My Famicom & FDS

nesjess

Well-known member

Donor 2011
Joined
Feb 4, 2009
Messages
9,584
Reaction score
530
Location
Castro Valley, California
My Famicom & FDS! Pictures!

I was really happy to see all the recent talk about the Famicom and Famicom Disk System that I decided to post pictures of both of mine. They are definitely neat little consoles and I almost wish that NOA had kept the same format and style. From what I heard, the NES was made to look like a VCR (hence, the annoying loading format and the fact that it was called the Nintendo "Entertainment System" and not "game console") due to the downfall and failure of the home consoles at the time.

So I acquired a complete boxed Famicom direct from Japan a while ago and, most recently, acquired a complete boxed FDS from a US seller. Both purchases were made on ebay. I paid a pretty penny for the Famicom, but I did get a great deal on the FDS considering it came complete and working out of the box (no need to replace the belt).

I try to get games that were only released in Japan that I can't play on my NES. So for the Famicom or FDS, I've only bought a couple of games. Star Wars by Namco (Japanese release only) and Super Mario Bros. 2 (remade into Lost Levels on Super Mario All-Stars on SNES). I hope to eventually get Gradius II, Doki Doki Panic (was converted to SMB2 in the US) and Vs. Excitebike (FDS release only with head-to-head mode).

Without further ado, here are some pictures!

dsc1207t.jpg


dsc1197d.jpg


dsc1198x.jpg


dsc1199j.jpg

 
Last edited:
Very cool. All these posts have me interested in getting some of this stuff... (edit: sorry if I interrupted your posts!)
 
...

Doki Doki Panic (was converted to SMB2 in the US)

Oddly enough I have a sealed "Super Mario USA" cart for the Famicom which is the Japanese version of the American Version of Super Mario Bros. 2 which, as you said, was a modified version of Doki Doki Panic from Japan. o_O

The cover artwork is even the same as Doki Doki Panic, but with Mario Characters :)

525244_2912_front.jpg
Dokidokibox.jpg
 
Last edited:
I always found it interesting that some of the characters who are such a staple of the Mario universe came from the Doki Doki Panic game, but they are still viewed as Mario characters
 
I always found it interesting that some of the characters who are such a staple of the Mario universe came from the Doki Doki Panic game, but they are still viewed as Mario characters

Yeah, I'd honestly like to know the full story behind this.

From my understanding, the reason they didn't release the original SMB 2 in the US was because it was too difficult and, most of all, too similar to the first game. I don't get why difficulty would play a factor. I can think of a dozen really difficult NES games but that's another topic. I do agree with the latter. It's practically the same game play and has that sort of "bonus content" feel to it that you get with games today. So if they had released it, I think gamers would have felt ripped off due to the fact that they were paying $50 or more for games back then which is insane compared to now. I think what also helped avoid the truth behind Super Mario Bros. 2 is that Nintendo Power's launch issue had a full on feature on it and really played up that it was an "exciting new game."

My question is, why choose a totally random game like Doki Doki Panic and just swap out characters? I guess it was the only other decent game at the time in Japan that had similar side scrolling action? Why not take the time to create a new game? Or they just needed a quick solution to the problem of releasing a decent sequel to a groundbreaking game (SMB)? I guess I could dig a little deeper and try to do some more research.

To be honest, it's my least favorite of the Super Mario Bros. trilogy on NES, but still a decent and nostalgic game it in its own right which is a lot to say for a converted game.
 
Last edited:
I actually liked the SMB 2. I liked that the different characters had different jumping abilities. I always used Luigi (could jump higher) or Peach (could float a bit) and with them there were a few shortcuts you could take through certain worlds.
 
I don't have a FDS (although I was aware of them and have seen them before) and now I really want one. I was surprised that you can actually get them for a pretty decent price on ebay. As soon as my wife forgets that I just spent a couple hundred on cdi stuff I think I might pick one of these up.

On a related note, what issues are there, if any, with getting a Famicom to work over here in the states without ruining it?
 
On a related note, what issues are there, if any, with getting a Famicom to work over here in the states without ruining it?

DO NOT use a US NES/SNES A/C Adapter as the Famicom is made to input 100V. You need to use the A/C Adapter that comes with the Famicom. Also, the Famicom doesn't come with the RF Adapter that we're used to seeing, but you simply use the one from your NES/SNES. I read that it is recommended to use a step down converter since US outlets output 120V so it could be potentially harmful to your Famicom. This is a good site for info: http://famicomworld.com/workshop/tech/famicom-power-adaptor/

Also, you need a TV that can manually go to channels 97/98/99 in order for the picture to show up correctly. It took me the longest time to realize one of my tube TVs was capable of this. I actually hadn't played my Famicom until maybe 6 months after I bought it because of this. Dumb on my part, but I'm glad I finally got it working. :)
 
Also, as stated before. With the FDS, it is a belt driven disk system, and the belts are a known fail point. You can get a new one for around $10 on ebay. Just takes a little bit to open the thing up and work the new belt in.

My old belt was melted on to the spindle/drive pulley and I had to clean it all off before putting the new one on
 
Yeah, I'd honestly like to know the full story behind this.

My question is, why choose a totally random game like Doki Doki Panic and just swap out characters? I guess it was the only other decent game at the time in Japan that had similar side scrolling action? Why not take the time to create a new game? Or they just needed a quick solution to the problem of releasing a decent sequel to a groundbreaking game (SMB)? I guess I could dig a little deeper and try to do some more research.

I know I've read a more detailed reason for all this, but here's what Wikipedia says:

Nintendo of America disliked the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2, which they found to be frustratingly difficult and otherwise little more than a modification of Super Mario Bros.. As they did not want to risk the franchise's popularity, they canceled its stateside release and looked for an alternative. They found one in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic), a game Miyamoto actually put more time on than The Lost Levels.

Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic was a platforming game that followed family of four, each with different abilities, on a quest to rescue kidnapped kids in a strange fantasy land. Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad were built on Brother (Imajin), Mama, Sister (Lina) and Papa's models, respectively, marking the first time that Mario and Luigi had noticeably different heights. Some elements from the Mario universe already existed in Doki Doki Panic, such as Starmen, coin and jumping sound effects, the POW blocks and level warping. Also, the game's soundtrack was already composed by Koji Kondo, the original Super Mario composer, and upon the conversion needed only a few alterations such as removing most of the Arabian elements, replacing them with original Mario tunes.

Also, this was kinda funny.

Here are some comparisons, which is kind of neat. I need to go download the DDP rom again, I guess... :D
 
On a related note, what issues are there, if any, with getting a Famicom to work over here in the states without ruining it?

You can also just use a Genesis 1 power supply with the Famicom. It has the right output that the Famicom needs.

Some TVs you need to select cable input, instead of antenna, to get to the 96-99 range.

I love my FDS. I finally played through Metroid cause I could save instead of using codes.
 
Back
Top Bottom