What do you think - real or fake?

[retrosega]

Came across this listing for Golden Axe 3.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270119111204&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com.au%3A80%2Fsearch%2 Fsearch.dll%3Fcgiurl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcgi.ebay .com.au%252Fws%252F%26fkr%3D1%26from%3DR8%26satitl e%3D%2B270119111204%26category0%3D%26fvi%3D1

Real or fake?

They look authentic. Most asian fakes usually blank out the sega logo and dont tend to come with instructions.

However when you look at the sellers location "Thailand"...it makes me suspicious and when you look at the feedback and see how many new copies of Golden Axe 3 he has sold it even makes it seem more suspicious.

[Zebbe]

You get suspicious just because he's from Thailand? My mom searched that whole country for Mega Drive bootlegs a few months ago, she didn't find a single cart. By the way, it does look real.

[retrosega]

Not being racist (Im asian myself :) ) but a lot of fakes come from asia. Theres some other seller selling fake ps1 memory card from Thailand too.

Whats the chance of having so many new copies of Golden Axe 3???

Since the 14th of December 2006 he has sold 54 new copies of Golden Axe 3!!!!!!!!!

They have to be fake....or somehow he came across a whole unopened box of Golden Axe games....not!

[Zebbe]

The last option isn't that unbelievable. Some time ago there was some dude who had a big bunch of the same Sega CD game, I think it was Corpse Killer. He sold them all in the same auction :D.

[Genesis Knight]

I thought I'd posted on this already, but I see that Zebbe beat me to it. Basically - this is no big deal. GAIII isn't *that* rare. Stockpiles and old freight like this show up all the time.

[108 Stars]

Yes, they are probably real. Ebay Germany is swarming with new and sealed copies of EWJ 2 at the moment. Sometimes stuff like this is found in warehouses and sold for a bucks.

As for this guy in Thailand, he uses PayPal, so you´re on the safe side.

[Melf]

Hmm, I may get in on that GA 3 action. My copy is missing the manual, and it's driving me nuts!

[Joe Redifer]

My GA3 looks identical to that and even has that little piece of paper. Seems pretty damn real to me!

[Mr Smith]

They look real and I reckon I might buy one of them too - nobody outbid me!

[Zebbe]

Me too. No bidding on already bidded auctions, folks!

[0x15e]

Since the 14th of December 2006 he has sold 54 new copies of Golden Axe 3!!!!!!!!! But according to the titles, they're rare! Also wonder where I'm going to find one of these convectors he says I'll need to play it. :)

I may as well order one myself if I can get it for cheap (don't worry, won't bid on any that have been bid on already).

[megabomberman]

Guys not quite off topic, but there are surely mountains and mountains of unsold sega stock in warehouses around the world, how could we get at it??

[Mr Smith]

Guys not quite off topic, but there are surely mountains and mountains of unsold sega stock in warehouses around the world, how could we get at it??

Sega-16 could start up it's own Mega Drive game salvaging/dectective team...
I demand this gets made into a TV show where every week the Sega-16 team investigate the contents of warehouses in order to track down piles of unsold, unopened, unloved Mega Drive games. It would be almost exactly like Scooby Doo, but with Melf and Vinny and Zebbe. It would be awesome.

[David J.]

I don't think Golden Axe 3 is that rare, but a lot of people want the damn game. There are many, many more "Asian version" than the Japanese versions.

[retrosega]

I don't think Golden Axe 3 is that rare, but a lot of people want the damn game. There are many, many more "Asian version" than the Japanese versions.

isn't that the Jap version being auctioned?

I've bid too....taking the risk.

So please don't outbid.

The seller seems to be releasing 2 to 3 at a time for auction, so I'm sure there will be more after this lost of auctions.

[Joe Redifer]

Unless there was a EU version of Golden Axe 3, then the Japanese version is really the only game... so to speak. The Asian Version is likely just what was released for that territory. But everything is identical, and only Japanese (with some English words here and there) are on the box or in the manual. All of which are just as high quality as a normal JP MD release. The "Asian Version" is actually a sticker on the insert. I don't recommend trying to peel it off unless you want to damage the artwork. The game text is entirely in English.

So in short this is the Japanese version with an extra bonus sticker applied to increase enjoyment.

