NES/Famicom Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter Teknoman
- Start date
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
I want to pick up a Top Loader + Everdrive. What does a Top Loader go for these days? Most I see on eBay are ~$100 which seems expensive.
I think that price is pretty normal?
Anyways, Crystalis really reminds me of Willow, another underrated Nes action-adventure.
RadarScope1
Member
Yeah, that's about right. Welcome to retro gaming (or least NES collecting). It's all $$$$$.
There's one for $66 + $14 shipping from hit-japan.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-FAMICOM-AV-Console-System-HVC-101-Nintendo-FC-JAPAN-D-0121-/361399867152
Doesn't come with anything but that hardly matters. Controllers are easy to find and you will likely prefer the longer cords of US controllers. The lack of adapter doesn't matter if you're outside Japan because you should use a MD/Genesis 1 adapter anyway. http://www.famicomworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=6933.0
DracoBlade
Member
So I just got myself a framemeister (SO GOOOOD) but currently still have a non modded NES :/ Does anyone know a trust worthy mod service for RGB (That wont kill the wallet, it needs to heal after XRGB mini)?
Baphomet here, but you'll still have to purchase the NESRGB kit.
DracoBlade
Member
Should have known a fellow gaffer would be for the job, I'd have no problem purchasing a NESRGB board (50$ last time I checked?) I'll have to give him a pm, thanks Teknoman!
Sir Ilpalazzo
Member
After posting about it earlier I figured I'd play Batman again. Such an excellent game - the graphics and sound really are top-notch, and the stage design is pretty brilliant throughout.
I got really close to pulling off a no-continues run. The only sticking points were the bosses of the third and fifth levels (not absolutely sure what to do for them, I'm aware of some kind of loop for the latter boss but I'm not sure how to keep him in it) and Joker (I know exactly how to beat him but the execution is tough). I feel like this game will be particularly hard to no-death, just because of the lack of full healing between stages and the crazy damage the Joker's gun does. But I don't think it's unreachable for me right now, though.
I also played through Gimmick. Damn, it's fantastic - incredibly charming, the star is satisfying as hell to use (even though I'm barely competent with it, lol), great lineup of bosses, really dense stages... I knew the game was supposed to be very good going on, but it blew me away. I'm excited to try and get the best ending later.
It really is solid. I'm not 100% in love with the game (it feels like there are some near-unavoidable hits in some segments, and the way starting a run and jump at the same time will eat your jump input is annoying), but it's still pretty great.
I got really close to pulling off a no-continues run. The only sticking points were the bosses of the third and fifth levels (not absolutely sure what to do for them, I'm aware of some kind of loop for the latter boss but I'm not sure how to keep him in it) and Joker (I know exactly how to beat him but the execution is tough). I feel like this game will be particularly hard to no-death, just because of the lack of full healing between stages and the crazy damage the Joker's gun does. But I don't think it's unreachable for me right now, though.
I also played through Gimmick. Damn, it's fantastic - incredibly charming, the star is satisfying as hell to use (even though I'm barely competent with it, lol), great lineup of bosses, really dense stages... I knew the game was supposed to be very good going on, but it blew me away. I'm excited to try and get the best ending later.
It really is solid. I'm not 100% in love with the game (it feels like there are some near-unavoidable hits in some segments, and the way starting a run and jump at the same time will eat your jump input is annoying), but it's still pretty great.
Farming for health is the best way to no death Batman.
Also Journey to Silius has quite a bit of enemies you can't avoid due to their placement making no death nearly impossible.
Yeah, farming for health and ammo is easy at the ceiling hatches that drop those scurrying bots. Just stand under and a bit to the side and punch away. They're supposed to be nonstop but about 3 items drops on the ground and they stop until you pick them up or let them disappear.
I just noticed Batman's death animation looks like the Bat sign.
I just noticed Batman's death animation looks like the Bat sign.
