NES/Famicom Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter Teknoman
- Start date
He's also got several unopened copies of Recca, just sitting around. Dear god.
If you haven't found any takers, I'd definitely be interested. I missed the boat on backing it but was going to pick it up when it became commercially available.
Also, quick reviews:
Silkworm - fairly fun 2P simultaneous game where you can either play as a chopper or a tank. Decent graphics and nice play control... seems like one of those solid-but-not-spectacular games that are still pretty cheap.
Rambo - holy shit, this game surprised the fuck out of me... a movie license game from Long Island's great gaming shame didn't inspire much confidence. But this feels like some random Japanese side scrolling action RPG that was hastily converted to a Rambo... instead of a weak Contra clone like I was expecting. I've never seen any of the Rambo movies (very surprising for an Italian American kid who grew up in the 80's) so I don't know how accurate it is but I don't think it involved stabbing snakes and flying birds. Pretty good for what it is, and definitely one I'm gonna play more of.
Sword Familiar
178% of NeoGAF posters don't understand statistics
It's ok, but the bosses take FOREVER to kill.
Flizzzipper
Member
Rygar on NES is great. I just replayed it a few months ago and it really holds up.
RadarScope1
Member
Konami. I should have figured that.
entremet
Member
Good episode. Very informative.
I'm an emulation guy these days, but I enjoyed the information if I ever get back into real carts.
Probably won't though due to the prices lol.
Hmm, I was looking through my recent eBay pickups and I noticed my Metroid NES cart looks different than all my other cartridges. It doesn't have the two wedge shaped pieces on the top holding the two halves of the cart together, and it uses non-gamebit screws. I opened it up and I am 99% sure it is real, but I have never seen this type of cartridge before, is it a new shell or something? I looked on eBay and around 1 in 5 being sold are the type I have, and the other 4 are normal looking NES cartridges.
I can post pictures later, away from home atm.
I can post pictures later, away from home atm.
sixteen-bit
Member
Does it have 5 screws? That's the old type. Earlier releases are like that.
RoryDropkick
Member
Just scored a copy of NY Nyankies for $19 at a local game store. I asked how much Rockin' Kats went for... $69. I think I did well.
The better title by far.
RoryDropkick
Member
Yea it does. That's what I figured, I was just a bit confused since I have games released before Metroid that have the wedge pieces and gamebit screws, like Pinball. I actually wish I noticed before buying, it sets off my OCD a bit having only one game on my shelf different from the others!
RadarScope1
Member
Never knew about the 5-screw carts, eh? It's entirely possible to have "older" games with the newer 3-screw configuration (also called Rev-A) because the games had several print runs over time. Lots of info to be found about this if you search.
Learn something new every day! I guess I was taken by surprise because in all the time collecting and seeing other people's collections I never saw a 5 screw cart before. I also definitely thought my parents bought this Pinball cart when it was released, but I guess not since it is Rev-A. Can't be certain either way because they bought it before I was even born!
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I imagine there are some NES carts that only have the 5-screws?
I wouldn't think of it as a bad thing to get those. They're a sign that they're the first print run from the early days of the NES. I think it's a mark of prestige
I wouldn't think of it as a bad thing to get those. They're a sign that they're the first print run from the early days of the NES. I think it's a mark of prestige
RadarScope1
Member
I imagine there are some NES carts that only have the 5-screws?
I wouldn't think of it as a bad thing to get those. They're a sign that they're the first print run from the early days of the NES. I think it's a mark of prestige
Yes, a number of games are only 5 screw. A handful of games have somewhat rare 5/3 screw variants due to when they started or ended their print runs in relation to the switch-over from 5 to 3 screws. Nintendo Age has a good chart on this but I'm on mobile and can't easily find and post it. My black box games are mostly 5 screw. The goal is to get all 5s. Looks lovely when they're all lined up together.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Yup.. I totally get the desire to get all 5 screw black box games.
Set em next to an R.O.B. and a grey Zapper and imagine that you are in the New York test market in 1985.
Set em next to an R.O.B. and a grey Zapper and imagine that you are in the New York test market in 1985.
RadarScope1
Member
Here's that list from Nintendo Age forums:
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=38316
So I didn't used to care about the boxes I got for my black box games (I'm going for CIBs for them all). But now I try to go for the hang tab, non Rev-A boxes in order to match my long-held goal of getting 5-screw carts. However, I've also noticed that there are Rev-A boxes that have the old circular seal of quality. And those don't have a hang tab at all so they're more likely to be in tact. So I kind of go back and forth now because the box/seal match the carts except for those four tiny little letters in the corner of the box. 99% of people would never notice it.
