Nintendo of Japan calling it quits on Famicom hardware support

It's an end of an era, we suppose. No longer can you bash up your Famicom for flatly refusing to entertain your cartridge of choice and expect Nintendo of Japan to fix it up all pretty for you, like it's been doing for the past 20+ years. For whatever reason, Nintendo has been providing hardware support for the Famicom since its inception, which certainly seems a little extreme, but who's complaining? That support is finally ending, along with support for the Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket -- relative newcomers to the console game when pitted against grandpa Famicom. Repairs will officially end on October 31st, and the reasoning is pretty simple: there just aren't enough spare parts laying around to make the repairs. Nintendo of America stopped supporting the NES a few years back, so this really is the end of the line. Oh, and Nintendo would like to take this opportunity to remind you that it wouldn't mind at all if you give it money again to repurchase your old favorites on the Wii's Virtual Console -- now that's service.

[Via Advanced MN Wii]

[Anthony @ Oct 18th 2007 9:46AM]

I understand it was a friendly jab but we've been buying up re-releases of old classics for years on every console possible. The Virtual Console is great for the generation below ours that missed out on such great titles and for those of us that had parents that didn't love us quite enough to become a multiple-console family.

[R-R @ Oct 18th 2007 9:48AM]

Noooo! We need a save 8-bit campaign! or an open/free source the hardware specs !
(ok yes we already know everything, but come on ... ;)

[brad @ Oct 18th 2007 9:49AM]

what kind of support were they offering?


three things you need to no to fix your nintendo

1.blow in cartridge
2.blow in game
3.slam game down extra hard to make good contact

[fistpittingnork @ Oct 18th 2007 11:50AM]

Don't forget the (suggested against) q-tip/peroxide swabbing technique!

[The ZeroCorpse @ Oct 18th 2007 7:15PM]

Actually, with the Famicom (and the lesser-known top-loading NES) there was no need to do any of that. It worked pretty well. The problem was the front-loader, not the cartridges, although some people did get a lot of crap in their carts somehow... One time I had a guy bring a stack of NES carts into FuncoLand to sell them, and they had various things stuck to the pins-- Peanut butter, dirt, etc.

`Not as gross as the kids who brought in their NES to sell it to us, unleashing a stream of cockroaches from the insides when they set it on the counter.

And that's topped by the days when I worked in a video rental place with an Adult Room. A coworker got a videotape back once and said "Ew. It's covered with gel soap! Did he try to wash it?" and we looked at her, then at the VHS tape, and winced, saying "um... That's *not* soap..."

She quit the next day.

[mlb @ Oct 18th 2007 9:53AM]

One of my best friends when I was younger was japanese. We lived next door to each other and would often play Dragon Ball Z or other japan only games on his Famicom and Super Famicom. I have fond memories of those systems. He even had Super Mario Bros 2 (the Lost Levels in the US) that was only available in Japan at the time. Now they are selling that game for $6 on the Wii VC. I salute you my old friends, you have served us well over the years.

[vanboy @ Oct 18th 2007 9:53AM]

This is the type of service customers need. By doing this, customers will trust companies like Nintendo and purchase their products.

I just exchanged a new DS Lite for only $20 after the warranty has been expired at the local Nintendo repair shop because the case cracked at the connection area.

Good job Nintendo. :)

[Xzavier @ Oct 18th 2007 9:55AM]

The Wii's virtual console is nice but with Apple releasing their SDK for the iPhone... I think some of them ROM's are about to find a new home!

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 18th 2007 9:59AM]

Well done, Nintendo.

Of course many of these things will just keep working too.
Those old Gameboys will be carried by the cockroaches that survive us.

[Nick @ Oct 18th 2007 10:09AM]

Now if only Nintendo would allow for you to send in cartridges of games that are on the VC to be able to download it for free. (Wishful thinking, but one can always hope)

[Georgi @ Oct 18th 2007 11:09AM]

It will go like this:
Free Exchange! Just send in your old game and we will give you coupon to download it from VC!
You just pay shipping to us and small processing fee of $6.99!

[CosterMonger @ Oct 18th 2007 10:12AM]

use an EMULATOR to play the classics you own, when that poor NES finally goes.
of course you can always get one of the kiosk knock offs as well.

like some of mine
RIVER CITY RANSOM
MEGAMAN3
DR.MARIO
SUPER MARIO BROS 3
and many more, some I care not to mention.

[Josh Rose @ Oct 18th 2007 12:25PM]

An emulator just doesn't quite cut it with the controls though, somehow they're just not quite as good. I guess it depends partly on the emulator though.

[Nick @ Oct 18th 2007 10:43AM]

If ever there was a reason to switch to console emulation on PC......

Long live Mario and Peach!!! They will reign forever in their new kingdom on my RAID array.

[hp540 @ Oct 18th 2007 10:42AM]

Too many fond memories of endless hours gaming on the NES/SNES/N64 aaah, those were the days.

[charles @ Oct 18th 2007 10:59AM]

they should make USB adapters for the Wii to plug NES, SNES, and N64 games into it. The same adapter could allow you to plug the old school controllers into it. There you fuckers, could you support that hardware then? If there comes a day when I can't play my copies of Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Bros 3 I might commit suicide.

[Pat @ Oct 18th 2007 11:45AM]

www.retrousb.com
Don't hold your breath for a cartridge reader though.
Seriously though, I have the USB NES controller and it's fantastic. I'm sure the Wii version is great too.

[Derek @ Oct 18th 2007 12:47PM]

Charles: You're right. Seriously, WTH? Only 20 years of support for a console? That's just slacking.

I still call up Apple for help with my Mac Plus, and they're just great about fixing it up!

[James @ Oct 18th 2007 10:59AM]

I just wanted to add that if your NES cartridge connector is on the way out, you can get a lot more mileage out of your console by clipping a pin on the lockout chip. Google "nes lockout U8" (U8 is the label on the lockout chip) and get yourself a decent (cheap is OK ;-) angle cutter; it takes only a few seconds and solves all kinds of problems.

Now, if I could just get my NES back from my damn brother...

[Wes @ Oct 18th 2007 11:08AM]

I want a Plug'n'Play/TV Games Supernintendo with Super Mario All-stars. My kids have about worn out my TV Games Sega, and Dreamsnes on the Dreamcast is occasionally buggy.

Atari and Sega have been big hits with the plug in games market.... why hasn't Nintendo joined them?

[N30 G30 @ Oct 18th 2007 11:33AM]

Wait, wait, wait...

...

...

My Super Nintendo was still supported by Nintendo?!

Damn it! Someone should've told me this before my horrible experience of ripping a broken SNES apart to shove in a motherboard and a dvd player.

eh oh well.

[Toune @ Oct 18th 2007 3:38PM]

I never want to see Nintendo and retire in the same sentence again

[aacouch @ Oct 18th 2007 2:12PM]

What about the Virtual Boy?? :)

[Ben @ Oct 18th 2007 4:24PM]

better send in my NES, right now!!

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Oct 21st 2007 1:43PM]

What the crud! no support on my super limited edition sissy rare pikachu n64?!?!?!!?!