Famicom

Family Computer (‘Famicom’)

Maker(s): Nintendo

Date: 1983

On display: Yes

Object number: LI2.2

Credit line: On loan from a private collector

The Blueprint for Home Consoles

Just as important as the games, the Nintendo Family Computer, or the Famicom as it is better known, practically set the blueprint for home games consoles to come. Many of the innovations introduced with the Famicom, such as the layout of its iconic control pad, still clearly influence how we play videogames over four decades later.

There can be no doubt that the Famicom is an influential and important videogame console. But, how much do we really know about it? Surely, after nearly four decades, there can’t be any more secrets left to reveal?

Well, in fact, there are plenty! Because over half of the 60+ million NES consoles were sold in the USA, the history of the system has often been told from a North American perspective.

Through The Uemura Collection exhibit, we want to expand that history to better understand the development, meaning and legacy of the console in Japan and the UK.

To make this happen, the team at the NVM worked closely with researchers and curators at the Ritsumeikan Center for Game Studies in Kyoto, Japan as well as with Masayuki Uemura.

The Beginning

The console we know in the UK as the ‘Nintendo Entertainment System’ actually began its life in Japan as the ‘Famicom’. Short for ‘Family Computer’, this name was actually coined by Masayuki Uemura’s wife who wanted to communicate how the system could be shared, unlike the many Personal Computers’ that she saw used by just one person at a time.

To enable multiplayer gaming, the Famicom included two controllers as standard.  In fact, the controllers couldn’t be unplugged and were hardwired to the console itself. Considering the comparatively compact nature of Japanese living rooms, Uemura and his team assumed that players and console would sit on the floor in front of a TV set!

When it launched in Japan in 1983, three games were available for the Famicom. Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr and Popeye. Developed by Nintendo, these games were designed to bring the experience of the arcade into the home. With Donkey Kong still being extremely popular, the Famicom sold even better than Nintendo had planned and shops soon ran out of stock.

Although Nintendo had originally created the Famicom to bring its own arcade games into the living room, the success of the system meant that it wouldn’t be long before other game developers like Namco wanted to release their games for it.

When it came to choosing a colour for the console’s case, the decision was made easy for Uemura as Nintendo’s president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, ordered that it be red. Uemura later remarked that Yamauchi often wore a scarf of the same colour so it was possible this influential console was designed to coordinate with the president’s wardrobe!

When it launched in Japan in 1983, three games were available for the Famicom. Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr and Popeye. Developed by Nintendo, these games were designed to bring the experience of the arcade into the home. With Donkey Kong still being extremely popular, the Famicom sold even better than Nintendo had planned and shops soon ran out of stock.

Although Nintendo had originally created the Famicom to bring its own arcade games into the living room, the success of the system meant that it wouldn’t be long before other game developers like Namco wanted to release their games for it.

Before long, the Famicom would have a wide mix of games in a variety of different genres and titles like Metroid, The Legend of Zelda and Castlevania pushed the boundaries of gaming far beyond what players had seen in the arcades.

The Famicom (and the NES) would also become the foundation of future gaming with it’s innovative controllers and franchises like Super Mario.

Famicom vs. NES

We’ve already seen that the Japanese Famicom and international Nintendo Entertainment Systems underwent significant design changes, but there are actually some other differences that are less visible but just as important.

For example, the left Famicom control pad includes a microphone. This allows players to sing along to Karaoke software or use their voice to interact with games. For example, the  manual for the Famicom version of the Legend of Zelda hints at an enemy that can be frightened by loud noises. Amusingly, a translation of this hint was left in the international manuals for the game even though the NES control pads had the microphone removed.

Uemura’s forward-thinking Famicom design included the possibility for the console to be expanded with extra processors contained within cartridges. By allowing two-way communication across the cartridge connector, the console could read game data like character graphics and level designs from the cartridge, and also draw on the power extra sound and graphics chips. This meant cartridges like The Legend of Zelda could add effects and capabilities that the base console could not ordinarily manage. This included the ability to scroll the game world in four different directions and let players save their progress in games so they could return to their adventures later.

The ability to save progress allowed developers to create new kinds of games and even new genres like Role Playing Games (RPGs). Unlike arcade games that were generally designed to be played for just a few minutes at a time, these new kinds of games for the home could have complicated storylines that could be played across multiple sessions and might take weeks or months to complete.

Sound

It was also possible to add more sophisticated sound chips to Famicom cartridges meaning that sound effects and music could be made richer and more complex. Many Famicom games made use of this feature and these expansions helped  give the system its long life as new features and capabilities were added.

However, although it was possible to add extra graphics and memory chips to the international NES cartridges, the capability to add extra sound chips was removed. As such, many NES games actually sound very different to their Famicom counterparts. 

For example, when Akumajō Densetsu was released for the Famicom, the cartridge included an additional sound chip called the VRC6. This chip greatly enhanced the Famicom’s sound capabilities and allowed composer Hidenori Maezawa to create a soundtrack unlike any other heard on the system.

When the game was released outside Japan as Castlevania III, however, the VRC6 chip was removed and the entire soundtrack had to be rewritten using just the Famicom’s basic sound capabilities.

Fun Facts

• Uemura noted that the Eject slider on the Famicom doesn’t actually do anything. It was included because he thought it might be a nice addition that players would enjoy sliding and playing with!

• Nintendo officially discontinued the NES in 1995. However, in Japan, it continued to make Famicoms until 2003 and operated a reaper programme until 2007.