How do I Identify Bootleg PCB's?

Jamma that is, Not MVS carts. Any info would be great! Thanks!!

<small>[ June 12, 2003, 01:23 PM: Message edited by: Verbatum ]</small>

You have to open the cart ,or there is no way to be sure. Then look at the solder points on the chps and see if they are machine or hand soldered ,{machine would be factory and they should all be uniform } look for eproms { roms with windows } these were sometimes used bye SNK as last minute fixes or repairs ,so some games will have 1 or 2 of them.

But never all of them , look for jumpered wires running inside the cart , again this can be a repair but is indicitive of a boot. usually the chips will read Toshiba or Sharp on the origional boards and be a deep black color , a non marked chip that is a milky black is usually indicitive of a boot rom.

<small>[ June 12, 2003, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: candycab ]</small>

candycab:
You have to open the cart ,or there is no way to be sure. Then look at the solder points on the chps and see if they are machine or hand soldered ,{machine would be factory and they should all be uniform } look for eproms { roms with windows } these were sometimes used bye SNK as last minute fixes or repairs ,so some games will have 1 or 2 of them.

But never all of them , look for jumpered wires running inside the cart , again this can be a repair but is indicitive of a boot. usually the chips will read Toshiba or Sharp on the origional boards and be a deep black color , a non marked chip that is a milky black is usually indicitive of a boot rom.

Click to expand...

Oh, sorry man! I meant Jamma PCB's! loco

Verbatum:

candycab:
You have to open the cart ,or there is no way to be sure. Then look at the solder points on the chps and see if they are machine or hand soldered ,{machine would be factory and they should all be uniform } look for eproms { roms with windows } these were sometimes used bye SNK as last minute fixes or repairs ,so some games will have 1 or 2 of them.

But never all of them , look for jumpered wires running inside the cart , again this can be a repair but is indicitive of a boot. usually the chips will read Toshiba or Sharp on the origional boards and be a deep black color , a non marked chip that is a milky black is usually indicitive of a boot rom.

Click to expand...

Oh, sorry man! I meant Jamma PCB's! loco

Click to expand...

No problem , I was kind of thinking it was odd for you to be asking about MVS boots

Jamma is a bit harder since you really need the origional game to compare it to I think.

candycab:

Verbatum:

candycab:
You have to open the cart ,or there is no way to be sure. Then look at the solder points on the chps and see if they are machine or hand soldered ,{machine would be factory and they should all be uniform } look for eproms { roms with windows } these were sometimes used bye SNK as last minute fixes or repairs ,so some games will have 1 or 2 of them.

But never all of them , look for jumpered wires running inside the cart , again this can be a repair but is indicitive of a boot. usually the chips will read Toshiba or Sharp on the origional boards and be a deep black color , a non marked chip that is a milky black is usually indicitive of a boot rom.

Click to expand...

Oh, sorry man! I meant Jamma PCB's! loco

Click to expand...

No problem , I was kind of thinking it was odd for you to be asking about MVS boots

Jamma is a bit harder since you really need the origional game to compare it to I think.

Click to expand...

If the Rom chips do not have the developer/puplishers name, could that not be a red flag for a booty?

Yeah I would say that would definitly be a clue , I mean I could see maybe a few being replaced ,but there would still be many with the companies name on them. Espicially on Konami and Taito boards ,they tend to be label happy loco

I dont think Ive really seen too many Jamma boots , a few Pac Man, MS Pac's before and a Ghost & Goblins but I dont think Ive ever really seen any others since most jamma PCBS are usually dirt cheap and easy to obtain.

An original Pcb,without original roms cannot really be considered as a bottleg.
A bootleg is a low quality model of a pcb.
(Some rare games have better bootleg pcb's than original)
Sometimes it is only one big Pcb, sometimes it is a real tower(4/5 pcbs(legend of hero tomna,etc..))

Provide pictures, i am sure MKL will be pleased to answer

Bootleg JAMMA boards usually look like cheap bootlegs, so it's somewhat easy to tell.