Ask any retro-gamer their favourite NES games. Mario 3, Zelda 1 and 2, Metroid, and Castlevania will certainly top the list. Few in the West know that many of the most-regarded NES titles were actually released on proprietary Nintendo disks in Japan which required add-on hardware in the form of the Famicom Disk System. Let's take a look at this Japan-only oddity.
With the Famicom hitting its stride after its 1983 release, Nintendo was eager to experiment with different ways to expand the capabilities and profitability of the base Famicom hardware. ROM Cartridges were expensive to build and offered a minimal amount of storage in comparison to the burgeoning disks used in most computer systems of the day. Nintendo would see the future of the Famicom in the Famicom Disk System.
Released in February of 1986 at a cost of 14,800 yen, the Famicom Disk System used rewritable floppy disks with 112KB of storage. The disks were double-sided, and most games required the use of both sides of the disks. For anyone that has played the FDS, disk flipping becomes quite a nuisance.
The disks themselves are proprietary and will not fit in any standard disk-drive released for Western computer systems in the 1980s and 1990s. It is possible to use software to rewrite the disks today using a parallel port on a old PC hooked up to the FDS, but this will require a bit of computer wizardry and an ancient PC with DOS and a parallel port. In any case, you pretty much need to purchase the real Famicom disks to play games on this thing. Various emulation options exist, and some NES/Famicom flash-carts allow FDS games to play. However, the FDS added an extra FM sound channel to the Famicom's audio mix. Many games such as Zelda 1 and Metroid sound quite different from their NES counter-parts. Quite a few comparisons have been done on YouTube of NES vs. FDS audio. You be the judge which has better music and sound.
The FDS connects to your Famicom via the cartridge port on the Famicom itself. The "RAM Adapter" allows communication between the FDS and the Famicom. The FDS can be powered for a long duration of time (I have heard 6 months or so) by six C batteries. If you choose, you can also use a separate power adapter (a Genesis Model 1 PSU works fine). If you have an adapter that allows you to play Famicom games on your NES, it will theoretically make the FDS work with an NES. I have not tried this.
For fans of Konami games, the FDS is an absolute must own. Akamajou Dracula (Castlevania) and Dracula 2 (Simon's Quest) were released initially on the FDS only. Other Konami gems such as Falsion and Arumana no Kiseki (see my review last month) were also released exclusively on the FDS. Besides Konami, Nintendo themselves were major supporters of the FDS. Games such as Zelda 1 and 2 and Metroid made their Famicom debuts on the system. Famously, Super Mario Bros. 2 (known as the Lost Levels in Mario All-Stars) was also released for the FDS. Confusingly, the Japanese version of the U.S. Mario 2 was released for the FDS as an entirely different game called Doki Doki Panic. Same backgrounds, different character sprites from the U.S. Mario 2.
The Famicom Disk System allowed gamers to rewrite their disks at special kiosks across Japan. For 2000 Yen, one could purchase a blank disk and for another 500 Yen, choose a game on the kiosk screen and write it to disk. Games could be rewritten multiple times. This interesting feature of the FDS disks is also one of the most annoying features of collecting for the FDS. Often, you will purchase a game thinking it is one thing and it is completely another. I purchased a copy of Kid Icarus, only to find out it was a Billiard game. You can get good surprises as well, and many have gotten copies of Metroid and Zelda from seemingly useless Baseball games.
Despite decent sales (around 4.5 million units), the Famicom Disk System would fall of of favour in the late 1980s. As ROM cartridges became cheaper and battery backup systems were added to carts (the FDS was introduced before battery backup), there became little reason for the existence of the format. The little Famicom soldiered on into the 1990s, leaving the FDS behind in its twilight years. Reliability issues also started to plague the console. The belt on the disk drive is apparently 100% guaranteed to fail at some point if it has not been changed. Make sure to look for a FDS system with a replaced belt. Also, the disks themselves often become dirty or damaged as they lacked a protective cover. I have had many problems with non-working disks. As mentioned, if the disk does work, you might not get the game that you expected. The FDS is a challenging piece of hardware, and patience and surprise are part of the fun and annoyance it causes for the collector.
For those that have some cash burning a hole in their pockets, one could search for a Sharp "Twin Famicom". These combo units bring together a standard Famicom with a disk system in one single unit. Working examples of these units will cost hundreds of dollars and prices vary according to colour and model. These Sharp units are plagued by reliability issues as well, especially with the disk drives.
The Famicom Disk System is not a completely failed add-on. It sold in the millions, but is nonetheless a side-note in the greater history of the Famicom/NES. The units themselves are cheap today, but make sure to guarantee the unit is working if getting one from overseas. Also, be prepared to get wrong disks, often. Emulation options exist, and are likely preferable for the casual fan. However, if you enjoy niche consoles and add-ons, you may be at home with the Famicom Disk System and its large library.
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