BootlegGames Wiki: Encyclopedia of pirated masterpieces and cloned consolesIn the world of video games, there is a huge layer of history that rarely ends up in official textbooks. This is...
In the world of video games, there is a huge layer of history that rarely ends up in official textbooks. This is a story about illegal releases, amateur developers and amazing hardware that was produced bypassing all the rules. This is exactly what the BootlegGames Wiki does. If you've ever wondered who actually made Somari or why some consoles have 50 games in one cartridge, this is the place for you. This is not just a collection of links, but a full-fledged encyclopedia dedicated to unlicensed games for 8-bit and 16-bit consoles.
The site has been operating for a long time, since May 2010, and during this time it has collected an impressive database. The wiki currently has over 1,553 pages. This is a serious amount of information that covers almost all aspects of the gray industry of the past. There is no room for officialdom here, but there is room for an honest exploration of how people circumvented the protections of Nintendo and Sega to create their own versions of popular hits.
Many people confuse the concepts of an unlicensed game and a bootleg. The BootlegGames Wiki gives a clear explanation that every gamer should know. Unlicensed games are those that were released without the approval of the console manufacturer. But not all of them are bootlegs. For example, the NES games Menace Beach and Pyramid were released without a license from Nintendo, but they are not considered bootlegs because they do not contain stolen content. They are original in essence, just made illegally.
But Somari is a classic example of a bootleg. This is an unauthorized port of Sega's Sonic, but using Nintendo's Mario character. At the same time, the game was written from scratch, without copying the code, but the rights of both companies were violated. Or take Super Mario 4 - it's a bootleg hack, a modified version of Crayon Shin Chan 4 that no one has authorized. The interesting thing is that not all hacks are bootlegs. Western release of Super Mario Bros. 2 is technically a hack of Doki Doki Panic, but it is not considered a bootleg because Nintendo made it and licensed it. The logic is complex, but everything is laid out on the website.
The structure of the site allows you to quickly find the information you need. Users can publish articles in different categories. In total there are:
Sections about engines and development tools deserve special attention. The site has information on things like Somari Engine, Street Fighter II Engine, Conys fighting engine and even Hummer Sound Engine. For enthusiasts, data on old tools has been preserved: PCPaint, TomSoft MegaDrive SDK, Nindraw, ACE3DS and EmuVT. There is also a list of demo versions of bootleg programming, which gives an idea of the technical level of those years.
BootlegGames Wiki is not just a static site. It has an active community. There is a central forum, Bootleg Games Central Forum, where you can discuss any issues related to pirated games. There is also a Discord channel for faster communication. If anyone has questions or wants to contribute to the development of the encyclopedia, new participants are always welcome there. Before you start writing articles, it is recommended to go to the help page to understand the rules of formatting.
The site supports several languages, including English and Russian, which makes it accessible to a wide audience. This is a unique resource for collectors, game historians, and simply curious people who want to understand how the video game industry worked in an era when the lines between legal and illegal were blurred.
This is a wiki site dedicated to unlicensed and bootleg games for 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. It contains information about games, developers, publishers and hardware.
An unlicensed game is released without the permission of the console manufacturer. A bootleg is a subset of an unlicensed game that usually involves stolen content or an unauthorized port of someone else's game using someone else's characters (like Somari). Some games may be unlicensed, but not bootlegs if they are original in content.
Among well-known publishers and developers: Zemina, Yenisey-Group, Micro Genius, Guangzhou Li Cheng Industry Trade Co, J. Y. Company, Sachen Bit Corp. , as well as hardware manufacturers like TV Boy and Treamcast.
Yes, there are sections about engines (Somari Engine, Street Fighter II Engine, etc.) and development tools (PCPaint, TomSoft MegaDrive SDK, Nindraw, ACE3DS, EmuVT).
You can register and create articles about games, companies or consoles.You can also join in the discussion on the Bootleg Games Central Forum or Discord channel.
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