A Guide to Loading Games with the Nintendo Data Recorder

[Japan-Games.com]

Hey Guys

I sat down with my Nintendo Data Recorder and loaded up a couple of games. I'd never done it before and it took me a while to figure out. I thought some of you might be interested in knowing how it's done since the Japanese might be a barrier:

http://www.japan-games.com/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Consoles.HowToUseANintendoDataRecorde r

Thanks!

[Tupin]

I saw when you posted this on Famicom World, and I still read it, good article.

The Internet needs more people like you, explaining stuff that no one else would get.

Oh, and where did you get that Hudson cassette? Is there an image of it?

[A Black Falcon]

From the article...


Usually the audio cables are black and red, and you insert the red cable into the "write" input on the keyboard and the other side goes into the "Save (mic)" input on the recorder. The black cable goes into the "write" input on the keyboard and the "Load (ear)" input of the Data Recorder.

Both the black and red cables go into the "write" input on the keyboard? Really? :)

Anyway though, awesome stuff... the Famicom Data Recorder has to be one of Nintendo's most obscure accessories, and it's very cool to have some English information about it out there, for sure. Really interesting.

... So what games were available for this thing, exactly? Is there a list somewhere? Are there any other than the ones you mention? I knew the Famicom Data Recorder was used to save Famicom Basic Keyboard programs, or to save custom level data in Excitebike, Mach Rider, and Wrecking Crew, but I didn't know it had actual games for it as well... :)

[Tupin]

Even weirder, it cost $95. It wasn't a proprietary thing, you could use any old tape drive.

[Japan-Games.com]

Ah, crap...now I have to figure out which port I made a mistake on...heh. It was fun tho....sitting down with new hardware and trying to figure out how it all works. I hadn't really done that since I got a Palcom MSX PC/laserdisc bundle working. About halfway through I realized that there's no way a non-Japanese speaker could figure it out...heh.

You can see the cassette here (shameless sales plug):

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nintendo-Famicom-Data-Recorder-Basic-Keyboard-Game_W0QQitemZ350186327541QQihZ022QQcategoryZ48752 QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 ?_trksid=p1742.m153.l1262

That's actually the system I used to make the guide.

I think there are 2 or 3 other Hundson cassette bundles like the one in the auction but it's really hard to find information on it. I did a lot of searching in Japanese but the only thing I could find was information talking about the Lode Runner character being used in the comic. There was something unique about that but I wasn't really interested in figuring that part out. I just wanted to see a list of games and what other games were available....but I was unsuccessful. I got mine with a bundle of other items that I bought.　This is another one from Yahoo Auctions:

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r51814218

I'm also curious how many sample cassettes there are. I looked at old pictures of some other Data Recorders that I've sold and all 4 of them have the "Sample 3" cassette. Is there a sample 1 or a sample 2? Something new for me to figure out.

[rbudrick]

I had no idea any games were released for this at all! Holy crap. This is a first for me. I'm really surprised at this. Thanks!

-Rob