Yeah haha It was always one of my favorite death animations as a kid
Sir Ilpalazzo
Member
Well, I know you can farm for health with those enemy spawner things (and given the way some of them are placed, it's clearly intentional) but it's such a cheap-feeling strategy I'd prefer to avoid it. I imagine I may end up having to do it before the final bosses, though.
IrishNinja
Member
don't know what i was on about with Monster Party - played it again last night (this time sober), blazed through levels 2 & 3 and only died to the cat-boss because i didn't learn the enemy patterns that level & wasted time getting to empty rooms. great game!
It looked random to me. I was so focused on how odd it was that Batman self-combusted!
You're gonna have to if you want to no death the game or else you pretty much have to take as few hits from the bosses as much as possible.
Heck Joker's gun does 3 damage per hit so there's that.
theSlacker
Member
I was finally going to play Monster Party today, but I couldn't get it to boot correctly. It only showed glitched graphics no matter what I did. It worked fine on my PAL NES though. I know that some of the pins on the connector in my NTSC NES have started to become bent and some have even started to point down a bit! Most other games work though, although my Castlevania cart also has very slightly glitched graphics that goes away if you just push down the cart like a millimeter. So I figure it's the connector.
So I took the NES apart and sure enough quite a few pins were misaligned and bent. So now I've boiled the connector and bent the pins back a bit as best as I could. Hopefully it works better now. I'm currently letting it dry before I try it out. It's a third party connector though. One of those gold-plated ones. I also have my two old original connectors that stopped working correctly for some reason. I boiled them as well. They didn't seem to have any noticably bent pins or anything. My hope is that I can use one of them instead of the third party one, since they don't have that infamous death-grip on the carts.
Have you guys fixed any connectors before? Any tips besides boiling them?
Edit: Well boiling them seems to have fixed one of the original connectors. It now works flawlessly! I don't even have to push most games down. Monster Party is one that needs to be pushed down to work though, so I guess that's why it had issues with the third party connector.
The first of the original connectors that I tried didn't work at all. At best it gave me a gray picture. Maybe I can fix it by bending the pins, although IIRC I have tried to bend the pins on it already in the past. But I don't really care too much now. I didn't even try the third party one after I got the original one to work. Oh well, now I'm off to actually play the game!
So I took the NES apart and sure enough quite a few pins were misaligned and bent. So now I've boiled the connector and bent the pins back a bit as best as I could. Hopefully it works better now. I'm currently letting it dry before I try it out. It's a third party connector though. One of those gold-plated ones. I also have my two old original connectors that stopped working correctly for some reason. I boiled them as well. They didn't seem to have any noticably bent pins or anything. My hope is that I can use one of them instead of the third party one, since they don't have that infamous death-grip on the carts.
Have you guys fixed any connectors before? Any tips besides boiling them?
Edit: Well boiling them seems to have fixed one of the original connectors. It now works flawlessly! I don't even have to push most games down. Monster Party is one that needs to be pushed down to work though, so I guess that's why it had issues with the third party connector.
The first of the original connectors that I tried didn't work at all. At best it gave me a gray picture. Maybe I can fix it by bending the pins, although IIRC I have tried to bend the pins on it already in the past. But I don't really care too much now. I didn't even try the third party one after I got the original one to work. Oh well, now I'm off to actually play the game!
Triple Dash
Neo Member
"Waiting for the game you ordered to come in the mail but haven't seen a shipping update in the past 24 hours." >_>
Out of curiosity, has anyone else watched GameCenter CX? Recently started watching it for the heck of the it and it's quickly become something I like to watch while on break at work or playing some 3DS.
Out of curiosity, has anyone else watched GameCenter CX? Recently started watching it for the heck of the it and it's quickly become something I like to watch while on break at work or playing some 3DS.
I'm a big fan, watched it for years. It's one of my absolute favorite TV shows and I can always put on an episode I haven't watched in a while. Just wish I had even a fraction of Arino's gaming patience.
Played until stage 8 of Monster Party earlier and gave up for today. I know it's the last level but I'll save it for later. 
