Hello everyone! We had taken a break from our content due to side projects, but we have decided to pick up the pace again. Our topic is the world of the Famicom retro console, and more specifically, my personal story. I will be sharing this post in the first person because this is a truly special hobby for me. Enjoy!
What Is the Famicom?
The Famicom is one of the most wonderful devices Nintendo has ever given us. The device was first released in Japan in 1983. After the success achieved with the NES, Nintendo developers thought about a 16-bit, more advanced system. However, Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi opposed this idea.
He decided to release a product that would be cheaper and easier to manufacture, both in terms of the device itself and its cartridges. I think Yamauchi's decision also influenced the emergence of all the clone devices on the market. That is how the Famicom legend began.
*Game cartridges can also be called cassettes. You may encounter both terms throughout the rest of this article.
While the foundations of the Famicom retro console world were being laid in this way, I also want to tell you a little about how things looked on my end. My first foray into the gaming world began with the box you can see in the photo below. People called it the "Black Box." It was an Atari 2600 clone.
I spent years with that big box. The first thing I never understood about it, and probably the most important, was the "cartridge slot." Even though the device itself was easy to find on the market, I could never discover its cartridges. Since I was using a clone device, I frankly never needed cartridges anyway. But just like with all original products, original Atari products were very, very hard to find in our country, so I could never find cartridges for the black box. I made do with the games that came built in.
Since I have talked so much about the Atari 2600, let me tell you about my favorite games on that device. Then I will jump right into the main topic, the Famicom! I promise.
My 3 Favorite Games from the Atari Days
The three games listed below are the ones I played the most on the Atari. I also have a special love for old DOS games, but let's look at these three first.
1. Keystone Kapers
This game, which we naturally called "Cops and Robbers" among friends, might just be the most fun game for me by a wide margin. Especially the pattering sounds the character makes while running. Just look at the simplicity of those pixels! I felt a momentary urge to go back to those simple old times.
2. Super Ferrari
I confess, I only just learned the name of this game. But it is one of the few games I spent hours in front of. With its arm-breaking curves and never-ending roads, here is Super Ferrari!
3. Pitfall
Jump over the pit, strange creatures are coming! Now climb the ladder! Bounce off the crocodiles' heads to cross the swamp. Now grab a rope and leap across to the other side. Oh man! Pitfall was truly an action-packed game like that.
Even though we played this game like crazy, we never even learned its name. Thank goodness for the internet, now we are much more informed about everything.
I want to move past Atari now and get to the main device(s) of our story.
If you liked this post, you might also like: The Old DOS Days: MS-DOS Games
The Famicom Retro Console Legend
I think one of the greatest sources of entertainment for kids who grew up in the 90s was the clone Famicom retro console. At least, that is certainly true for me and all the kids around me. If I remember correctly, I got a Famicom in 1994. Of course, I only realized years later that the device I was using was actually a Famiclone, a copy of the Famicom. I had 3 or 4 cartridges, and since those cartridges contained multiple games, I had dozens, even thousands of games. (Most of them were "999999 in 1" after all.)
The games I played the most were probably Super Mario Bros. and Contra.
By the way, let me share a secret with you. I never finished Mario. No matter what I did, I could never beat Bowser.
In the summer of 1995, I was quite happy when I got the cartridge that had Captain Tsubasa and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 on it. At this point, I simply cannot help but share my 3 favorite Famicom games with you.
Super Mario Bros 3
This is not the game I played the most on the famiclone, but it is "probably" the one I consider the most successful. I say probably because I am undecided. So many games are so good! For instance, the 1st and 2nd games in the series were also very nice, but Super Mario Bros. 3 is something else entirely.
Ninja Turtles 3
I spent hours, days, even months on this game. But the end-of-level bosses were so tough! Old games may look simpler, but it feels to me like they were actually harder. Here is the most fun TMNT game I played on the Famicom. I strongly recommend it!
Captain Tsubasa
Yeeeees. Now we come to the Japanese legend. There are very few kids from the 80s and 90s who do not know Captain Tsubasa. If you are one of them, learn about it so you are not left out! As a generation, we were introduced at an early age to the exaggerated character visuals of those "crazy Japanese artists."
I used to watch the Captain Tsubasa anime first. On weekends, with only 1 or maybe 2 plays per episode, it would take us about 5 or 6 episodes to finish a single match, if I remember correctly.
Even back then we complained about that, and then we encountered the video game version too. But still, to be able to pull off those superhuman shots, we pressed the arrow buttons for minutes, meaning hours, until our hands ached at those Famicom consoles! Shooooot and Goaaaaal!!!!! "I scored with the Eagle Shot, did you see that, huhhhh???!!!"
By the way, the version I had was in Japanese. I am amazed at my own patience looking back! I wrote down those Japanese characters on a piece of paper and figured out what each one meant. After that, since I had memorized all of it, playing and winning became much easier.
What times those were! Besides these, I want to mention 1 or 2 more games. Let's call it a Special Jury Award of sorts.
Jurassic Park
It is probably a great game. However, the English I had at the time was a bit insufficient for the puzzle sections inside the game. That is why I traded this cartridge for another one without playing it much.
