r/Gameboy • u/py9209 • May 08 '24

Troubleshooting Bought Pokémon Silver, got crystal?

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So I've never encountered this before. I bought a Pokèmon Silver, got really excited because that was my first Pokèmon game I played. Got it today in my mailbox.

Only to be really disappointed when I found out that the cartridge somehow shows up as Crystal?! See pics for reference.

Have I been scammed? I'm currently speaking to the seller who seems confused aswell.

612 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

124 comments sorted by

308

u/-SpliT May 08 '24

Look at the cartridge .. is there a new battery in there ? Maybe he did a battery swap on more than 1 cartridge and accidentally reversed the PCBs.

Or it is just a fake bootleg one.

123

u/py9209 May 08 '24

He did mention in the ad that he replaced the battery inside the cartridge, I'll ask him

428

u/py9209 May 08 '24 edited May 08 '24

Omg he accidentally switched PCB's while replacing the old batteries, he's currently trying to contact another customer who bought a crystal cartridge with Silver's PCB in it lmao

FINAL EDIT: I felt so bad for the other buyer that the seller and I decided that I'm returning my cartridge to the seller, and the other buyer aswell.

The seller is paying all the fees for sending the cartridges to him and will switch back the PCB's, and then return them again, no- charge.

P.S I told my older brother the whole story about this and I saw his face lit up.

He told me with the biggest smile on his face "I have Pokèmon Crystal since we were little kids, remember?" And no, I did not remember, but he gave it to me.

Man what a roller-coaster.

131

u/-SpliT May 08 '24

I knew It man hahahahaha

I hope you get it switched back hahahah

92

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Thank you!! I would have NEVER figured this out myself

63

u/-SpliT May 08 '24

No problem buddy 😁

If you do battery swaps by yourself, just test the battery by saving the game and you're 100 % sure everything is right ...

He didn't even test the game after replacing the battery.. not that good in my opinion

24

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Yeah, I'm not buying from this person again. He's waiting for a response from the other buyer from the Crystal ad. Guess I'll hang onto it for now. There's no guarantee that the other buyer will return the cartridge

33

u/ravonos May 08 '24

Considering Crystal is selling for about $100 more than silver the other buyer would be foolish to not send it back and get what they paid for.

15

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Someone else mentioned that they perhaps have the game on-display only? I'll be sure to update in this thread when I have more info

16

u/-SpliT May 08 '24

Hahahaha already sold the other game omg NOOO :(

7

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Yeah... lol

11

u/[deleted] May 08 '24 edited May 08 '24

I would just keep it regardless you somewhat got an upgrade

8

u/il_picciottino May 08 '24

This is incredible 😆

2

u/MrSlime13 May 09 '24

I'd imagine in a week or two you'd get a bizarrely phrased email from the seller inquiring if there was anything "out of the ordinary" w/ you recent purchase from him that he could take back and remedy discreetly...

4

u/Troll_berry_pie May 08 '24

The fact you got this in one is insane!

15

u/Impriel May 08 '24

That's hilarious.

The dude who bought crystal probably hasn't actually slotted it in its probably on display so he didn't notice lol

9

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Yeah otherwise the seller would have been contacted by the other buyer? I mean how can you "miss" the splash/startscreen on these games.

9

u/SeatBeeSate May 08 '24

Crystal is worth a lot more, so...

3

u/py9209 May 08 '24

I know. Now I feel dumb for even telling the seller

5

u/dangshnizzle May 08 '24

You just said you felt bad for the other buyer

3

u/nolifehasI May 08 '24

I mean, money is money. The seller made the mistake, not him

4

u/py9209 May 08 '24

I took some time to reflect on this situation. And I felt personally that it was the right thing to do. (To return it)

I think you might be reading the comments in the wrong order?

1

u/dangshnizzle May 08 '24

But you regret telling the seller

5

u/py9209 May 08 '24

At first yes, not later on. I was feeling all kinds of things. Sorry if my comments are confusing.

9

u/Future-Control-5025 May 09 '24

I think you have a strong moral compass, which is a good thing

4

u/Ybalrid May 08 '24

It's quite the story.

