After interviewing people at other stores, Caleb and Sean stand in line at Target for two of 111 available Wii consoles. As they do, they learn something about themselves... and about life.
Sean and Vinnk review the Nintendo's first gaming console, as well as the Famicom Disk System attachment that was never released outside of Japan. Released two years earlier than the NES, this system served as the basis for Nintendo's rise to power -- even if it was heavily redesigned when it was brought to North America and the rest of the world.
Sean and Vinnk take a look at how the Famicom Disk System revolutionized console gaming (despite never being released outside of Japan), and the subsequent advent of the battery backup cartridge.
Grandpappy recollects the golden age of the Nintendo Entertainment System, and the crew answers viewer questions in their first mailbag.
Straight from the Tokyo Game Show floor, Vinnk reports on some exciting Wii news from SNK.
Miyamoto wins the Taisho prize for Super Mario Bros. from Game Center CX at the Tokyo Game Show! His prize? Playing World 1-1 in front of a crowd of adoring fans!
Vinnk and Sean discuss No More Heroes, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Wii Family Trainer, and Doko de mo Yoga at TGS 2007.
Vinnk and Sean discuss Soul Calibur Legends, Oneechambara-R, Final Fantasy IV DS, and the Sony presser at TGS 2007.
Vinnk and Sean discuss the Microsoft booth, the Retro Video Game Awards, PixelJunk Racers, and their final thoughts on TGS 2007.
The first music video from 1337band. Subtitles added so you can understand Vinnk’s (often wrong) Japanese. Featured on the Season 1 DVD.
Sean and Vinnk talk about the pin differences between Famicom and NES carts, Nintendo's big plans for an unreleased NES add-on, and its unintended consequences for compatibility with the Famicom!
This promo is an outdated relic of that time. But it's still entertaining, and features the first appearance of the talking, split-personality Wii!
Vinnk and Sean talk about the many uses of the Famicom Microphone and the games developed for it including Takeshi's Challenge, Atlantis no Nazo, Karaoke Studio, The Legend of Zelda, and Kid Icarus/Legend of Light: Palutenta's Mirror.
Sean and Vinnk bring to the fore the console that has been lurking around in the background all season, the Sharp Twin Famicom! Check out the features of the fully-licensed console, which melds the Famicom with the Famicom Disk System into one unit. Also, the shocking secret of NESter's true parentage revealed!
Sean and Vinnk explain why using the NES power supply on a Famicom is a bad, terrible idea, and what alternatives you may have if your trusty Famicom adapter burns out.
Sean and Vinnk talk about why the Famicom Disk System is able to use six AA batteries, and whether or not the battery tray is a viable solution for your gaming needs. Also — an "experiment."
Sean and Vinnk talk about how to hook up your Famicom or Twin Famicom to your North American NTSC TV.
A.K.A. “Stuck Behind a Table”
Sean and Vinnk field a question about homebrew Famicom games at No Brand Con 2009. Sean talks about the modded carts he saw at his recent trip to Midwest Gaming Classic, and Vinnk discusses the Playpower Foundation.
Sean and Vinnk highlight the many uses of the new Famicom Dojo Season 1 DVD.
Vinnk scours the Rising Stuff store for the rarest Famicom game/accessory he has available: the FMC Disk Checker! Also, Sean shares his collection of Rare games.
It's hard to get a drop on a Dojo Master. If your game is weak, train it at the Famicom Dojo!
The NES explains to Jr. how he met his mother, albeit in a roundabout way that could potentially go on for years and years. Good thing the Famicom was there to keep him on track! Learn about the earliest, pre-Genesis Sega consoles, and some tips and tricks if you happen to own a Sega Master System.
The Famicom is able to sit on top of the Disk System, but is there any way to keep it locked into that position like most of the other console add-ons known to man and woman? Famicom Dojo has the answers!
With Sean indisposed, self-appointed Sega guru Sindra teams up with Vinnk to explain the rise of the Mega Drive and Genesis to de-throne Nintendo and its Famicom (oh, and NES) as the reigning video game super power.
Sean and Vinnk take a look at the Sega Power Base Converter add-on device that lets you play Sega Master System games on your Genesis and other backwards compatibility with Sega's 8-bit gaming machine.
Season 2 has begun! Have you trained your game?
Sean and Vinnk answer some questions about the Sega Power Base Converter's compatibility with different versions of the Sega Genesis, and one game that infamously can't be played: F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Famicom Dojo gets a visit from the Angry PC Engine Nerd, who is more than happy to explain that HudsonSoft and NEC were the true forerunners of the 16-bit wars, despite weak performance of the PC Engine outside of Japan as the fable TurboGrafx-16.
