OK, So my intention was never to talk about pirated software on here, but I recently stumbled upon a few websites claiming to sell games that 'Simply reminds you the old good times' and with a such a warm and thoroughly Chinglish welcome, my new AV Famicom sitting there with no new games and prices for original Famicom carts rising daily on eBay, how could I resist. My immediate reaction was to scour the internet for souls braver than me who had already taken the plunge, already thrown down their £2.35 per cart and thrown all caution to the wind in an attempt to unearth some Famicom gems and hopefully shed some light on what was actually meant by titles like SD Fighter, Contra 6, Three Eyes Prince and Silk. But alas, it seemed nobody had been brave enough, except for the odd maverick here and there on Youtube, who had bought the odd one or two of these cartridges and been gracious enough to do us a little video review. But I was still left scratching my head at the titles, what was I actually going to find, if at all anything, on these horridly moulded lumps of plastic (at least I think its plastic, all the cartridges appear to have the looks and equivalent strength of a material that shares more in common with a vegetable derivative rather than oil, but the delicacy with which you have to handle these things is part of the fun, right? Right?). Well dear reader it appears that it was down to me to take that the plunge, and I felt it was my God given duty as a gamer to share with you what I found on these tiny little circuit boards, in the hope that this post may aid weary internet explorers in the future. Trust me...there really were a few pleasant surprises in there... So without further ado...
Game One: labelled THREE EYES BOY. Actual Game: MITSUME GA TOORU Natsume/Tomy (1992)
Mitsume Ga Tooru is surely the jewel in the crown of this cartridge's collection and worth (Perhaps 30 times) the asking price of £2.35. Based on Astro Boy creator, Osamu Tezuka's manga and anime of the same name (literally translated as The Three Eyed One) the game pits protagonist Hosuke Sharaku in the usual quest to free a kidnapped girlfriend from the clutches of an evil nemesis (interestingly enough also sporting a third eye). It is worth noting that the game was developed by Famicom veterans Natsume and was done so quite late in the machine's life cycle, so expect top notch platform antics, flourishes of excellent game design and the stretching of the hardware to the limit to deliver one of the Famicom's greatest action platformers rivalling much of the 16-Bit output of the time.
Game Two: labelled SILK. Actual game: SILKWORM Tecmo/Sammy (1990)
Tecmo's horizontal arcade shmup allows you to take either a helicopter or Jeep into battle against swarms of enemies.
Games Three & Four: labelled DRAGONBALL FIGHT 2 & 3 Actual games: Unlicensed Pirate 1-on-1 Fighters
These final two games on the cartridge appear to be your usual button mashing one on one, pirate fighter fair. I don't belive they are pirates of actually released titles, but I would be happily corrected if anyone out there knows any better.
Games One, Two & Three: labelled THE ADVENTURE ISLAND II, III & IV. Actual games: TAKAHASHI MEIJIN NO BOKUN JIMA / ADVENTURE ISLAND II, III & IV Hudson Soft (1991-1994)
Contained in this wonderful little package is the almost complete collection (except the first game) of Hudson's Wonderboy mimicking platformer series Adventure Island. What is of most interest here is the inclusion of Adventure Island IV, previously only released in Japanese territories the game was the very last release for the Famicom in 1994 and a deviation from the standard platforming fair of the previous games, including more of a sprawling Metroidvania style adventure complete with fetch quests and mini games galore. Recommended. Plus tracking one down on eBay will cost you in excess of £100.00.
Game One: labelled SNOW BROS. Actual game: SNOW BROS Toaplan/Capcom (1990)
Toaplan's single screen arcade game shares many similarities with Taito's Bubble Bobble, but has enough charm and invention of its own to make it stand out from the crowd. The increasing rarirty of Snow Bros. games on all platforms (and subsequent high prices) and the excellent quality of this arcade port make this an attractive addition to the cartridge.
