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What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 10:13 am
by bluenote
So, I have always wanted to play Little Samson for the NES. As you know, the prices are beyond crazy for this game ($1000-$1500 for a loose cart), so I decided to order a repro of it. Got it yesterday, and it works great! The label says reproduction on it, other than that, you wouldn't know that is a repro. Cost me $50.

I am going to do this for Snow Bros and MetalStorm as well, as those 2 games are well beyond my budget. I'm also going to buy a repro box and manual for it, so I can have a "complete" copy for my small NES collection.

I only have a very modest video game and I simply just want a copy to play.

What's everyone's view on this? Do you buy a repro of a game that is crazy expensive, so that you can at least have a chance to play it?

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 11:16 am
by scotland
I just bought a cart of Golden Axe III for the Genesis, so I am in no position to judge. In this day of flashcarts and emulation, I find it hard to find much wrong about a repro cart of a 25 year old NES game. It would be nice to see the creators get a residual, recognition or accolades, but the chance they know that their game is still being enjoyed will have to suffice.

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 3:00 pm
by Sut
I have a repro Blackthorne for the 32x (damn fine game by the way). as the game was never released in Europe. It has European style box and instructions.

I haven't got a problem with repro's for games that are either not available in your region or are excessively expensive (have you seen how much Darxide goes for !?)

My only caveat would be if the games are still sold in another form ie PSN/Xbox Live as then it's piracy. But seeing as the original developers / publishers make nothing from old games on eBay I think repro's are a great supplement.

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 4:29 pm
by matmico399
I have never gotten a repro. But if it's a game I really want and the original is too expensive, hell yeah I am all for repros! This is kind of new to me. Are repros available on almost all systems. Luv to get back my copy of Snatcher for my Sega CD I sold too cheaply.....and what are the best sites to get decently priced repro carts and discs? Great topic!

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 5:19 pm
by Shapur
I'm not sure I really get repros. If you just want ot play an emulator works fine. I can understand wanting complete accuracy, but wouldn't a flash cart give you that with the flexibility of loading as many games as are unavailable?

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 5:23 pm
by Rev
Yeah, I pretty much agree with your post, Shapur. There really isn't any reason to own reproductions when flash carts are available. I think to collectors, repros fill a niche of sort of "owning" a game, that can displayed in your collection, even if it was never made available where you live. Still, a flash cart is a much better investment period...

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 5:40 pm
by scotland
Sut wrote: I haven't got a problem with repro's for games that are either not available in your region or are excessively expensive...My only caveat would be if the games are still sold in another form ie PSN/Xbox Live as then it's piracy. But seeing as the original developers / publishers make nothing from old games on eBay I think repro's are a great supplement.


If Steer were here, he'd be disappointed in me for being okay with this. The game I bought, Golden Axe III, I have on some At Games devices, but it was never sold in the US as a cart. The reproduction cart was very inexpensive, so sorry Sega, but you had the option of selling it in the US. Like many creative endeavors, the creative team was probably work for hire. If that is so (correct me if I am wrong), then any re-releases are not compensating the creative team anyway, just the publishers. If its available on some other platform as a download, I don't think that changes the decision they made all those decades ago or the moral calculations.

Reproduction carts may just be under the radar gray market stuff, although considering Content ID, being low level has not stopped company's like Nintendo in the recent past. Someone has made the decision to not hunt that fox.

In America, there is often a debate on labels, so maybe instead of 'piracy' we can call them 'unlicensed games'. Many of these might be unfinished prototypes or ROM hacks or ports to systems they were never on originally to fan translations or the like, and some just unreleased in a particular area, and of course some are burns of hot rare games.

Here is an interesting article http://www.usgamer.net/articles/reproduction-cartridges-and-elegant-piracy. The article says many reproduction carts are sort of zombies in that they use a donor cart, like Madden (or probably educational titles or something). So, think about it as giving an old cart new life.

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 9:56 pm
by VideoGameCritic
I'm all for repro carts. They obviously fill in a niche.
I wasn't aware of a flash cart for the Genesis.
I'd love to have a copy of Golden Axe 3!

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 14th, 2016, 11:12 pm
by Shapur
http://www.stoneagegamer.com/mega-everdrive-deluxe.html

Isn't this one? I mean it is too pricey for me, but in the long run you'll probably save money.

Re: What's your view on Repro carts for existing games?

Posted: June 16th, 2016, 9:16 am
by bluenote
Shapur wrote:I'm not sure I really get repros. If you just want ot play an emulator works fine. I can understand wanting complete accuracy, but wouldn't a flash cart give you that with the flexibility of loading as many games as are unavailable?


I don't know, the idea of having every single game on 1 cart doesn't appeal to me. I like having a modest collection. When I buy a new game, I really dive into it because I don't have thousands of games at my finger tips. Having so many games on 1 cart kind of loses it's appeal to me.

Same with music. I love buying albums/cds, but if I start streaming, and have millions of songs at my fingertips, I just go from band to band, not really appreciating any of them. I don't have any focus. I'm all over the place.

Maybe I'm just weird that way!