HELP! Famicom PAL to NTSC

[Prelude2244]

1. Is there a way to play PAL famicom carts on an NTSC console?

2. How can you play a PAL famicom console in US where NTSC is the standard?

[Querjek]

1. Is there a way to play PAL famicom carts on an NTSC console?
Yes, I know it's possible, but I don't know how. I think you have to disable an NES's lockout chip then use a Famicom cart convertor.

[rbudrick]

The Famicom was NTSC. Do you mean PAL NES carts?

Is there a PAL famicom I've never heard of that uses PAL Famicom carts?

I'm not sure about lockouts, but other than those, if there are any (I know the NES has them) they should just play about 16.67 faster. If they are PAL NES carts, then a 72-60 pin converter should do (not considering potential lockouts).

-Rob

[sniperCCJVQ]

There are no PAL Famicom since Japan is NTSC like the US/Canada.

However, PAL NES exist for Europe.

[Querjek]

But there are PAL Famiclones, and therefore there are PAL Famicom carts to play on them.

[Prelude2244]

Nintendo built PAL famicom for export to Europe, where PAL is standard. PAL famicom uses PAL carts. It also uses, I think 220v instead of the 100/110v for NTSC.

This is basically my question.

1. My friend has a PAL famicom but we can't use it because you have to have a PAL TV and 220v power supply. Is there another way of making this work besides from buying a PAL TV and using a 220v transformer.


(Separate question)

2. I have a NTSC famicom but I want to play his PAL carts. How?

[anagrama]

Nintendo built PAL famicom for export to Europe, where PAL is standard.

Any idea where these were sold? I've never heard of a European Famicom.
Could it possibly be a Hong Kong model? That's a PAL region aswell.

[Prelude2244]

Possibly. There were a lot of PAL famicoms that were exported to UK. Just like us in the US, we can import Jap stuff becuase were NTSC. Anyhoo, please help me answer my question.



Anybody?

[anagrama]

There were a lot of PAL famicoms that were exported to UK.


Are you absolutely sure about that? I've never even heard a rumour of such a thing.
If there were, then I can only guess that they were unoffical imports from Hong Kong. Since Nintendo released the US-style NES throughout Europe, it would have made zero sense for them to also release a PAL Famicom to compete with their own product. And someone would probably have heard of it ;)



Anyhoo, please help me answer my question.


The NES can be made region-free by disabling a pin on one of the chips inside it, though I don't know if the Famicom is the same.

Have you tried them on an NTSC Famicom?
If there were PAL Famicom games, I very doubt that Nintendo would have PAL-optimised them (since very few European NES game were) or added a region-check since there's such a small market for them.

In general, a non-optimised PAL game on an NTSC console will play exactly the same as an NTSC game on an NTSC console.
It's only when played on a PAL machine that there would be any difference.

[Prelude2244]

If there were, then I can only guess that they were unoffical imports from Hong Kong



That is exactly what I meant. They were Exported/Imported NOT by Nintendo but by Distributors, Stores, Sellers, Traders, People like you and me, etc. Sorry for the confusion.

Ok this is what was suggested by somebody from UK.

1. Buy a converter so I can hook up the PAL famicom to my PC monitor (since I don't have a PAL TV).

2. So the only problem is the power supply. PAL runs on 220v and in US it's 100/110v.