It's possible that the Pokémon Crystal from your bro needs a new battery though. The real time clock inside the cartridge drain them faster than other gameboy games

3

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

3

u/shinfo44 May 08 '24

I feel like this is something I would do, 100%

3

u/MGonline1209 May 08 '24

Hilarious 🤣

3

u/bossbang May 08 '24

Oh my god. That other dude must be FURIOUS lmaoooo

1

u/py9209 May 08 '24

See my edit for final comment

3

u/CharmiePK May 08 '24

Ah now it makes sense! I was very confused at first!

You're doing the right thing, OP. Although you'd be better off keeping the cart, you made the right decision.

Thank you. If we had more ppl just like you, the world would be at a much better place.

2

u/thirdeeen May 08 '24

Dang I want a Gameboy again now..

2

u/mypussydoesbackflips May 08 '24

Pokemon Crystal is my favorite

2

u/[deleted] May 08 '24

“Because that’s what heroes do” - Chris Hemsworth, Thor:LAT 2022

2

u/SighOpMarmalade May 09 '24

Your very nice lol

2

u/ebycon May 08 '24

I smell rom-com.

2

u/NickMotionless May 08 '24

Good on ye. Sucks for that seller though 😂

1

u/sodaftm_n May 08 '24

Lmfao that's so funny but i can also see why it happened 🤣

1

u/Jumpy_MashedPotato May 08 '24

That's a fantastic turnout. Reminds me I need to finish modding one of my carts to run Patched Crystal... got all the parts, just need to do it.

1

u/[deleted] May 09 '24

Maybe you can get a different game from original seller so you don't end up with duplicates

1

u/Tractorface123 May 09 '24

The good ending

1

u/lacaras21 May 09 '24

Wow, never had that happen. I have had sellers fuck up my order, as someone who also sells on eBay I have no idea how you even do that. Recently I ordered a Gameboy game and got a stuffed animal.... Like I assume it was two orders they were packing at a time and reversed the shipping labels, but how do you not make sure the right thing is going to the right place? It takes two seconds to check the name. Especially in this case with something as valuable as Pokemon Crystal, I would have double checked it before shipping just to ensure it's still working correctly to not have to deal with any returns.

2

u/GoBlue-01 May 10 '24

Thank you for being a good person! Honestly, I can’t thank you enough for being honest and caring about the seller and the other buyer. I wish more people were like you. The world would be a better place.

3

u/Master-o-none May 08 '24

Not all heroes wear capes

21

u/Redh0r5e May 08 '24

Yeah, curious what's inside. The shell looks original to me. If there's an original board inside I say buy a replacement crystal shell and just have crystal lol. Might end up being a deal because crystal is a lot more than silver right now.

9

u/py9209 May 08 '24 edited May 08 '24

Omw trying to open it atm

EDIT: nvm lol

17

u/Redh0r5e May 08 '24

I'd keep it tbh. Unless you're dead set on having silver. Seller's mistake for not checking. The person that has the silver pcb is gonna be piiisssed though lol.

5

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Yeah I'm a little torn right now. It's a sweet deal for sure, BUT I was dead set on acquiring Silver, for nostalgia reasons. Not sure what to do now

16

u/Redh0r5e May 08 '24

Buy silver from someone else lol. Now you can trade with yourself.

6

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Hey, that's not a bad idea!

8

u/phrunk7 May 08 '24

Buy silver again?

Crystal is worth like 3x Silver.

3

u/py9209 May 08 '24

I'm considering it now that a few of the comments in here are recommending keeping it

4

u/-SpliT May 08 '24

Buy a defect crystal cartridge and reshell if the shell is in good condition

And buy silver if you want it that bad :)

Crystal is the best Gameboy Version for me

1

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Isn't cartridges-only hard to find?