Sean and Vinnk take a closer look at the TurboGrafx-16 and the Turbo Booster -- an enormous add-on that gave the console AV output capabilities... and little else! The Turbo Booster Plus gives it a bit more kick with some onboard RAM, but the feature wouldn't help with most games.
Sean talks about his sweet haul from the MAGFest 2011 Marketplace.
Sean catches up on an item he missed from Thursday (and re-enacts his experience at the DJ Cutman booth), plus a couple of other goodies. Not as many things as yesterday, but today has a POTENT find!
In a newest wrinkle expanding the size of Sean’s annual convention circuit, he find that more and more that he’s confused for Noah Antwiler, a.k.a. "The Spoony One."
While waiting in line to pre-register for MAGFest 2011, Sean noticed that many fine gentlemen had lovely locks of hair growing from their faces. To kill time, he decides to interview them, and enlists JewWario to help!
Sean and Vinnk review the Famicom 3D System, the seven games that came out for it, and the ones that made it to the US and somehow managed to stay 3D.
The SegaScope-3D came out at the same time as Nintendo's Famicom 3D System, but Sega saw fit to release their peripheral in the US as well. Also in stark contrast to Nintendo, Sega developed all of its own 3D games.
It's the day before Tokyo Game Show, and Sean has gone to Akihabara to increase his stock of awesome retro games!
Sean got his hands on Mass Effect 3 and Sonic Generations. Vinnk tried out Puyo Puyo. Both were able to score some time with the PS Vita, playing Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Ridge Racer respectively.
Sean played a lot of fighters (Street Fighter x Tekken, Soul Calibur V, BlazBlue), and Vinnk got his hands on Monster Hunter -- as well as the new control extender that everyone's been talking about!
Sean plays a Mass Effect 3 demo at Tokyo Game Show 2011. Does it stack up to the previous installments? Not a lot of surprises, but some interesting facts about the squad points selection process and ongoing Mass Effect storyline.
Sean and Vinnk get their respective pairs of hands on a couple of PS Vitas, give their reviews of the games played (Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Ridge Racer respectively), how the PS Vita handles, and what they think its chances are against the 3DS this holiday season.
Vinnk reviews Monster Hunter 3G (pronounced "Tri-G"), and gives his impressions of the new 3DS control expansion, which adds a second circle pad and two more shoulder buttons.
See what Asuka Langley Soryu and Rei Ayanami have to say about their new mobile Neon Genesis Evangelion game! No sign of Mari Illustrious Makinami.
Sean and Vinnk talk about the two public days of the show from their loving hovel at Retro Game Friends in Akihabara, how absolutely crowded it is on the show floor when it's not just members of press, how little can be done, and what they DID manage to do while there.
Sean plays Soul Calibur V, and tries to bring his existing Soul Calibur experience to bear to understand the mechanics of the new game... and at least PARTIALLY succeeds!
Vinnk interviews the reps at the Gloops booth, and tries out LegendCards on an iPhone!
Vinnk tries out the 20th Anniversary edition of Puyo Puyo on the 3DS, and Sean plays Sonic Generations for PS3 and 3DS -- all of them in 3D!
Vinnk gets strapped with a contraption by the Kanagawa Institute of Technology that simulates the ups and downs (oh, the downs!) of pregnancy, including: bigger boobs, a punching/kicking baby, weight gain, inability to bend over, and the societal pressure of finding a husband to raise your child. This is "serious game" indeed!
Sean brings his not-so-considerable skills to bear in Street Fighter X Tekken (that's pronounced "Street Fighter cross Tekken" for those curious), and manages to beat a Capcom employee who has probably been playing the game all weekend by this point. Vinnk tries out Street Fighter IV Volt for iOS, and liked it enough to buy it when it went on sale for $1 a few weeks back.
Vinnk interviews an Angel about this digitally-based collectible card game... without any actual cards!
Vinnk interviews Wizards of the Coast Japan about a PSN-only Magic: The Gathering video game.
Sean has gone to MAGFest 2012, but since Vinnk is in Japan and can't participate, he's at an exclusive event of his own!
A dude in a chicken suit dances a crazy dance mere feet away from a bunch of serious-looking people in actual suits. Welcome to MAGFest!!
Sean and Sindra break down the first two days of MAGFest 2012, and preview what they'll be up to over the weekend.
