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What are the best ways to buy old Pokemon cartridges?

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Pokefan_1987

Avid Pokemon TCG Card collector.
Cartridges all run on batteries which eventually expire, then you lose data that is on them and can't save new data and it is a big hasle to solder a new one later. Nintendo EShop on 3DS does offer Virtual Console versions of the old game except for Heart-gold and Soul-silver.

That's my recommendation. Most E-Shop titles are dirt cheap for the old games.
 
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pacman000

On a quest to be the best...
The best way? In a time machine; they were fairly cheap in 2008. ;)

Jokes aside, I’d say it’s best to buy pkmn games in person, so you can check to make sure they’re legit.
 

BCVM22

Well-Known Member
There isn't one. The secondary market is the only way to purchase games that old at this point, and the secondary market is not trustworthy. Much of what you find will be counterfeit, and what you find that is legitimate will be exorbitantly priced because sellers can ask whatever they want, knowing someone will eventually pay it.

Ultimately, save your money - your chances of finding legitimate cartridges at a reasonable price aren't worth the effort or the time. Probably not the answer you wanted but the most accurate one.
 
Cartridges all run on batteries which eventually expire, then you lose data that is on them and can't save new data and it is a big hasle to solder a new one later. Nintendo EShop on 3DS does offer Virtual Console versions of the old game except for Heartgold and Soulsilver.

Thats my recommendation. Most EShop titles a dirt cheap for the old games.
Depends if there are any retro game stores close to where you live. Had my Gold and Crystal batteries replaced in no time at one of those.

But yeah, I'd recommend retro stores over online shopping. Downside is that they're not that common, there's no guarantee they'll have old Pokémon games in stock and they know the market, but they'd usually avoid selling counterfeit products since it's bad publicity.
 

Pokefan_1987

Avid Pokemon TCG Card collector.
Depends if there are any retro game stores close to where you live. Had my Gold and Crystal batteries replaced in no time at one of those.

But yeah, I'd recommend retro stores over online shopping. Downside is that they're not that common, there's no guarantee they'll have old Pokémon games in stock and they know the market, but they'd usually avoid selling counterfeit products since it's bad publicity.
I know. I got my pokemon omega ruby through facebook and paid in person with the seller. But ever since i bought my 3DS (I'm late buyer since i mostly own PS3 and PS4 consoles) the pokemon games are something people hardly sell in the only retro stores.
 

Rune Knight

Well-Known Member
I'll tell you where you should not buy them!! That is at a suspicious and creepy garage sale run by an elderly man who is also missing an eye and who's speech patterns consist of 3rd person dialogue.

And also if the cartridge doesn't have the usual game sticker on it and is simply labeled with a black marker followed by ".exe" and if the person's house is located at what was once an Indian burial ground.
 

Blood Red

【推しの子】
Ultimately, save your money - your chances of finding legitimate cartridges at a reasonable price aren't worth the effort or the time. Probably not the answer you wanted but the most accurate one.
I'd say being able to capture and transfer over specific Pokémon (like shiny Pokémon with specific ribbons) is definitely worth the effort.
 
I know. I got my pokemon omega ruby through facebook and paid in person with the seller. But ever since i bought my 3DS (I'm late buyer since i mostly own PS3 and PS4 consoles) the pokemon games are something people hardly sell in the only retro stores.
They are quite hard to find indeed.
You could also try out cons like Comic-Con when they're allowed again. Managed to find a legit Silver and Fire Red there before the virus hit. But just like retro game stores, it's a gamble.
 

Pokefan_1987

Avid Pokemon TCG Card collector.
They are quite hard to find indeed.
You could also try out cons like Comic-Con when they're allowed again. Managed to find a legit Silver and Fire Red there before the virus hit. But just like retro game stores, it's a gamble.
MetalJesusRocks made a good video on fake pokemon cartridges with many variants including advance games like emerald.
 

Captain Jigglypuff

Leader of Jigglypuff Army
MetalJesusRocks made a good video on fake pokemon cartridges with many variants including advance games like emerald.
I got a fake Emerald game off of eBay and I thought it was legit when I inspected the photos in the listings and it was the right shade of green and translucent with a shiny sticker but I didn’t know about the imprinted numbers on the label. I only wanted it to play the game and possibly transfer some Pokémon over to Gen IV and am not too mad about it because I bought it for $25 which is a lot lower than what a legit loose copy goes for. You just need to be careful with online sellers as some do have a legit copy to sell to you as I got Leaf Green online.
 