[Zebbe]

Aren't Asian version also PAL? At least my Asian Shining Force is.

[megabomberman]

Just wondering guys I'm short on cash at the moment and this seems like a fairly good offer.
How much does a copy of this game normally go for?
Should I go for one?

[Genesis Knight]

It's not a vital experience, so unless you have pin-ups of Tyris Flare in your room then I'd pass.

[evildragon]

Aren't Asian version also PAL? At least my Asian Shining Force is.
yes..

America = ENG/NTSC
Europe = ENG/PAL
Japanese = JAP/NTSC
Asia = JAP/PAL

[Joe Redifer]

Aren't Asian version also PAL? At least my Asian Shining Force is.
It runs in NTSC at normal speed.

[David J.]

Aren't Asian version also PAL? At least my Asian Shining Force is.

Some Asian Mega Drive games ARE PAL releases... and others, like Golden Axe 3 are Japanese versions with an extra sticker on the artwork.

WHOOP.

[Joe Redifer]

It is worth pointing out that this game does use region protecting, meaning that you'll need a Game Genie to play it on your Genesis.

The GG code is:

B T 7 T - C A 9 E
A A 7 T - C A 9 R

[retrosega]

Arrrgghhh some newbie from the netherlands has outbid me. I hope they are not a member from this forum!

Some guy called pderks

[megabomberman]

Oh god no, no I'm broke but i just can't help it! I've got to bid on one of these, names megabomberman on ebay too guys, so please don't outbid me, 3 of these things running simultaneously how class!

[megabomberman]

also guys one other thing, if anyones bidding on these could ye give me yere ebay name so I don't end up outbidding ye.

[retrosega]

Looking at the auctions on the 3 games....everyone who bid initially has been out bid! hopefully not by other members on this forum!

[Mr Smith]

I'm still the highest bidder and my name is (shockingly) mrsmith40000 - anybody who outbids me is risking their health and kneecaps.

[megabomberman]

Yes i was thinking that was you although I wasn't 100% sure because I thought it might have been one of the other 39999 mr smiths, Oh yes I've seen the movie.

[Joe Redifer]

I promise not to outbid anybody since I already have it. You may now commence thanking me.

[Mr Smith]

Yes i was thinking that was you although I wasn't 100% sure because I thought it might have been one of the other 39999 mr smiths, Oh yes I've seen the movie.

What movie? :?


I promise not to outbid anybody since I already have it. You may now commence thanking me.

Joe, you are the most considerate and awesome chap I know. If I ever happen to be in America I will be sure to make a detour to Denver just to buy you a beer.

[megabomberman]

I was thinking along the line with the matrix even though he is called agent smith, by the way you're from only across the pond smith how much does this guy charge for p&p?

[Mr Smith]

It said $10(US) for International p&p.
If anybody here has the ebay handle trollvomit please own up so I can start a flame campaign against you, thanks.

[retrosega]

So who was lucky enough to get a copy?

Make sure you let everyone know if they are 100% legit when you get the game!

[winona]

I got one for 11,50. Ill let you know whats it like when I receive it.

I do like when new items like this pop up. Just recently I bought 3 new Master System games. Mint condition and sealed.

Space Harrirer 3D
Forgotten Worlds
Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego.

So these things do happen ^^

[o1s1n]

Nice find. Going to bid only a copy of this myself. I'm astro_oisin. Competition will be trampled..heh ;)

[winona]

Received my copy today.

Brand new, mint condition. Well packaged. Paper inside of paper box and a neat little ribbon around it all ^^

However.

I got reported to ebay by the seller for not having paid for it. WTF?
I even have paypal receits and a confirmation letter that he received my payment.

On drugs or just a simple misstake?

[Joe Redifer]

Be sure to rebut that claim. Perhaps he meant another buyer and clicked your account by mistake since he is retarded.

[winona]

Oh I allready have. So no need to worry.

About the shipping cost.

He charged me 10$ for it. the postage fee was 200 THB, roughly 6$. I assume the other 4$ was spent on the box (very sturdy, new and apparently Thai post official version).

In short, the shipping fee is totaly fair.

[retrosega]

Ahhh! So you are one of the people that outbid one of the original sega-16 members on the auctions!

[David J.]

