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2.. Is a board original or bootleg? Both will function. Some people care if a board is original or not. I personally like the idea of having an original board, there is usually more documentation on how to fix original stuff. If it doensn't matter a bootleg may save you a bunch of money.
I think you would do well to expand on what "bootleg" means. A bootleg can be:

  • A conversion: ROMs containing a game burned onto an original PCB or cartridge of another title (a la Neo-Geo bootlegs). The game may have had its software hacked to accomodate the different hardware.
  • A brand new PCB that reproduces another's circuitry directly (early '80s bootlegs, e.g. Slap Fight)
  • A brand new PCB that uses original ASICS harvested from anotehr board (an odd TMNT bootleg that was spotted using original Konami parts on a new PCB)
  • A brand new PCB that uses discrete logic, programmable logic, or new ASICS to approximate original hardware (the majority of '90s Korean and Chinese bootleg PCBs). The game may have had its software hacked to accomodate the different hardware.
Without prior knowledge, just about all of these are a gamble as to what tradeoffs you will have to face, if any.
 
Here's what I just learned today. When you buy a motherboard with a notoriously leaky battery, like a PGM, or in my case a Brezzasoft Crystal System, and the seller says, untested, well see rule #1/golden rule.

Then when the seller tells you the battery has been cut off, see rule #1 and ASK for pictures.

Yes I get it today, the battery WAS cut off, but AFTER it had already leaked and ruined the motherboard!

OK, so, who repairs Crystal Systems with acid damage?...
 
Here's what I just learned today. When you buy a motherboard with a notoriously leaky battery, like a PGM, or in my case a Brezzasoft Crystal System, and the seller says, untested, well see rule #1/golden rule.

Then when the seller tells you the battery has been cut off, see rule #1 and ASK for pictures.

Yes I get it today, the battery WAS cut off, but AFTER it had already leaked and ruined the motherboard!

OK, so, who repairs Crystal Systems with acid damage?...
It wasn't the one I saw on eBay recently was it?

I'd be happy to give it a look if no one over there will do anything, I can't promise anything but happy to try.
 
I think you would do well to expand on what "bootleg" means. A bootleg can be:
  • A conversion: ROMs containing a game burned onto an original PCB or cartridge of another title (a la Neo-Geo bootlegs). The game may have had its software hacked to accomodate the different hardware.
  • A brand new PCB that reproduces another's circuitry directly (early '80s bootlegs, e.g. Slap Fight)
  • A brand new PCB that uses original ASICS harvested from anotehr board (an odd TMNT bootleg that was spotted using original Konami parts on a new PCB)
  • A brand new PCB that uses discrete logic, programmable logic, or new ASICS to approximate original hardware (the majority of '90s Korean and Chinese bootleg PCBs). The game may have had its software hacked to accomodate the different hardware.
Without prior knowledge, just about all of these are a gamble as to what tradeoffs you will have to face, if any.
A bootleg to me is a PCB built from scratch to mimic an original one.

Those 4 cases that you mentioned above:

1) that's a conversion.
2) that's a bootleg.
3) that's a bootleg, a weird one but still a bootleg.
4) also a bootleg.
 
Here's what I just learned today. When you buy a motherboard with a notoriously leaky battery, like a PGM, or in my case a Brezzasoft Crystal System, and the seller says, untested, well see rule #1/golden rule.

Then when the seller tells you the battery has been cut off, see rule #1 and ASK for pictures.

Yes I get it today, the battery WAS cut off, but AFTER it had already leaked and ruined the motherboard!

OK, so, who repairs Crystal Systems with acid damage?...
It wasn't the one I saw on eBay recently was it?

I'd be happy to give it a look if no one over there will do anything, I can't promise anything but happy to try.
No, I got a cheaper one. I appreciate the offer, I’m going to have JNX take a look, then we’ll see.

But the point is, rule #1!
 
Here's what I just learned today. When you buy a motherboard with a notoriously leaky battery, like a PGM, or in my case a Brezzasoft Crystal System, and the seller says, untested, well see rule #1/golden rule.

Then when the seller tells you the battery has been cut off, see rule #1 and ASK for pictures.

Yes I get it today, the battery WAS cut off, but AFTER it had already leaked and ruined the motherboard!

OK, so, who repairs Crystal Systems with acid damage?...
That sucks... You can get the Crystal System motherboard relatively cheap from Korea ($80-100) as there a handful of junky games that use the actual "system". The valuable piece of the Brezzasoft hype are The Crystal of Kings and Evolution Soccer carts as they were the only two games that came in cartridge form... if you can't fix it, don't fret. Just preserve that Crystal of Kings cart as it's gold!
 
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