TANGENT: Other VG networking services part 1 - Famicom.

Figuring I need -some- content on this site now, I've decided to make a few articles pertaining to a more broad history of networking in videogames. Click "Read More" to see the first. In the meantime, since I'm signed in, I might be trying to fix some of the video URLs, but don't expect much action there today.



My first article will be on the ファミコン通信アダプタセット
and before you ask, that's the "Famicom Communication Adapter Set". More commonly known here as the Famicom Modem.

Yes. With the "mighty" speed of dial-up, you could send your Famicom to the internet. What was this used for?

Well, it seems Nintendo's trend of using online for something that was -not- a netlinked online game started here. Nope, you could -not- play 2-player Contra with a faraway friend or anything cool like that. Rather, the set was aimed at a more "casual" audience, and the carts produced for it were mostly things older people did, like Stock trading and banking.

If you do some searches online, you may not really be able to find much on this. This is where I jump in with my obsessive-Google-searching and NicoNicoDouga-searching.

With my powers combined with those of some other obsessives, I now present to you what is likely the only working footage of a Famicom modem-compatible game I'll ever find; JRA-PAT.



Can anyone say NO GRAPHICS, TEXT ONLY, FINAL DESTINATION? The Youtube description of the video has the original NicoNicoDouga URL, BTW.

While I heard from most articles that this did not really catch on, apparently that may not be -quite- the case, as JRA-PAT also has a Super Famicom Version.


(Thanks to wojtkowiak2105 for being in my "related videos" when I got the previous video uploaded)
Even getting it's own modem and stuff.

Both versions are very rare and difficult to find in the open anymore.

Next I will link some apparently relevant sites.

ファミコンの周辺機器が大集合! ザ周辺機器ズ 11

This site has some apparently notable info. The pictures of the carts and the like are very nice to see. If you care enuough, check out some of the other sections for more obscure Famicom devices.

This site has some other neat pictures.