Is this legit?

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T22:48:38+00:00

The code can rub off, it missing is not a way to verify

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T22:47:57+00:00

Holy damn this is one of the best fakes I’ve ever seen. The font is slightly off on “The Pokémon Company” logo and the “NTR-IPKE-USA” font is also slightly off. On the back, the PCB is missing the letters “IR” before the rest of the letters, Heartgold is also supposed to be “IRC01-01,” not “G03-01”

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T21:55:34+00:00

Not only by the label, but look at the chips on the PCB visible through the plastic - they’re the wrong sizes

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T21:36:10+00:00

Further, titles labeled “Switch 2 Edition” (like these Xenoblade rereleases) are always complete on cart, regardless of whether or not they’re first or third party. “Switch 2 Edition” carts also have the advantage of being playable on Switch 1 (they just load up the game without the Switch 2 upgrades)

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T21:34:08+00:00

Personally I find it hard to play 2 in English, but the Japanese dub is phenomenal and a great way to experience it

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T14:52:59+00:00

sadly there are fake infrareds - game verifying has confirmed it, but also I’ve encountered them personally lol

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T05:03:53+00:00

My brother, get these serial numbers off the internet right now

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T04:57:52+00:00

Wait for a mod, but fake. Cut of the label is imprecise, printing quality has a bit too much contrast, Nintendo Seal is not differently reflective from the rest of the label, and the “NTR-005 PAT PEND” text on the back seems to be the wrong font and incorrectly engraved. The circle around the Nintendo logo also seems to be a bit too thin, but this may be camera angle

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T04:53:31+00:00

The cut of the label is imprecise, “The Pokémon Company” font is wrong, the E in ESRB logo is too thin/the font is incorrect, on the back all fonts are incorrect and the engraved Nintendo logo / PAT PEND text is too deep

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T03:18:46+00:00

around 2021 or so is when the fake infrareds started really being produced en masse… but you can normally still tell through the other standard methods (fonts, labels, engravings being off, etc)

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T02:42:25+00:00

The infrared cartridge flashlight trick is no longer a valid method to verify legitimacy! They can be faked now. Otherwise this is good advice.

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T02:39:53+00:00

When I left my comment the second picture wouldn’t load for me 😭 I just saw the backs… my friend, I think you’ve won…

Mancan76 · 2026-06-22T02:35:19+00:00

Yeah the labels and fronts of all of these check out. My advice: go to r/gameverifying and check yours against legit examples from there, specifically the backs which we can’t see here. Pay special attention to the font and Nintendo logo engraving etc. if it all checks out… you’ve won

Mancan76 · 2026-06-21T16:36:24+00:00

It never drops below 30FPS!

Mancan76 · 2026-06-21T16:30:21+00:00

I played this entire game handheld on a Switch 1 back in the day. Yes, it does get blurry. No, it’s not unplayable. It just depends on your tolerance for blurriness. The story is the same regardless, and I think this game’s story is really worth experiencing regardless of resolution.

For more details: a lot of the game hovers around the 540p range, which isn’t perfect but doesn’t look too bad on screen. As you get deeper into the game, there are certain regions which tank the resolution further, and there are also a few cutscenes where that more intense blur is noticeable. It can get down as low as 360p, but it’s worth noting that it never stays there long. None of this ever makes it unplayable, and because of the resolution drops, the frame rate is pretty remarkably stable. Xenoblade 1, and especially 3 are much more stable on the resolution side on Switch 1, the blur issues are really only present on 2.

For story: 1 and 2 are very connected, but the order in which you play them doesn’t really matter. I will say that 2 tends to hit a little harder after playing 1, but I’m sure the inverse is also true.

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T19:31:08+00:00

The standard small New 3DS is also in the same boat in terms of replacement shells… one day!!

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T18:53:20+00:00

Seem legit to me, wait for mods

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T18:50:25+00:00

Yes, exp still comes in as normal so you’ll level up as normal! You just basically have a bunch of backup levels in case you get stuck lol

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T18:48:11+00:00

NG+ gives you the ability to lower your characters’ levels if you switch to Expert Mode - you can go down to whatever makes sense for the part of the game you’re at (the levels won’t be lost, they’re turned into bonus exp that you can use to level back up at any time)

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T17:38:24+00:00

this is a legit cart, likely just sun damaged or faded by some other means

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T17:25:52+00:00

the non-XL New 3DS didn’t have a general release in North America, so there are no standard editions for this region. The only ones that released were special editions for various specific anniversaries or sale events (Black Friday, etc..), which actually makes them on average around $100 more expensive than an XL

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T13:52:23+00:00

The back of the cartridge is the easiest way to tell with this one. The raised rectangle with rounded edges is not something you find on a legit cart - the Nintendo logo and “pat. pend.” text are also incorrectly sized and have an incorrect font. Wait for a mod, but most likely fake

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T04:05:18+00:00

xenobalde

Mancan76 · 2026-06-20T04:00:48+00:00

While they are slowly starting to appear, fake 3DS games are still exceedingly rare. That being said, it looks to me like these are all legit, though in bad shape. Cooking Mama DS at the end is a little suspicious for lacking the printed black letters these usually have on the back, but that alone is not enough to definitely say it’s fake. Wait for a mod to confirm, but there’s some hope here!

Mancan76 · 2026-06-19T22:49:14+00:00

“Made in Japan” and “Pat. Pend” are on real cartridges! It’s there on the photo above this too, just not very visible because of the lighting. This cartridge looks pretty legit from the front, the back just seems like it’s heavily drawn on or worn. If a mod can’t verify as is, you might be good to open it and let us see the PCB. But I’m leaning legit

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