The Gaming Historian (aka Norman Caruso) is back with ever more luscious hair to get us up to speed with the ill-fated Famicom Disk System. Nintendo considered the Disk System the future of the Famicom, and promised bigger, cheaper games through the hardware iteration.
To get a better understanding of how the Famicom Disk System came to be you need only survey the Japanese gaming industry back in the mid '80s. It's no exaggeration to say that Nintendo was the dominant force, effortlessly brushing aside rival companies and snapping up third party support from all of the nation's finest code shops.
By 1985 Nintendo was finding that gamers were so ravenous for new products that it was almost impossible to keep up with the intense demand; given this passionate interest in all things Famicom-related, it's easy to see why Nintendo started to investigate other avenues of making cash. Expanding the functionality of the millions of Famicom consoles already sitting in homes up and down Japan was the most logical course of action, so it was decided that the existing base unit should be augmented by a separate piece of hardware which would permit bigger and better games. With this objective in mind, Nintendo cast its gaze towards the home computing sector for inspiration.
Of course like the Nintendo 6DD, the Famicom Disk System was never to see a Western release as a NES add-on. The history behind all of this is fascinating, so sit back with a cup of coffee and let the Gaming Historian get you up to speed in the video below.
Further reading: Slipped Disk - The History of the Famicom Disk System
[source youtube.com]
Comments 15
What if the NX is an add on for Wii U?
NX = Annex
"annex
verb
1. add as an extra or subordinate part, especially to a document.
2. add (territory) to one's own territory by appropriation.
noun
1. a building joined to or associated with a main building, providing additional space or accommodation.
2. an addition to a document."
Also, why is Ed Byrne in that video?
@SLIGEACH_EIRE with the rumour of the NX using cartridges, that would be some irony if it actually happened.
@dizzy_boy Very true.
Get a haircut Norm!
disk writer kiosk ? so cool !!
i cant believe the services lasted to damn long for this system. shows that nintendo always had a great customer support
My first ever video console system was actually Famicom with Disk System. I remembered that it suffered from no good games. Contra and Dragon Ball Z, for example, was never in disk form. Nintendo cartridge, imported from Japan, cost like 50 to 80 US at that time. Shortly afterwards, I purchased a system with cheaper cartridge, Mega Drive. Each game cost like 30 to 40. I remembered getting phantasm star 4 for 30 bucks.
This explains why Nintendo held off from disc based madia for so long, and why Nintendo wasn't bothered when Sega released the Sega CD for the Genesis.
I never knew that Hudson approached Nintendo first with the idea of Hu cards first. Seriously did Nintendo give every electronics manufacturer the brush off when it came to gaming?
@Tasuki I recall hearing that Hudson approached Nintendo to pitch their custom hardware for a jointly-released successor to the Famicom. Hudson obviously took their hardware to NEC and the PC Engine came to be. Between the card format and the PC Engine design, I conclude that Hudson had great hardware ideas back in the day.
The Famicom Disk System also works with the Retro Duo. I really enjoy having one. You definitely should only buy games that are listed as "tested" because of the overwriting, as mentioned in the video.
@bluedogrulez
I have one as well that I use with an Analogue NT & it really is a cool experience to boot one up & try the various games that never made it to the US. As a tip, and maybe I've gotten lucky, I've only ordered discs from highly rated Japanese based EBay sellers & all have been exactly what they were supposed to be. Some have been dirt cheap as well, it pays to look around.
The "Faison" disk I bought on eBay that was actually contained a faulty LoZ burn was from a Japanese seller with 100% feedback on over 15,000+ deals. It was clearly a mistake (and they promptly issued a refund), but that is why "tested" items are so critical for these disks. It's like finding an old music tape with the tabs covered . . . you really can't know what's on there unless it's tested.
@bluedogrulez
Glad they issued a refund! But even with testing, it means nothing. I once got an NES Zelda cart, that was listed as clean & tested, off an Amazon reseller, and it had dust all over it and when you turned it on, it had existing files named after the N word. A big no no in the US. I ended up getting a refund, as the cart was just filthy dirty with dust & dirt. The cart had never been tested or cleaned.
When buying used, there's always a chance for a hiccup, but at least the good rating typically means you'll get your money back.
Good luck in your Famicom gaming!
Interesting stuff!
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