FM Towns Marty Accessories: Sources?

[vanadium]

I just picked up an amazing deal on Yahoo! Japan for a working FM Towns Marty (800 Yen) -- a system I'd been wanting for ages. However, it's missing a controller and A/V cables. Any ideas where a guy can pick up a couple of controllers? And does it take standard A/V cables, or proprietary?

[StealthLurker]

I just picked up an amazing deal on Yahoo! Japan for a working FM Towns Marty (800 Yen) -- a system I'd been wanting for ages. However, it's missing a controller and A/V cables. Any ideas where a guy can pick up a couple of controllers? And does it take standard A/V cables, or proprietary?

Easiest way IMHO....

I'd ask Howdoin on neo-geo.com or ebay seller 16-bit to track them down for you.

.

[vanadium]

I just picked up an amazing deal on Yahoo! Japan for a working FM Towns Marty (800 Yen) -- a system I'd been wanting for ages. However, it's missing a controller and A/V cables. Any ideas where a guy can pick up a couple of controllers? And does it take standard A/V cables, or proprietary?

Easiest way IMHO....

I'd ask Howdoin on neo-geo.com or ebay seller 16-bit to track them down for you.

.

Great idea. I've dealt with 16-bit several times in the past on eBay. Thanks for the tip!

[GaijinPunch]

Any ideas where a guy can pick up a couple of controllers? And does it take standard A/V cables, or proprietary?

Video Cables: Radio shack, or maybe someone's closet (it uses standard stero cables)
Controller: Anywhere they sell MegaDrive controllers (which are leaps and bounds better than the stock Marty controller).

[Ed Oscuro]

800 yen for a Marty? And if you turned around and put that one on eBay somebody's snap it up.

What's Splatterhouse going for on Y!AJ, anyway? :embarrassed:

[GaijinPunch]

What's Splatterhouse going for on Y!AJ, anyway? :embarrassed:

I don't think it is. It's not like there's one on there all the time. I sold one not long ago for $160.

[16-bit]

I just picked up an amazing deal on Yahoo! Japan for a working FM Towns Marty (800 Yen) -- a system I'd been wanting for ages. However, it's missing a controller and A/V cables. Any ideas where a guy can pick up a couple of controllers? And does it take standard A/V cables, or proprietary?

I'd hold off on saying that it is "working" until it arrives. FM Towns Marty systems are notoriously fragile, and a lot (note: not all) of the stuff that is sold on YJ is listed because the second-hand shop wouldn't take it. Somehow the fact that it is missing hookups and a controller makes it suspect that the auction was listed "AS-IS". I hope it is a working unit because you will love it if you are into obscure stuff. I don't have any FM Towns stuff for sale at the moment that I want to part with online...I'm saving most of it for conventions.

[vanadium]

Fair point about not declaring it "working" quite yet. I did source a controller, so that isn't an issue (more for the sake of completeness). I'm definitely aware of the fragility of the system (esp. the floppy drive), but the auction was clear about stating "image and sound being verified" (in that fabulous translator-speak) so I'm hopeful, at the very least. ;) If not, I'll tinker.

It almost looked to be a demo unit of some sort thanks to some promotional sticker across the front and a demo cd in the drive. I forget what exactly it was promoting offhand, but the sticker resembled the type found on electronics on display in the stores here in the US. I wish now I'd saved the picture from the auction.

Also, thanks for the info GaijinPunch... I've got a 6-button hooked up to my X'Eye behind me that'll work just fine then. Cool.

[vanadium]

Good news: It arrived and it works. Mostly.

Bad news: As predicted, the floppy drive failed.

I'd assumed that the floppy drive had gone bad even before I got it, so I sourced some belts. Sure enough, I plopped a disk in there and got the roar of a floppy drive not turning. If new belts don't do the trick, I'll tinker.

Even so, Viewpoint and Galaxy Force II booted right up just fine and they play well (considering the system's age). Not a bad deal for the price I paid, floppy drive or no. This is what I call "working enough" since the 7-8 games I've purchased really haven't necessitated its use. ;)

[Ed Oscuro]

What's Splatterhouse going for on Y!AJ, anyway? :embarrassed:

I don't think it is. It's not like there's one on there all the time. I sold one not long ago for $160.
Much better than what eBay sellers usually want - they try to get twice that amount.


Even so, Viewpoint and Galaxy Force II booted right up just fine and they play well (considering the system's age). Not a bad deal for the price I paid, floppy drive or no.
Ha, those are the two FM Towns games I own, as well. What're the chances, eh? On that note, what came in your Viewpoint box? I just have a manual and the game in a CD-ROM case (no insert for that). Seems kinda sparse and empty given the size of the case...

[vanadium]

Ha, those are the two FM Towns games I own, as well. What're the chances, eh? On that note, what came in your Viewpoint box? I just have a manual and the game in a CD-ROM case (no insert for that). Seems kinda sparse and empty given the size of the case...

