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NES/Famicom Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter Teknoman
- Start date
Huggers
Member
I play some pal games on an NTSC NES. A lot of them run just fine. Others have their music sped up but are still okay. As for the 72 pin connector. I always think the best option is OEM parts. Well maintained with clean games. The boil trick and realigning the Pins works wonders. Obviously top loaders eliminate the issue but then you don't get the classic NES aesthetic. Not sure I'd ever get an after market one though.
Also. D.Lo. I want one of those pads! So awesome
Charles Brandon
Member
Most PAL games run better on NTSC than they do on PAL.
Huggers
Member
Castlevania and many others definitely run atthe correct speed. In the case of Batman and Bucky O'Hare though for example, whilst the game runs correctly, the music is sped up and sounds slightly odd if you're used to how it's supposed to sound. Mega Man again runs properly but the music pitch is slightly different as it was altered for the slow pal speed. It's more subtle but noticeable. Overall though Pal games on an NTSC NES are fine
dreamcastmaster
Banned
Ah, my pre-bubble prices Contra set...
The key was to never stop caring about Famicom/NES, instead of not caring from 1993-2010 like it seems most of these youtube morons.
(I did actually pay more for a Japanese Contra more recently to get the Konami collector card. Came out on top selling my spare boxed copy which I bought for $11 though)
Bolded is true for any format, if you like a console keep buying for it rather than selling it for the next new console. When everybody is dumping their collections one or two years after the next generation of consoles are released you will get some AMAZING deals especially as the rarity in unknown and the hidden gems have yet to be discovered.
Those all yours?
RadarScope1
Member
Thanks for the info on the PAL games. I might just try it. The mod seems simple enough, and has other benefits as well. The game I'm most interested in is the 1993 re-release of Mario Bros. (the arcade game). It has the modified jump abilities from the FDS re-release (you can change direction in midair a la later Mario games) and some other additions (attract-mode style instruction screens, I think?). But doesn't have the ads from the FDS version. I really love Mario Bros., so I'm intrigued. And I want the FDS version, too.... There are some compatibility lists for PAL games on NTSC out there, but they all focus on exclusives. Since this game isn't technically a PAL exclusive, it's not in any list I've stumbled upon.
I finally beat Clinger Winger...and then got demolished on The Revolution. Seriously, fuck that stage with the platforming and the fact you can go through platforms if you're not careful.
Sigh, gonna take me like 30+ tries before I can beat it with no problem like most stages in this game, no wonder it takes forever for me to beat this game, lol.
Also I can't stand Terra Tubes anymore.
Sigh, gonna take me like 30+ tries before I can beat it with no problem like most stages in this game, no wonder it takes forever for me to beat this game, lol.
Also I can't stand Terra Tubes anymore.
RoryDropkick
Member
The old anime fan in me bought the Akira game for cheap at a local game store yesterday. It was $5 so I figured why not, it'll go with the soundtrack and manga and movie as part of my little collection.
sixteen-bit
Member
anybody rock SMB for the 30th anniversary?
D.Lo
Member
I have too many Famicoms.
Oh yeah, inadvertently. My cart is scratched up good too, which I like sometimes, thinking about the Japanese kid who played that copy 30 years ago.
entremet
Member
Yes. Game holds up great still. Those controls are perfect.
8-2 gave me trouble. Forget how much a pain that used to be.
No warps as well.
Most of my PAL games are PAL B ones, and most of them work fine on an NTSC NES. It's only the ones that were PAL optimized that can cause problems.
Shit I didn't even know it was the anniversary but I actually did play through my FC cartridge of it on my AV modded Famicom that I just bought this Saturday.
I recently moved and wasn't able to bring my 32" Trinitron with me because of a lack of space, so I've been without a CRT for some time and haven't been playing retro games at all for quite a while. But yesterday I got myself a 21" Trinitron so of course I wanted to try my new Famicom on it. Super Mario Bros. was the first game I played on it. Damn good game, on a damn good console, played on a damn good TV. Damn!
I gave it a go but I always play it every few weeks or so. It never really leaves my rotation of games.
Chaotic-Strike
Banned
Oh yes, I have it on the NES, Wii VC ,and on the Allstars 25th Anniversary Disc.
I am fair certain that I made it through this game on my first try a few years ago. I enjoyed the game and thought it was well-done, but disappointed at how easy and short it is.
Their other NES game, SCAT, was next on my list at the time. I was watching ebay, looking for a copy with just cart and manual to save money over buying CIB (which was $40). A week or so later, I got Matei'd. Mike made his video and suddenly this $20 cart only game is listed at $80.