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=38316
So I didn't used to care about the boxes I got for my black box games (I'm going for CIBs for them all). But now I try to go for the hang tab, non Rev-A boxes in order to match my long-held goal of getting 5-screw carts. However, I've also noticed that there are Rev-A boxes that have the old circular seal of quality. And those don't have a hang tab at all so they're more likely to be in tact. So I kind of go back and forth now because the box/seal match the carts except for those four tiny little letters in the corner of the box. 99% of people would never notice it.
So what are your guys' favorite ROM hacks? I've gotten a few so far but would like some more suggestions. Looking for anything that will play on original hardware. I tried Super Mario Unlimited, Mario Adventure, and Metroid Origin for example but couldn't get them to work through my Everdrive.
Charles Brandon
Member
Super Mario Unlimited and Adventure WILL both work on an Everdrive but you need to patch them first. Sounds hard. It isn't.
Google for the names of those hacks with something like "everdrive patch" added
You should be able to find a link somewhere to the patch download. The readme file will tell you what version of the ROM you will need.
Make a sure you have that version of the ROM and if you don't have it, find it and download it.
Download IPSwin
point IPSwin at the ROM file location and and the Patch location
you now have a patched rom that will work on your everdrive. It takes five minutes max from start to finish even if you have none of the required files/programs.
Google for the names of those hacks with something like "everdrive patch" added
You should be able to find a link somewhere to the patch download. The readme file will tell you what version of the ROM you will need.
Make a sure you have that version of the ROM and if you don't have it, find it and download it.
Download IPSwin
point IPSwin at the ROM file location and and the Patch location
you now have a patched rom that will work on your everdrive. It takes five minutes max from start to finish even if you have none of the required files/programs.
Hmm speaking of NESRGB mods, had a bit of a random question and figured I might as well ask it here, since it is pretty much the only place I go to talk about my NES collecting stuff. Found a really cheap NES top loader around me that was AV modded already, decided to pick it up because why not. When I opened it up, it looks like pin 21 on the PPU was cut and lifted (to remove jailbars from what I understand?). Will it still be possible to use NESRGB to RGB mod it? My understanding is that you de-solder the whole PPU and move it to the NESRGB board, would it still function without pin 21? I have very limited understanding on the inner workings of an NES.
baphomet
Member
Don't believe so. You could always just run a small wire, or you could just buy a ppu. I'm have a handful of them here.
Ah, unfortunate. Wish I had done the mod myself, seems from looking online that de-soldering the entire PPU, then lifting pin 21 and re-soldering is the more future-proof solution for jailbars on an AV mod than cutting it, even if it would be 10x the work. Not a big deal though, I paid $15 for this toploader already AV modded so even if I never RGB mod it, it was worth it to me.
Had no idea buying a replacement PPU was even an option though, might look into that in the future. As it is, RGB modding is of little use to me since my CRT is in storage and I don't own an XRGB mini. But I do eventually want to RGB mod, looks so amazing on my trinitron CRT, and I'm sure it would be even better if I could get my hands on a BVM/PVM.
Easily one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do
It's one of the best on the system? Now I need to see how it is!!!
georgetheplushie
Member
Bucky gets significantly more interesting when you play on hard mode.
Because you die in one hit?
nintendork666
Member
Haha, literally just sold my Bucky O'Hare for $90.
Enjoy, dude. It really is one of the best on the console.
Enjoy, dude. It really is one of the best on the console.
georgetheplushie
Member
Yeah. It makes each screen seem like a puzzle. It takes a certain amount of masochism, but the infinite continues really help.
RadarScope1
Member
Bucky is one of a handful I have my eye on that seem like titles to get now before the price gets away from me. It may be getting a little high for me already though. It's on my bubble. Others on my short list are Power Blade, Felix the Cat, Whomp Em and Darkwing Duck. I feel like Gun-Nac and Metal Storm are already beyond me. But of course I'll kick myself in the ass if those two shoot to several hundred each and I don't get them now...
So the NES was certainly the system I would say I grew up with and played first, but since I was so young there are tons of games on it that I missed as a kid. Recently I have been going back and playing the NES roots of game series that I later got into. Most recent project has been to play through the original Metroid (I started with Metroid II on the GB). Went in as blind as possible having played the other games, somehow know nothing about this one.
