Once long ago I owned a copy of Tetris for the Mega Drive. The knock-off bootleg version. Then I traded it away long before I knew how rare it was. Well, that is, how rare the actual licensed version is. Knowing that I’d never end up with the licensed copy I really wanted to try and get my bootleg version back. Not so easy. Those few times it showed up on ebay it was listed for hundreds of dollars. Sometimes for just the cart.
Then recently I saw it listed for $350. I don’t know why but I made an offer for $100. Not nothing but far from the asking price. I got a counter offer asking $150. That was down a lot but I really honestly felt like I was at my limit. I replied explaining that $100 was all I wanted to do, including shipping. I got another reply stating that if it wasn’t sold after the up coming weekend that my offer of $100 would be accepted. I was pretty excited. At the same time I still feel a little crazy for spending $100 but this one game will be a place holder in my collection for the single rarest game for the Genesis/Mega Drive. I’m pretty sure I’m really happy with this 😛
A BIG Danke Schön to my fellow collector auf Deutschland!
This is my new Bootleg Mega Drive Tetris. Not mint, but pretty good:
The assumption is that some were spared and got out into the wild. Which is why this version of Tetris is so rare and why someone on ebay got a little crazy in the head. Signed Licensed Sega Mega Drive Tetris:
Wildly over priced eBay auction for Tetris:
While searching for pictures of the license version I came across some really well made custom case covers and labels that I might print up some time. I believe the person who posted them also created them. The following is a link for many more excellent covers: http://www.box.net/shared/5qi65zpjbp
Tetris Case Cover Sleeve and cartridge lable:
With all of the recent hype for the originally licensed Tetris it really nailed home the idea that I’ll never have it. Which for me adds some extra value to my bootleg copy. For fun I even considered trying to Photoshop up a copy that looks like the licensed version but despite how simple the Tetris cover looks it’s really not that easy to reproduce (at least for me).
And from a poster that I enjoy following here’s a youtube video detailing the ‘what’s what’ of the licensed Mega Drive Tetris.
Retro Megabit 
I just found myself a copy of the unlicensed Tetris game for the Mega Drive!! 😀 for 120$ ^___^ but it also had some sort of copied manual and was in nice condition ^_^
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Very nice 🙂 You paid a pretty typical price. And since we’ll never have the official version this really is a nice addition. And it helps too that it’s also a good game. I spent a lot of time playing this Tetris. Very addictive with really hypnotic music.
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Honestly There is no “Legit or Licensed” copy of Sega Tetris since everything is a prototype copy, and for sure japanese prototype were send also to japan. Until the battle of License of Tetris for Nintento and Sega when nintendo won the license.
Possibly the guy who signature the game to the designer, 1st ever declaration its “Legit” since it was signed by him, But still it will NEVER be the 1st Licensed copy since its a Unlicensed. Nintendo has the only copyright and authorized to declared any copy or it will be against the Law.
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Hi Harold,
You are definitely correct. I was should have said the image of the Japanese Sega Mega Drive Tetris is what it was going to look like if it was officially licensed and released by Sega as they originally intended. But since they lost the license for Tetris they never had an official copy. And there are none out there in the world.
That being said I would still love to have a copy of this Sega produced unlicensed version if some of them actually did survive.
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I can hook you guys up with a copy. I made a few myself! email me stevers@8bitevolution.com
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I mean cartridge, box and ive been working on a manual too!
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Hi Stevers,
That’s pretty cool.
I’ve love to see a picture of the box and manual you’ve made.
Did you make it to look like the Japanese version that was never released?
I’d be interested.
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