Sindra and Sean meet up with Powet.TV's Extra Zero, Yertle, and some Famicom Dojo fans to tear up Saturday night at MAGFest X! Sindra crashes the Brentalfloss panel, Nobuo Uematsu does the Colossus roar during his set with the Earthbound Papas, and they tour the arcade room and marketplace!
Sindra managed to get prime viewing for the Earthbound Papas performance at MAGfest X, and captured their entrance and first song!
Sean stops by the Random Encounter Booth in the MAGFest X marketplace to talk to Careless about their "friendly" competition to beat the Descendants of Erdrick to 2000 Facebook likes, how much more awesome their music is, and why we shouldn't like other bands spawned from evil creatures.
MAGfest X was a fantastic festival of gaming and music for almost all involved, but for a certain vampire hunting professional, it was a quest to regain the honor of the Belmont family after it was questioned and poked-fun at in lyrical-form by a certain video game parody singer. This was the clash that resulted.
Sean is looking for some retro game goodies at the Mad Gear booth in the MAGFest 2012 Marketplace, but Earl Gray III walks off with the best haul! What's a retro video game reviewer to do?
Sean chats with Benjamin Howard, proprietor and principal talent behind Fizz Man Industries, and just what it takes to create such sweet gaming-based sculture art that just tears your heart out when you have to sell it to someone for money. Also, we talk about the importance of spelling.
Vinnk reveals his decade-long tryst with SNK's Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System, the one console in the 16-bit generation that made good on its promise of arcade-quality graphics on a home console, and the hefty price tag to back it up.
Famicom controllers have nice, metal faceplates, but they're prone to scratching, discoloration, and the paint flaking off. Even if you can find a new one, how do you replace it when the controller cables disappear into the back of the system?
Back at Tokyo Game Show in 2011, Vinnk and Sean reviewed the AppBlaster iPhone peripheral and the game Ghost Catcher. Flash forward 10 months, and Vinnk runs into a shelf full of them while out shopping in Japan.
Grandpappy shows us how to limber up our most important gaming appendages. Avoid serious finger-sprain with these tried-and-true exercises for training your game!
Vinnk counts down all the Pokemon he has learned about while in Japan. He might have gotten some of them wrong.
Sean and Vinnk demonstrate some tricks with the GameCube System Menu -- a couple of which have been known since the system launched (and involves pushing buttons, as you will see), and one more recently discovered with the aid of a video editor and a NinDB user with a penchant for earworms.
If you thought that Sega stopped making consoles after Dreamcast you were right. And also a little wrong.
Vinnk travels to Mangasouko, a "recycle shop" a few train stops down from where he lives in Japan. This shop sells all kind of used things but the second floor is all retro games, comics, toys, etc. This is the Famicom Section. There are a few informational errors since Vinnk only made one take but please enjoy seeing the interior of a shop that still values the Famicom. The first rack of games are the ones deemed most popular and best selling. Beyond that rack all the games are in Hiragana order (Vinnk mistakenly said Katakana in the video).
Last time on Famicom Dojo on the Go, Vinnk visited a thriving retro game store that was in the process of expanding. This week he explores a type of store that is (sadly) a lot more common these days: a store with retro on the decline. This shop used to have a very large retro section but since the last time Vinnk visited about 3 years ago the store has relegated all its retro items to a single rack. If he visits again next year there probably won't be any retro games at all. He did however manage to find a bit of a treasure: the N64 Bio Sensor. After doing a bit of research, Vinnk found that it worked with the game Tetris 64, and clipped onto a gamer's ear to measure heart rate. WHY? We may never know...
Vinnk visits a Guru Guru Anpanman machine, and gets a sweet card. And his daughter really likes it.
This thin cartridge is the predecessor to the HuCards found in Hudson Soft's PC Engine and TurboGrafix-16 consoles. Made for the MSX in Japan, Hudson cut its teeth on these kinds of peripherals at the same time Sega was making a similar technology -- MyCards -- for their SG-1000 series of video game consoles. Both required an intermediary cartridge to play on the intended systems. BeeCards worked with BeePaks, while MyCards worked with the Card Catcher, or plugged in directly to the Sega Mark III and Sega Master System.
Vinnk plays a crane game in Akihabara, trying to "catch" a copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 for Famicom.
Sean and Phil Bond hit stores for the Wii U launch to interview the people standing in line... only to find out there aren't any lines! Well, not many, anyway. Also, a Wii U unboxing, and some game play from NintendoLand.
