New Additions: A Bootleg NES Cartridge Haul
One of the most fun (and sometimes strangest) parts of collecting retro games is stumbling across bootlegs. They might not have the polish or official seal of Nintendo, but they carry their own charm—often with bizarre artwork, unusual cartridge colors, and a fascinating glimpse into gaming’s gray market history.
Recently, I added a batch of bootleg NES carts to my collection, and they’re definitely a colorful mix.
The Highlights
-
Bright Shells and Strange Labels
Some of these carts come in non-standard shells, like bright yellow and blue cases with a “Gundam” style robot slapped on the label. They don’t even try to hide the fact that they’re generic and mismatched, and that’s exactly what makes them great. These kinds of carts often contained multicarts with dozens of games jammed together—sometimes repeating, sometimes hacked versions. -
Super Street Fighter & Other Oddities
One cart carries a Super Street Fighter label, which is funny considering the NES never had an official release of that game. Bootleggers would often rebrand games to trick buyers, so chances are it’s something completely different once popped into the console. -
Mixed Artwork Madness
The labels are all over the place—from fantasy battle scenes to random anime-style art that probably has nothing to do with the actual ROM inside. One even has cover art that looks straight out of an old PC game box. This was typical of the era when pirates slapped whatever looked “cool” onto a label. -
Black-Shell Mystery
Among the bunch is a chunky black cartridge with fiery artwork that looks more like VHS box art than a game label. I’m especially curious to fire this one up—it feels like it could hide anything from a Contra clone to an oddball hacked shooter.
Why Collect Bootlegs?
Bootleg NES games aren’t just weird collectibles—they’re snapshots of gaming history. In markets where the NES was never officially distributed, these carts kept the console alive, often with wild variations of popular titles. Today, they stand out on a shelf as conversation starters and nostalgic curiosities.
Final Thoughts
While these carts might not be as “valuable” as a rare official release, they carry their own kind of value: the creativity (and sometimes absurdity) of the bootleg scene. I’m thrilled to have these in my collection, and I can’t wait to dig into what’s actually hidden inside them. Who knows? Maybe one of these will surprise me with a hidden gem or a hilariously broken clone.
0 comments:
Post a Comment