I wonder if a whole bunch of NOS stock appeared out of the blue? If this guy has sold 54 copies and they are now going pretty cheap. Or maybe Sega dumped all of their stock in Thailand.

[winona]

Well,

thy are all asian version. Meaning that they were meant for Hong Kong and Singapore. Maybe Taiwan aswell?

I doubt these games ever been in Japan in the first place. A while ago a swedish guy found a whole box of sealed Zelda 1 for the nes. And Ive been buying a few Sealed MS games aswell. Good and popular games like Space Harrier 3D. Its rare, but it happens.

[David J.]

Heh, I don't think anything can be as bad as Circus Lido on the PCEngine. At one point the game was catching mad money I think around $400, but some copies appeared on Amazon.jp for around $50 and since then the price went way down.

[Mr Smith]

I'm currently winning another copy. Only eight hours to go and hopefully nobody will outbid me :D

[retrosega]

You shouldn't have told everyone that! Now Im sure some @#%$ member on this forum will outbid you....hopefully not.

I won a copy just after the first auctions I told everyone about. No one bid so I got it for $9.99!!!

Good luck!

[108 Stars]

Why do you bid so early? Wait ´till there´s only a minute to go and bid then!
I hate it when someone pushes the price so early. Waiting for the last minute is the best way to keep prices low.

[Zebbe]

You bid early if there are no other bids to scare off other people from bidding.

[108 Stars]

Noone is scared just because someone has already done a bid. You just see that you´ll have to pay a bit more.

[Zebbe]

Yeah, and if the start price is what you're actually considering buying the item for, you don't bother bid over.

[108 Stars]

I think you´re completely wrong. About every item get´s a higher price than the starting price. The only thing you achieve is that the price rises earlier.
If you wait ´till the end the price will probably not go up that much since there´s not enough time. Last-minute bidders get their items in 99% of the auctions. It´s really very annoying having people raise the price although there is almost no chance of success if you bid so early. The only one happy about it is the seller.

[Fonzie]

Both methods are good, i think.
Zebble's one is quite fair, I was using it... However, some sellers just have fake accounts to make the bid rising and they even dont care to overbid you since they will be able to choose between the three top bidders anyway.

The snipping methods avoid that ^^ but its far more stress ;P

[108 Stars]

Oh, but that´s the fun in bidding: 15 seconds left, place your bid and see if you win! Quite a thrill on good items! And I´ve been very successfull with the method: Probably 80% of all iems I bid on I actually get.

[megabomberman]

Economics; the law of supply and demand-- the more customers the higher the price, so to keep the price lowest you can't let them know you exist.... until the last ten seconds that is.. the law of the ebay...

[Joe Redifer]

Noone is scared just because someone has already done a bid..
I'm scared. Don't my feelings count?

[Elusive]

Why do you bid so early? Wait ´till there´s only a minute to go and bid then!
I hate it when someone pushes the price so early. Waiting for the last minute is the best way to keep prices low.

Why not bid as soon as possible with the amount you're willing to pay? eBay outbids anyone else automatically up to that amount, so you don't need to worry about bid snipers rushing in at the last second.

[Mr Smith]

I won't it anyway for the minimum price.


I'm scared. Don't my feelings count?

Your feelings count more than anybody elses. Anybody who says otherwise deserves a banning.

[retrosega]

I tend to bid in the last 10 seconds. Works most of the time, unfortunately if someone has a higher bid, I dont have time to rebid.

Just got my copy today. Seems 100% authentic.

What is the difference between these versions marked "asian version" compared to the Japanese release?

[108 Stars]

Why not bid as soon as possible with the amount you're willing to pay? eBay outbids anyone else automatically up to that amount, so you don't need to worry about bid snipers rushing in at the last second.

Because it gives people time to overbid you. People have all the time in the world to do so. If you just view it till near the end, you can bid in the last seconds if the price is still low. You don´t give people time to think about outbidding you. It really gives you the best results. Let them feel safe, and place your bid in the last moment. It is th only way to make a good deal on eBay.

[winona]

Small update.

The seller removed his unpaid item strike. A bit odd. Guess he just made a misstake. No comment or feedback.

