It’s well known that when the Famicom was redesigned as the NES for the American market, Nintendo wanted to make it resemble a video recorder rather than a games console – but the man behind the NES has revealed there is another reason why the American version of the console gained a front-loading "zero insertion force" flap (which has proven to be one of the biggest issues with the console over the decades).
In a talk at the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield on Wednesday, Masayuki Uemura, the former head of Nintendo R&D2, revealed that the company was concerned that dry weather in parts of North America could result in children accidentally causing the console to short circuit.
Responding to a question from the audience about why Nintendo went with the ‘front loader’ design for the NES, Uemura replied, via a translator:
On the Famicom, the cartridge was directly connected to the hardware inside. So if you attach the video [game cartridge] to the actual devices, there’s static and charges, and [this can result in a] short circuit. Unlike Japan, where it’s humid, Texas, for example, in North America is very dry, so it’s likely that children, when they touch it, will [cause a] short circuit. And in the living room there are rugs and stuff like that, so it’s likely that we will have static. So front-loading prevents children from actually touching their hands to the devices, that’s why [we developed it] as a front loader.
Uemura also revealed that the microphone on the Famicom’s second controller was originally intended to be used for karaoke, but it was dropped for the NES because the one karaoke game released – Karaoke Studio from Bandai – was “not popular at all”.
Following the American video game crash of 1983, Nintendo was keen to avoid branding the NES as a game console, which is why it was called an ‘Entertainment System’ and made to resemble a video recorder. It’s also why the American market got R.O.B. the robot, to blur the line between games and toys.
And the Zapper? Well, according to a slide in Uemura’s presentation, that was developed simply because “Americans in general are interested in gun [sic]”.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Uemura-san prior to the talk and will be posting a full interview soon. In the meantime, let us know what you think of this story by posting a comment below.
Comments 49
That's actually a really interesting response I did not expect to hear. Usually, when you hear about regional redesigns, it's for cultural reasons, but here they took the climate into account toward bringing a safe experience for families.
This is the content I come for. Looking forward to the full interview.
But yet we have Switch cartridges that expose the contacts to the point where they are hard to avoid touching
Thanks, as a kid of the 80’s this is interesting history that refers directly to my childhood questions. Except he forgot to state why we had to all blow into the cartridge. Chucked at his last line: we are apparently fascinated with guns.
Putting in and removing a NES-cartridge was oddly satisfying. 😊
That's a really cool fact that I would have never considered. It's not as big of an issue with later consoles as technology improved and figured out solutions to things like this.
With my NES that I had back in the 1980s / 1990s, the game would sometimes pop back out again. The only way to make sure that the game would securely stay in there was to keep it down by sticking a "C" size battery in there.
"Americans in general are interested in gun." An unfortunate and absolutely true statement
@ummyeahnintendo I was like, "how dare they make a true statement as a stereotype!"
Wow, Nintendo seriously does overthink their designs, or at least did, in the extreme. In a good way, overall. But on the other hand, SNES didn't exactly suffer due to not having the ZIF...maybe this one really was overthought.
Really cool story though.
@stevep A huge difference with the switch is that it is a "wireless" system. At least typically when changing game carts out most people will have to hold the system in their hands, rather than docked. Because the system is a closed circuit (enclosed battery) it doesn't need to be grounded in an outlet,This makes it much more difficult to create a static shock.
Very cool to see the thought process behind my childhood. But I must say: Texas is NOT dry. You can chew on the air in the summer.
@chocolate_supra Depends on what part of Texas you are in. In Central and East Texas you'll have more humidity, while in West Texas you'll spend most of the year wondering if you were just imagining things the last time it "rained". At least, that's how it is in my part of Texas.
@DonSerrot Oh wow, yeah, my Texan experience comes from Dallas, Houston, and McAllen areas (and wide swaths around) but now that you mention it that is all on the eastern half. Didn't realize it was that dry on the other side, but I guess that makes sense because if you go much further west then New Mexico happens. 😅
Hey we had to blow on the pins contacts as well and for battery that would be more leaking problem then helping that would be disastrous for the NES.
@SwitchForce Actually, the battery was a good solution. I used one for many years to hold the game down on my NES. Was tired of the game always popping back up again.. and no, the battery never leaked, I made sure of that. 😃
Nice thought about the mic, however the NES launched in 1985 and Karaoke Studio was a 1987-1988 game. (It was a Famicom game with it's own mic wired to the cart, with a slot for expansion carts, which Bandai released two.)
I wasn't aware that the flap was infamous. Also, I never wondered why it existed because it seemed obvious it was there to prevent the game being accidentally ejected and to act as a dust cover for the system.
"And the Zapper? Well, according to a slide in Uemura’s presentation, that was developed simply because “Americans in general are interested in gun [sic]”.
That is a weird answer, the Famicon did have a light gun in Japan, and it looked much more like a real weapon than the american Zapper.
https://famicomworld.com/system/controllers/video-shooting-series-light-gun/
@Crono1973 It's infamous, because it breaks down relatively easily. That's made it rather difficult to find still working units these days. Thank goodness for digital re-releases, various clone systems, and the NES Classic!
@BulbasaurusRex THE FLAP wasn't infamous.
@Zequio Yeah, so much about this doesn't make sense. The Super Nintendo had no problem being top loading. The Zapper story doesn't seem true and neither does the microphone story.
You gotta touch 'em terry fold flaps.
@Nintendzoey You missed what I was referring to battery leaks and leaking in places where it should will damage those components.
