By no means best, but Super Glove Ball is pretty good. Great soundtrack too.
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When I tried Dig Dug II, I didn’t think it was very fun.
Ended up going to Japan this year after all and I need your help!
Because it’s all been a bit last minute I just haven’t had time to think about what retro games to pick up on the systems I don’t own…I would like a Famicom so I’m wondering if someone could pitch in with some recommendations for games? If they are dirt cheap put an asterik next to them - so I know what to prioritise! Can get the cheap/common ones in a bulk online order.
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Very difficult question because there are over 1000 games.
Broken record, but 90% of Konami games are good and there are many Japan exclusives. Some quite expensive though, like Upa on cartridge.
So I gusss
Maze of Gallious
Goonies
Konami Wai Wai World 1 and 2
King Kong 2
Crisis Force
Gradius II
Hi no Tori Hououhen: Gaou no Bouken
Dragon Scroll
Tetsuwan Atom
TwinBee 3
Moai-kun
Goemon 1 and 2 (the action games, probably not the two RPGs)
Akumajo Special: Boku Dracula-kun
Yume Penguin Monogatari
Lagrange Point (Japanese RPG so hard to play without language skill)
if you grab a Famicom disk
Ai Senshai Nicol
Arumana no Kiseki
Meikyuu Jiin Dababa
Exciting Soccer
Falsion
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Hey let me know if you see a boxed Action Fighter, Bomber Raid or Woody Pop on Mark III 
I have the book than was produced for a Nintendo exhibition of all Famicom games. In fact I have two but have misplaced one. I’ll check it tomorrow.
Binary Land
Door Door
Moai-kun
Boxed with manuals is always more difficult to find.
I don’t really track these or their prices.
Thanks for the quick replies - I’ll be on the lookout!
Also if there’s a Twin Famicom or FDS and there aren’t any notes about operation issues, is it fair to assume FDS games will actually work?
FDS games well cared for are very reliable. While I’ve come across some disks that didn’t work to start with for me, I’ve not had a working game fail in well over 20 years of FDS collecting. I wish I could say the same for carts or discs, or hucards which are the one I’ve had fail most.
FDS drives do wear out their belts and other parts over time, and the belt is hard to replace and get everything tuned correctly, so best to buy one that is reported to be working.
Cheers. I’m more worried about the hardware more than anything. Shame the Famicom is RF only, more because there doesn’t seem to be a way to use it with my CRT without hooking it up to something else as a passthrough. A Famicom + FDS + Hudson Soft Famicom System Rack would be the impractical dream.
I saw the ASCII stick in a branch of Surugaya for 5000 yen, but it didn’t look to be in great condition, some nicks on the metal and scratches on the stick. Hopefully it’ll turn up again in finer condition!
AV Famicoms can be had for like $40 in Japan so there’s that. Best NES model overall probably.
And quite a few game shops sell AV modded Famicoms, though usually with the RCA plugs in an ugly spot on the front.
I need that lush Famicom red! Will consider an AV model as a last resort 
Yeah I like the original design too. I’ve always meant to get an original Fami RGB modded, I have a pristine console ready to have it done one day.
Can also give it detachable controllers pretty easily, and even integrate an 8bitdo wireless receiver.
Have you got any recommendations for non Konami games by the way? I think most of the Namco stuff was on Namcot Collection, but there’s probably more cool and/or quirky games like Solomon Key 2. I’d like Hebereke but it’s probably expensive - of course the same with Gimmick which I’ve resigned to never owning a copy of.
The games don’t have to be Japan exclusive!
Last question (for now!) - if a FDS of a game exists (like Goonies) is it safe to assume it’s always going to be better due to the use of extra sound channels? Or do the cartridge versions sometimes contain special chips?
I could have a look over my shelf…
Most of the good ones you’d know already. Ninja Gaidens, Double Dragons, Rockmans etc.
Having a quick look at some faves…
Hello Kitty World
Squoon
Superman (Japanese version has the real Superman theme)
Warpman (Namco)
Empire City 1931
Youkai Club
No, if there was a cart version first, the FDS version won’t use the extra channels. Goonies is identical on disk and cart, and would be very hard to find on disk anyway as it was only a disk writer release.
That’s awesome!
I second the Binary Land recommendation — interesting puzzle game that has you control two characters simultaneously.
I’ve been playing Xexyz lately, part platformer, part shooter.
Gameplay is solid but the presentation elevates everything… nice spritework and an ominous soundtrack create a magical atmosphere that sucks you in. Here’s a shot of the (almost) snow-white cart so you recognise it if you see it:
Note that the Japanese title is totally different.
Have fun!
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Thanks for the recommendation - it’s on the list!
So far I’ve picked up from a few recycle stores and the odd Surugaya:
- Yume Penguin Monogatari
- WaiWai World 2
- Spelunker
- Metro Cross
- Hi no Tori Hououhen
- Mighty Bomb Jack
- Solomon no Kagi (Solomon’s Key)
- Star Force
- Penguin Wars
- Quinty
- Twinbee 3
- Kai no Bouken
- Super Mario Bros 3
- Boku Dracula-kun
- Goemon
- Goemon 2
- Gradius II
- Binary Land
- Dragon Scroll
I saw a couple of Eggerland games but passed on them since they were both around 3000 yen and I can’t see myself getting into them. Hope that wasn’t a mistake.
The translucent cartridge for Salamander looks really cool! Is it worth getting though?
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Sweet setup!
Cheers! I like to keep things simple.
Amazing to think the Famicom will be forty years old soon…
A truly timeless system!
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Great pic! That’s a nice collection.
Been on a Famicom spree again - the branch store of Surugaya reopened their first floor today following a spring clean since the 5th (or so the front of the doors told me yesterday), and so I went in and looked through all the Famicom stuff. There was also an independent game store in Ito with a few Famicom bargains!
Added this lot to the collection:
- Atlantis
- Zanac
- Reflect World (FDS)
- Arumana no Kiseki (FDS)
- Otocky (FDS)
- Esper Dream (FDS)
- Akamajou Dracula (FDS)
- Eggerland (FDS)
- Double Dragon II
- Ninja Gaiden
- Ninja Gaiden II
- Salamander
- Mappy
- WaiWai World
- Moai-kun
- Getsufumaden
- Mappy
- Kame no Ongaeshi
Still on the look out for other recommendations from earlier like Crisis Force. If anyone has any of their own to add I’d love to know them!
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