[redrum666]

just to let you guys know i got my copy of Golden Axe 3 from that same seller 5 years ago only payed $10 for it they look real but they may be fake i dont know but its funny how he still has copy for sale all these years latter

[Mr Smith]

To be honest, if they play Golden Axe III, I don't really care if they're real or fake. I'm not a big fan of pirating but if some chap is making copies of Golden Axe III that look virtually identical to the real copies then good for him.

Sega = No longer make a profit on the Mega Drive.
Chap on ebay = Makes some money.
Game collectors = More copies to go round.
Everybody = Winner.

I await my copy like the Elephants in Africa await the rains.

[Marky]

Hi peeps, I checked out the auction. I THINK it is a fake. The description reads "Item is From Japan", probably a Japanese Cartridge. But the Game is in English Text. At this point though, who cares, right?

[Joe Redifer]

Ummmm, tons upon tons of Japanese games have English text, especially on the Genesis/Mega Drive.

[Marky]

Really? I have a few JPN games, and they mostly have Japanese text. Guess I didn't know that much now, did I? But why would it have English text it was made soley for Japan?

[Joe Redifer]

It depends on the game. English is a required subject to learn in schools over there, so it's not that unusual. Also, the game could have been made for worldwide release, just that someone later decided not to release it in the USA or Europe. The last scenario might be the case, I'm not sure if it plays in Japanese on JP Mega Drives or not. I could check, but I am lazy.

[Marky]

Curse you and your laziness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh, since we're sorta on topic, somebody sold me a Bare Knuckle 1 for the Japanese Megadrive. But when I start the game, it's in English, and the Title is Streets of Rage. Did somebody open the cartridge and switch the BK for SoR?

[Joe Redifer]

Are you playing it on a Genesis? If so, that makes sense. Play the same cart on a Japanese mega Drive and it will be called Bare Knuckle.

[Zebbe]

Marky: No, the cartridge has both versions in itself. It detects to see if it starts on a western console or a Japanese one to display whatever is unique to each version. It also works on Thunder Force II, The Revenge of Shinobi, Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Quackshot and many others.

[Marky]

To Joe Redifer and Zebba: Are you guys for real? You got to be kidding me right? This is the actual game. Are you sure? And are you messing with me? (I just want to be sure). I had a Bare Knuckle 2 before, but it didn't work due to the region lock.


Oh yeah, I have a Genesis.

[108 Stars]

It´s true. Many games that are not region-locked have english and japanese versions on the cart. You can see it if you get your MD modded, you´ll usually get a 50/60 Hz-Switch AND a language switch.

[Joe Redifer]

Screw the 50/60Hz switch. It's useless. All the real games come out at the proper speed in 60Hz anyway.

[Marky]

GUYS - I AM BAFFLED!!!!!!!!!

Why do they have both English and Japanese? And will the game cartridges one day have more than System Region detectabilities? I am afraid my retro games might come to life.....

[Zebbe]

My PAL Streets of Rage 2 is only locked from one region. So if I play it in US mode, the lock out message comes, but in JP mode Bare Knuckle II comes.

If you live in PAL land, a 60 Hz switch is essential.

[ZJT]

Just a quick note - this guy has been selling copies of GA3 for years and years - way before December 06. In fact, he has not had Paypal all that long - some years ago I sent him 20 bucks in the post to get my copy.

They seem to be legit Asian NTSC versions to me - perhaps he found a warehouse full of em, or perhaps he runs the factory where the Asian release was originally manufactured and saw a chance to make a few bucks, although I must say I can't see that there would be much profit in actually manufacturing these carts now for $10 apiece, so I would be inclined to think that he just came across a huge stash of them.

He used to sell loads of Asian NTSC copies of Treasureland Adventure too, not sure if he still does or if he's run out of those now?

[retrosega]

I've really scrutinized my copy and it seems legit.

On my jap mega drive, txt is still in English.

He listing more copies again too.

[Mr Smith]

If you have hundreds of copies of something it makes sense not to sell them all at once as it devalues the product. Simple rules of supply and demand.

[redrum666]

Just a quick note - this guy has been selling copies of GA3 for years and years - way before December 06. In fact, he has not had Paypal all that long - some years ago I sent him 20 bucks in the post to get my copy.


i pointed that out a few post back i got my copy from him 5 years ago funny how he still has some copy left all these years latter