MVS "Plus" & "Super Plus" Games - Worth Buying?

Hi Everyone,

I am confident that someone will be able to help me out with this. I noticed that some eBay sellers are offering MVS games labeled as "Plus" or "Super Plus".

When a game is labeled as "Plus" or "Super Plus", does that automatically indicate that it is a bootleg?

When looking for a game to purchase, should I be looking for the original game or the "Plus"/"Super Plus" version? What are the differences between an original game and its "Plus"/"Super Plus" counterpart?

Does it make any sense to have the original version of a MVS game as well as the "Plus"/"Super Plus" version of that same game?

Thanks a lot guys.

shitty boots don't waste your time!

Jag-Master said:

shitty boots don't waste your time!

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Thanks for the warning. I appreciate it.

More specifically, they are hacked bootleg versions of a particular game. It could be anything from simple color swapping of characters, new/imported backgrounds, remixed levels, etc. The thing is, the quality of such jobs is rather suspect and sometimes game breaking. It is buy at your own risk for sure.

j_heiger said:

More specifically, they are hacked bootleg versions of a particular game. It could be anything from simple color swapping of characters, new/imported backgrounds, remixed levels, etc. The thing is, the quality of such jobs is rather suspect and sometimes game breaking. It is buy at your own risk for sure.

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Hi J_heiger,

I noticed that some games are indicated as "Special". For example, Samurai Showdown V (5) Special. Does "Special" automatically equal bootleg as well?

Thanks.

No, Sam shodown V Special is a legit game, it's like a remix of part V. Same with Fatal Fury Special.

Also worth noting, Strikers 1945 Plus is the name of the real game. Although mine is actually a bootleg.

The special, plus, etc makes it all very confusing. Sam Show 5 special is a real game. But i wouldn't be surprised at all of someone hacked a copy of 5 and is calling it special for some reason or another. Be careful before you buy for sure. Fatal Fury Special is also legit and i would say you are less likely to get burned on that one.

i was at an arcade with a "special" KOF 97 cart. everytime you did Mia's she was all of a sudden totally naked (full frontal cartoon nudity). i almost went and complained to some management, not because i was offended by the content, but that other people might be, and the fact that they were profiting off of a "bootleg" and crappy game was kinda upsetting. but after seeing the 40+ bitter looking woman sitting at the desk i could tell she wouldn't care. Also everytime you connected an attack your power bar went to full. real special. glad i've got the real thing at home, plus i have plenty of hand drawn pics of Mai in her birthday suit

If I saw that in an arcade, suddenly they would start to pull a profit.

neocondition said:

Hi Everyone,

I am confident that someone will be able to help me out with this. I noticed that some eBay sellers are offering MVS games labeled as "Plus" or "Super Plus".

When a game is labeled as "Plus" or "Super Plus", does that automatically indicate that it is a bootleg?

When looking for a game to purchase, should I be looking for the original game or the "Plus"/"Super Plus" version? What are the differences between an original game and its "Plus"/"Super Plus" counterpart?

Does it make any sense to have the original version of a MVS game as well as the "Plus"/"Super Plus" version of that same game?

Thanks a lot guys.

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In short, if it's not on the "Master List" it's probably not worth your time unless you really want all versions of a particular game.

j_heiger said:

The special, plus, etc makes it all very confusing. Sam Show 5 special is a real game. But i wouldn't be surprised at all of someone hacked a copy of 5 and is calling it special for some reason or another. Be careful before you buy for sure. Fatal Fury Special is also legit and i would say you are less likely to get burned on that one.

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Hi J-heiger,

Regarding Samurai Showdown 5 Speicial, or any other MVS game for that matter, what is the surest way of telling if it is a hacked/bootleg/fake copy before purchasing? Are there any indications on the cartridge itself that would give it away as a fake?

Just because a MVS game has a Serial # on the label, does that automatically make it legit? Can labels be forged?

Thanks.

Well, sometimes you get a fake label, or a weird case, but the only surefire way of knowing it's a bootleg is by checking out the PCB's inside that case. You'll know if it's a boot. Some prime examples can be found in the boot or no boot sub-forum.

neocondition said:

Regarding Samurai Showdown 5 Speicial, or any other MVS game for that matter, what is the surest way of telling if it is a hacked/bootleg/fake copy before purchasing? Are there any indications on the cartridge itself that would give it away as a fake?

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Here is a database of legit labels:
http://hardmvs.com/labels/index.php

However, just because the cart has a fake label (or even a replacement case) it does not necessarily mean it's a bootleg; sometimes labels get torn or cases get cracked and broken. However, some titles were only available in certain cartridge colors, so there are a few misc. combinations of cart and label that people who are in the know can easily identify as bootlegs -- sadly there is no hard and fast rule for figuring it out, so you'll just have to gain experience in identifying them by perusing the "boot or no boot" subforum and by buying MVS games and getting experience looking at different types of labels.

As spaz already said, the only way to really know is by looking at the PCBs and seeing ROMs that look fishy or noticing that the soldering job looks like its been done by hand -- but even these indicators don't necessarily mean that you have a bootleg, because some carts have these features as a result of being SNK repair jobs (some carts came out of the factory like that, even).

Basically, you just have to have experience to know "for sure" -- but the "boot or no boot" subforum is a good last resort if you are really stumped.

neocondition said:

Just because a MVS game has a Serial # on the label, does that automatically make it legit?

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Of course not.

neocondition said:

Can labels be forged?

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Of course they can -- but I have yet to see a bootleg with any kind of convincing label forgery. Occasionally you will see a fake label with serial numbers but the ones I've seen always look fake. Bootleggers are not (were not?) interested in duping a small niche of Neo Geo experts who can identify a bootleg at 100 yards

For example:
SNK put a "hologram" label on some of their carts (not really a hologram, more like a shiny sticker like a drivers license -- but I always see it referred to as a hologram), and I've seen some fake labels that try to replicate it. But usually they have some other glaring error like multiple misspellings or a format that doesn't look anything like the original label

It is very tough to tell by the outside of a cart. Prime example .... I bought a copy of Neo Turf Masters. My friend an i both agree it has a legit lable and case. But it didn't work. So we opened it up to clean it. and there were all kinds of wires and stuff in the and some cardboard. It was one of the worst hack boots I have seen. Eventually we did get it working but it was not even close to legit. But even if you open it it is not always that obvious.