Really neat game, although stage 6 is just shitty. Also, while on stage 7 I got the key once and then when I got to the exit it had disappeared! Anyone know what happened there? Does it have to do with the rooms that just said "Come again"? I skipped all rooms after I got the key the second time just in case. Stage 7 is actually the first stage that really gave me some trouble other than stage 6 (which is just trial and error). Royce was tough as hell until I figured out that
Stage 8 is also pretty tough. You gotta have some luck with the dragon boss's patterns to stand a chance against the rest of the level.
I really like the enemy and boss design. My favorite enemy is probably the fish with a shark fin strapped on its back. Gave me a good laugh.
That's where my avatar is from! It's my favorite TV show.
Really neat game, although stage 6 is just shitty. Also, while on stage 7 I got the key once and then when I got to the exit it had disappeared! Anyone know what happened there? Does it have to do with the rooms that just said "Come again"? I skipped all rooms after I got the key the second time just in case. Stage 7 is actually the first stage that really gave me some trouble other than stage 6 (which is just trial and error). Royce was tough as hell until I figured out that
the enemy just outside his room drops a capsule, and fighting him as Bert is a heck of a lot easier.
I really like the enemy and boss design. My favorite enemy is probably the fish with a shark fin strapped on its back. Gave me a good laugh.
That's where my avatar is from!
It's my favorite TV show.Happened to me as well no idea why.
Sir Ilpalazzo
Member
I haven't played Monster Party myself, but I think there's supposed to be some kind of bug where defeating all the bosses or entering all the rooms in stage 7 causes the key to disappear. Or something like that, anyway.
If you approach the rooms in order, yes. You basically have to get to the end of the stage, and then enter the boss rooms in reverse and you'll get the key.
That and the maze room and having to go backwards in the final level are the only real problems in Monster Party design-wise.
I feel like re-playing Sweet Home. It's literally the only RPG I ever liked (I personally despise the genre) and I haven't played it in over a decade. Really great graphics on a NES title. One of the best looking NES games. Plus it's a Horror RPG which is still pretty rare today.
IrishNinja
Member
Sweet Home is very likely in my top 10 for the system, if i'm being honest - loved the game
InfiniteNine
Rolling Girl
Was actually going to top off the month with replaying Sweet Home.
I still find it odd there is no screens of the WALL encounter online though since that initially made me laugh quite a bit.
I still find it odd there is no screens of the WALL encounter online though since that initially made me laugh quite a bit.
Hmm that's not what I did. I just went into the boss rooms like usual and skipped all the non-boss rooms and I got the key after beating the grim reaper. Maybe it has something to do with the "Come again" rooms.
Triple Dash
Neo Member
Got this in the mail today. Kind of bummed, but not surprised, that the audio is messed up when played on my NES via Gyromite converter. Will probably get a regular Famicom or Sharp Twin sometime in the future so I can stop dealing with the converter and get the full import experience.
It definitely has a learning curve, but it does feel manageable so far to get that true ending. Regardless I'm not going to pick up anything beyond amiibos for a couple weeks due to obvious reasons, so there's plenty of time to try and master it.
It definitely has a learning curve, but it does feel manageable so far to get that true ending. Regardless I'm not going to pick up anything beyond amiibos for a couple weeks due to obvious reasons, so there's plenty of time to try and master it.
StevieWhite
Member
I think Gimmick uses the Famicom's extra sound channels. I think there is a pretty easy mod to open those channels up for the NES.
1. What did you pay for Gimmick
2. It definitely uses the VRC6. You'll need to mod the board to hear them on the US system. This tutorial will show you how: http://www.retrofixes.com/2014/05/open-hidden-sound-channels-in-nes.html
2. It definitely uses the VRC6. You'll need to mod the board to hear them on the US system. This tutorial will show you how: http://www.retrofixes.com/2014/05/open-hidden-sound-channels-in-nes.html
Triple Dash
Neo Member
$295 and I both love/hate myself. Didn't feel like dealing with auctions and I thought it was a fair price compared to other BINs that had recently gone up on Ebay, including from US sellers. Is about $1-5 dollars cheaper than Amazon.jp assuming you don't also go with a forwarding service or want to wait for Yen/Dollar rate to go down (it's been going up the last few weeks).
