I have been collecting video games for a couple of decades at this point and in that time I have managed to get some crazy deals, but I have also seen what a very expensive hobby retro game collecting has become. In both My Top 5 Super Nintendo Games and My Top 5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Games articles, I talk about how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time is one of my favorite games of all time and it is a game I think no Super Nintendo collection is complete without, but this game has just got higher and higher in its price, so high that for the average person, this is just a straight up nope!
However, when lurking on eBay, I came across a repro (reproduction) cartridge that contained both Turtles in Time and Turtles Tournament Fighter for a fraction of the price of what a “real” cartridge would cost. I get that there are some purists who are all about real games on real hardware and that is cool and more power to them. But for me, if you just want to play the game and have the game in your collection, a repro cartridge like this is not a bad thing at all. It allows you to have the game in your physical game collection and play it on your actual Super Nintendo.
Even if you are a purist, there are surely games that are just so high in price or so limited in how many are available, you will not be able to get them. A repro cartridge is a great way to fill in that hole. You can get them so that they are so like the real thing, it is hard to tell the difference. I guess that is a bit of a grey area, but as long as you are not trying to pass off repro cartridges as the real thing, I do not see the harm in it. Many people who deal in reproduction cartridges will make the cartridge a different color or have a different label on it to show that it is not an original.
The “bad” of reproduction cartridges is certainly when you have these sellers who know they have repro cartridges, but they are trying to pass them off as the real thing. To be honest, if you are buying online, this is a risk. However, if you are a retro game collector and you want to collect expensive games, it is really up to you to do your homework and know the difference between a real game and a reproduction cartridge. Not too long ago, I picked up a reproduction copy of Streets of Rage 3 for the Sega Mega Drive and it is so close to the real thing, but there are still some tells that make it so you can see it is not an official release.
Of course, it is not just cartridges, there are many repro disc games these days as well, I have a Snatcher in my collection that I have played to death, I love the game, but never in a million years would I be comfortable paying the price for that game to get a “real” copy of it. Most of my Sega Mega CD (check out My Top 5 Sega Mega CD Games) collection is made up of reproduction copies and I am more than fine with it. However, at the same time, I can see why this would be a no go for many collectors out there who are all about having the real thing.
I personally think that reproduction cartridges and discs are a good thing, but I would love to know what your stance on it is so be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts on repro carts.