Game Two: labelled TEKKEN. Actual game: TEKKEN SPECIAL. Unlicensed 2D Tekken Clone
Game Three: labelled THE ADVENTURE ISLAND 4. Actual game TAKAHASHI MEIJIN NO BOKUN JIMA / ADVENTURE ISLAND 4 Hudson Soft (1994)
Wow. So that turned out to be a much longer, much more informative and much more garishly coloured post than I had originally intended. It is not usually my thing to geek out with lists and facts and serial numbers etc. But I felt it necessary to highlight some of the classics that are available via these some what questionable avenues after finding it genuinely frustrating to discern what these cartridges contained when making my own purchases. For the Famicom fan that truly appreciates the aesthetics and ergonomics of playing on the original hardware these compilations offer perhaps a last chance to play some of the genuinely harder to find games the way nature intended. Far surpassing any experience you could ever have with emulation. The real reason I have brought these games to your attention is that as of the time of writing, these cartridges are still available via a number of websites and it would be a missed opportunity for any Famicom enthusiast to miss the chance to play these games at a fraction of the prices beings asked for the originals. It is also important to bear in mind that I have only reveiwed the seven cartridges I bought, but there are around 50 of these cartridges available across different sites. It is also nice to see a lot of the later Famicom titles represented on these cartridges, as compilation carts often only catalogue the same archaic titles from the Famicom's launch line up that often haven't stood the test of time. So without further ado, here's the information you've been waiting for. The websites where you can order these beautiful slices of gaming history:
http://www.acekardsale.co.uk/fc-home-game-cartridge
http://www.r4flash.co.uk/fc-home-game-cartridge
http://www.volumeratesvip.com/cate/video-games-fc
http://mizom.com/cate/video-games-fc
You will notice a running theme through these sites, mainly that they seem to offer the exact same products, and often in currencies/domain addresses from Western countries like the UK and the US. But Don't be fooled, they are Chinese based warehouses and this will mean long postage times to the West. Also I cannot vouch for the 3 other sites I have listed here. But I ordered from Acekardsale and postage took around 3-4 weeks and my items arrived in good condition. As always I will stress the importance of due diligence when shopping online, but I had no problems with my order. So apart from wishing you happy shopping there's just one thing I'd like to leave you with. Its this incredible use of the English language used to describe these carts on most of these websites. Enjoy:
"Simply reminds you the old good times.
Still remember the time when we were kids scattered around the house and fight for the chances to play the games in turns Still remember that we need good co-operation for the Contra and Jackal And for God's sake, I still remember we tried so hard for the Contra, till we knew there was a cheat code for 30 lifes, then we can finally went through all the battles. LOL
All the games from PS3, Xbox 360 cannot bring me this kind of good memories. LOL, so buy the machine now, and try to get back to those good old days, or share with your son then he knew how we played games when we were young."
Don't it make your bottom lip quiver...
Cartridge One: JX TV.GAME CARTRIDGE: YH-417 SUPER GAME 4-IN-1
Mitsume Ga Tooru is surely the jewel in the crown of this cartridge's collection and worth (Perhaps 30 times) the asking price of £2.35. Based on Astro Boy creator, Osamu Tezuka's manga and anime of the same name (literally translated as The Three Eyed One) the game pits protagonist Hosuke Sharaku in the usual quest to free a kidnapped girlfriend from the clutches of an evil nemesis (interestingly enough also sporting a third eye). It is worth noting that the game was developed by Famicom veterans Natsume and was done so quite late in the machine's life cycle, so expect top notch platform antics, flourishes of excellent game design and the stretching of the hardware to the limit to deliver one of the Famicom's greatest action platformers rivalling much of the 16-Bit output of the time.
Game Two: labelled SILK. Actual game: SILKWORM Tecmo/Sammy (1990)
Tecmo's horizontal arcade shmup allows you to take either a helicopter or Jeep into battle against swarms of enemies.
Games Three & Four: labelled DRAGONBALL FIGHT 2 & 3 Actual games: Unlicensed Pirate 1-on-1 Fighters
These final two games on the cartridge appear to be your usual button mashing one on one, pirate fighter fair. I don't belive they are pirates of actually released titles, but I would be happily corrected if anyone out there knows any better.
Cartridge Two: JX TV.GAME CARTRIDGE: YH-473 SUPER GAME 4-IN-1
Game One: labelled KAGE. Actual game: KAGE / SHADOW OF THE NINJA / BLUE SHADOW Natsume/Taito (1990)
The first of two stand out titles on this cartridge. Kage is again action platforming nirvana from Natsume, with ninjas, weapons, wall crawling and boss fights galore in a similar vein to Famicom favourite Ninja Gaiden.
Game Two: labelled MONSTER IN MY POCKET. Actual Game: MONSTER IN MY POCKET Konami (1992)
Konami's decent side scrolling platformer based on the late 80s toy range.
Game Three: labelled STREET FIGHTER 12P. Actual Game: Unlicensed Street Fighter Clone
Game Four: labelled SUMMER CARNIVAL. Actual game: GUN NAC Compile/Tonkin House (1990)
The second of the stand out titles rounding out this compilation is Compile's Gun Nac an incredibly pacey vertical scrolling shmup guaranteed to keep trigger happy shooter fans engaged.