Outside a store in Aru Aru City, Japan, something you'd probably not see in many other countries. While out shopping a few weeks ago, Vinnk saw a mini idol concert suddenly spring up, complete with a (very) small group of die-hard fans that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
Sean is away at the MAGFest 2013, and once again has left Vinnk behind. What he doesn't realize is that every year at the same time as MAGFest is Vinnk-Con!
Like previous years, Sean finds a great haul at MAGFest this year. This one is the Famicom Data Recorder (and Keyboard, which is required to use the Data Recorder), which can be used to save game data for a selection of games before the Famicom Disk System came along. Also included with the Keyboard is the Family BASIC cart, which can be used to write programs that can run on the Famicom. The data can also be saved on the Famicom Data Recorder.
Sean stopped by the FanGamer booth to pick up some sweet Legend playing cards (and they are indeed sweet!), plus a token to win a... what, Gashapon raffle? Gahsapon roulette? And, if he does, he can go back to the booth to claim a prize! How will Sean's luck turn out?
Sean takes a break from MAGFest 2013 for a little dinner: a 5-patty high Vertical Burger. Can he finish the whole thing?
Hiro plays against Vinnk's daughter in a fight to the virtual death! We named our retro review series Famicom Dojo after a small used game shop in Japan. Like many of the consoles and games we cover in these videos, the Famicom Dojo itself is a relic of the past: a literal "mom and pop" game store. While he is the face of Famicom Dojo, and has even appeared on this channel a few times, Hiro's mother is the real owner; even though she's in her 80s she and can still be seen cleaning game connectors with q-tips every day. She will also give Vinnk's daughter candies whenever they go into the store. Recently, when she saw Vinnk's daughter, she ran behind the counter and happily produced a Sailor Moon game for the Super Famicom. She was sure his daughter would be familiar with the series, even though Sailor Moon stopped airing in Japan a good decade before she was born. Still, she was right! Vinnk's daughter definitely wanted to play. This video is the result.
The NES tries to give the Famicom a gift for his 30th birthday, only to discover yet another shocking Famicom Family secret!
Hudson Soft may have gone to Konami, but Bomberman lives on. In arcades. Sort of.
Sean and Vinnk reflect on how the show has changed since those halcyon days of YouTube, and where Famicom Dojo is going in 2013. Announcements, jokes, and general fun!
Japanese gamers take much better care of their games and systems than US gamers do. Sometimes you'll even find little extras hidden inside the case, like Vinnk did with this copy of Super Rambo for MSX.
The Super Mario Bros. Minus World is very real! You can get there in three easy steps, and we will show you how. However, far from being a deliberately-created "secret level" the truth of its existence is actually much stranger. Plus, there's not just one! We show you how to get to them without hacks or emulators (Virtual Console notwithstanding) with our foolproof techniques.
Sean offers an in-depth preview of Famicom Dojo’s 2013 one-night-only show at Madison Underground. Afterwards, Sean and Vinnk… reflect on the experience.
In Japan, Famicom cartridges varied in style far more than NES games did. Irem developed a particularly distinct style with its cream-colored cartridges and embedded LED beneath their logo, which glowed when the system power was turned on.
Vinnk brought some exclusive goodies from Japan. He and Sean try them.
Vinnk sent Sean a boxed MSX 2! We show you the unboxing, and compare an original MSX version of King's Knight to the NES version.
Somehow, Vinnk found a boxed Satellaview. These beasts are rare, since when the satellite service shut down you could essentially send it back for a refund: but only if you sent back EVERYTHING.
Sean and Vinnk show you how to tap a koopa shell in level 3-1 of Super Mario Bros. so that you can get, like, a gajillion extra lives.
Famicom Disk System collecting is a double-edged sword. No, that's not a floppy disk joke. Wait... yes it was. Floppy disks degrade over time, so it's a good idea to keep checking your disk collection periodically. But equally as troubling is making sure that you are actually getting what you think you're paying for...
Let's Play Game. Everybody Gets Fun.
Two years after finding a complete, boxed Family Trainer in Akihabara, Vinnk has sent Sean the last pieces of his Family Trainer Collection. Watch Sean attempt to play the latest three games without the aid of an instruction manual: Takeshi's Castle, Takeshi's Castle 2, and Baby Kyonshi.
Konami released an arcade game by the name of Track and Field, and then a sequel called Hyper Olympic '84. Both were ported to consoles in various forms, but on the MSX they were known as Hyper Olympic 1 and 2, and Hyper Sports 1, 2, and 3 (respectively-ish) -- including the Hammer Throw, which was never seen on the Famicom/NES version.
