NES/Famicom Appreciation Thread

Update on my toploader: I opened it up, but I don't really know what I'm looking for exactly. And the pins appear fine? I don't know... it's definitely quite different than the front-loader model (obv) which I'm familiar with. I got cold feet and closed it back up. I'll have to mess with it more in the future.

As for Famicom storage, I found these things at a local thrift store. They're awesome.

5VepjXT.jpg


IAEz86l.jpg
 
Update on my toploader: I opened it up, but I don't really know what I'm looking for exactly. And the pins appear fine? I don't know... it's definitely quite different than the front-loader model (obv) which I'm familiar with. I got cold feet and closed it back up. I'll have to mess with it more in the future.

As for Famicom storage, I found these things at a local thrift store. They're awesome.

nice drawers=)

for future reference
 
So I have to know how your AV Famicom turned out. I won't be buying one for a while but when I do I want it to be as non-yellowed as possible.

It's pretty great so far. Just have it hooked up via composite to a consumer Trinitron but it works well. I have a boxed copy of SMB that I bought on a trip to Japan in 2009, which has been sitting in storage ever since. Cleaned it and popped it in - worked no problem.
 
I wrote this piece today, I thought it would be funny to do a modern launch match-up style article - for the 1983 launch of the Famicom and SG1000! Comparing the big launch game of each platform, Donkey Kong and Congo Bongo!

Lovely read, as usual from you. I like the pics on the wooden table, it's like I'm in a time machine back to 1983 or something.

Loved this bit:
Nintendo assumedly didn’t yet have the software development pipeline to make a top arcade game in 1981, and hired external software engineers. Sega grabbed the same team for their answer to Nintendo’s smash hit.
Classic competitive Sega right there. Holy shit did they mess up the homeport of Congo Bongo, especially when you compare it to the other home versions. I could imagine the utter disappointment it must have given kids back in the day.
 
The top right corner of the "Family Computer" decal on the front of my Famicom doesn't seem to be sticking. I guess a drop of super glue will take care of that?
 
Did you test the disk section out?

Whats the difference between that and the black Sharp Famicom Twin?

SMB2/Donkey Kong Jr. disk hasn't come in yet so I have nothing to test it with at the moment. And as far as I know just the color and this is the Model 1 version of the Twin with the cute rounded designs on the top and no built in turbo controllers.
 
Yeah, not going be recording anything with it as is but it's okay for now while I'm arranging it to get modded. Just too excited not to play it right now.

I totally understand that feeling. When my wife <then girlfriend> surprised me with my Famicom back in '09 for my birthday I was itching to play it. Turns out she had outbid me on a AV Fami for $150 with 12 games that came with FF 1-3 , Rockman 4 and 5 and a few other good games in there. She was sneaky as hell, I couldn't believe it.
 
I've got everything in Rygar, run all over, and still cant figure out where to use the Pegasus Flute.

EDIT: Scratch that.


EDIT X2: And the world of Argool is safe again. Rygar has some great points, but alot felt like they just ran out of time or couldnt figure out the right way to go about what they wanted to achieve? There were a few times that really drove an adventurous feel, yet others that were pretty underwhelming (the last boss for instance).
 
Seriously. I love the GameSack guys they do some awesome stuff, but they record so many consoles just through composite and it looks so damn bad.
I can understand NES and PC Engine(though it's better to mod them), but the others? Svideo or RGB (VGA and component for later consoles)or nothing!!! James and Mike only use composite as well for their consoles.

Game Sack is still awesome though, they just need to improve on that.
 
Seriously. I love the GameSack guys they do some awesome stuff, but they record so many consoles just through composite and it looks so damn bad.
I can understand NES and PC Engine, because they only ever did composite natively. NES in particular literally generates the video as composite and RGBNES is actually internal emulation in a sense.

But consoles that output RGB? That's just dumb.

EDIT: haha same opening line Timu!
 
Thought my controller wasn't working on Lode Runner for a bit before I realized you toggled and selected options on the menu with Start and Select. lol
 
I don't have the guts to let someone tinker around with the innards of my really nice looking Famicom for RGB (though S-Video would be nice) maybe in the future I'll get someone to service an AV Famicom for me.
 
I don't have the guts to let someone tinker around with the innards of my really nice looking Famicom for RGB (though S-Video would be nice) maybe in the future I'll get someone to service an AV Famicom for me.
I hate to break it to you, but the only way I know of that'll give you S-Video out of a Famicom is to RGB mod it. (The mod supports S-Video output. Supports higher-quality composite output, too, but why would you want that? That's silly. Granted, the stock Famicom doesn't have composite out, but still, go big or go home!)
 
I can understand NES and PC Engine(though it's better to mod them), but the others? Svideo or RGB (VGA and component for later consoles)or nothing!!! James and Mike only use composite as well for their consoles.

Game Sack is still awesome though, they just need to improve on that.

I can understand NES and PC Engine, because they only ever did composite natively. NES in particular literally generates the video as composite and RGBNES is actually internal emulation in a sense.

But consoles that output RGB? That's just dumb.

EDIT: haha same opening line Timu!

I get it, to an extent. Though those guys have shown that they're not afraid to mod a console, one of their videos is them taking one of the guys Turbo Duo and Genesis to get modded. They add S-Video and recap the Duo, and add the audio mod to the Genesis. Can't remember if they do anything about the video on it.