Cartridge Three: JX TV.GAME CARTRIDGE YH-4113 SUPER GAME 4-IN-1
Game One: labelled CONTRA 6. Actual game: SUPER CONTRA / SUPER C / PROBOTECTOR II Konami (1990)
Much like the widespread original pirate Contra cartridge known as Contra 24 (and reviewed below) this version of Super Contra allows you to start the game with all manner of cheats applied, be it different weapons, level skips or with the infamous Konami Code cheat for 30 lives. The game can also be played in its original untouched state. Again a sterling entry in the Contra series and one of the greatest run and guns on the Famicom.
Game Two: labelled KAGE. Actual game: KAGE / SHADOW OF THE NINJA / BLUE SHADOW Natsume/Taito (1990)
Game Three: labelled FINAL MISSION. Actual game: FINAL MISSION / S.C.A.T. / ACTION IN NEW YORK Natsume (1990)
Final Mission is another sure fire hit from Natsume, and an increasingly hard to find game. Natsume's side scrolling space marines vs. aliens shmup evoking memories of the Capcom classic Forgotten Worlds employing an adjustable second weapon for peripheral damage. Sweet.
Much like the widespread original pirate Contra cartridge known as Contra 24 (and reviewed below) this version of Super Contra allows you to start the game with all manner of cheats applied, be it different weapons, level skips or with the infamous Konami Code cheat for 30 lives. The game can also be played in its original untouched state. Again a sterling entry in the Contra series and one of the greatest run and guns on the Famicom.
Game Two: labelled KAGE. Actual game: KAGE / SHADOW OF THE NINJA / BLUE SHADOW Natsume/Taito (1990)
Game Three: labelled FINAL MISSION. Actual game: FINAL MISSION / S.C.A.T. / ACTION IN NEW YORK Natsume (1990)
Final Mission is another sure fire hit from Natsume, and an increasingly hard to find game. Natsume's side scrolling space marines vs. aliens shmup evoking memories of the Capcom classic Forgotten Worlds employing an adjustable second weapon for peripheral damage. Sweet.
Game Four: labelled CONTRA 2. Actual Game: CONTRA FORCE Konami (1992)
While I'm not totally familiar with Konami's Contra Force. This seems to be a hacked version of the game giving the characters the names of Guile, Rocky and Ryu. The sprites also seem to have been swapped. Still its perfectly playable.
Cartridge Four: JX TV.GAME CARTRIDGE YH-474 SUPER GAME 4-IN-1
Game One: labelled BUBBLE BOBBLE. Actual game: BUBBLE BOBBLE PART TWO Taito (1993)
The continuing adventures of Bub and Bob just doesn't seem to have the wealth of collectables, two player support or indeed the charm of the first game in the series.
Game Two: labelled KICK MASTER. Actual game: KICK MASTER Taito (1991)
Taito's Kick Master while developed in Japan only received a North American release. This side scrolling martial arts fest is another hidden gem in the Famicom's crown, and is similarly hard to find on the collector's market. Its perfect blend of chop socky action and RPG elements making it a firm favourite with retro fans.
Game Three: labelled SD FIGHTER. Actual game: MIGHTY FINAL FIGHT Capcom (1993)
Only a couple of years after the underwhelming release of Final Fight on the Super NES came this amazing, super deformed version of the game for the Famicom complete with a whole new backstory, a huge cast of enemy characters, new levels and most importantly the choice of all three original characters. Again a gem in the Famicom library and a game any self respecting brawler/Final Fight fan should play.
Only a couple of years after the underwhelming release of Final Fight on the Super NES came this amazing, super deformed version of the game for the Famicom complete with a whole new backstory, a huge cast of enemy characters, new levels and most importantly the choice of all three original characters. Again a gem in the Famicom library and a game any self respecting brawler/Final Fight fan should play.
Game Four: labelled STREET FIGHTER 12P. Actual Game: Actual game: Unlicensed Street Fighter Clone
Cartridge Five: JX TV.GAME CARTRIDGE: KV-2001 CONTRA 24Game One: labelled CONTRA 24. Actual game: CONTRA Konami (1988)
Like the Super Contra edition bundled in the cart above, this cartridge is like having your own copy of Contra with a Game Genie permanently strapped to it allowing you to play all manner of variations of the original run and gun classic. Start on any level, start with any weapon, start on any level with any weapon, start with the Konami code activated or just play the 'balls hard' classic as it was meant to be played with no cheats whatsoever. With Contra 24 the choice is yours.