Ever since seeing JewWario's review, Sean has wanted his own copy of Super Back to the Future Part II for the Super Famicom. Vinnk finally delivers! Sean explains some of the history of the game, and reviews the first level as compared to contemporary Back to the Future games.
We're back in 2015 to answer your questions (well, ours, really) about the existence of Back to the Future Part III on the NES Part II & III cartridge. We're not even sure if any human being alive has even gotten to Part III through legitimate means, so unless you want to be the first we recommend using this quick trick to enter the warp code to take you there.
We've gone back to the Famicom well to do our most comprehensive review of the hardware yet. If you were tired of watching three or four different videos for this information, and always wanted to know just WHY you have to tune a North American TV to such bizarre channels to get an RF signal to work properly, then this is is the video for you.
If you're bored of making the game glitch out by playing too many levels after you pointed your Zapper at a lightbulb and pulled the trigger for untold hours, you can try this trick instead for a challenge in this classic NES game. Phil Bond takes time out of his busy Sherlock-watching schedule to help us out. And by us we mean... well, just watch.
A lot has changed for the Wii since the Wii U launched, making it even more appealing than ever to transfer your Wii Identity to your Wii U. But the process is not without its perils. Find out what you have to know to make your transition as smooth as possible, and what you'll be giving up once you do.
Vinnk has a problem. To be fair, it's a problem that some game publishers hope their customers have. Vinnk has bought several inconsequential variations of a handful of games for no other reason than to have them. But sometimes you find something so strange that you have to keep collecting in hopes that you'll solve a mystery.
It's about time Sean sent something to Vinnk! In Japan, Vinnk has a very particular problem with Nintendo hardware: the 3DS and Wii U are the only consoles that are still region-locked. Will Vinnk be able to join the rest of the English-speaking gaming world now?
Vinnk packages up some bite-sized videos that were originally (timed) exclusives for our Facebook page, but have now been presented to you here for the omnoms.
We reveal the mystery behind the NES Programmable Series of games, and how their Japanese Famicom counterparts were able to save data with the aid of the Family Keyboard and Famicom Data Recorder. We also demonstrate alternatives to using this technology, as well as run down the contemporary ports that don't require additional hardware to use all of the game features.
The TurboFile by ASCII Corporation is an off-cartridge storage device developed at a time when the Famicom Disk System was not yet released, and battery backup cartridges were still too expensive to produce. It could only save one game at a time, and there way no way to know which game it was if you owned several that were compatible, but that didn't stop ASCII from making several variations -- not only for the Famicom, but other consoles as well. We didn't have one when we did our review of the Famicom Data Recorder, but supposedly it is compatible with Castle Excellent. Is that true? We find out!
Cartridges get dirty. What's the best way to get them clean? Famicom Dojo has the answers! Blowing on cartridge contacts as a way to remove dirt and grime is a 30 year habit that some of us still can't quite seem to break. This will actually damage not only your games but your consoles in the long run. Use this method to clean your games, rather than corrode your collection.
Vinnk hasn't been to a retro shop in the US for a long time. So much is different. Cartridges are the wrong size and color. There are no Sega Saturn games to speak of. And he can run into people he knows... and they speak English!
Vinnk sends Sean a Famicom modded with AV outputs, but did Sean get exactly what he thought he was getting? We compare the video output of different Famicom systems using our trust Mother cartridge (or Earthbound Beginnings, as it's now known on Wii U Virtual Console). There were some other cool things in the box, but you'll just have to watch to find out what they are!
At the last MAGFest he attended, Sean played a game called Parodius on the original Game Boy. Turns out it's an entire series of games that released several versions on many different consoles. Parodius Da! for Famicom and Game Boy is just one of many. Check out a couple of the side-scrolling shooters that these games parody, and watch Sean try (and fail) to play Parodius itself!
While perhaps the best-known title to come out of the series was River City Ransom (as it was known on the NES), Technos created several Kunio-kun games over the life of the Famicom. Here are just a few of them, how they came over to the US, and the peripherals they supported on the Famicom that we totally promise we will review more in-depth eventually.
Famicom Friday is a day when we explore a video game we've never played before, and give you our thoughts about what we've just experienced. It's a great way to get through our Pile of Shame! This week we're pulling one from the That's Orange archives to bring to Famicom Dojo for the first time: NES Remix. This game is nearly two years old now, but Sean's thoughts about it still stand.
