it is worth your time, report them to an authority where you bought it (eBay, neo-geo.com) and see if they can help you. What they did is fraud and it is illegal.

4. Suck it up, and learn to be more cautious. When buying expensive carts, ask to see pictures or get some guarantee from the seller before you buy.

That's it. If you have any questions or would like to add anything, feel fee to email me at loopyeddie@loopyeddie.com.
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