I still kick myself for not bidding higher on a cart-only copy that went for $56.
Can those plug into NES?
D.Lo
Member
Weird-ass timing. I just re-played and beat Shadow of the Ninja literally just now...
The trick to beating the final boss is when he jumps into the air and does that Twister attack/whateveryouwanttocallit try pausing the game to see where those projectiles are going to land and dodge accordingly. Try to get some hits in, then he does the Twister attack again, get some hits in, then he'll chase you and stop when he's almost right next to you and do an attack, space yourself and get some hits in. Rinse and repeat until Phase 2 where he becomes super fast.
Amazing little game that's better than all 3 Ninja Gaiden game.
I guess I could get one of those Hudson controllers instead. But I never really had a reason to stray from the classic NES pad...
EDIT: But that does seem nice, especially since that's how I play my SNES lol (SFC pad with SNES board & cord).
entremet
Member
You really keep your setup very neat.
Personal taste and all, but I didn't like it nearly as much as any of the NG games. Glad to hear it was enjoyable for you though. I should give it another shot in the future.
Kawika
Member
Shadow of the Ninja was one of my favorite games. It was also one of the games that was stolen. Haven't been able to find a decent copy for a good price.
Shadow Hog
Member
Kyle
Member
Is there any way to modify a P2 controller to be used via the expansion port on the AV Famicom (while still being able to use the mic)? I love having the multi-out on my AV Fami but my buddy really misses yelling into the player 2 mic lol
I figured the pause trick from the beginning but wanted to win without it. Did you create the thread about the NG trilogy being iffy? I only played the first and agree that game has problems in its design.
Yes I did. I thought "Fuck it, I'm just gonna' replay Shadow of the Ninja again." I found out about that one because it was made by Natsume, the same company that made the unquestionable masterpiece Shatterhand. Anyone who enjoys 2D action/platformers needs to play Shatterhand. Natsume made quite a few games but to my surprise, there are actually 2 or 3 companies named Natsume. And the Natsume that developed Shatterhand and Shadow of the Ninja is an entirely different company that made Pocky and Rocky and Harvest Moon.
Shit, the same dev made Abadox too? I will have to try Shatterhand soon.
Re Abadox, I had an old comic book with this ad:
Weird that they had this masterpiece on their hands but used a cheap-looking version for the cover. Maybe it was a matter of hefty royalties for the first one.
Re Abadox, I had an old comic book with this ad:
Weird that they had this masterpiece on their hands but used a cheap-looking version for the cover. Maybe it was a matter of hefty royalties for the first one.
Flizzzipper
Member
I've just recently started playing Abadox, I really like it. It is hard, I haven't managed to make it past the second area yet.
Triple Dash
Neo Member
Beat Gargoyles Quest 2 for the first time yesterday. It's definitely stands out compared to most platformers on the system and I love the need to be creative with his weapons as well as the cartoony Gothic charm, but I do feel that Firebrand moves too slowly compared to everything else in the game and other NES platforming heroes.
The level design also feels really cheap with it's enemy placement and the sheer amount of blind jumps. It's also frustrating trying to hover by having to tap the extra button when jumping, like Mega Man 4's Charge Shot vs 5's Charge Shot, especially when you have to multitask by switching weapons mid-air.
Got an import copy of Lickle (Little Samson) in the mail today. Took a bit of effort to get it working through a Gyromite converter (those Youtube videos make it look easy), but my bucket list is happy, especially since I got a good deal on it.
Upon first impressions it's a quality game, and I can see the similarities to other games, but I'm not ready to call it a best of the best game just yet. IDK I think I'm too used to Mega Man at this point. Time to pull out Vol. 40 of Nintendo Power.
The level design also feels really cheap with it's enemy placement and the sheer amount of blind jumps. It's also frustrating trying to hover by having to tap the extra button when jumping, like Mega Man 4's Charge Shot vs 5's Charge Shot, especially when you have to multitask by switching weapons mid-air.
Got an import copy of Lickle (Little Samson) in the mail today. Took a bit of effort to get it working through a Gyromite converter (those Youtube videos make it look easy), but my bucket list is happy, especially since I got a good deal on it.
Upon first impressions it's a quality game, and I can see the similarities to other games, but I'm not ready to call it a best of the best game just yet. IDK I think I'm too used to Mega Man at this point. Time to pull out Vol. 40 of Nintendo Power.
Driving home from work, Abadox stage 1 theme popped into my head for some reason. Guess its a sign.