I just have the disc in its case for both. I have another 6 Marty games coming from Japan right now, and only Microcosm is fully boxed. The rest are either game/manual, or just the game in its case.

I should add... The "demo" CD that came with the Marty was some title called "Secre" and labelled "Demo Disk"; it seems to be a ton of skimpy pictures of Japanese women (par for the course) but I haven't taken time to go through it yet.

The Marty on the front has a sticker advertisement for the "Marty Channel". What this is, I have no goddamn clue. ;) It's pretty interesting, though.

I'm not being too picky. Yet. ;) Besides, they were about $10 apiece so given that rate versus eBay, I would have been stupid not to go with Y!J, even with the deputy service middleman.

Question, was there an insert for the back of the Viewpoint CD case? I have one in my Galaxy Force II case (no manual), but nothing for Viewpoint. Doesn't really matter either way, just curious.

[smork]

Ah, buying a Marty w/o using the internet is my self-appointed quest for the summer. (I love giving myself shopping quests, makes collecting fun) I'll be in Japan and plan on hitting every obscure shop I can find.

I haven't found that many good resources on the web for finding out info, tho -- anybody know of any sites with good pix/list of parts-n-accessories? Not for sale, just for archiving purposes...

[vanadium]

To be honest, I haven't seen many sites out there with comprehensive lists of anything for the Marty. At least none in English... Anyone know of any?

[Ed Oscuro]

Question, was there an insert for the back of the Viewpoint CD case? I have one in my Galaxy Force II case (no manual), but nothing for Viewpoint. Doesn't really matter either way, just curious.
That's the way I got it as well - just a plain jewel case, no inserts. The box and the manual make up for that...I guess.

[Zigfried]

My Viewpoint just has the outer case, manual, and CD case, too. Big empty boxes were the standard back then for PC games in the US (just look at my useless outer box for Heroes of Might & Magic 2). I guess Japan was the same way.

[Ed Oscuro]

Big empty boxes were the standard back then for PC games in the US (just look at my useless outer box for Heroes of Might & Magic 2). I guess Japan was the same way.
Big difference: Almost all U.S./European PC games came in cardboard boxes, not plastic. Strangely, all of my Japanese PC games come in plastic (mostly rigid) boxes. You'd think there'd be something more inside for the expense...oh well, it protects that box art just nice, and there's a lot of space for that artwork, as well.

[vanadium]

I've got a far-from-complete (but possibly helpful) list of Towns/Marty games up --> right here <-- (http://www.shadatannis.com/x68k/towns.html). Obviously, it's missing some stuff that I plan/hope to fill in someday when I have time. I'm still working out on testing a lot of games, because I've never found a Marty-compatibility list (yet). If anyone knows any definite NON-compatible games, please let me know. ^_^

//Zig

I can tell you that based on my copy of New Zealand Story for the FM Towns, that in my Marty 1 it sounds like someone took a schizophrenic shit on the sound chip. Sounds are ok, but the music sounds like a chipmunk on crystal meth being pounded against the sidewalk.

All my other games are great, though. I am particularly enjoying Mad Stalker... Good stuff.

[blue lander]

I picked up a cheap Towns Marty (I think 1000 yen) off YAJ as well, and not suprisingly enough the floppy drive was bad too. I didn't really care since all my Towns games were on CD, but a few games like Zak McKraken won't work if it can't read the floppy drive. I just took the belt out of my spare FDS and now it works fine.

[Ed Oscuro]

I am particularly enjoying Mad Stalker... Good stuff.
Any comments on how the x68000 version stacks up against the FM Towns? God, I wish I had a UX-20 right now :P

[vanadium]

Reviving old thread!

Mad Stalker, I have no idea compared to the x68000, unfortunately. I sold it in a batch last year, though. I still have GFII and New Zealand Story, 4 spare belts, and will probably be selling the entire package at some point relatively soon due to a lack of space. I did end up sourcing an FM Towns controller identical to the Marty controller (just different verbiage on the controller itself).

Great little system, but it's a shame I have no room for it anymore.

[Ed Oscuro]

Haha. In other words, a bit like me, you discovered that the Marty really is an overhyped piece of garbage. Mostly due to poor software support, of course.

The only games I'm interested on it are the Toaplan shooters (and the ones I've played seem to have problems) and perhaps Ultima Underworld. The rest can just get lost. Viewpoint is a great conversion; the system needed more true horizontal games. I really do understand the line on Assembler about Japanese people laughing at the silly foreigner who's interested in a Marty, though.

[vanadium]

Eh, I don't find it that bad, really. Having around 25-30 systems here and limited time to play even the newest addition (Wii in particular), I didn't have time to play them all as extensively as I'd hoped. Tack on the fact that I just moved to downtown Chicago and have little room and...it's gotta go. ;)

Oh well.