Earthbound Reproduction Carts: Should they be created?

[Opa Opa]

This is kind of a direct copy of a thread at NA but I'd like to discuss it with you guys.
The thread. Also, I'm going to "borrow" (read: steal) what some elements of what people said in that thread.

Earthbound, as I'm sure we're all aware, is not a rare title. However, it fetches absurd amounts of money due in part to its popularity and demand.

My question is: Why not make reproduction carts? At a fraction of the cost, you could have the same game.

If you could use a custom board you wouldn't have to cannibalize real titles to create them. Also, you could use a custom casing so there wouldn't be any confusion as to what is a real cart and what's a reproduction.

Now there's the ethics behind creating them. Should we create reproductions of what was once commercially available? Well, I personally don't see a problem with it. The game producers no longer receive money for the game sales. The resellers on ebay, amazon, and yes, even forums don't give Nintendo a cut of the dough.

What do you guys think? I know we have a few people on here who create/have created repros. I'd especially like to hear their thoughts.

[Just a note, I'm not tech-savvy. So in regards to the pricing: I don't know how much work/money a repro takes to make. But I'm assuming they can be created and still be significantly cheaper than a real EB cart. But if my modders/hackers think I'm dead wrong, let me know.]

[Jmustang1968]

I say no. Play it on an emulator or maybe on one of the carts that you can load up with roms (their name slips my mind right now).

It is just basically a counterfeit.

I suppose making one for your own personal use is up to the individual. I just don't like the idea of them getting to the public and people attempting to sell as the real cart.

[BoringSupreez]

A fake is a fake. If all you care about is having the game to play, you might as well just emulate it.

[dunpeal2064]

I only really like repros if it allows me to play a game that was not available on that console, or in that region.

Like others have said, flash it or emulate it. I am playing it on the Wii right now, 240p via component cables, and it looks better than playing it on an unmodded snes anyways.

[chupon]

I believe I saw some Earthbound repros on NeoGeo.com a few weeks ago...

Might have been a feeler thread though.

[Opa Opa]

I believe I saw some Earthbound repros on NeoGeo.com a few weeks ago...

Might have been a feeler thread though.

I found that thread. It's actually not really a repro. They're taking real copies of Mother 2 and burning an English rom on the board.

edit: or is that a repro? What constitutes a reproduction?

[dsheinem]

no

[Ziggy]

If all you care about is having the game to play, you might as well just emulate it.

A flash cart would be a better option. It's still playing the game on real hardware, minus the bootleg copy.

They're taking real copies of Mother 2 and burning an English rom on the board.

I've had so many people ask me to do this for them, I say no every time. If I wanted to do it for myself, I'd be OK with that (morally, ethically, whatever). But to do it for some one else, there's no way to prevent some one from sticking it in an NTSC-U shell and passing it off as a real copy on eBay. I don't want to contribute to that.

[AppleQueso]

NO.

Potential for abuse is through the roof. Fake earthbound carts have popped up on ebay before, landing in the hands of unsuspecting buyers. Repros of unreleased games? Okay. Rom hacks? Okay. English translations of games that were never released here? Okay. Games that actually were released retail? Noooooooooo.

If you want to play it THAT bad, just emulate it or use a flash cart.

[mjmjr25]

I must be in the minority that lumps: emulation (via downloadable roms), flash carts, translations, burns, rips and reproductions all into the same category.

It's either the original officially released product (or official VC release in this case) or it is not. I always find the moral distinctions on the others above quite amusing.