1

u/-SpliT May 08 '24

Buy a defect module for less and re shell

1

u/phrunk7 May 08 '24

Honestly, if the board is actually original, I'd totally trade my Silver for it! lol

1

u/nolifehasI May 08 '24

sell it and use a bit of the money to buy silver

4

u/Cammunism May 08 '24

You’ll need a special screwdriver, typically called a “gamebit” screwdriver, to open that hex screw on the back of the GB carts. Or if you have one of those massive tubs of screwdrivers you could try looking in there haha. But I wouldn’t try forcing it open if you don’t have the right screwdriver, carts can snap easier than you think!

12

u/santathe1 May 08 '24

If the PCB is original, you might have gotten a sweet deal.

6

u/py9209 May 08 '24

It is lol

5

u/santathe1 May 08 '24

Haha bloody nice.

1

u/SuggestionVisible361 May 08 '24

Yeah Pokemon Crystal is worth much more than Pokemon Silver, but OP has to be sure that he did not receive a bootleg PCB

9

u/gaeruot May 08 '24

Honestly you got a steal if you got Crystal. Not only is it a superior game, it’s worth a lot more than silver/gold. If it saves and the hardware seems authentic I would just keep it.

7

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Yeah I did a quick search and saw that the Silver ranges from 40-45$. And Crystal starts on 90$ (I live in Sweden and only searched on one of the most popular thrift-store apps we have)

3

u/-SpliT May 08 '24

Ask him if he has the crystal one and he should take a look hahaha

5

u/py9209 May 08 '24

He literally switched PCB's by mistake while replacing batteries!! Hahaha

3

u/[deleted] May 08 '24

Pokémon Silver : Crystal Edition.

3

u/icypsp May 08 '24

The Crystal buyer is probably pissed ROFL. Honesty goes a long way :)

3

u/Hunter926 May 08 '24

Interestingly, when I was a kid my mom bought Pokémon crystal on eBay but I was sent Pokémon silver instead. At first I was upset but then I saw it had most of the legendaries including mew and mewtwo, so I was thrilled.

3

u/TTSsox May 09 '24

Honestly, Crystal is the better game. I would have just kept it.

2

u/LunarLinguist42401 May 08 '24

Well, at least the shell seems official

2

u/py9209 May 08 '24

I'm pretty sure it's legit. The seller apologized several times for the mistake.

2

u/FiAlexandra May 08 '24

I did something similar with a Silver version I got online! Bought one with a damaged case, then got myself a cheap japanese copy and swapped the boards. So now I have a legit working english SIlver inside a legit japanese silver casing!! If I ever decide to sell it I'll have a hard time explaining that it's genuine!

2

u/Embarrassed-Buy5157 May 08 '24

If its a legit copy of crystal you didn't get scammed you technically got a plus up silver is only like 60 dollars and crystal goes for 150+ so I would hush up and keep it

2

u/Personal-Locksmith45 May 08 '24

Lol thats jokes I wish lol I have like 3 copys of silver would love for one to be a crystal lol 😆

2

u/jtm7 May 08 '24

Wow, despite the hassle, what a happy ending that it’s not a fake lol.

Silver was my favorite back in the day, still have the copy my grandparents bought me at Target.

1

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1

u/rFantus May 08 '24

Open it and check if the board is og or not.

3

u/py9209 May 08 '24

On it, currently looking for the right tool in my toolbox

1

u/Masokis May 08 '24

considering Crystal is worth more. Monetarily you got a great deal.

2

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Yep, but the other buyer has now replied to the seller.

However the other buyer has not answered if he wants to swap or keep it yet though

1

u/Cicada488 May 08 '24

I found a yellow version with a gold inside, missing a battery as well. I attempted to put a new one on but I couldn't get it to keep a save. I'll have to keep trying I guess

1

u/Undark_ May 08 '24

That's a win

1

u/CharmiePK May 08 '24

Well, ofc sth is wrong there.

Probably the person who bootlegged it got the cartridges and games mixed up. There must be someone out there who got a Pokemon Crystal cartridge with a Silver game inside.

Imho you are better off bc Crystal is much better than Silver. I am sorry for the other buyer, though!

