NES/Famicom Appreciation Thread

This weekend my buddy and I performed the transistor mod on an original model NES. I'm pretty happy to be able to play VRC6 stuff on my NES.

Here's a video of it working with one of my Famitracker songs through a PowerPak

VIDEO LINK: https://vid.me/IUdZ

We were also lucky enough to score two coverter containing cartridges, one Gyromite and one Wrecking Crew.

Now I can finally play through my JPN copy of Ninja Gaiden III.

zgj7YR1.jpg
 
Looking at the difference between Famicom carts and NES carts, NIntendo really dropped the ball back then. Unless they didnt want them to look like toys or something outside japan? I really like all the different colors and cart shapes they come in.
 
Teknoman said:
Looking at the difference between Famicom carts and NES carts, NIntendo really dropped the ball back then. Unless they didnt want them to look like toys or something outside japan? I really like all the different colors and cart shapes they come in.
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Agreed. I recently started picking them up (I got Ufouria and Little Nemo as gifts from a friend, so I snapped up Ninja Gaiden III and Kid Dracula next) and they're so unique. Especially compared to the boring grey (though classic) NES carts.
 
OnPoint said:
Agreed. I recently started picking them up (I got Ufouria and Little Nemo as gifts from a friend, so I snapped up Ninja Gaiden III and Kid Dracula next) and they're so unique. Especially compared to the boring grey (though classic) NES carts.
Click to expand...

Speaking of, I wonder why NES carts are so big anyway? Its not like the boards take up all that space.
 
Teknoman said:
Speaking of, I wonder why NES carts are so big anyway? Its not like the boards take up all that space.
Click to expand...

The NES and their carts were built to appeal to "American tastes" and avoid the look/feel of anything Atari (which had destroyed the game market in America).

The NES kind of operated like a VCR compared to the top loading Famicom and Atari. Also, the larger cartridges convey a sense of substance. It instilled a feeling of worth for the $50 you shelled out for it.
 
OnPoint said:
This weekend my buddy and I performed the transistor mod on an original model NES. I'm pretty happy to be able to play VRC6 stuff on my NES.

Here's a video of it working with one of my Famitracker songs through a PowerPak

VIDEO LINK: https://vid.me/IUdZ

We were also lucky enough to score two coverter containing cartridges, one Gyromite and one Wrecking Crew.

Now I can finally play through my JPN copy of Ninja Gaiden III.

zgj7YR1.jpg
Click to expand...

Speaking of NGIII, what are the differences from US to Japan? I liked the first two games but the third always turned me off. Just didn't feel right.
 
mikespit1200 said:
Speaking of NGIII, what are the differences from US to Japan? I liked the first two games but the third always turned me off. Just didn't feel right.
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Yeah, like Sixteen-bit said, unlimited continues. The game definitely does not feel as fluid as the two before it, but I feel like I need to finish the genuine Famicom/NES version at least once. I can beat the other two, so I'll do this one too. Limited continues though made it so frustrating.
 
Teknoman said:
Looking at the difference between Famicom carts and NES carts, NIntendo really dropped the ball back then. Unless they didnt want them to look like toys or something outside japan? I really like all the different colors and cart shapes they come in.
Click to expand...

It's because Nintendo put shit on lockdown in between Famicom and NES.

Third parties were allowed to manufacture their own carts in Japan, because the whole third party thing there evolved by accident and Nintendo wasn't necessarily thinking about that when they designed the console. Both official Nintendo partners and unlicensed ones made their own carts (there was no copy protection chip), so that's why there is such variety in cart styles.

When they came to America, they changed the whole deal. Nintendo made all carts themselves. Third parties were forbidden to make their own. And they put the 10NES copy protection chip in the console so that no one else could make them without great difficulty. They slowed pirates, and made all the third parties dance to their tune in order to secure a share of the limited carts. Every single NES game you see probably came from one or two factories in Japan, and that was true for every Nintendo console after that point (+Mexico), until the Wii.

Sure, Nintendo could have made their own carts in different colors (they did in Japan).. But I think because they were manufacturing millions upon millions of them for themselves and countless third parties, it made sense for them to just be one standard style. It would have to be a very special case to make a tiny percentage of them different.... And of course Zelda was that special case.

