Famicom gaming: fun?

[YoshiM]

Seeing an original Famicom in the Buying and Selling forum got me interested in checking out this system. It's been a teenager-hood dream to own one as a friend of mine had one and talked up and down about it. I know some of the games on the Fami that were ported to the NES had different looks/levels and even chips to enhance the game (like Castlevania III's music chip).

So I just want to know from the Famicom gamers here, is it a pretty cool system to play? Is the disk system worth the effort to get as well?

Thanks!

[ice1605]

The Famicom has a lot of great games, many of which were not released here, like Gradius II , Devil World, etc. I would say go for it! I also enjoy the Disk System, however, you have to be prepared to replace the drive belt. The Disk System also has some good exclusive games.

[Ze_ro]

There are a lot of great games that never made it to North America that are definitely worth playing... stuff like Yume Penguin Monogatari and Adventure Island 4, as well as a lot of old classics that somehow never got ported, like Dig Dug and Galaxian. Even if you can't read Japanese, there's still a lot worth playing. There are also a few games that are technically superior on the Famicom due to the use of special sound chips and whatnot (Castlevania III is the only one I can think of at the moment, but I'm pretty sure there are others too).

As for the FDS, I'd have to honestly say it's not worth it unless you're willing to put up with the headaches of replacing the drive belt and realigning the drive. It's not a simple procedure, and there really aren't that many exclusive games that are worth bothering with... of course, there's the real SMB2, Doki Doki Panic, Monty on the Run, Kiki Kaikai, Arumana no Kiseki, Otocky, Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa, and a few other interesting ones, but the majority of FDS games ended up getting a cartridge release as well.

Of course, you can always just get an adapter and play the games on a regular NES.

--Zero

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah it's a good system. Some of the games come in more durable cases too (but then again boxes and even cartridges come in all different sizes). Some games got a big improvement, like Demon Sword (unfortunately seems a bit uncommon to find), as well as some real classics like Getsu Fuuma Den (Castlevania, but not! Great stuff!) and even Ikki (the original "kusoge" but then again Sunsoft released a few other Japan-only games that more than redeemed them even for people who don't like Ikki). Crisis Force is cool. Sometimes you have to watch the names - I thought I was buying Legend of Kage with "Kage" but it turned out to be Shadow of the Ninja (a much better game as it turned out). Ninja Gaiden III is much easier too.

[YoshiM]

Of course, you can always just get an adapter and play the games on a regular NES.

You're right, I could get an adapter, but I think the mystique of actual Famicom hardware is what's making me slide in that direction. The look of the console, the feel of the plastic, etc.

Good to know about the FDS. I already knew about the belt issue but did not know about drive alignment. I'm sure there are some article floating about that discuss how to remedy these situations, so I'll probably read them to see just how icky it can be.

[mobiusclimber]

The Famicom is well worth purchasing. The Disk System... it really depends on what you want it for. I think pretty much every game on it that got ported is actually superior on the FDS. But as far as exclusive titles, there's really only a handful that I'd consider worth playing. If you are heavily into RPGs, I'd say don't bother. Also the thing to remember is the FDS is a peripheral for the Famicom that was discontinued while the Famicom was still in production (and would be for several more years). So there are Famicom games that look much better than anything on the FDS. One nice thing is that it's possible to either burn your own FDS games to disc or pay someone else to do it for you. That way you can get translations of some of the more text-heavy titles.

Some must-have Famicom games:
Splatterhouse
Wai Wai World 1 & 2
Holy Diver
Getsu Fuuma Den
Joy Mech Fight
Hello Kitty World
Cocoroon
Keroppi no Daiboken 1 & 2

[Aussie2B]

I'd say that if you're going to get the actual Famicom hardware, you may as well get the Disk System as well, if only to justify the purchase. There's not much reason to own a Famicom for just the carts when an NES + adapter can do the job just as well (short of playing Akumajou Densetsu's music properly). I understand the allure of simply possessing the hardware, but that's my logic on the situation.

[Ze_ro]

You're right, I could get an adapter, but I think the mystique of actual Famicom hardware is what's making me slide in that direction. The look of the console, the feel of the plastic, etc.
True enough. I ended up buying an actual system myself after being somewhat disappointed with the "experience" of using an adapter (and indeed, I got much more interested in Famicom games after buying a real system). However, it's a nice way to get your feet wet without dropping too much money on a system (plus shipping, which gets expensive when you get into foreign stuff).