Been saving up for a while and I have a lot of throw away money in my current financial situation, so this isn't close to breaking the bank for me or anything. Aside from Chip & Dale 2 for NES, which is low on my list, this is honestly the last stupidly priced game that I'm after.
Thanks for that link. I don't know how to solder but that seems simple enough and I know a couple friends who can help me with that. I have to get around to soldering my Samurai Pizza Cats cart anyway. lol
Got this in the mail today. Kind of bummed, but not surprised, that the audio is messed up when played on my NES via Gyromite converter. Will probably get a regular Famicom or Sharp Twin sometime in the future so I can stop dealing with the converter and get the full import experience.
It definitely has a learning curve, but it does feel manageable so far to get that true ending. Regardless I'm not going to pick up anything beyond amiibos for a couple weeks due to obvious reasons, so there's plenty of time to try and master it.
I'm super jealous. Enjoy that one.
drhankmccoyphd
Member
So I just got a game to test out the disk drive system on my twin famicom. The spring eject mechanism is broken so I have to pull the disks out with tweezers. I put in the disk and it sits at the loading screen and the motor whirs but I can't get past loading. Broken drive belt?
Assuming I can't get the drive fixed should I look into a FDstick? I wasn't sure if that was a emulated solution or just a storage device similar to an everdrive.
Assuming I can't get the drive fixed should I look into a FDstick? I wasn't sure if that was a emulated solution or just a storage device similar to an everdrive.
Triple Dash
Neo Member
Would I have to also mod my Gyromite converter as well or is it just the extra resistor on pins 3/9? Which k resistor would you personally recommend?
Just the board as pictured. I can find out what resistor for you
RadarScope1
Member
Got this in the mail today. Kind of bummed, but not surprised, that the audio is messed up when played on my NES via Gyromite converter. Will probably get a regular Famicom or Sharp Twin sometime in the future so I can stop dealing with the converter and get the full import experience.
It definitely has a learning curve, but it does feel manageable so far to get that true ending. Regardless I'm not going to pick up anything beyond amiibos for a couple weeks due to obvious reasons, so there's plenty of time to try and master it.
Ballin'...
Triple Dash
Neo Member
Repros are a mixed bag for me, if I can I want to avoid them if at all possible. Gimmick at least has that extra sound chip to add some incentive to go with the original. I'm just glad that most overpriced quality NES games are significantly cheaper on Famicom, that Nintendo somehow got Recca on VC*, and that Flintstones is beyond reason, otherwise I'd probably just stop at completing all the NES trilogies.
*Did catch a recent auction for a loose copy go for $282 though.
*Did catch a recent auction for a loose copy go for $282 though.
Quoting this part from many pages ago, since I guess it got lost in a longer post.
Any clue?
D.Lo
Member
Pulse line releases, and the second wave came in smaller boxes in 1983/1984. Nintendo swapped to the slightly larger box format in 1984/1985 and most were re-released. They also have the art on the cart instead of the pulse title format in the re-releases.
RadarScope1
Member
Do you know of any good articles on this, especially any that might have a list of each style of release?
Yeah the only repros i'll do: Games that are extremely hard to find and only released in one other region or unreleased games that might be cool. Other than that, i'll grab a Japanese cart and have it "translated".
Triple Dash
Neo Member
Was watching an episode of GameCenter CX and saw them mention this Famicom game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Daitōryō_Senkyo
Now that I know this exists, I would totally pay money for someone to make a hack/remake/update of this game every four years. As bad as it probably is and ignoring the Trump Factor, it's probably more entertaining than the real thing. Player 2 is obviously Al Gore.
Now that I know this exists, I would totally pay money for someone to make a hack/remake/update of this game every four years. As bad as it probably is and ignoring the Trump Factor, it's probably more entertaining than the real thing. Player 2 is obviously Al Gore.