Plus I do think there is something to the fact that they wanted to make it look less like a kids toy, as you said, and redesign it from a kids game console (which were dead in America) and more of a family "entertainment system". Plus in general Japan seems more forgiving of multiple colors in logos and such (you see it a lot there), while Americans, maybe to this day, view that as being childish.
 
BocoDragon said:
It's because Nintendo put shit on lockdown in between Famicom and NES.

Third parties were allowed to manufacture their own carts in Japan, because the whole third party thing there evolved by accident and Nintendo wasn't necessarily thinking about that when they designed the console. Both official Nintendo partners and unlicensed ones made their own carts (there was no copy protection chip), so that's why there is such variety in cart styles.

When they came to America, they changed the whole deal. Nintendo made all carts themselves. Third parties were forbidden to make their own. And they put the 10NES copy protection chip in the console so that no one else could make them without great difficulty. They slowed pirates, and made all the third parties dance to their tune in order to secure a share of the limited carts. Every single NES game you see probably came from one or two factories in Japan, and that was true for every Nintendo console after that point (+Mexico), until the Wii.

Sure, Nintendo could have made their own carts in different colors (they did in Japan).. But I think because they were manufacturing millions upon millions of them for themselves and countless third parties, it made sense for them to just be one standard style. It would have to be a very special case to make a tiny percentage of them different.... And of course Zelda was that special case.

Plus I do think there is something to the fact that they wanted to make it look less like a kids toy, as you said, and redesign it from a kids game console (which were dead in America) and more of a family "entertainment system". Plus in general Japan seems more forgiving of multiple colors in logos and such (you see it a lot there), while Americans, maybe to this day, view that as being childish.
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Thanks for this. I didn't realize the third party circumstances were different on the FC than the NES. It all makes so much sense now.
 
While I did have to pay going rate for Mega Man 5, it cost me $79.99, I was able to complete my NES Mega Man set for what I would say is about half the going rate for all the titles.

So nice to finally have all of these in my collection. I actually only need to get Mega Man 7 for the SNES to have all of the titles between the NES and SNES, I've had all of the X series games for a while now.

qzJcY61.jpg
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mikespit1200 said:
Speaking of NGIII, what are the differences from US to Japan? I liked the first two games but the third always turned me off. Just didn't feel right.
Click to expand...
The Japanese version has infinite continues and password save. Then they removed all that and put in limited continues and no saving in the US release. :( (Several posters have mentioned the removal of infinite continues, but no one said that the save system was removed too... it was.)

Nephtes said:
The NES and their carts were built to appeal to "American tastes" and avoid the look/feel of anything Atari (which had destroyed the game market in America).

The NES kind of operated like a VCR compared to the top loading Famicom and Atari. Also, the larger cartridges convey a sense of substance. It instilled a feeling of worth for the $50 you shelled out for it.
Click to expand...
This is part of it, but there is more. For one thing, some Famicom cartridges ARE larger. Most FC carts are small, but there are some big ones that are about as big as a US NES cartridge, mostly games with more chips, battery save, and the like. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but having only one larger size was helpful because that meant they wouldn't need multiple sizes of NES cartridges here.

Also, if you're going to have a horizontal-load system where carts go deep into the system, as the NES has, you kind of need a large cartridge; smaller ones wouldn't go far enough into the system to allow for the larger cartridges Nintendo must have known either already existed, or they were maybe planning for. (Sorry, I forget when the first larger FC carts started to appear.)

Teknoman said:
So those that have played both... Gradius II Famicom vs PC engine?
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The NES version is impressive for the NES, but the Turbo CD version is obviously far superior overall. Gradius 2 for Turbo CD is very, very good. Gradius 1 for PCE (TG16) HuCard is pretty awesome too, it's better than the NES version also!
 
I've been thinking of trying to repair my NES recently, but I don't know how much of a pain that would be. I did replace the 72 pin connector a very time ago, but it seemed to wear out and recently I've been having more trouble than usual. Part of me feels like just getting a top loader, but those only have RF out right? Between repairing my NES and getting a top loader, what would you guys recommend?
 
GurgleBot20 said:
I've been thinking of trying to repair my NES recently, but I don't know how much of a pain that would be. I did replace the 72 pin connector a very time ago, but it seemed to wear out and recently I've been having more trouble than usual. Part of me feels like just getting a top loader, but those only have RF out right? Between repairing my NES and getting a top loader, what would you guys recommend?
Click to expand...

