Is My New Rage Of The Dragons MVS Cart...A BOOT!?

SuperMegaUltra

Geese's Thug
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Dec 15, 2003
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...I really hope not, though I'm afraid it might be.

When I plug it in and turn it on, the start-up logo shows the words "Neo•Geo" and nothing else: neither "Max 330 Mega Pro-Gear Spec SNK" nor "Giga Power Pro-Gear Spec SNK" appear. Also, during game-play, the health gauges and winning quotes are both mysteriously absent. Finally, adding insult to injury, the screen is full of vertical lines that inexplicably disappear after a few minutes.

I know that Rage Of The Dragons is notorious for being problematic and quirky, but I worry that this may be more. Please help by voicing your professional opinion. Here are the following photos.

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So, what's the verdict: is it a finicky original, dastardly boot, some sort of poor repair job?
 

madman

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350px-BootsyCollins.jpg
 

Jag-Master

"Hey, are we done here?..., Cause I'm losing my bu
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:lol: @ madman..............nice
 

SuperMegaUltra

Geese's Thug
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Posts
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Thanks for the lightning fast and overwhelmingly universal response, everybody. It looks like there's no doubt about it; I bought a big, bad, boot. How disappointing and frustrating this whole experience has suddenly become! :(

I purchased it from an eBay auction -- as seen here -- last Friday, August 22nd, 2008. Payment was sent the following Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 and the package just arrived today, Friday, August 29th, 2008. The listing did mention selling the item "as-is," though that rhetoric seems normal for many electronic listings, especially of older arcade stuff. I even sent the seller a question before the auction ended, asking if the cartridge was an original or a bootleg. He replied quite promptly, but didn't claim to know.

I'll do my best to negotiate a refund. Though it carries an "as-is" label, counterfeit merchandise like this shouldn't tolerated. The seller must never be allowed to offer a phony product and shrug off responsibility by pointing to an "as-is" statement in the eBay auction's description. Hopefully, that scenario won't happen. :)

If you'd like, I'd be happy to keep you all updated as to what happens next. I'll be sending a refund request shortly. Thankfully, the seller both responds to queries and ships out parcels at insanely fast speeds. Here's hoping for a happy ending to what has become an otherwise regrettable predicament.

P.S. Would anyone be willing to sell me an original and cartridge-only Rage Of The Dragons, Neo•Geo MVS? :cool:
 
Last edited:

Xian Xi

JammaNationX,
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For "AS IS" to be vaild with paypal it has to be in the first 2 sentences of the description. Also it is paypal policy that you receive a working cart, your cart besides being a boot is defective. File a paypal claim. Also say that it was found to be a bootleg, non-original item.
 

madman

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SMU, for future reference, you can tell that that cart is likely a boot due to the fake label. Of course it could be a repro label, but vague EBay description + fake label generally = boot. Good luck with your quest for a refund.
 

loegan43

I've served my time in the Dark Army., Have you?,
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SMU, for future reference, you can tell that that cart is likely a boot due to the fake label. Of course it could be a repro label, but vague EBay description + fake label generally = boot. Good luck with your quest for a refund.


Good rule of thumb, I always assume it's a boot if the label looks off. Better off not taking the chance and being stuck with a boot.
 

Neo Alec

Ned's Ninja Academy Dropout
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I know that Rage Of The Dragons is notorious for being problematic and quirky [...]
Not really. The cartridges were manufactured with a flaw that makes them not work with certain MVS boards, but otherwise the game itself is fine. It either works or it doesn't.
 

SuperMegaUltra

Geese's Thug
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Dec 15, 2003
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Thanks for the concern and help, all. I've sent a reply via eBay message and regular e-mail asking him to mutually withdraw from our transaction. I'll return the bootleg and receive a refund; he'll receive his merchandise and recoup his eBay fees. It'll be a win/win situation all the way around. Keep your fingers crossed that everything can be handled in an amicable and speedy manner. :)
 

Jaelus

Over Top Auto Mechanic
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You can tell by the fingerboard alone without even opening up the cart. Though not to say there are boots that are not like this, when the fingerboard looks generic with every finger on each side with no spaces and all are single width, it's a boot.
 
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