Puzzle Bobble Boot-Hints?

neo geo forever

Cheng's Errand Boy
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I used to have an AES system years ago. Getting back in with a MVS mobo. So I wanted to pick up Puzzle Bobble. I picked one up on ebay and got burnt with a boot. Opened it up and MX chips everywhere!

Here is the seller I got it from. I wouldnt have bought it if I knew it was bootleg.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEO-GEO-MVS-CAR...DVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260031692644

For you guys that have been buying MVS carts for a while should you just avoid ebay all together? Any hints to spot a boot seller???
 

ki_atsushi

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When a seller says "works 100%", it's usually an indicator that it's a boot. Look for a seller that will gurantee the authenticity by saying it's 100% legit.
 

BIG BEAR

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Dutch Auctions are pretty much a good giveaway as well.
The selling forums here would be the best place to buy before heading to eBay. Most MVS cartridge seller's plead IGNORANCE on Ebay when problems arise.You should also be cautious with Seller's that offer NO REFUNDS too.
BB
 
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chris1

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Sorry you got a boot as a real PB is hard to find.

Got picks of the boards..?

I've personally never seen a MX chip Puzzle Bobble Boot....It's usually the EPROM versions that I come across.

Funny thing as whenever I get stuck with a MX chip boot it works fine..It's the EPROM boot games that gives me problems ...though my perfectly working Puzzle Bobble Boot has EPROM chips..
 

neo geo forever

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Hey Big Bear I hear good things about you man...thanks for the advice! And Chris here are some pix:

DSC02306.jpg


DSC02310.jpg


DSC02309.jpg
 

neo geo forever

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chris1 said:
Got picks of the boards..?

I've personally never seen a MX chip Puzzle Bobble Boot....It's usually the EPROM versions that I come across.

Funny thing as whenever I get stuck with a MX chip boot it works fine..It's the EPROM boot games that gives me problems ...though my perfectly working Puzzle Bobble Boot has EPROM chips..

Forgot to mention it has some EPROM chips also!
 

shess

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You should definite contact the seller and try and get it refunded. If they refuse, you can always say that bootlegs are illegal and disallowed by ebay's selling policies. I went through the same thing and if you do a dispute through paypal there's a secion that says "item significantly different than described" and there should be a subheading that says counterfeit/bootleg item. The disclaimer says you might have to get someone to verify the authenticity blah blah....but they ruled in my favor even though I didn't have someone verify the game was a boot. I sent the game back, and Paypal refunded me the money and they didn't take out any fees.

Scott
 

chris1

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neo geo forever said:
Forgot to mention it has some EPROM chips also!



Ohh..:)

..........
Yea,usually the Solid MX-no eprom boot work good for me..



..........
The thing with Puzzle Bobble is that a real copy is very hard to find IMO..

Most real copies do come with an Eprom or two.(though your cart is a boot)
.I.. have heard of an all solid chip original cart but have yet to actually seen one in all my time being a member here.

IMO:an all solid chip original cart is quite rare..:eye: :eye:

Why I say this is..
If the boot works good and the price was cheap you just may want to hold on to it.......((If you want to play this game..
I don't like boots myself but you might get stuck with several boots of this game before you find a real one...I don't know how long it'll take to find a real one as this game is Hightly bootlegged..

I've never found a real one in all my searches/buying them,,I've been stuck with several boots of the game and play one perfectly working Puzzle Bobble Eprom boot..
 

neo geo forever

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Well it definitely was a learning experience. And it didnt cost me that much plus the game works...for now. Just the fact of buying a boot sucks. I'm glad we have you guys and the neo forums so that I can tell what a boot looks like. If I havent seen the pictures of bootlegs here I wouldnt know how to identify one.
 

neo geo forever

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I wonder what game they destroyed on the snk board to make this boot. :rolleyes:

Scott-- I would do that but I want to keep it for now to show my friends what a bootleg looks like and to educate them. Hopefully it will be the last boot I buy.
 
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Neo Alec

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To be honest, the way I avoided getting many boots, including Puzzle Bobble, was getting them in Japan. Boots are almost nonexistent there. If you really want a real Puzzle Bobble, I'd recommend buying on Yahoo Japan Auctions using a proxy bidding service.

And beware, even a real cart of this game still looks weird inside. It usually has at least some "windowed" EPROM's and the Power Spikes II NGH number on most of the chips.
 

Neo Alec

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Try http://shoppingmalljapan.com
Obviously being in Japan yourself is easier and cheaper, but it's generally a good service and not overly pricey. I've only used it once years ago.
 

BIG BEAR

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That Japan thing is abit extreme when avoiding boots. As I stated before,try to deal in the selling area here first but before you commit to anything,try to confirm what you'll be receiving is legit from the seller and or check the feedback rating or ask for references in the feedback area.
BB
 

neo geo forever

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Yeah Big Bear you are right. I know we are both waiting for some MVS carts from the same seller. Lets see how these turn out.
 

Neo Alec

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BIG BEAR said:
That Japan thing is abit extreme when avoiding boots. As I stated before,try to deal in the selling area here first but before you commit to anything,try to confirm what you'll be receiving is legit from the seller and or check the feedback rating or ask for references in the feedback area.
BB
Yeah, I know. My brother bought half our MVS collection in Japan and brought them home by plane with him whenever he returned to the States. It just happened to make completing the collection cheaply without any boots easier. The bidding proxy thing is an alternative though.
 

Cnidarian

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another option is the arcade shops/dealers, which all carry a selection of MVS.
here's a few that sell to overseas:

Fillmore Games (most of the pricelists seem to be gone from their site, better to E-mail them)

Fujita Communications LTD.

TOPS (stock list)

website of eBay seller USC4259

there are several other places, but they won't ship outside of Japan as far as I can tell.

YJA is alright (rare titles occasionally show up there), but will be very expensive unless you're dealing with the sellers directly using Yen currency.
 
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RocketLawnChair

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chris1 said:
.I.. have heard of an all solid chip original cart but have yet to actually seen one in all my time being a member here.
Don't quote me on this, but I believe my legit Puzzle Bobble's solid with no EPROMs. I don't have a camera, but I'll post pics if I can sometime. ;)
 

chris1

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RocketLawnChair said:
Don't quote me on this, but I believe my legit Puzzle Bobble's solid with no EPROMs. I don't have a camera, but I'll post pics if I can sometime. ;)


:buttrock:
Really...let me see it please....
 
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