Yeah, the top loader is RF only unless you mod. It's also a little pricey.

Depending on your budget you might want to wait for the blinking light win and repair your existing one. I'm kinda excited about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iGRN-Q8kKU
 
Finished my playthrough of NGIII Famicom version this weekend.

I didn't have any real issues with the game's patterns until the final level. And even then it's not nearly as hard as NG or NGII.

I wonder if I can get good enough to beat the US cart...
 
OnPoint said:
Finished my playthrough of NGIII Famicom version this weekend.

I didn't have any real issues with the game's patterns until the final level. And even then it's not nearly as hard as NG or NGII.

I wonder if I can get good enough to beat the US cart...
Click to expand...

It's definitely the easiest of the three. I had no problem beating it, but haven't been able to beat NG (last boss second form or whatever kills me) or NGII yet. Someday.
 
Sword Familiar said:
It's definitely the easiest of the three. I had no problem beating it, but haven't been able to beat NG (last boss second form or whatever kills me) or NGII yet. Someday.
Click to expand...

NGII is not that hard, and in comparison it plays so smoothly when compared to NGIII. I can get to the final level without losing a life if I'm having a good run. I should probably try to perfect that, along with my Castlevania playthrough. I can get all the way to Dracula without a death, though I never actually finished it.
 
OnPoint said:
NGII is not that hard, and in comparison it plays so smoothly when compared to NGIII. I can get to the final level without losing a life if I'm having a good run. I should probably try to perfect that, along with my Castlevania playthrough. I can get all the way to Dracula without a death, though I never actually finished it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I could probably do II, too. Haven't really sat down and tried to actually beat it. NG though... I dunno about that. I can beat the final stage alright, but I just can't seem to manage beating the boss. Dying and having to redo everything from the start of the level is pretty devestating, too. Just thinking about trying it makes me depressed. :/
 
sixteen-bit said:
Yeah, the top loader is RF only unless you mod. It's also a little pricey.

Depending on your budget you might want to wait for the blinking light win and repair your existing one. I'm kinda excited about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iGRN-Q8kKU
Click to expand...

This is a great idea, but I just feel like it will be difficult to get the carts in and out. Whenever newer products replicate old cartridge slots, they tend to be kinda tight. But they often loosen up over time if you use it a lot, I guess.
 
RadarScope1 said:
This is a great idea, but I just feel like it will be difficult to get the carts in and out. Whenever newer products replicate old cartridge slots, they tend to be kinda tight. But they often loosen up over time if you use it a lot, I guess.
Click to expand...

I have to say, although I agree most newer stuff is too tight a fit, it didn't seem to be this way at all in the video.
 
Off chance but does anyone have a copy of Power Blade lying around they're looking to sell or trade?

Sword Familiar said:
Yeah, I could probably do II, too. Haven't really sat down and tried to actually beat it. NG though... I dunno about that. I can beat the final stage alright, but I just can't seem to manage beating the boss. Dying and having to redo everything from the start of the level is pretty devestating, too. Just thinking about trying it makes me depressed. :/
Click to expand...

I believe in you!
 
I'll be picking up a top-loader NES (I know a guy who does AV mods), and was wondering... any recommended converters to play Famicom games? I'd rather just pick up a converter since I want to get into Fami collecting soon.
 
djtiesto said:
I'll be picking up a top-loader NES (I know a guy who does AV mods), and was wondering... any recommended converters to play Famicom games? I'd rather just pick up a converter since I want to get into Fami collecting soon.
Click to expand...

I recently found my converter (pictured several posts above) in a cartridge and it works great in a top loader. I just finished JPN Ninja Gaiden III with it, no issues. Speaking from my experience? You should try to get one of those.
 
Any reason to go with Mike Tyson's Punchout over just regular Punchout? I'd like to save a few bucks on it if possible. I've never owned the actual cart before.
 
Hello fellow retro lovers, I have a small question for you.

I just received the awesome AV Famicom that looks like a toploader, and I just want to make sure I dont toaste it when trying to play it in Europe. So basically, what I wonder is what equipement do I need? It requires 10V (DC) with 860mA and of course the right plug - does anybody know of other systems that could supply this? Ive heard the Master System plug in some territories should be interchangable, is that so?

