US/EU NES vs. Famicom.. INTENTIONAL Design flaw?

[Epicenter]

The Famicom worked perfectly over in Japan and other countries. But when it came to the US and Europe, it was made into the new VCR/Toaster design we all hate, with the hardware guts and games we love. Did Nintendo think we couldn't comprehend the concept of a toploading machine over here? we managed to grasp the SMS, Atari, and Coleco machines quite well.

But that aside, my real point is, the design seems intentionally flawed. Soldering an edge connector onto the mainboard is simple and minimizes room for damage. Adding a 72-pin edge connector adds 3 areas for problems-- loose or corroded pins on the mainboard end, the cartridge end, and damage to the center. The lengthening of the electrical leads makes them more succeptible to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference), and I'm not even sure the RF shielding covers the connector. I don't believe it does.

This doesn't seem to have any advantages .. especially since the PCBs had to be mounted in comically oversized cartridges making them larger, making them cost more to produce, requiring larger labels .. etc. Even the cheaply made, all-plastic, no-metal-casing Chinese Pirate famicom my friend picked up in Mexico about a decade ago still works better than any front-loading NES. Games work with only a bit of blowing, no deranged tricks like wedging Goosebumps books on top of the cartridge or any absurdity like that is required, whereas to operate a non-repaired NES, one practically needs to light candles around the machine, wash the edge connectors in holy water, and sacrifice a goat.

That was absurd enough. Then, to put another nail in the design's grave, they added a handle to the SIDE of games, so that all the force applied on the cartridge in pushing/pulling the cartridge in/out would bend the pins on one end of the connector, not in an even fashion.

It seems to me that Nintendo figured that if the connector failed in 2-5 years, people would rush out to buy a new one, or pay costly repair fees after the warranty expired (30 days, wasn't it?) .. and as we all know, no 72-pinner fails in 30 days unless you're spreading peanut butter and nails on your cart edges and shoving them in with pliers.

Or, did Nintendo look at the Famicom, and say, "What? It works every time? .. Can't have that." *runs Famicom through a wood chipper and reassembles a prototype NES using superglue and a live ferret*

So, in a nutshell.
The VCR/Toaster NES - A testament to idiocy, or a vicious marketing scheme?

[Bratwurst]

Blah blah blah, guess what.

NINTENDO DID IT TO DIFFERENTIATE THE WHOLE SETUP FROM THE ATARI 2600 IT WASN'T A VIDEO GAME SYSTEM IT WAS AN ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

[Ed Oscuro]

So, in a nutshell.
The VCR/Toaster NES - A testament to idiocy, or a vicious marketing scheme?

It would seem to me that Epicenter has considered the possibility, Bratwurst (just realized that's a nifty play of words in your handle...brat, as in a kid, you know...)

I don't see how the lack of an edge connector would cost more money, but then again I don't see how it would've been obvious it was needed. Sure, Nintendo had experience with the Famicom since 1983, but they probably thought that no problems would occur if they changed around the design a bit.

[Oobgarm]

...whereas to operate a non-repaired NES, one practically needs to light candles around the machine, wash the edge connectors in holy water, and sacrifice a goat.

Now I know why my NES isn't working right. I need a goat.

I personally believe that the design wasn't thought through well, and that Bratwurst is right. There was a lot of doubt surrounding videogames, and having something branded as "entertainment" helped curb that doubt.

[Bratwurst]

Bottom line, it was the answer to his question and what I consider the anathema to a fluffy post. No one really had the foresight (or ill intent) to make a super-faulty setup and expect to get away with it. To intentionally do so just creates headaches in the form of customer complaints, paying time on technical support, etc. etc. Nintendo tried to make up for it in the form of the top-loader when they essentially realized they had made a mistake (or was willing to fess up to it) but by then no one cared because the SNES was out.

[Ed Oscuro]

No one really had the foresight (or ill intent) to make a super-faulty setup and expect to get away with it. To intentionally do so just creates headaches in the form of customer complaints, paying time on technical support, etc. etc.

Oh, yes yes. I really do tire of the corporate conspiracy theories, so I find myself not believing that a forum member will actually promote one (instead being sarcastic about the event).

[Dr. Morbis]

It was intentional insofar as it was purposely designed to NOT look like a video game system (as bratwurst said)

It was accidental insofar as they did not see all of the future problems that would come about. However, they realized the design "flaw" long before the toploader was released. They just didn't care really because nintendo's were flying off the shelves.

For what it's worth, I still have my original nes from 1987, with it's original 72-pin connector, and I haven't had a problem to this day. I do clean it on a monthly basis though. But I still don't know what all the fuss is about. It's supposed to be *zero* insertion force. You are asking for trouble when you try and bend pins or mod it so that you need plyers to get your game out.

[sisko]

Oh please. Why on earth would Nintendo bother to manufacture a faulty system?

