It is a serious crime to copy video games!

**Atari 5200** · 03-24-2009, 12:01 PM

I was testing out my new monster s-video cables I recently bought on amazon (thanks Retromangia) and hooked them up to my super nintendo. I popped in Super mario all-stars+super mario world and up came this screen.

I'm just curious to why and how it came up. I cleaned the cart and tried again and no problems ever since.

**NE146** · 03-24-2009, 12:03 PM

You realize that buying that monster s-video cable automatically puts you on the FBI watch list right?.. you better watch your step!

**TonyTheTiger** · 03-24-2009, 12:45 PM

Probably just a glitch. Those screens come up whenever the game detects something in between the cartridge and the console. It actually happens when you use a Game Genie, not just a copier. I don't see why it would happen otherwise, though. Maybe the connection was just bad that one time.

**Pezcore343** · 03-24-2009, 01:30 PM

It's the same thing that causes the NES to do the old blinky power light and white screen I believe. If the console can't properly read the game (because of dust or whatever) it assumes it is a pirated copy and won't run it. So since cleaning the game solved that seems like the logic conclusion.

**bb_hood** · 03-24-2009, 01:52 PM

Yeah, I see this every once in awhile when I pop in a old, grungy game. Basically just needs to be cleaned again..

**JLukas** · 03-24-2009, 02:06 PM

What is happening is the game will do a checksum on blocks of its code related to copy protection. Dirty cart contacts will cause some of the bytes to be read incorrectly, and the checksum fails. The game assumes the routines were tampered with and displays the warning.

**eskobar** · 03-24-2009, 02:30 PM

Confess, Mr Atari 5200; did you commit a serious crime ?

:P

**Superman** · 03-24-2009, 02:53 PM

I've only seen that message a few times on my SNES. I had forgotten about it.

It's funny because the only one of my games I remember seeing that message on is: Super Mario Allstars.

**iloveguns** · 03-24-2009, 03:16 PM

lol first time i saw that.. and its pretty funny..

**c0ldb33r** · 03-24-2009, 05:33 PM

Happened to me once on Super Mario All stars, just needed a cleaning.

**Greg2600** · 03-24-2009, 06:13 PM

Surprised it didn't ask you why you paid X for a Monster cable worth X/10?

**Atari 5200** · 03-24-2009, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by eskobar

Confess, Mr Atari 5200; did you commit a serious crime ?

:P

Umm.....well, there was this one time when my brother dared me to do perverted acts with a super nintendo....oh, thank god for the eject button!

**Sonicwolf** · 03-24-2009, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by bb_hood

Yeah, I see this every once in awhile when I pop in a old, grungy game. Basically just needs to be cleaned again..

Funny, I have had Super Nintendo since 1994 and never once have I had this problem with it.

**evildragon** · 03-25-2009, 11:03 AM

Don't copy that floppy!

**The 1 2 P** · 03-25-2009, 04:17 PM

It's always been my understanding that as far as the law is concerned, coping is only a crime when you are using it for some sort of personal and/or beneficial gain. Obviously selling the pirated copies would be a crime but so would giving your friends the pirated copies. I realize some people may look at it as "whats the difference between lending them my real copy and lending them my pirated copy". I'm not a lawyer nor do I play one on DP so I can't really give the full breakdown. But I do know that if you make a copy of a game you own just so that you have the copy as a spare, the FBI should leave you alone......maybe.

**Sonicwolf** · 03-25-2009, 04:44 PM

Last time I read one of those EULA agreements in the instruction manuals, I got the feeling it was just saying "You and only you are allowed to play this game. You cant lend it out, resell it, copy it or play with other people." lol.

**Tupin** · 03-25-2009, 06:14 PM

I got that with Donkey Kong Country, it was just dirty. Interestingly enough, it has this quote in it:

"The contents of this Caution do not interfere with your statutory rights."

Do they know that people have the right to make a copy of their game for archival/backup purposes, a right secured by a national law?

**Rickstilwell1** · 03-25-2009, 08:06 PM

Donkey Kong Country 2 was the funniest I have seen. It shows Diddy and Dixie in jail with sad looks on their faces while displaying the same message. I laughed and eventually bought a new cartridge that was in better condition as I saw the screen too many times. I think my original cartridge was pretty worn out as I had lent it to friends in school a few times after I completed it myself. They must have blown in it a lot.