I actually quite liked the game at first, no map doesn't bother me as much as it does for some coming back from Super Metroid. I even busted out the old pen and paper to draw my own map. Was really liking it until I got stuck. Got as far as Morph Ball/Bomb and Long Beam before hitting a wall. Coming from other games in the series, everywhere I go either looks like it needs the Ice Beam or High Jump (if that is even in this one), but I had no idea where to get either of them. I learned early you can shoot walls and your shots pass through if there is a tunnel, but unfortunately there is no similar way to check floors for secret passages aside from just bombing them all. Didn't feel like slowly going through the whole game bombing every floor so I ended up looking up a map. Both the early Ice Beam and High Jump Boots required you to bomb a very random floor tile that looks no different than those around it.
I know games did this a lot back in the day but it always frustrates me a little. I was really liking the game and I wanted to badly to get through it totally on my own, but I don't see any way I could have done that without help. Nothing like seeing the cracks in the glass tube in Super Metroid. But I guess fixing problems like that comes with evolution. Still gonna finish Metroid, but definitely a bit bummed I couldn't do it on my own.
I actually quite liked the game at first, no map doesn't bother me as much as it does for some coming back from Super Metroid. I even busted out the old pen and paper to draw my own map. Was really liking it until I got stuck. Got as far as Morph Ball/Bomb and Long Beam before hitting a wall. Coming from other games in the series, everywhere I go either looks like it needs the Ice Beam or High Jump (if that is even in this one), but I had no idea where to get either of them. I learned early you can shoot walls and your shots pass through if there is a tunnel, but unfortunately there is no similar way to check floors for secret passages aside from just bombing them all. Didn't feel like slowly going through the whole game bombing every floor so I ended up looking up a map. Both the early Ice Beam and High Jump Boots required you to bomb a very random floor tile that looks no different than those around it.
I know games did this a lot back in the day but it always frustrates me a little. I was really liking the game and I wanted to badly to get through it totally on my own, but I don't see any way I could have done that without help. Nothing like seeing the cracks in the glass tube in Super Metroid. But I guess fixing problems like that comes with evolution. Still gonna finish Metroid, but definitely a bit bummed I couldn't do it on my own.
sixteen-bit
Member
Well, the good news is that they've gone down from the time when you could only get them by sacrificing a PC10...
Man you guys are crazy. Bucky O'Hare is, for me, a top 25 title. It's got smooth, varied, challenging gameplay with multiple characters to play with, great level design and awesome tunes.
Do I put it over the greats like Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man or the Mario games? No. But it's one of the best action-platformers on the system.
Do I put it over the greats like Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man or the Mario games? No. But it's one of the best action-platformers on the system.
A Black Falcon
Member
Yeah, Bucky O'Hare is a very good game, but I'd forgotten that it'd gotten so valuable... Like Metal Storm, it's one of those games where I'd never own it today if I hadn't gotten it back in '08 or so... NES prices have gone up insanely over the years since. Of course everyone knows that, but it still is kind of amazing that they've gone up so much so fast. I got Bucky O'Hare loose for $3 back in March '08. Back then finding deals like that wasn't uncommon, everyone didn't price everything in stores by mid-to-high-end-of-ebay values and ebay prices weren't as inflated either. I don't know what it was selling for online then, but I don't think it was a really valuable game... and now, people are paying $60 at the absolute minimum for the game, looking on ebay. (As for Metal Storm, I've surely mentioned it before, but I got the game in '08 or '09 for $16, probably a tenth what a box+cart copy would go for today.) At least both Bucky O'Hare and Metalstorm are great games, though. There are some expensive NES games where they aren't even good games, they're just expensive.
But regardless of quality, there is no way I'd own either of those games at today's prices, and I won't be getting those many other now-pricey NES games I don't have either -- I wish I had stuff like Power Blade and some of those later Taito games, for instance...but I don't. Ah well. For some games Famicom copies are an alternative, though -- this is why I recently got Rockman 4 for Famicom, Megaman 4 is one of my favorite NES games but the NES version costs a good bit more than the Famicom one does.
It's sad that there had to be price inflation, that's really my point.
But regardless of quality, there is no way I'd own either of those games at today's prices, and I won't be getting those many other now-pricey NES games I don't have either -- I wish I had stuff like Power Blade and some of those later Taito games, for instance...but I don't. Ah well. For some games Famicom copies are an alternative, though -- this is why I recently got Rockman 4 for Famicom, Megaman 4 is one of my favorite NES games but the NES version costs a good bit more than the Famicom one does.
It's sad that there had to be price inflation, that's really my point.
Huggers
Member
It's good man. It doesn't belong in the very top bracket but it's still awesome. Looks and sounds great too