The NES blows. Failing pin connectors, huge gaudy grey carts, every game overpriced up the ass due to "rarity" and doofus game flippers/hoarders. No floppy disk capabilities. Tons of Japan exclusives that never made it to North America (God help you if you live in Europe). No Space Invaders, Galaxian, or Dig Dug. What a pile.
Famicom = god-tier console. MASSIVE library of games, tons of exclusives. Gorgeous multi-colored and multi-styled Atari-esque carts that don't take up unnecessary space. Games are cheap as hale. I'm talking about 99 cent JRPGs and whatnot. Castlevania with a save feature. Epic floppy disk peripheral. Only "disadvantages" are the inferior controllers, inability to open carts, small number of NA/PAL exclusives, and language barrier -- though these incredibly small problems can now be rectified via modern technological means (for example, playing Fami games on a RetroFreak, if you're into that sort of thing).
Just look at this sexy beast.
The truth has been spoken.
Last edited by BoneSnapDeez on Mon Jan 28, 2019 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
That's partly why I have a New (AV) Famicom. Also, it was pretty easy to add the RGB mod to.
BoneSnapDeez wrote:inability to open carts,
They can be opened, it's just a real pain in the ass. I had to do it to change the save battery in Megami Tensei II. Basically requires vice grips, and totally sucks to do, but it can be done. I wouldn't recommend it under normal circumstances, though.
BoneSnapDeez wrote:language barrier
What is this? I don't understand.
I can't imagine buying an NES over some form of Famicom these days either. The Famicom is objectively the better console, for sure. I have an NES to Famicom pin converter for those odd NES cartridges I still have, also.
I've been thinking about a Famicom solely for the FDS. The EverDrive still doesn't emulate the sound channels very well. Of course, I don't think I can justify the cost as of now, given that I'm sitting on four NES systems (all front-loaders). I've modded my current one in use to enable expansion sound, and I've also swapped out the pin connector, so I don't have a huge problem with it. I do need to go back in and add a switch to disable the lockout chip, though; that's where most of the problems are in the system for booting games.
Has anyone messed with the FDSStick? Worth looking into? I'd still have to have the RAM adapter and a Famicom, but I would think that would be the best way to play FDS games.
But didn't you know Americans like grey? Grey carts, grey controllers, grey consoles with maybe red or purple highlights? Or black if you prefer. No judgement on what color your N64 is.
Sarge wrote:Has anyone messed with the FDSStick? Worth looking into? I'd still have to have the RAM adapter and a Famicom, but I would think that would be the best way to play FDS games.
I can endorse the FDSStick. It's too cheap not to. But I also like the aesthetics and fun of a dedicated system. One of my Famicom systems is FDS only (my ram adapter cart is too finicky to keep taking it out otherwise).
I second that sentiment. He's kind of right. I felt it some years ago which is when I was really still sour over the market before I gave up basically caring deep down about it anymore. I was looking at the values of stuff, then I happened to get a pair of honeybee devices due to some so poorly done ebay auctions with them attached to a famiclone cart. I started to slowly grab up some most excellent games, originally Japanese only. Then I started seeing ways to make some good coin off collector crazies. I bought up Bonk on FC for $20 and sold the NES game for $300. The pattern held pretty well, avoided the Panic Restaurant bullet getting Wanpaku Kokkun no Gourmet World for Famicom too for like $30. The only one I missed the boat on were Bubble Bobble 2 and Lickle (Samson) that got dumb first before others did.
The FC is a truly amazing system and the unique games we got hosed out of due to cultural fears, NOA limitations (6 game per year), and other odd things of chance are right there for the picking. Throw in all those lovely booster mapper chips we didn't get like some of the epic stuff Konami and Namco cooked up and it's crazy good. For all the greatness he is right, there are odd failings and annoyances like the hard to open without breaking carts, the language barrier (though kanji thankfully is rare), and they got less than great controllers.
The one thing I've never sunk myself into was the FDS. At this rate I do it with the N8 if I care to, but it would have been nice to fake it using that modern solution mixed with the old, but I worry how much those 30+ year old magnetic disks are going to last now. Thankfully I'm running a HiDEF NES mod in a top loader, so that expanded audio is present! I haven't picked up a lot of FC carts and not any for awhile now, but the 10 I have are some drool worthy solid games thankfully (mostly Konami stuff).
Well, I'll always have a soft spot for the NES over the Famicom. I have pretty much stopped collecting for it (still acquired a few the past year though), but could never bring myself to get an everdrive for it: Reasons: 1. I have a nice collection, if I do say so myself. Most was obtained way before things went haywire. And all the memories of that collection along the way .... 2. It's just too special. It's my one completely innocent system; no hacks, no flash carts, no repros. 3. I still have a magic touch with getting carts to work in the front loaders (combined with proper cleaning of course). The last game I played, it was the controller that I had to work on, not the game (then proceeded to properly beat my belated Castlevania NES run (previously only beat on (GBA NES classic cart). 4. I do emulate on other systems. PS2, PC, PS3, Xbox, Wii, PSP, GBA, DS: these have all been my 8-bit playground at one time or another. It's the NES console itself that I'd like to leave be.
So most of the drawbacks I do agree with for NES, but they just don't apply to me.
My interest in Famicom has been slightly more recent (last couple years). It will not really heat up until I work up the motivation to AV mod one of them though. I have about 30+ carts so far, and I think I'm about done really. Keeping them in one of those tape cassette drawer thingies (a great use for an old storage accessory that can be found at thrift stores).
I might be just crazy enough to keep playing my FDSStick games via RF connection for a while longer though. I just seem to play the ones I already know though (Doki Panic, Zelda, Super Mario Bros, etc). After the whole NES Classic shortage, It's kind of neat to have a Famicom Classic Lite with a good half (or more) of selection of games that were also available on FDS. One day I shall lose myself in the translated Action RPG's that it has to offer (I guess it's my favorite genre, when I really think about it).
I do have an AV Famicom coming in a few weeks. I think that will be carts only, no FDS (that will have to wait until the modding bug hits me again... that and I discover more time).
PS, is it weird that I keep replaying Zeldas, Marios, Mega Mans, and Final Fantasy on everything that can load it? Case in Point, I played the Mega Man port (enhanced soundtrack) on PCE via Super SDsystem3. One of like only 4 games that I loaded on the thing (so far). What is wrong with me? And I don't own the game on NES or FC (but do have the sequels on one or both). Maybe that's why I did it though?
I love the Famicom, I have an RGB-modded AV FC with over 200 games and about 20 NES games (exclusives or language barrier-reasons) that I play with an adapter. Or with the Analogue NT Mini I got just to make sure I can play these comfortably 20 years in the future after my CRTs have probably broken down.
But the FDS is a horrible piece of hardware that only made sense for the brief period of time before cartridges got larger storage space and battery backups. So about 14 months, I believe. Disk Fax was a pretty cool idea, tho.
