Famicom vs NES

[Justin Bailey]

Which console do you believe was better?

Before you guys start attacking me with intellectual insults and start reducing the quantitative amount respect for me (according to RPGs, anything can be quantified =p), just here me out.

From the physical aspects to the technical aspects, they were both very different obviously. They're game libraries were slightly different, and some of their game's music sounded different.

I prefer the Famicom over the NES for it was technically superior design wise, most of the music on the FDS games sounded better than their NES counterparts in my humble opinion, and most importantly, how else I'm going to play Nazo no Murasamejō on actual hardware? =D

How about you?

[parrothead]

I'm going to go with the Famicom, because I believe there is a larger selection of games released in Japan, including the Famicom Disk System games. I also really like the Japanese versions of the ones that were also released in America better. For example, the Famicom version of Contra has some animations played between levels, a map screen and a longer ending. The NES version of Contra has no animation sequences, has a shorter ending and lacks a map screen.

[Manspeed]

Isn't this kind of a hard question to ask to forum full of people from countries that got the NES and most likely never played a Famicom before?

[TV Eye]

Sept 13, 2008 15:58:02 GMT -5 Manspeed said:

Isn't this kind of a hard question to ask to forum full of people from countries that got the NES and most likely never played a Famicom before?

QFT

I think a small majority will be able to answer it.

[Deleted]

Good: The Famicom had awesome rpgs and expanded sound chips that the NES did not.
Bad: Most games were written in Japanese.

[parrothead]

I have a Game Axe Color, the Famicom versions of Kirby's Adventure and Super Mario Bros. 3, and one of those pirated, multi-game cartridges packed with 31 games in 1. The cartridge is grey and has a combat helicopter on it with a battleship and a blue background behind it. The games it has are:

Super Mario Bros. 1
Mario Bros.
Popeye
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong JR.
Donkey Kong 3
Lunar Ball (known as Lunar Pool outside of Japan)
Duck Hunt
Wild Gunman
Pinball (Nintendo's version)
F1-Race
Urban Champion
Baseball
Ice Climber
Excitebike
Galaxian
Galaga
Yie Ar Kung-Fu
Mappy (not Mappy Land nor Mappy Kids)
Star Force (Japanese version. The localized version has slightly altered graphics, sound and music.)
Pac-Man
Zippy Race
Battle City
Road Fighter
Exerion
Karateka
Kinnikuman Muscle Tag Team (M.U.S.C.L.E. outside of Japan)
Circus Charlie
Macross
Pooyan
Sky Destroyer

I got this game along with the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 3.

[8bitretroshit]

Famicom actually has a pretty crappy design, in my opinion. The joysticks are stuck at the back, have a pretty short wire and can't be detached in case you want to replace them because the buttons are busted. You also insert games at the top, like the SNES, but unlike the SNES the cartridge can move around a bit. So poking the game accidently or whatever ussually ends with the system freezing up. Also it doesn't play games 4 out of 5 times and when it does the graphics are all messed up most of the time.

...Or maybe the one I have just sucks ass.
Ofcourse the Famicom has a bigger library of simple games. Door Door owns.

[nocturnal YL]

I never played the NES.

If you look at the tech spec alone, it would be Famicom DS that comes on top, following by NES and the original Famicom has the worst stat... IIRC.


In judging a console, I'd say it's the games on it and the end-user experience that matters. I love computers, but I don't really go that technical when it goes to embedded computers.

So, while not exactly played the NES, I can say on the followings:

The Famicom surely has better design for me - I like its colouring (classical maroon-and-gold colouring looks elegant), and I like its 2P controller.

In terms of catalog you can't say either to be better. You can't play Star Tropics on FC, and you can't play Nazo no Murasamejou or Famicom Tantei Club on NES.

There is one thing that the NES is better: you can play it today. Whoever still have the RF module socket on your TV today?

[parrothead]

I heard that if you touch the optic discs inside of the Famicom Disks, it probably wouldn't work and you would have to trash it due to not being cleanable like the cartridges are.

The controllers themselves have a built-in microphone in them, but the only game that I can think of that is compatible with the mike is the popular Taito game designed by Beat Takeshi (who is known as Vic Romano on MXC, or Takeshi's Castle in Japan and Europe). The game is called Takeshi no Chōsenjō.

[The Qu]

The Legend of Zelda used the microphones. If you yelled into them, it killed Pols Voices. This wasn't in the American version, of course, but the American manual still mentioned their dislike of loud noises.

[Fryguy64]

Well, I think for the majority of titles that I've played on both there's very little difference. Japan has more exclusive titles than the US, and they also have the additional sound channels on the Disk System that made for some interesting differences between the Famicom and NES versions.

But I can't really make a sweeping call on it like that. Really, it comes down to the games. For example, Zelda II on the Disk System is graphically inferior to Zelda II on the NES, due to additional development time. But then I'd have loved savegames in Metroid and Kid Icarus rather than passwords.

I don't know why we're still getting the "inferior" NES versions of games on the VC. Take Metroid - being able to use all your old NES codes (eg Justin Bailey) is fun for a whole 5 minutes, but I'd still rather have the better music and a save file.

[Da Robot]

Sept 14, 2008 4:00:26 GMT -5 Fryguy64 said:

I don't know why we're still getting the "inferior" NES versions of games on the VC. Take Metroid - being able to use all your old NES codes (eg Justin Bailey) is fun for a whole 5 minutes, but I'd still rather have the better music and a save file.

Having features like that probably would have attracted more people to try them out because they would have never experienced (those games) like that.

Also they could release all those "Vs" series of Famicom titles such as Vs. Excitebike which has now gotten some more public interest due to being the final round at this years Penny Arcade Expo Omegathon.

Here's video of it in action at the expo.

[greg gravy]

this is a hard question. the famicom has some better things about it but the nes has the nostalgia. i mean the controllers and boxart are just so retro ;D

[BeamClaws]

Hm... this is hard question. of course the famicom has the disk system (which has alot of games) and family basic.

Nes has english and better controlls.