So I don't think they're opposed to modding.

It's just such a weird contrast because all their live action stuff is shot in a pretty high quality level, and then they cut to composite recorded games and it does not look good.

You know specially after watching the my life in gaming guys stuff, which is all recorded in RGB and looks so damn clean and sharp.
 
Isn't streaming from RGB sources quite a bit harder than composite? A lot of my friends live stream retro / modern games using Elgato and composite, but when I looked into streaming my RGB consoles, it's way more expensive and difficult.
 
Isn't streaming from RGB sources quite a bit harder than composite? A lot of my friends live stream retro / modern games using Elgato and composite, but when I looked into streaming my RGB consoles, it's way more expensive and difficult.

Nah you can just use a cheap upscaler to send the RGB into the Elgato via HDMI. As long as you've split the RGB so you can also send it to your CRT the captured picture actually looks pretty good and because you've split the RGB there is no input lag on the screen you're playing on
 
Nah you can just use a cheap upscaler to send the RGB into the Elgato via HDMI. As long as you've split the RGB so you can also send it to your CRT the captured picture actually looks pretty good and because you've split the RGB there is no input lag on the screen you're playing on

If you have knowledge about this kind of set-ups, gimme a quick rundown on what kind of devices I would need. At the moment I have my consoles plugged into my switch center and that goes to my PVM. I'd need to be able to play on the PVM while capturing the signal for streaming.
 
If you have knowledge about this kind of set-ups, gimme a quick rundown on what kind of devices I would need. At the moment I have my consoles plugged into my switch center and that goes to my PVM. I'd need to be able to play on the PVM while capturing the signal for streaming.

Yeah I do exactly that. Here's how it works.

Console > Scart Amp/splitter > BVM.

A second output from the Scart Amp/splitter > Cheap Upscaler > Elgato > PC

Job done. This is the kind of quality you can expect; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJnuQLY8C2k

Not amazing but still very solid I think. Of course this could easily be improved by getting an RGB capture device or indeed a better upsclaer
 
Yeah I do exactly that. Here's how it works.

Console > Scart Amp/splitter > BVM.

A second output from the Scart Amp/splitter > Cheap Upscaler > Elgato > PC

Job done. This is the kind of quality you can expect; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJnuQLY8C2k

Not amazing but still very solid I think. Of course this could easily be improved by getting an RGB capture device or indeed a better upsclaer

Thanks. Looks like the kind of setup I could use instead of buying an expensive capture card for my PC. Of course I will still need the Elgato. What kind of upscaler do you use? There's lot of china-made ones on eBay.
 
Thanks for the tips Huggers. Maybe I can pick that one up from eBay since they won't deliver outside the UK. Gonna need a suitable power plug as well.

It's kind of a scary thought to start buying all this equipment with no idea if it's gonna work or not. I wish I could borrow the Elgato from a friend and see what I can do.
 
Just go for it man. It'll be fine. The absolute worst that could happen is you'll have to ebay the setup if it doesn't work. But it will...
 
I hate to break it to you, but the only way I know of that'll give you S-Video out of a Famicom is to RGB mod it. (The mod supports S-Video output. Supports higher-quality composite output, too, but why would you want that? That's silly. Granted, the stock Famicom doesn't have composite out, but still, go big or go home!)

I know all of that, but the Famicom I have looks practically brand new and I'd rather not anyone be cutting holes into it, that's why I'm gonna get an AV Famicom modded in the future instead.
 
Isn't streaming from RGB sources quite a bit harder than composite? A lot of my friends live stream retro / modern games using Elgato and composite, but when I looked into streaming my RGB consoles, it's way more expensive and difficult.

I don't think it's harder per se. It's really just a matter of having something like a framemeister or a rgb scart to HDMI adapter and sending HDMI to your capture card.
 
Isn't streaming from RGB sources quite a bit harder than composite? A lot of my friends live stream retro / modern games using Elgato and composite, but when I looked into streaming my RGB consoles, it's way more expensive and difficult.
Sync Strike+Startech/Micomsoft capture card=Done.
 
Going to buy an extender cable for the Nes-controller, now that my setup is getting closer to finish. Any advice on what to buy, or can I just buy the cheapest stuff I find from China? Dont want to end up with added lag or bad buttons or anything.
 
Just got a new package of games~! Not too happy about the marker on SMB3 though.
jif8JdJl.jpg

I used to be bugged by that kind of thing too.

Then, I came across a forum member who talked about the cartridges as being pieces of history. Each one has a story to it. He almost seemed to prefer a cart with a name and some stickers on it than a minty new, may as well have been purchased brand new copy.

He has a point. Our whole fascination with these games is that they are blasts from the past. They represent gaming 25-30 years ago. That's not just Super Mario Bros 3.. It's Hiro's Super Mario 3. He felt the need to write his name on it because he loved Nintendo that much. Although I too was obsessed with the cleaner, the better, I built almost my entire collection across the junk stores in Japan. I would have never been able to afford anything more than the bargains I could find..

As far as Famicom and NES and SNES go, All I need is a cart that hasn't been completely trashed. If there's a name, or a sticker, or something like that on it, it's a kind of charm that is unique to that one specific game. Much better than a giant mark from a magic eraser.
 
Top Bottom