When Sean went out west last summer, he found a PlayChoice-10 arcade at Ground Kontrol. The arcade had Super Mario Bros., and since we had just released our Minus Worlds video the year before, he knew exactly what he had to do...
On Famicom Friday, we explore a video game we've never played before, and may be new to you! After talking about it on the Famicom Dojo podcast, Sean decided to seek out a copy of Time Lord... and play it!
Vinnk shows you how to clean up your aging hardware to look (almost) as good as new, a little surprise he found when trying to fix one of the broken jewel cases for a disc game, some surprising sound quality from Super Famicom game Down the World (also with Super Turbo File compatibility), and a little treat if you stay all the way to the end! Dojo Snacks are videos posted first to our Facebook page of fun little items of note that Vinnk finds, which we eventually wrap into a nice snack box for you to consume later on YouTube. If you're hungry for more, please like our Facebook page for a first taste!
In our last Dojo Snacks, viewers challenged Vinnk to look up another game with full voice recordings as part of its sound. But does Star Ocean truly hold what he seeks?
Life imitates Art at Space World.
Not to be confused with Space World, Vinnk hits up a new, enormous arcade. Fans of the podcast will note some sights that we've discussed recently, plus a (very) brief look at some pre-Famicom Dojo days!
Vinnk took his daughters to Famicom Dojo while his wife and new son were napping. So he could feel that he was doing something a bit more educational than just having them play games he tried the educational title Sansuu 1 Nen: Keisan Game (算数１年 けいさんゲーム) which is a math game made for 1st graders (in Japan that is ages 6-7). It was actually pretty fun despite some convoluted control. But when Hiro suggests that we try the 4th grade level game (Sansuu 4 Nen: Keisan Game (算数4年 けいさんゲーム), that’s when it gets crazy.
Vinnk is back at the Famicom Dojo shop for his very first Famicom Friday (also the first about an actual Famicom game). After getting briefly distracted by a square-button Famicom (more on that in another video), and the voiced intro to Tenka no Goikenban: Mito Koumon (水戸黄門 天下の御意見番), he settles on Tsuppari Ōzumō (つっぱり大相撲) a wacky sumo wrestling game. No sumo games have ever been localized for the NES, so Vinnk is going to explore whether or not that is a good thing.
Mysterious Murasame Castle has been on the 3DS Virtual Console in North America for almost two years now (August 7, 2014), but back when the release was announced, Sean finally cracked open his Famicom Disk System copy that had lain dormant for eight years, and finally played it for the first time!
Sean got a new box of stuff from Vinnk, and one of the precious cargo inside was a Famicom Robot Amiibo! We explore what, if anything, makes it different from the NES-colored R.O.B. Amiibo released in North America.
Vinnk made another trip to the Famicom Dojo shop to dig out some treasures. He found an interesting 3-in-1 Super Famicom pirate cartridge with Wildsnake, Super Punch-Out!!, and NBA Live '95. But how can that be? Super Punch-Out!! was never released on a standard Super Famicom cart.
Not many peripherals warrant a sequel, but the Super Game Boy is an interesting exception. The Super Game Boy 2 was released in 1998, extremely late in the Super Famicom's lifecycle. We take a deep dive into its features, why it was released, and what's so special about it compared to the original cartridge.
About 2 years ago, Vinnk purchased a strange controller and a Super Famicom Modem by NTT (スーパーファミコン専用 通信モデム [NDM24]) but just recently he found some software to actually use it, a “game” called JRA PAT (Japan Racing Association Personal Access Terminal). Vinnk explorers this rare and mostly forgotten peripheral, and discovers some interesting facts about it.
After several months, and lots of orange tape, Sean finally got his own Famicom Light Gun! We give a quick overview of the peripheral, and try it out on a GUN SIGHT — otherwise known as Laser Invasion on the NES.
We may have missed a few details in our previous Stuff Vinnk Sent Me video about the Super Game Boy 2, and/or lacked the hardware to answer the most common viewer question: do two Super Game Boy 2 cartridges work when linked together? The answer on this episode of Famicom Denshimail!
Vinnk liked to joke that our kids would one day take over Famicom Dojo. But at six years old, Sara was ready to make her first YouTube video. Welcome to Sara Plays Mario Paint on Famicom Dojo!
Vinnk spent all of 1000 yen ($10, batteries included) for unboxing and gameplay footage from three randim rip-off game systems.