Also since its bio-horror shooter, a good reminded that Halloween/October is right around the corner.
Gonna be time for the GAF 31 Nights of Terror III
D.Lo
Member
It would require re-wiring the AV famicom and the controller. You could do it from P2 port too if you really want, just need to find the traces.
Pop it in and try now.
Also, Fester's Quest is not impossible, especially not compared to Battletoads. I got all the way to the last guy as a kid. I find it to be nebulous and cryptic at times, but it's not impossible if you put the time in.
RadarScope1
Member
I'll have to do this at some point after I get an AV Fami. Meantime, I do have a Sansui Joycard for a similar look and feel.
A Black Falcon
Member
Yeah, thanks to the infinite continues Abadox is quite beatable with patience. Beating Gradius is a lot more difficult since you don't get continues in that game, and Gradius has more levels as well. And R-Type... unless you're playing a version with infinite continues (and also often saving), yeah, good luck. Even with saving and infinite continues R-Type is a lot harder than Abadox. I mean, sure, Abadox is hard, but the length and continue system made it beatable. I've beaten Abadox. But for R-Type, I've only ever actually finished the GBC version, which has saving and infinite continues... TG16 R-Type is incredible, but I just can't quite manage to beat it. And Gradius, with its "die and you should just start the game over" design, is also super difficult. I've beaten some Gradius games, and really love the series, but I don't think I've ever finished the first one...
D.Lo
Member
North American marketing departments were staffed with blind muppets at that time. Hence the 'drawn by retarded children' Megaman covers.
I always hated the MB box branding and 'side border' framing too, poorly done.
There are those weird exceptions where America got the better covers too, like Double Dragon with that 80s movie thing instead of the Hokuto no Ken ripoff, and Castlevania III and IV (and Belmont's Revenge) which were much more in line with the original game's Frazeta-esque art, instead of the 'poorly drawn faces' artist the Japanese games continued with...
I don't think i'll ever finish the first. The boss theme is too annoying, and I'm not sure how that's even a thing in a Konami game.
Had a little famicom evening yesterday at my place with a couple of friends. Just a few beers, some food, a chocolate cake, and 2-player FC games. Balloon Fight, Super Mario Bros., Family Pinball and Bomberman II were the games we played. I'd never played 2-player Balloon Fight before, it was surprisingly fun. Many laughs were had.
Oh and I didn't realise the mic on the second controller always works. My friends had a lot of fun with that haha.
Also ordered an Everdrive N8 for the FC yesterday. Hopefully it arrives soon.
Oh and I didn't realise the mic on the second controller always works. My friends had a lot of fun with that haha.
Also ordered an Everdrive N8 for the FC yesterday. Hopefully it arrives soon.
sixteen-bit
Member
Had a little famicom evening yesterday at my place with a couple of friends. Just a few beers, some food, a chocolate cake, and 2-player FC games. Balloon Fight, Super Mario Bros., Family Pinball and Bomberman II were the games we played. I'd never played 2-player Balloon Fight before, it was surprisingly fun. Many laughs were had.
Oh and I didn't realise the mic on the second controller always works. My friends had a lot of fun with that haha.
Also ordered an Everdrive N8 for the FC yesterday. Hopefully it arrives soon.
Sounds like a lot of fun. I gotta cop an EDN8 as well.
You've inspired me to break out the Abadox this weekend and give it the old college try. I've always wanted to finish Gradius but I have had a similar experience with it. It's one of those games that, if someone hacked and tweaked a little bit, it would be much more balanced.
Kyle
Member
Interesting, I probably don't have the technical skill to pull it off though. I just want a mic for my av fami!
I agree that Abadox isn't that difficult to beat given the modest game length and endless continues.
I guess Hasbro/Milton being an old toy company couldn't resist compromising the box design and slapping on its branding in an ugly, prominent way. I like the CV3 art because it's accurate to what's in the game.
While we're on box art, I would stare at this for a long time:
lmao
I guess Hasbro/Milton being an old toy company couldn't resist compromising the box design and slapping on its branding in an ugly, prominent way. I like the CV3 art because it's accurate to what's in the game.
While we're on box art, I would stare at this for a long time:
lmao
entremet
Member
It's strange. Due to the Japanese Bubble economy scares. I remember hearing jingoistic news about Japan buying the US. Ironically, how we hear that about China before their economic issues of late.
American geopolitics always needs a bogeyman.
So a lot of the marketing strategy was to make sure things looked Western instead of Japanese.
It wasn't until the anime boom of the mid 90s, did the origins of many these games were embraced.
Very strange.