@SwitchForce No, I said that it worked for me. I did it for many years and never had any problems. Was it safe? maybe not. I heard that blowing into the game cartridge could also potentially cause damage to the game, however people still did it. You said yourself that you did.
@Obito_Sigma
Kinda falls flat though, when you consider that the Master system Megadrive, SNES and N64 all were toploaders and had zero problems.
@Nintendzoey ok, I also heard later years they were told to use cotton swab to clean the contacts. As to how that would work might but if the contact where word out I don't think that would help.
Unfortunately Americans are still interested in gun.
Just when I thought I knew every story about the NES I then read something new and interesting.... humidity!
Really cool read, thanks
BE KIND REWIND!
Great fact to know about this iconic piece in my gaming life.
Love articles like this - keep em coming!
@BoFiS Guns are pretty cool though...
@Crono1973 yeah.... Or the translation is wrong, or his claims are bullsh*t...
The microphone being created for karaoke is another false claim. The Bandai Famicom game he refers, came years 4 after the Famicom, and 2 after the NES, (1987) and it even used its own periferal, not the microphone from the famicom control. It had a sequel in 1989.
The Famicom microphone was used in many games as an input, Zelda, Kid Ikarus, etc. But it really didnt did much to gameplay.
The famicom had a light gun (it was not specially created for American gun loving kids)
The top loading cartridges had no static problems in any other systems (Atari 2600, Snes, Megadrive)
This guy is just full of it.
Wont anybody does fact check anymore before publishing an article?
@ummyeahnintendo Exactly my thoughts.
@Zequio If I'm reading the article correctly, its not suggesting the microphone was created for that particular game. Just karaoke in general. And yes, it may have had some function in other games. That doesn't mean it wasn't created specifically for karaoke in mind.
Also, the slide on that picture uses the word "bundled". Not developed in terms of the Zapper. So I get the sense what was actually said and what this article is suggesting is two different things
I can't speak about the accuracy on top loading consoles versus what we got over here in the states
Interestingly, there appears to be a mistake with the word ‘gun’ in both the English and Japanese sections.
In English, it obviously should be plural to make grammatical sense, but the Japanese line below states “アメリカ人たちは重に対する関心が高い” instead of “ アメリカ人たちは銃に対する関心が高い”. 銃 and 重 are homonyms (both pronounced ‘jyū’), but the former means ‘gun’ while the later basically means ‘heavy’ (although can also carry meanings of ‘grace/serious/important, or ‘piled up/overlapping’). Apparently it can also be used as an abbreviation of 重箱, meaning ‘multi-tiered food boxes’.
So it would appear that Americans actually posses a high degree of interest toward ‘heavy’. Or maybe they’re just into their multi-tiered food boxes in a big way.
@UmbreonsPapa The article literally cites that the one karaoke game, "Karaoke Studio" (not even developed by Nintendo), was not popular at all, And that's why the NES didnt include a microphone. But the NES was released in 1985 and that game in 1987... So that does not make sense. Maybe the writer of the article wrongly assumed Masayuki was talking about the Bandai game... But even then, why release a control with a microphone for a type of game that Nintendo never developed? And instead use the microphone in lots of games not related with karaoke? That makes no sense. The microphone was Nintendo being Nintendo and trying new things.
And about the Zapper, the article states: "according to a slide in Uemura’s presentation, that was developed simply because Americans in general are interested in gun [sic]”. That's wrong, the light gun was developed for the Famicom and the japanese users... Just with other name and a more realistic look... So that dont make sense neither.
As you said all this maybe just wrong translations and/or assumptions by the writer, and not false statement s by Masayuki. 🤷🏼♂️
@MrBlacky especially for Mario 3 with that red curtain dropping though, right?
...oh, and Blaster Master!
I want to go back in time and play Duck Hunt on my mate's NES with a zapper.
@JohnnyC
You can come to our house, We do it all of the time,
I think there is a variety of problems with this article. The first issue may be the translation of what he is trying to say. The NES is not modeled after a front load VCR. It was modeled after a top load VCR wherein you insert the cartridge into an extended tray and then push down into the machine. This is the same design that NES uses but on the front with a door to cover it. Perhaps his supposition was the static from a dry environment would travel down the carrier assembly and damage the system board or the lockout chip. This, I think, is the reason the door/flap was created to further insulate the system.
In regards to the microphone he was the lead and added it to the design. Perhaps the issue is his recollection of the chain of events.There were about a dozen games that took advantage of the microphone. He may be stating the reason based on advanced knowledge of the game but my guess is there was more than this one plan for the microphone.
The story I always heard was that the NES looked like a VCR player and specifically said "entertainment system" because after the video game crash US retailers were hesitant to stock video game machines. So they were trying to sell it as a media player. The static electricity may have come up, but I still think the crash makes more sense.
The SNES was released 5 years after the NES and was a toploader design so their fears were allayed quickly. And since the circuitry is recessed and you are grabbing plastic and pressing down it seems unlikely you'd touch metal and generate a spark.
@Crono1973 OK, that's technically true, but the story is referring to the infamous front-loading mechanic whenever it refers to "the flap."
At least Japan understood and respected our appreciation of the second amendment! <3
I loved the NES but did eventually end up having to cram stuff in it to keep cartridges down, which was lame.
"Americans in general are interested in gun"
even back then the gaming industry focused on pew pew to sell games 😂😂 and it's the unfortunate reason why we have call of duty still selling like crazy.
@Facelord it doesn't appear to be helping much to prevent the constant and increasing over-reach of our current authoritarian government. I suppose because a sizeable percentage of those with guns support authoritarian regimes, as long as they agree with them.
Interesting information.
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