Nutter t.KK

can Mega Evolve!
CEX in the UK has most of the games in their catalogue. However Prices do vary alot. The DS and 3DS systems are often checked before accepting the games, they don't always know about GBA games, but most of them are checked. They have most of the games in one form or another.

Currently Pokémon XD is £175.. for a game that was £40 on release. Also £40 is the price of Sword and Shield in the same store!

Actually baring DVD/BluRay (and Pokémon Rumble Figures), The Cheapest game is Pokémon PinBAll (Loose), then unboxed Pokémon Challenge. The Cheapest Main series game is OG Blue and Pokémon Sun for £18.

But really older games are going to be hard to come by. I think Pokémon Sun at that price is pretty good if you can find it.

I never buy a Physical Pokémon game online: I always buy in store that way I can check if it's legitimate or not. (I've got quite a few Pokémon games digitally.)
 

Pokefan_1987

Avid Pokemon TCG Card collector.
Also one big problem with sellers. Many don't include screenshots that confirms if your cartridge is identified and can migrate gen 3 games into D/P/PL. Fake cartridges are unlikely to work with it to get the option inside the menu of the DS game.
Old DS/DSi (Before 3DS) had a separate cartridge slot on the front to play old games. This in valuable main menu option that shows up if you are using IV trained or importing caught shiny pokemon from older games.
I'm not getting into the rest of importing. It's really complex including beating story before friend park/pal park are open.
 

Captain Jigglypuff

Leader of Jigglypuff Army
Also one big problem with sellers. Many don't include screenshots that confirms if your cartridge is identified and can migrate gen 3 games into D/P/PL. Fake cartridges are unlikely to work with it to get the option inside the menu of the DS game.
Old DS/DSi (Before 3DS) had a separate cartridge slot on the front to play old games. This in valuable main menu option that shows up if you are using IV trained or importing caught shiny pokemon from older games.
I'm not getting into the rest of importing. It's really complex including beating story before friend park/pal park are open.
I only figured out my Emerald was fake because the start up screen said something about loading a flash file after the game was turned on. I’m actually impressed with how authentic looking this was. The only other thing I didn’t know was a major clue in recognizing a fake game were the numbers printed on the back of the chipboard. That was the one thing the video I was using to visually verify if I had a fake didn’t mention. The game actually worked and loaded from my DS Lite’s main menu screen so whoever created this thing did a really good job at copying the game cart and programming.
 

BCVM22

Well-Known Member
I'd say being able to capture and transfer over specific Pokémon (like shiny Pokémon with specific ribbons) is definitely worth the effort.

Which you can't do if and when the only items you can find at reasonable prices are counterfeit.
 

OwensJB

Well-Known Member
Ebay's one of the few places that I trust to buy old games from but even they aren't 100% reliable. I bought a copy of Diamond from them a couple months back but it wasn't authentic.

I mean it still worked fine but it was obviously a fake cart because I could tell that it was super glued together and the sticker's colors were off.
 

Pokefan_1987

Avid Pokemon TCG Card collector.
I'll tell you where you should not buy them!! That is at a suspicious and creepy garage sale run by an elderly man who is also missing an eye and who's speech patterns consist of 3rd person dialogue.

And also if the cartridge doesn't have the usual game sticker on it and is simply labeled with a black marker followed by ".exe" and if the person's house is located at what was once an Indian burial ground.
Is that a reference to Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask creepy pasta about billy drowned.
 

HeartJoy

New Member
Ebay's one of the few places that I trust to buy old games from but even they aren't 100% reliable. I bought a copy of Diamond from them a couple months back but it wasn't authentic.

I mean it still worked fine but it was obviously a fake cart because I could tell that it was super glued together and the sticker's colors were off.
I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience buying from Ebay. It's always a shame when you don't get what you expected. It's important to be extra careful when buying from third-party sites, and to make sure the seller has a good reputation.
 

WishIhadaManafi5

To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before.
Staff member
Moderator
It's been a few years since this thread has been posted in. So it's been locked. Feel free to make a new version to continue in.
 
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