Pokemon Stadium on the N64 is Sara's current favorite game. This is not the game that was released in the US, which was actually the Japanese Pokemon Stadium 2, so there is a good chance you haven't seen this game before. We hope you enjoy her video!
Sean explores the depths of the TARDIS -- or rather, a version of it from the LEGO Dimensions Doctor Who Level Pack, starring Peter Calapdi. Current TV show cannon establishes that the each TARDIS Console room is stored like a "desktop theme", and can be recalled at any time. This game is no different!
Nintendo Switch day was also Vinnk's birthday! So his family decided to top themselves from last year, and threw Vinnk a Switch-themed birthday party.
On March 3, 2017, Sean waited in line at Best Buy for his new Nintendo Swtich. Vinnk ordered his from Amazon Japan. Sean got to set his up right away that night at Phil Bond's place, while Vinnk... Join us for our third Nintendo Launch Day special, where we unbox and give our first impressions of the Nintendo Switch! SeanOrange is a retro game fan from the US. Vinnk is a retro import fan who took things one step further and moved to Japan. Together they make Famicom Dojo: a web series dedicated exploring the Japanese history of video games and consoles from the other side of the Pacific.
It's taken a few months, but between Midwest Gaming Classic and scouring some retro gaming stores, Sean has put together an "instant" Nintendo Entertainment System collection for a friend... who makes a surprise visit to Sean's house! Also, how to quickly re-case an NES that has seen better days.
Here at Famicom Dojo, we spend a lot of time marveling over the Famicom, and how foreign it must seem outside of Japan. But what's just as foreign is this gray little toaster with these monotone cartridges called the "NES" to those who grew up with a little cream and red system called the "Family Computer". Vinnk returns to Japan with his "instant" NES collection, and shows it off to Hiro, the proprietor of the eponymous Famicom Dojo retro store in Kyushu, to get the reactions of a long-time (Japanese) Nintendo fan. Famicom Dojo is a web series dedicated exploring the Japanese history of video games and consoles from the other side of the Pacific.
Sara returns to Famicom Dojo to show us how to play Super Momotarou Dentetsu ("Electric Train", get it?), a game series that was never released outside of Japan. But, fear not! Sara will translate as she goes, as best she can. (And Vinnk will clarify as necessary via subtitles.)
Pile of Shame kicks off with two variants of the same SNK game that have on Sean's pile for years: Samurai Spirits for the Super Famicom, and Samurai Shodown for Sega Genesis.
After a surprise visit from Vinnk, Sean plays a "classic" Castlevania game: Akumajou Special: Boku Dracula kun. You play as a young "Kid Dracula", avoiding the random traps of his own castle, and encountering a cast of... colorful enemies.
Not satisfied with directing a horror film in 2014, Joe Grisaffi partnered with Jason Santuci to create a homebrew Atari game. Still not content to merely make a rom, they joined forces to create a Kickstarter campaign to create a physical copy that can by played on an actual 2600, reaching over 5 times the pledge goal. Vinnk received one of 50 specially-boxed copies, complete with instructions, and couldn't wait to play it. (Don't worry; Sean got one too, but loose.)
Sean never owned his own copy of Smash TV as a kid, and despite buying it years ago as an adult has never really tried to play it. Now, armed with two NES Advantage controllers and rose-colored glasses, he's going to give this arcade classic another shot. No pun intended.
Vinnk finds the updated version of a Famiclone he reviewed in his previous Dojo Snacks installment, and he can't help but buy it and try it out! Will he be able to make it through all 30 built-in games with his sanity intact?
Vinnk backed a project by Wisdom Tree to release their 8-bit games on a Plug n Play device that looks like an NES controller went out to a '50s diner. The Kickstarter was funded, and now Vinnk tries out all of the games on the device.
On the 10th anniversary of the upload of our first-ever episode of Famicom Dojo, we wanted to share the DVD version of the episode WITH the DVD commentary! If you haven't gotten the Season 1 DVD before now, we hope you will find this to be a special treat... if not encouragement to pick up the disc for yourself. Our 10th Anniversary celebration is just beginning! We hinted at one of our upcoming videos during the commentary, as it turns out. Can you guess which topic we'll be covering? (Or, more accurately, going back to cover?)
Super Russian Roulette by Batlab Electronics is a party game played with a controller and the NES Zapper; use the controller to load the gun and spin the chamber, and the Zapper to tempt your fate. Or, you can use the Zapper to shoot any number of things on the screen! (Only if you're using a CRT.) Vinnk and Sean unbox the game, play a few rounds, and open up the cartridge to see what they might find inside!