Like the Super Contra edition bundled in the cart above, this cartridge is like having your own copy of Contra with a Game Genie permanently strapped to it allowing you to play all manner of variations of the original run and gun classic. Start on any level, start with any weapon, start on any level with any weapon, start with the Konami code activated or just play the 'balls hard' classic as it was meant to be played with no cheats whatsoever. With Contra 24 the choice is yours.
Cartridge Six: JX TV.GAME CARTRIDGE: YH-3135 SUPER GAME 3-IN-1
Contained in this wonderful little package is the almost complete collection (except the first game) of Hudson's Wonderboy mimicking platformer series Adventure Island. What is of most interest here is the inclusion of Adventure Island IV, previously only released in Japanese territories the game was the very last release for the Famicom in 1994 and a deviation from the standard platforming fair of the previous games, including more of a sprawling Metroidvania style adventure complete with fetch quests and mini games galore. Recommended. Plus tracking one down on eBay will cost you in excess of £100.00.
Cartridge Seven: JX TV.GAME CARTRIDGE: YH-3130 SUPER GAME 3-IN-1
Toaplan's single screen arcade game shares many similarities with Taito's Bubble Bobble, but has enough charm and invention of its own to make it stand out from the crowd. The increasing rarirty of Snow Bros. games on all platforms (and subsequent high prices) and the excellent quality of this arcade port make this an attractive addition to the cartridge.
Game Two: labelled TEKKEN. Actual game: TEKKEN SPECIAL. Unlicensed 2D Tekken Clone
Game Three: labelled THE ADVENTURE ISLAND 4. Actual game TAKAHASHI MEIJIN NO BOKUN JIMA / ADVENTURE ISLAND 4 Hudson Soft (1994)
Wow. So that turned out to be a much longer, much more informative and much more garishly coloured post than I had originally intended. It is not usually my thing to geek out with lists and facts and serial numbers etc. But I felt it necessary to highlight some of the classics that are available via these some what questionable avenues after finding it genuinely frustrating to discern what these cartridges contained when making my own purchases. For the Famicom fan that truly appreciates the aesthetics and ergonomics of playing on the original hardware these compilations offer perhaps a last chance to play some of the genuinely harder to find games the way nature intended. Far surpassing any experience you could ever have with emulation. The real reason I have brought these games to your attention is that as of the time of writing, these cartridges are still available via a number of websites and it would be a missed opportunity for any Famicom enthusiast to miss the chance to play these games at a fraction of the prices beings asked for the originals. It is also important to bear in mind that I have only reveiwed the seven cartridges I bought, but there are around 50 of these cartridges available across different sites. It is also nice to see a lot of the later Famicom titles represented on these cartridges, as compilation carts often only catalogue the same archaic titles from the Famicom's launch line up that often haven't stood the test of time. So without further ado, here's the information you've been waiting for. The websites where you can order these beautiful slices of gaming history:
http://www.acekardsale.co.uk/fc-home-game-cartridge
http://www.r4flash.co.uk/fc-home-game-cartridge
http://www.volumeratesvip.com/cate/video-games-fc
http://mizom.com/cate/video-games-fc
You will notice a running theme through these sites, mainly that they seem to offer the exact same products, and often in currencies/domain addresses from Western countries like the UK and the US. But Don't be fooled, they are Chinese based warehouses and this will mean long postage times to the West. Also I cannot vouch for the 3 other sites I have listed here. But I ordered from Acekardsale and postage took around 3-4 weeks and my items arrived in good condition. As always I will stress the importance of due diligence when shopping online, but I had no problems with my order. So apart from wishing you happy shopping there's just one thing I'd like to leave you with. Its this incredible use of the English language used to describe these carts on most of these websites. Enjoy:
"Simply reminds you the old good times.
Still remember the time when we were kids scattered around the house and fight for the chances to play the games in turns Still remember that we need good co-operation for the Contra and Jackal And for God's sake, I still remember we tried so hard for the Contra, till we knew there was a cheat code for 30 lifes, then we can finally went through all the battles. LOL
All the games from PS3, Xbox 360 cannot bring me this kind of good memories. LOL, so buy the machine now, and try to get back to those good old days, or share with your son then he knew how we played games when we were young."
Don't it make your bottom lip quiver...
Hi Matt, where do you buy these Famicom carts?
ReplyDelete