When I decided to get a Famicom, I specifically wanted the original model of Famicom because that's what I always thought of when I thought about Famicom. In theory, an AV Famicom or Twin Famicom would have been a far easier choice, but it just wasn't the same to me. Of course, the original model only has an RF output, and since Japanese TV's use different frequencies, you might not have any way of tuning into the Famicom (Channel 96 worked for me, but I think it might depend on the TV). Of course, you can always modify it to add an AV jack. Check the forums over at Famicom World (http://famicomworld.com/) for some advice if you decide to modify it. Another problem with original Famicom's is that they have a bad habit of turning yellow over time, and it's hard to judge how far gone it is by looking at bad eBay pics...


Good to know about the FDS. I already knew about the belt issue but did not know about drive alignment. I'm sure there are some article floating about that discuss how to remedy these situations, so I'll probably read them to see just how icky it can be.
There are some pretty good instructions out there for changing the belt, but what most of them don't tell you is that unless you're incredibly careful, you're going to throw out the alignment in the process of taking everything apart. Back when I did this with my FDS, I couldn't find any decent instructions on aligning the drive. Luckily, Frankie_Says_Relax actually had some very helpful advice and I managed to get everything working perfectly after only a few PM's.

Buying a dead FDS is far cheaper if you're confident you can repair it... but it can be quite disappointing if it doesn't work out, and might turn you off the system entirely.

--Zero

[Ed Oscuro]

I wouldn't play on an original FC if you gave me one. The A/V FC might have colors that seem "off" to some; I'm not sure, but it looks great to me. Most importantly it has NES style controller ports. No worries about screwing up the wired controllers or the system on an A/V FC; if the controller gets bad with age, just replace it.

Castlevania III (and the FDS versions of games) is the easy answer for the adapter route losing, but other games like Crisis Force also use enhanced music (I'm quite sure) that wouldn't turn out well with the adapter. Since Crisis Force is one of those games I've had in rotation on my FC for some time (though haven't played anything in a looong while) it wouldn't make sense to have gotten an adapter and suffered with the downsides.

Plus, no toaster reliability issues with the A/V model.

[Nonplus]

I'd just go ahead and buy the Famicom without the disk system. As zero mentioned, maintenance can be a big hastle, and to be quite honest, it doesn't have a lot of must-buy exclusives.
The Famicom, on the other hand, has tons of niche titles that never crossed the border, well worth the purchase of a stand-alone system if you ask me. Be on the look out for games like Asmik Land, Splatterhouse, and Mr. Gimmick.

[InsaneDavid]

If you're going to get a Disk System, right from the start, then just buy a Twin Famicom right out of the gate. It will play both Famicom cartridges as well as Famicom Disk System games, has native AV out, longer controller cords and the AN-505 models will have built in autofire on the control pads. I used home made Famicom to NES adapters for years until I came upon an AN-505-BK on eBay with a few games for $120.00 or so - within the US. There's no way I'd play Famicom on another type of hardware after owning one for a few years.

[Shawn Carr2o]

I own an AV Famicom with Castlevania III, Contra, Kid Dracula, Mad City and Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti and I just have to say that this game console is awesome. I wish that some FDS games were on a cartridge like,

Doki Doki Panic
Kiki Kaikai
Nazo No Murasamejyo
3D Hot Rally
Gall Force
Grand Prix F-1 Race
Nazo no Kabe
Volleyball
Fuun Shouringi
Fuuun Shaolin Kyo Karate
Mario Golf
Arumana No Kiseki
Tobidase Daisakusem
Seiken Psycho Calibur
Ginga Densho
Samurai Sword
Falsion
Kiken Na Futari
Marchen Veil
Transformers: The Head Masters
Dirty Pair
Dead Zone
Super Boy Allan
Tantei Club 1
Meikyujiin Dababa
Cocona World
Yuyuki 1
Tantei Club 2
Suisho No Dragon
Kieta Princess
Deep Dungeon
Dandy Japan
Titanic Mystery
Yuyuki 2
Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa
Love Warrior Nicol

I don't know if I want to deal with the FDS though since they break.

[TheClash603]

My favorite Famicom games i Goonies, which nonsensically never came over here. You'll also have some fun with Wai Wai World 2 and Doki Doki Panic.

The BEST thing about Famicom is that it doesn't have a lockout chip. There are a TON of Chinese original games, all that are a ton of fun. You haven't liked until you played Street Fighter 12 and Somari.