What do you think about Reproduction cart games?

While I have no problem with repros (and even make them occasionally). I dont really see why you would bother over an everdrive either.

Its mostly collectors that buy the repros so they have boxes etc to show on their shelf. Everyone who just wants to play the game on old hardware just gets a flash cart.

 

Though obviously not carts... As far as being "wowed" goes, PSP repros would knock the boots off me. The be all end all of dedication from pirates IMHO.

Going through the expense to reverse engineer then manufacture pressed UMDs is an absurd thought.

 

Would be kidna unecessary though since you can run pretty much all psp games off the memory card with a ten minute soft mod.

But personally I see no problem with reproductions either, but I agree with what's been said before, I don't think I'd bother with them over a flash cart. After all the only thing I collect obsessively is dreamcast games lol

Although! in the video, the guy said soemthing about a donor cart, if they're ripping apart original carts then I'm a bit more against it, especially if they still work

 

You need a donor cart, so yes - games are dying.

Usually just fifa or madden though.

 

yes donor carts are required, the same if you are doing any sort of conversion cart, an original must be sacrificed, when people are doing stuff like the Starfox 2 carts that require a certain chip you can find that the original games are now becoming rarer because of all the carts that were destroyed for these reproductions

 

Stunt race is still common as hell.

However, you are still technically correct - even if there is 123234 billion of the carts, each one gone makes it rarer.

Most games can be done on a shitty sports game (high rom or low rom). The other is star fox 2 on a stunt race cart, which is still common as hell.

The one that really was a problem was the star ocean conversions - people were using original star ocean carts, then removing the jap roms and replacing with a translated one.

Fortunately, someone is doing star ocean repros that are made with no donor (so custom pcb, decompressed 96mb rom so no special chip required and a cic clone).

 

Cheers AD, was trying to think of the name of the common cart for Starfox 2 and it was Stunt Race FX...........my memory is shocking at times

Have you noticed the price of these Donor carts going up at all? with these repro's becoming more common?

 

Not really for Stunt Race.

However, I did edit my post after your quote - Star Ocean conversions is/was an issue IMO.

 

oh ok, did not realise Star Ocean was a problem or that's how people were doing them, cheers for the info

 

Wow this TimeWalk games is raping for their bootlegs. I really hope no one is buying that stuff but I'm sure someone is.

I don't mind people making their own bootlegs so much, but it's gotten out of hand. Hopefully the people trying to take advantage of the situation aren't getting the business they thought they would. There are plenty of problems. Like mentioned, there are plenty of people that will destroy GOOD games for some bootleg. On one forum someone was talking about using Mega Man 2 for a bootleg donor. Also you have people that are "wannabes". People that want to try their hand at making bootlegs, either for themselves or cause they think they can make a quick buck, perhaps by trying to pass off as legitimate carts. So really I only think it's ok when ideally you use NEW parts like RetroUsb.com does, or when care is taken to only use junk games as donors and no attempt is made to pass them off as legitimate and they are not sold for some huge crazy profit.

You often see Star Fox 2 being sold for some crazy $100+ price. The cost of making a Star Fox 2 bootleg? 1 Super FX cart, maybe $10. One 8 meg eprom, maybe $10. Then some misc wire, solder, and a label. And then they want $100+ for it. Insane.

 

NOT Always though.

A guy who does Repro's on Racketboy doesn't like to use Donor carts, he likes to use the actual corresponding Japanese cart if it's a game to be translated.(This is for SFC games)
Since SFC carts can be played in US systems it's a double positive.

See: http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=13416

 

You're still killing off a legit cart. Some people, very rarely, actually keep the original maskrom and have a switch to switch between the english translation and original japanese rom. But this does not at all represent the majority of what is going on.

 

I think the right reproductions can be a great accent to an already great collection. But, as a collector, I have a few rules I adhere by, primarily that I own the real version of the cart as well. For example, I have a Monster World IV reproduction - being a giant Wonderboy fan, being able to play the entire series, in english, on my Genesis and SMS is a real thrill. But I only got my MWIV cart after I'd purchased the japanese version. As a collector, the box and manuals to certain games are worth way, way more than the cart to begin with, so I'm no stranger to frivelous collecting. I did the same with Seiken Densetsu 3. I think people who turn to reproduction carts because they don't want to pay high prices for collectables are missing the point, however. I'd never, for instance, buy an Alien Soldier reproduction cart - not when it already exists in english.

That said, there are a few reproduction carts that I absolutely cherish, and I'll proudly show off to any other collector. My Sonic Triple Trouble Sega Master System cart, for example, is absolutely ace. I got the game in a trade - a Saturn and Vogatek Supergun Mk V for STT and Sonic Drift 2, both on the SMS. There is a real thrill in playing a game that never existed to begin with - Sonic Triple Trouble and Sonic Drift 2 are both Game Gear games, not SMS games (and yes, I have the GG carts as well). Starfox 2 is another great example - I like being able to show off the entire Starfox series in possession, including the one that was never released.

Basically, unless the game flat out doesn't exist normally, I treat reproduction carts like high quality translation carts. It's no different to me than buying Policenauts, dumping the ISO, burning the patch, and playing it on my real PSX. The whole point of collecting, for me at least, is to have the real deal on real hardware. Owning a great game in japanese is nice, and I could power through it with my ability to read japanese, but I'd much prefer to play an excellent translation instead.

Shit like the Sapphire "reproductions" that have flooded the PC Engine market, however, violates the spirit of these sorts of reproductions and falls more into piracy than reproduction. Thats a legitimate danger of reproductions, and sadly people who aren't as strong willed as I (or those looking to flat-out scam the public) are ruining something for all of us.

 

What you have said doesn't disagree with my statement - its still using a donor.

Also, in my opinion that is WORSE than using a shitty sports game (while morally better, as you arent creating a new game - just translating the original cart), you are still killing a valuable or at least decent cart for it.

Remember, I make repros - I am not trying to say they are evil. Just stating the facts.

 

That's the thing. Games legitimately rare enough to deserve repros as much as any game can, are just that: Rare.

Too few people know/care they exist to have a market for copies. In principal I'd certainly be in favor of US repros of PAL Game Boy Hammerin' Harry,

 

Is there anyone who thinks about the translators/romhackers who spent hundred of hours to translate theses games into english? Without getting paid, of course.
Maybe they are upset to see their *free* work being sold...
People selling this are just thiefs.

 

True it'd be nice if translators went with the flow, assisting to make repros that cannot reasonably be mistaken. Beat thieves to the punch with a better product.

 

I dont think its stealing rom translators work... for starters they released it for free. If the rom hackers charged, then maybe.

Also, when I sell a repro - I dont charge for the code on the chip. Its all about parts + my labour. Which is much the same on how selling Linux dvd's work - you charge for media + time, not the OS itself.

 

So even if they wrote "this shouldn't be sold" in their readme, you have the right to sell it ?
They made their work for free, for the community, and you aren't ashamed to earn money on their back?
"manwork". Let me laugh... Have you ever tried to hack + translate a game ? Creating a cartmod don't take more than 3 hours to do (I've already done it). Hacking a game and translating can takes dozens of hours (just ask Gemini).
And don't compare with Linux DVD selling, it's really not the same work.

You are stealing the translator's work, and the hacker's code. It's simple as that. Incoming translation like FEOEZ will never work on cartmod, because byuu will prevent it.

Just have a look here http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,14195.0.html and here http://board.byuu.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1204.

 

Hence why I said the translators are best off running with it. Push for repros made with original parts that are sold as authentic copies of the translation. Rather than let others profit off your many hours of work for no gain.