Counterfeit Shikiori Sonzai Cartridges Are Bricking Switch 2 Consoles on Amazon's Used Market

A player bought a used copy of Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club from Amazon's secondary marketplace for 56 Canadian dollars, plugged it into their Switch 2, and discovered it was counterfeit—the cartridge jammed in the slot, and after forcing it out, the console can no longer read any legitimate game cards.

The worst part: the fake cartridge looked convincing from the outside, but opening it revealed no contact pins whatsoever—just an empty plastic shell. Saving 24 dollars off the 80-dollar retail price cost the player an entire Switch 2, rendering all physical cartridges useless.

Amazon agreed to refund the game but won't cover console damage. This incident serves as a warning for anyone tempted by secondhand deals—major publisher titles carry serious risk in resale markets, and "too good to be true" pricing usually is. The Switch 2's cartridge slot is tighter than the original model's, making forced insertion of counterfeit hardware a one-way ticket to hardware failure.

Stick to authorized retailers. If budget matters, wait for sales or buy digital. A replacement Switch 2 costs more than several full-price games—losing the console to save pocket change makes no financial sense.