In the last part of our Wisconsin Dells On the Go trilogy, we pay a visit to indoor tourist trap extraordinaire Knuckleheads to explore the arcade. And what do we find, but a well-made on-the-rails shooter for Transformers game!
40 years ago today, Atari released its Video Computer System (aka VCS), and went on to define the second generation of video gaming. Ultimately, it would also unwittingly help to bring that era crashing down, but before that fateful day it would spawn a love for gaming that would survive.
Nintendo is doubling down on is support of Platinum Games. Ahead of the release of Bayonetta 3, they've put together this wonderful special edition of the original Bayonetta, and the previously Wii U exclusive Bayonetta 2.
Based on the popular Japanese manga and anime series of the same name, the Ninja Hattori-kun ("Little Ninja Hattori", for non-Japanese speakers) was developed for the Famicom by Hudson Soft, and would go on to become the fifth best-selling Famicom game of all time.
Sara is back to play "The Missing Bride", one of the many Ranma 1/2 games released in the 1990s (or, as Sara says when "mama was in middle school"). Instead of picking something easy like a fighting game, she's going to play a PC Engine Super CD-ROM2 title that requires a LOT of reading.
At long last, Sean finally got his own NES Classic Edition (thanks, Phil), and set about to find out how it stacks up against the original Nintendo Entertainment System, and some of the smallest retro consoles ever made.
Sean reviews the Famicom Controller to NES Adapter by RaphNet Technologies -- what it can do, what it can't do, and what he wishes it can do -- using Super Russian Roulette as an example. After playing Vinnk's copy of Super Russian Roulette (the homebrew Zapper game for the NES), Sean went on a quest to find out if there was a way to use the Famicom Light Gun. He settled on the Famicom Controller to NES Adapter by RaphNet Technologies, but does it do the job? (Originally uploaded 2018/04/03; the original version had some sound sync issues that make parts almost unwatchable.)
The NES Classic Edition is such a faithful reproduction of its 30 built-in NES games, that all of the glitches and exploits of the original games still exist unaltered. In keeping with some of the Virtual Console releases of these titles, some features that never worked on the original cartridge version.
Vinnk Piles on the Shame with five Famicom titles that he has owned for a long time, but never played. Explore these 8-bit gems with him on his Twin Famicom, and see if any are worth importing!
Vinnk returns from Japan (by foot??) with his copy of Super Smash TV for the Super Famicom, and helps Sean to reduce his Pile of Shame even further!
Sean opens up his new RetroN 5, and finds out what it can do!
Howard Phillips visited Milwaukee, WI for Midwest Gaming Classic 2019 as part of his project with Frank Cifaldi to help preserve Nintendo's history with the Video Game History Foundation. Hopefully-soon-to-be-infamous packrat Phillips is bringing a wealth of physical documents to Cifaldi's project, which they will work together to compile and digitize over the next five years. In this clip, Howard Phillips discusses his impressions of the Family Computer (AKA Famicom), The 1984 attempt to bring it to the US as the Nintendo Advanced Video System (AVS), and his impressions unboxing one of the first NES consoles shipped to America in 1985.
For the first time ever, you can import Japanese Famicom games to play on a non-Japanese Nintendo home console, and it's absolutely free*! (*Well, you need an active Nintendo Switch Online membership... but who's counting?) We show you how to set up a My Nintendo profile to access the Japanese eShop so you can download the Family Computer Nintendo Switch Online channel tany Switch in the world!
While working on another video, Sean thought he'd try out something on the Retron 5 that didn't occur to him when we did our Keep or Heap review; controller adapters like the NES Satellite and NES Four Score probably don't work with the Retron (and can't even be plugged in unmodified), but one of the console's built-in features SHOULD make that unnecessary. But is he right?
What kind of free-to-play game doesn't let you buy your way out level grinding? The kind that connects with another game on the Nintendo Switch!
We review the miniature emulation box inspired by the Family Computer 34 years after the console's original release. Also, surprise! There's something here for the Famicom Disk System too. Sort of...
Sean introduces the new mailbag series.
Two hosts from opposite sides of the track. Two consoles from opposite sides of the Pacific. In an internet TV show that breaks all the rules. Famicom Dojo.
Coming this Christmas, an event that will shake the Dojo to its very core: the Famicom Dojo Season 1 finale!
From the Season 1 DVD, bloopers and deleted scenes from the six main episodes.