We get a lot of questions about how we verify the authenticity of our retro game inventory. Given the increasing sophistication of counterfeit cartridges, it’s a fair question — and one we’re proud to answer in detail.
Step 1: Visual Inspection
Every game that comes through our doors gets a thorough visual inspection. We check the label quality, cartridge shell color and texture, screw type, and overall condition. Our team has handled thousands of authentic carts and can often spot a fake at a glance — but we never stop at just a visual check.
Step 2: Board Inspection
We open every single cartridge and inspect the circuit board. We’re looking at the ROM chip markings, PCB layout, component quality, and solder joints. We compare against our reference database of authentic boards. Counterfeits often use generic flash memory chips, incorrect PCB revisions, or tell-tale glob-top ICs.
Step 3: Functional Testing
Every game is tested on original hardware. We verify it boots, saves properly (for battery-backed games), and plays without glitches. For games with save batteries, we test battery voltage and note the expected remaining lifespan in our listing.
Our Guarantee
If you ever receive a game from us that turns out to be inauthentic, we’ll refund you in full, pay for return shipping, and send you a $25 store credit for the trouble. In four years of business, we’ve never had to honor this guarantee — and we intend to keep it that way.
Browse our authenticated retro game collection with confidence.
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