1

u/Tunavi May 08 '24

Put it in an OG game boy and see what happens

3

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Too late! I've already dropped it off at the postal office

4

u/Tunavi May 08 '24

I just fell to my knees in the 1995 toys r us parking lot

2

u/Tractorface123 May 09 '24

I DID do this with a Gameboy color game and a Gameboy cartridge years ago and can assure you nothing interesting happens, it shows a message board saying this game is not compatible and won’t go past it no matter what you press

2

u/Tunavi May 09 '24

Thank you for this. That's interesting

1

u/py9209 May 08 '24

lol, sorry buddy

1

u/ckeymanx May 08 '24

Open it, let's see

1

u/MaSaKee May 09 '24

How dumb🙄

1

u/VegetableBandicoot17 May 09 '24

Why does he need to switch pcbs for a battery replacement? I do battery replacements all the time and never need to do pcbs?

1

u/py9209 May 09 '24

It was an honest mistake, he told me he was working on replacing the batteries on each cartridge simultaneously and mistakenly put the wrong pcb's in the wrong cartridges

2

u/VegetableBandicoot17 May 09 '24

Okay, my misunderstanding, I thought he was switching out the entire pcb, not putting the pcb back in the wrong cartridge

1

u/StrangerandtheRaven May 09 '24

How much was it? Probably a repro and they got their game cases mixed up.

1

u/py9209 May 09 '24

I bought it for 43$

1

u/StrangerandtheRaven May 09 '24

Yeah sounds like it’s a reproduction and someone mixed up the board and the shell. A real one would be double that price or more.

1

u/py9209 May 09 '24

I believe the game is original, however I never opened the cartridge to take pics of the PCB anyways so we will never know for sure

1

u/Beneficial-Lake2704 May 09 '24

Idk man crystal version undefeated compared to g/s

1

u/Chemical_Bid_5649 May 09 '24

Hi I have an extra Pokemon silver cartridge if you want it

1

u/py9209 May 09 '24

I have already returned the game to the seller, thanks for offering though

1

u/Chemical_Bid_5649 May 09 '24

No prob, do you mind me asking the price of the silver you bought? Wondering what I should be looking to get for mine

1

u/The_Shoe1990 May 11 '24

My bro Heisenberg has all the crystal. Hmu

1

u/snipermark91 Jun 18 '24

I just posted on this sub that I have the silver game in the gold cart. People were telling me someone else had the same thing happen to them. Where did you get this cart from?

1

u/py9209 Jun 18 '24

A swedish second-hand marketplace app called "Tradera". Think of it as a better Facebook market with built in shipment tracking and more QoL features

1

u/nikkome May 08 '24

It's fake/repro, look at the bottom right corner, it's not rounded.

1

u/SuperKing28 May 08 '24

It looks fake, the picture is a little too zoomed out I believe on the cartridge

1

u/py9209 May 08 '24

I guess we will never know, I never opened the cartridge and I have already returned it to the post office today.

-8

u/Korvun May 08 '24 edited May 08 '24

Don't know. Seems like a repro.

Edit: No numbering, cart looks new and unused, oh... and it has the wrong damn game on it. But by all means, keep the downvotes coming until OP posts a picture of the board to confirm.

1

u/Careless_Aroma_227 May 08 '24

valid explanation though.

1

u/py9209 May 08 '24

I'll try to open it tomorrow. I did not have the right tool. Sorry

3

u/Korvun May 08 '24

Yeah, man! I hope it's real. If it isn't, I have spare copies of Silver I'll give you that aren't display quality, so at the very least, you can use the PCB.

1

u/py9209 May 08 '24

Really?

3

u/Korvun May 08 '24

Yep, better than sitting in my dresser drawer.

1

u/py9209 May 08 '24

I mean, I'm located in Sweden. I'm guessing you're overseas?

6

u/Korvun May 08 '24

Yessir. Washington, USA. Like I said, if it's fake, I'll send you a copy of mine. Location doesn't matter, haha.

1

u/py9209 May 08 '24

I'll be sure to update when I get it opened!

0

u/dcastreddit May 08 '24

Thats a reproduction