Besides, the vast majority of the systems went defunct way after it became "obsolete" any way.

It's not like they are trying to make money off of the repairs either. They even suggest buying a replacement system before trying to get it repaired.

[MarioAllStar2600]

Im going to have to say Accidental. WHy would they make somethign so it doesn't work right? Plus if it was on purpose the wouldve never made the top loader.

[FABombjoy]

I do not believe it was intentional because:

The factors that add up to 'blink' would never show up during testing, unless Nintendo included a battery of weathering experiments. Since the instructions tell you to keep the carts clean and to not expose them to dirt/water/lightning/etc., it wouldn't make sense for them to test the system and games under those conditions.

Even on my friends and relatives poorly kept systems, I don't remember serious issues until years after the initial system purchase. Carts get dirty over time, dirt/grime/human breath gets deposited on pin, and awhile later... BAM: blinky time.

[FABombjoy]

Adding a 72-pin edge connector adds 3 areas for problems-- loose or corroded pins on the mainboard end, the cartridge end, and damage to the center.

To damage the center of the connector or pin->board junction would take a catastrophic event.


The lengthening of the electrical leads makes them more succeptible to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference), and I'm not even sure the RF shielding covers the connector. I don't believe it does.

It does fully cover the connector, and I think it would take significant EMI to interfere with TTL voltage levels.


Even the cheaply made, all-plastic, no-metal-casing Chinese Pirate famicom my friend picked up in Mexico about a decade ago still works better than any front-loading NES

Top loading design, right? The mild abrasion of inserting/removing adds up to a self-cleaning process which is not present in the ZIF factor.


they added a handle to the SIDE of games, so that all the force applied on the cartridge in pushing/pulling the cartridge in/out would bend the pins on one end of the connector, not in an even fashion.

I'm willing to bet that the handle was expressly for removing the cart, not inserting it. Even so, when inserting a cart the bottom fits up against the cart carrier which spreads the load evenly. I took a look at my NES, and I do not believe there is sufficient clearance for any negligible form of torsional stress to be applied to the card edge. When a cart is in the carrier, there is simply no place to go but straight down and up.


Or, did Nintendo look at the Famicom, and say, "What? It works every time? .. Can't have that

That would imply prior knowledge that their design would be faulty, which seems too much like conspiracy theory.


Plus if it was on purpose the wouldve never made the top loader

I think this is an excellent point. What I don't understand is why they made 2 different toploaders instead of consolidating the design into 1 'global' design. The top of the Famicom AV is flat to accept the FDS cartridge, and has A/V jacks installed. US got the rounded treatment with RF only.

My vote: Bad engineering.

[ventrra]

Blah blah blah, guess what.

NINTENDO DID IT TO DIFFERENTIATE THE WHOLE SETUP FROM THE ATARI 2600 IT WASN'T A VIDEO GAME SYSTEM IT WAS AN ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Um...It seems just like a video game system to me. x_x I really can't say that I met anyone who didn't know that the NES was a video game system. What differenciates a video game system from an "Entertainment" system?
Or to put the question another way: Are you implying that Nintendo thought "If we say that this is an entertainment system, no one will catch on to the fact that it plays video games" ?

[Bratwurst]

If we say that this is an entertainment system, no one will catch on to the fact that it plays video games.

Yeah, that's more or less is what Nintendo tried to get away with. It was a vapid marketing decision and inconsequential imo. I feel the reason the NES did so well was establishing itself early enough after the oversaturated market had been given a breather, and also presenting a very clear 'jump' in terms of technology and graphics.

[YoshiM]

Blah blah blah, guess what.

NINTENDO DID IT TO DIFFERENTIATE THE WHOLE SETUP FROM THE ATARI 2600 IT WASN'T A VIDEO GAME SYSTEM IT WAS AN ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Um...It seems just like a video game system to me. x_x I really can't say that I met anyone who didn't know that the NES was a video game system. What differenciates a video game system from an "Entertainment" system?
Or to put the question another way: Are you implying that Nintendo thought "If we say that this is an entertainment system, no one will catch on to the fact that it plays video games" ?

Just like Bratwurst said. The market was hit hard when the Crash came about and retailers didn't want to touch anything with the name "video game". By modifying the design by making it look less like a video game system (cartridge shoved on top) and more like a piece of A/V equipment and then calling it an "Entertainment" system it softened the retailers. Yep, sometimes image is everything.

[ventrra]

Just like Bratwurst said. The market was hit hard when the Crash came about and retailers didn't want to touch anything with the name "video game". By modifying the design by making it look less like a video game system (cartridge shoved on top) and more like a piece of A/V equipment and then calling it an "Entertainment" system it softened the retailers. Yep, sometimes image is everything.
Seems strange to me, but I guess that's why I don't have a job in marketing. LOL