A while back I warned about the dangers of counterfeit Game Boy Advance game paks that have flooded eBay and other such online flea markets (and even used game stores). Nintendo hasn't been keeping up with their anti-piracy website that points out how to spot the fakes, but Pocket Gamer has done some investigating and worked up a handy list of things for which to look when identifying counterfeit Nintendo DS game cards.
The first thing to notice is that while the fake says 'NTR-005 PAT(ent) PEND(ing),' it doesn't have an individually printed number beneath. The back of the cart is smooth, not indented like the real game, too. And finally, although impossible to see on this resolution of image, the bottom of the PCB board on the fake says 'Nintendo 001-01' instead of a more complex manufacturer code (in the case of Pokémon Ranger, it's I N-5 003-10).
Something I found interesting is that the fake game Pocket Gamer purchased did not include an instruction manual and came with a review of the game from a website instead. If you ever spot one of my reviews packaged with a counterfeit game please let me know so that I can experience that unique combination of flattery and rage ("flatterage").
(via 4 Color Rebellion)
