GameCard (ООО "ГеймКард") is a Russian company that has been producing cartridges for Dendy and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis consoles in Russia since about 2010. These cartridges are still sold in Russia and are very popular. The origin of the company is unknown, but considering that some Russian games for the Sega Mega Drive owned by Kudos were released on GameCard cartridges, it can be assumed that this company is associated with Kudos. GameCard cartridges are notorious among Russian gamers because of their poor quality.
Characteristics of Cartridges[]
Dendy[]
The front and back sides of Dendy cartridge by GameCard. The game is DuckTales 2 (Russian translation).
The cartridges for Dendy have a bright orange wavy body, which was previously used in cartridges from New Game. The board in the cartridges is simplified and does not fit tightly to the case. The covers use images from the Internet, usually related to the game or the franchise on which it is based. The names of the games are mostly spelled correctly, but sometimes they contain errors, such as incorrect numbering, which is found in most pirated cartridges. Some cartridges contain Russian-language translations of games available on the Internet. These cartridges have the inscription "Русская версия" (Russian version). Cartridges without this label mostly contain completely original game ROMs. Also, on GameCard cartridges you can find bootleg games and hacks, some of which are also translated into Russian. There are YH, NJ, VT and AA series among the multicards. The address of the organization is indicated on the back of the GameCard cartridges, but no one has been able to confirm its existence.
Sega Mega Drive[]
The appearance of Mega Drive cartridge box by GameCard. The game is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Russian translation).
The front and back sides of the GameCard cartridge with the game Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Sega Mega Drive cartridge boxes use modern covers that feature the Sega logo, despite the fact that these cartridges are manufactured illegally. On the back side there is a description of the game and 4 screenshots, which sometimes may not correspond to the specified game. The cartridges use something like the American form factor. The covers sometimes use the original game designs with the inscription Русская версия. Unlike Dendy cartridges, almost all games for Sega MD were released on GameCard cartridges only in Russian. The label on the back of the cartridges is identical to the one found on Dendy cartridges. Various Russian games and hacks can be found on GameCard cartridges (for example, games by BMB and hacks by TOF). Sometimes there are Chinese bootlegs and even some fan hacks.
Trivia[]
- On the front side of the Dendy cartridges, there is an inscription "для детей старше 6 лет" (for children over 6 years old), while on the back side it says "Возрастная группа от 3 лет" (age group over 3 years old). The same thing is found on Mega Drive cartridges.
- Some GameCard cartridges for Mega Drive have been reissued by company 16 Gamebit (K&S). They differ in the inscription 16 Gamebit on the box and the use of the Japanese form factor in the cartridges.