The Jungle Book
I think I traded Jurassic Park with a friend for this game. At the time, it was one of the best Famicom games for me in terms of gameplay. However, since we were playing on a famiclone, we could not save our games. This made finishing the game quite difficult. Take a look at the video below. I will also be recording my own gameplay videos soon, so stay tuned for that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpaCUQvRYOU
As I said above, I played all these games only on a "famiclone." That was because I had no idea the original Famicom retro console existed, and reaching original Nintendo products was very difficult.
So what had I missed out on by spending an entire childhood with clone Famicoms?
How I even came to ask myself that question is another story in itself. Here is how it happened: now that I am grown up, I have been diving deep into topics related to the 90s, meaning my childhood, lately. It all started with old pop songs, and the rest unraveled like a ball of yarn. Songs, music videos, TV shows, movies and then when I also found ROM versions of the old games I used to play, I went crazy. Playing those games on a computer with a keyboard did not give me the same joy. Well, as I said, I had grown up after all. I could buy any console I wanted.
ROM: Read Only Memory. With programs that run ROM images, you can play old games on your computer as well.
Could I actually find the consoles I used to play back then?
"Take a breath now, I will continue in a moment. Since I suffered through this nostalgia, everyone else should too, so I am dedicating the 1994 hit song Ateşteyim to all the kids who grew up in the 90s."
How I Got Started with the Famicom Retro Console Hobby
Let's continue. Where were we? Hmm, found it. I wanted to start the research phase of my old console hobby by looking at foreign websites first. I thought my chances would be higher there. But what happened? That dream was quickly extinguished due to the Turkish lira rapidly losing value against the dollar and the fact that shipping to Turkey was still very difficult.
Then I started browsing Facebook. I found some groups. As I followed those to some websites and listings on sahibinden.com, things started to get out of hand. You can check out our gaming category for more content about the retro gaming world.
I Had Finally Reached My Goal
I made my first purchase from Murat Kenar, to whom I was referred by retrosa.com.
I was now the proud owner of a Game Boy Classic and a Game Boy Advance.
The Game Boy Classic was probably one of the biggest fantasies of my childhood. There were very few kids around me who had a Game Boy. I think just 1 or 2. I had fallen in love with it at first sight. I used to sigh while looking at my 99999 in 1 Tetris clone. Playing Mario on a Game Boy? Unbelievable!
Anyway, as I mentioned above, I now have a Game Boy too! And the condition of the devices is not bad at all. You can see photos of them below.
It Was Time to Get the Famicom Retro Console!
I finally got my hands on a Famicom retro console. The thing I was most curious about was whether the famiclone cartridges would work on an original Famicom. The result: Yes, Famiclone cartridges absolutely work on an original Famicom.
The biggest problem you will face when you buy an old device is that the cartridge-reading parts cannot read cartridges due to dust and dirt. To prevent this, you need to clean the devices with alcohol or cologne before running them. I will share videos about the cleaning process in the future.
The Famicom units you can find in our country will generally be Japanese versions. To use them, you will need to have an AV mod done, or do it yourself if you know electronics. Otherwise you will not get any picture from the device. You should be able to get the mod done at most electronics shops.
I am sharing a nice modding video for you below:
After getting the AV mod done, you will of course need to buy some games too. I went a little crazy and bought 8 original and 7 clone cartridges. Game prices are generally around 30 to 40 lira, and clone cartridges can range from 10 to 25 lira.
Retrosa and a Wild Shop for the Retro Gaming World
I would like to tell you a bit about my experiences. Retrosa.com is a well-conceived name and website, owned by a collector named Gökhan Bey. I recently had the chance to meet him and make a purchase. He generally prefers to do business via shipping, but when I was buying Famicom cartridges, I pushed him to meet in person.
Murat Kenar has a shop in Tahtakale Ahenk Han. Actually, it is not quite a shop. Think of it more like an office inside a commercial building. Ahenk Han is somewhere in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Eminönü, nestled among knife sellers and weighing shops. It is actually very centrally located, but it can be a bit tricky to find.
When I first walked into the shop, I could not keep my jaw from dropping. This man is out of his mind. I can say there is virtually nothing he does not have in there. Whatever you ask about in terms of old games and toys, he pulls it right out for you. I am adding 2 photos from Murat Abi below. You can reach out to him yourself and go crazy.
You learn the whole system after making a purchase or two and getting familiar with the prices. After that it is really just about following things closely. For example, sahibinden.com is now among the sites I keep open all the time. Also, despite all the difficulties, shopping from foreign sites and especially from Facebook groups is important for this hobby.
7 Small Tips for Building a Famicom Retro Console Collection
- First of all, research the prices of the game or console you are going to buy on different sites and groups. Sometimes you can come across some really great deals.
- Research as much as possible. If you give up quickly, you will not find the device or game you are looking for.
- Especially if you are shopping from foreign sites, you need to pay attention to the tax issue on purchases over 30 euros.
- When buying boxed devices from foreign sites, you need to be prepared for the risk of your box getting damaged. Unfortunately, the box cutter blows that customs officers strike to open the box create this risk.
- Do not forget to take screenshots of your purchases from foreign sites. Proving how much you paid will be the best way to handle any issues if your package gets held up in customs.
- Especially when you buy cartridge games, it is recommended to clean them with cologne or alcohol before inserting them into the device.
- It is recommended to have a CRT television to get a clean picture.
If you are already into this hobby or want to get into it, let's get in touch. Send an email to [email protected]. Click here for more gaming and retro content.
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