Last week, I just wanted to quickly test some Famicom carts and realised that the console wasn’t outputting any picture or sound. There was still a reaction on the TV though: black picture and a crackling sound when I switched it off. Fearing the worst, I opened it up and saw my favourite insulation tape. However, as I’ve learned in the past, this stuff disintegrates over the years and sticks to everything, so now I was apparently in for not only a repair but also a clean. I opened the console and plugged it in again. When I removed some of the insulating tape, graphics rubbish suddenly appeared on the TV. On closer inspection, I realised that the NESRGB board was tilted slightly backwards. It must have come loose at some point.
This Hori Joystick-7 (HJ-7) for the Nintendo Famicom has been sitting on my shelf for many years. When I finally took it out to use it for the first time, I noticed that the stick got stuck when moving it all the way to the left or right. In this article, I will open it up and fix that issue.
This has just arrived: A flash cart (multi-cart) by TeamEurope. I’ve been involved in the development in the very beginning and am very excited that it has finally has become reality. This is the kit that I’ve received upon special request:
This modification adds switchless NESRGB and IGR (in-game routines / in-game reset) to a Nintendo AV Famicom.
A first look at the opened AV Famicom and the NESRGB kit. There is still a lot to be assembled. The installation guide for the AV Famicom can be found here.
Today the second game for the Datach Joint ROM System was waiting for me at the post office. I’m glad to have found it for a decent price as these mini cartridges and barcode cards are quite rare and/or pricey.
Ultraman Club: Spokon Fight!! (ウルトラマン倶楽部 スポ根ファイト!!) is a track and field / Olympics game with characters from the Ultraman universe. It contains a Datach mini cartridge and 40 barcode cards (including two blanks).
The Bandai Datach Joint ROM System is an add-on for the Nintendo Famicom. It plugs right into the cartridge slot and comes with its own small cartridges. The games are enhanced with barcode cards, similar to the Mattel HyperScan.
The retail package with one included game, Dragon Ball Z: Gekitō Tenkaichi Budokai, is rather easy and cheap to obtain.
Additional games are very rare and even rarer and pricier when the corresponding barcode cards are included. I’ve seen some bootlegs of those games on regular Famicom carts but never tried them so far.Update:Pirate Dragon Ball Z Famicom Cartridge.
These were in the mail today: Two games that make use of some special peripherals. No, not the Power Glove, but the ASCII Turbo File and the Epoch BBII Interface. More about them later.
Wizardry II: Legacy of Llylgamyn – The Third Scenario
Conveni Wars Barcode Battler Senki: Super Senshi Shutsugeki Seyo!
In the 80s, Sharp made some interesting devices powered by the Nintendo Famicom/NES technology. The less well-known devices are the Famicom Titler, a video subtitler, and the C1 NES TV/Sharp Nintendo Television, a television set. More common is the Twin Famicom, a console that plays Famicom cartridges, Famicom Disk System Disk Cards and NES cartridges (with a 72-to-60-pin adapter).