I also got a reguler AV Famicom adaptor, which of course is suited for japanese homes (american style plug, but AC 100V (50/60HZ). I guess I could use a stepdown convertor, and I do already have one that puts it down from 230V (european standard) to 110 (american standard), but would that be too much for it? Is there anything else I need to be aware of?
 
Morfeo said:
Hello fellow retro lovers, I have a small question for you.

I just received the awesome AV Famicom that looks like a toploader, and I just want to make sure I dont toaste it when trying to play it in Europe. So basically, what I wonder is what equipement do I need? It requires 10V (DC) with 860mA and of course the right plug - does anybody know of other systems that could supply this? Ive heard the Master System plug in some territories should be interchangable, is that so?

I also got a reguler AV Famicom adaptor, which of course is suited for japanese homes (american style plug, but AC 100V (50/60HZ). I guess I could use a stepdown convertor, and I do already have one that puts it down from 230V (european standard) to 110 (american standard), but would that be too much for it? Is there anything else I need to be aware of?
Click to expand...

this link should answer all your questions. I use the original JP power supply and a US to UK stepdown converter and haven't had any issues, but ymmv.
 
LayLa said:
this link should answer all your questions. I use the original JP power supply and a US to UK stepdown converter and haven't had any issues, but ymmv.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I found that link when I googled, but figured I would ask here as well just in case that post did not apply in europe and with av famicom. For me, using a Mega Drive 1/Master System adaptor will be the ideal solution, since I wont have to have another adaptor lying around, so hopefully that solution works. Anyways, isnt the stepdown convertor doing 110 volts (mine is)? Wouldnt that possibly fry the famicom?
 
Morfeo said:
Yeah, I found that link when I googled, but figured I would ask here as well just in case that post did not apply in europe and with av famicom. For me, using a Mega Drive 1/Master System adaptor will be the ideal solution, since I wont have to have another adaptor lying around, so hopefully that solution works. Anyways, isnt the stepdown convertor doing 110 volts (mine is)? Wouldnt that possibly fry the famicom?
Click to expand...

you can buy official Sega power supplies from consolegoods.co.uk.
I'm no expert on this but as I understand it the 100-110V difference is OK for low powered stuff like the Famicom, but would cause problems with stuff like hair dryers that draw a lot more power. I've been using mine for years with no problems - having said that I should really get around to buying one of those Sega power supplies myself >.<
 
Morfeo said:
Yeah, I found that link when I googled, but figured I would ask here as well just in case that post did not apply in europe and with av famicom. For me, using a Mega Drive 1/Master System adaptor will be the ideal solution, since I wont have to have another adaptor lying around, so hopefully that solution works. Anyways, isnt the stepdown convertor doing 110 volts (mine is)? Wouldnt that possibly fry the famicom?
Click to expand...

I'm using a Mega Drive adaptor with mine.
 
Thanks to both of you! I just realized now that I also have two universal adaptors for Nes, Snes and Mega Drive that output DC9V, 850mA and with centre pole negative. They should work as well right? Just dont want to fuck this up, as far as I can tell, they output exactly the same as the original Famicom power adaptor.
 
Hey guys! I love my Sharp Twin Famicom and play it everyday. I was lucky to find one with a working disk drive.

iJZAHEy9kamaY.JPG


This is my prized game: Doki Doki Panic. Check out the awesome sticker it came with.

ibsygyLgKs4ZCs.jpg
ibeLZAUrmSmbmb.JPG


I also teach my dad how to play old games and film it for youtube (insert shameless plug)

Here is the latest video teaching my old man how to play Duck Hunt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWodx9RzGQk
 
Morfeo said:
Thanks to both of you! I just realized now that I also have two universal adaptors for Nes, Snes and Mega Drive that output DC9V, 850mA and with centre pole negative. They should work as well right? Just dont want to fuck this up, as far as I can tell, they output exactly the same as the original Famicom power adaptor.
Click to expand...

Not sure. The one I got is 1A. Sorry.
 
OnPoint said:
Off chance but does anyone have a copy of Power Blade lying around they're looking to sell or trade?
Click to expand...
Funny you should ask! I was just about to put a copy I don't want up on eBay. It's complete in box, but the back of the box has a tear and some wrinkling. The cart and manual are both really nice, though. Feel free to send me a PM if you're interested.
 
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