In Nintendo We Trust.

I thought a little trip back to 1985 would be worth writing about for a moment.

The Nintendo Entertainment System (abbreviated to NES) was awesome and changed the world and blah, blah, blah. It was great for its time. Rumour started to float around that it was called the Nintendo Famicom in Japan (FC). But I only really knew that when talk started about the Super Famicom. The truth is Famicom was short for "Family Computer". Yes, its lame name, I can`t defend it, but remember how amazing the NES was.

Why all the talk about stuff that happened 24 years ago?
Here are some pictures you probably have never seen.
I love how controller 1 has the start/select buttons and controller 2 does not. Remember how you would have to hit start on each controller to figure out which was was player 1. And the cord comes off the side of the controller, weird.
This is the Famicom disk system for saving games. It was a unit that used floppy disks for data storage. It was announced, but never released in North America. Well that just makes me mad. Do you know how long it takes to beat some Nintendo games. Even if you could sit there for all the hours necessary to beat some of these games, chances are that the system would randomly screw up and not work somewhere down the lines, if not within the first 10min. What the hell!!! Why didn't we get this thing? Stupid dust! It was always the dust.

Here is a rare anomaly. Whats wrong with this controller? This is the first model before it was recalled in 1984. Yes, it has square buttons. They probably figured that you would rip open your thumb if you played too much. I`m guessing it was recalled for a reason. Since then, all game controllers have round buttons.

Now lets travel to 2006 where a company called Yobo made this thing. It plays Nintendo and Super Nintendo games. Its called the FC Twin. Apparently, it doesn`t work with all the games but its still sounds decent. I guess it payed off keeping all those games. in my basement. Now I know that if my Super Nintendo breaks down this is where I should turn.

Or should I? Maybe I should wait.

Now, lets fast forward to 2009 where we have an all new revelation. Portable gaming devices like the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS are so smug, what with their “tiny” game cartridges that fit “conveniently” into the consoles. Trust us, you want none of that. No, no, you’d much rather have the Retro Mini X Handheld NES a genius device which somehow manages to awkwardly deep-throat the boxy, lumbering cartridges from the original Nintendo.

Anyone looking to play their old games in a slightly larger format can hook the system into any television and use the included wireless controllers. (Why are they modelled on the old Super NES controllers rather than the original NES ones? Don’t question. Just enjoy.) Added bonus: There’s even a wireless Zapper Gun, so soon you can be Duck Hunting all over again. Unfortunately, even though technology has evolved, the gun still won’t let you cap that damn dog that keeps popping up and laughing at you.

All I have to do now is just wait a little more for the Super Nintendo Retro Mini X. I`m sure it will come out one day. I`ve always rejected these portable game systems. Why play a crappy 4bit Tetris game on the go when you can play an 8bit one at home. All the fancy new systems have the same problem. But this thing plays the same damn games you play at home. So your not missing out.

I love technology, I love Nintendo. And if your interested what its like over here. in Japan in 2009. Nintendo is master. Everyone who I see with a portable system has a DS and when I talk to people they talk about the Nintendo Wii. Same goes for the stores. Nintendo stuff is everywhere and Sony stuff is here and there. As far as I can see Playstation is a distant second and there is ABSOLUTELY no sign of the X-box here.

In case your feeling nostalgic here is a game that just came out. I thought it worked with the theme of this post.