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djsheep

Multi Boyz Overlord
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Just wondering how to tell a Dolphin Blue boot from an original. I know you usually check the serial number, but the cart I have been offered has a missing label? Three chips inside have Sammy stamps on them?
 
Original has 3 Sammy chips on the left if you orient it in the way that the Sammy labels on the chip are the right way around. There are 2 additonal Sammy labeled chips on the Bottom side of the board where the connector is.
 
Thanks! This one's definitely an original by the looks of things. Pity the label is missing...

What's the going rate for an original like this these days (missing label, but repro included)?
 
For some reason I don't think there are many Dolphin Blue bootlegs around. It's strange that it was never a very bootlegged game.

(No idea on price)
 
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Just wondering how to tell a Dolphin Blue boot from an original. I know you usually check the serial number, but the cart I have been offered has a missing label? Three chips inside have Sammy stamps on them?
without a label the case is a dead giveaway. Original cases are completely smooth under the label, bootleg cases have a big ugly circular defect in the center from a vent hole in the molding process. If you have a cart in your hands you can feel this through the label too.

s-l1600.jpg

Also most bootlegs have square label corners instead of rounded like the original and most are also missing the holographic sticker. not all originals have the holo sticker though and some bootlegs do have high quality rounded corners and replica holo stickers (but it seems pretty rare).

It's super easy to tell a bootleg PCB if you get PCB picks too, bootlegs generally look like bootlegs with jankey soldering and chip numbers scratched off, chinese stickers etc.

Bootleg PCB:
boot_aw.jpg


Originals usually have "Sammy" or "SEGA" silkscreened on the PCB and the chips and use really fine pitched ROM chips. the PCB quality and design is similar to other NAOMI era stuff; it's pretty distinct:
4802.jpg
 

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Here's a collage of the 3 pics I have. Looks like an original PCB with repro shell and sticker...

dolphin-collage.jpg
 
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I had a similar one (repro shell, OG board) a handful of years ago. Sold it cheap to a buddy of mine when I picked up another copy on YAJ. IIRC, the last few YAJ sales have ranged from $400 to $500 (over the last 12-18 months), depending on artwork, condition, etc. I haven't seen it on tops, surugaya, or anywhere similar for quite a while so I'm not sure what their prices would be. Also not sure what the appropriate discount is for the repro cart and label.

Great game. Always fun to defend the Kingdom of Bluetear ;) against the evil Empire of the Iron Standard.
 
I’m going to bite. The price is quite decent if ~$400-500 is the going rate. There’s a copy right now on KVC Lab that’s around what you said. I have this on my Naomi NetBoot but will like the convenience of playing on my 15khz cabs without having to plug in a whole Naomi setup and Capcom IO. I need to get an Atomiswave motherboard anyhow.

Thanks for chiming in and also the insight behind your username :)
 
Haha, I did wonder if anyone had recognized it from the game. Definitely a good one to pick up even if just for the convenience vs. the netboot setup. It's one of my favorite co-op games (and a surprisingly fun one to play for score).

Definitely worth it if it's at a decent price, especially since there's never been a port (other than to the Naomi, of course), the repros are no longer produced, and an Atomiswave multi seems like an impossible dream (although I did like reading about the awesome work @brizzo was doing in connection with the unreleased AW games a few years ago). I hope we hear some more about those in the not-too-distant future.

Great pickup, @djsheep.
 
Here's a collage of the 3 pics I have. Looks like an original PCB with repro shell and sticker...
Well that is an interesting photo! Strange there would be enough effort to repro shells and labels, but somehow have original cartridge pcbs... without shells?

Chinese seller?
 
Here's a collage of the 3 pics I have. Looks like an original PCB with repro shell and sticker...
Well that is an interesting photo! Strange there would be enough effort to repro shells and labels, but somehow have original cartridge pcbs... without shells?
Chinese seller?
Could be some reasons like below.

1. Original shell damaged beyond repair, better to save game.
2. Original shell removed and sold with bootleg DB cart. Tricks buyer into thinking it's real.
3. Long shot, figure out how to create DB cart with real chips/PCB, like a conversion?
 
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I went and looked through my folder of bootleg cart photos and see now the serial number in the photo above is the same as the original run of bootleg cartridges. Might even guess the seller is just playing a bait and switch and djsheep will get a bootleg cart pcb too.

2. It is a repro shell, originals dont have a sprue on the top label area

3. Nah, the sammy roms are one-time programmable chips.
 
I went and looked through my folder of bootleg cart photos and see now the serial number in the photo above is the same as the original run of bootleg cartridges. Might even guess the seller is just playing a bait and switch and djsheep will get a bootleg cart pcb too.

2. It is a repro shell, originals dont have a sprue on the top label area

3. Nah, the sammy roms are one-time programmable chips.
2. Yes, what I meant is the original shell was removed from this one, and sold earlier with a bootleg PCB inside. Then the seller, still has the original PCB, puts in a blank red repro shell, and now double dips by selling an original cart as well (this one).

3. I said it was a long shot, likely #1 or #2.
 
Here's a collage of the 3 pics I have. Looks like an original PCB with repro shell and sticker...
Well that is an interesting photo! Strange there would be enough effort to repro shells and labels, but somehow have original cartridge pcbs... without shells?
Chinese seller?
Yeah, one of our trusted Chinese sellers so it won’t be anything dodgy. I’ll try find more info on the origin of the game origin. It seems like the stickers are the originals used for the old repros? Maybe they’ll come back???
 
The KOFXI that sheep is selling on ebay (where I assume those pics came from) is genuine PCB, repro shell and label. You can ask directly for photos of the PCB, and sheep even posts on here. Totally on the up-and-up, they don't misrepresent what they're selling.

The shells are a dead giveaway, as well as looking at the board itself, as already called out. You can generally find Sammy/SEGA silkscreens on the boards and chips. It's also interesting to note that the bootlegs use the same handful of serial numbers, which is another dead giveaway. There is a list online somewhere that I can't find at the moment, but here are the serials on my bootleg carts in case you're curious:

* MS6: 3500510
* FotNS: 3400167
I also have a bootleg Dolphin Blue, but it's way up on a high shelf and I am too lazy to grab it right now :P I will probably add all of this info to the AO Wiki page.

The boots, including Dolphin Blue, were extremely common 5-8 years ago, and very easy to buy for very little money. I got all of mine for a little under $40 with shipping from China.
 
The boots certainly were cheap and readily available, I nabbed MS6 but regret not getting more. They just disappeared without warning.
 
i've seen a brand new kit of Dolphin Blue but the cost is 1200 euro + shipping . i don;'t know what is the price for a kit like this
 
The boots certainly were cheap and readily available, I nabbed MS6 but regret not getting more. They just disappeared without warning.
Me too.

I'd gotten a couple at the time, and I've been lucky enough to snag some boots this past year, but there are still some AW games I'd love to get (and don't care about being original).

On that note, has anyone seen a Dirty Pigskin Football boot?
 
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