Camerica
Encyclopedia
Camerica was a company owned and operated by David J. Harding. It was a video game company that was notable for producing unlicensed Nintendo Entertainment System
games and hardware. It was founded in 1988 and published games through 1992. It created a number of peripherals for the NES, including the Aladdin Deck Enhancer
. Camerica had the rights to publish most of Codemasters
' game titles, both on the NES and the Deck Enhancer. Thor Aackerlund was a spokesperson for the brand.
Camerica created many early peripherals for the NES, such as Supersonic The Joystick, a wireless controller add-on. Nintendo sued Camerica and their USA distributor, Galoob Toy many times. Camerica and Galoob Toy prevailed every time. There were lawsuits in California, New York and Canada. Nintendo had to pay Galoob Toy USD$15,000,000 in damages over one of those lawsuits.
Since Camerica still lacked license to produce NES games, they had to create their own cartridges that would bypass Nintendo's lock-out chip
. Like the circuit used in Color Dreams
cartridges, the Camerica lock-out defeat generated glitch
pulses that froze the chip. The cartridges they made were shaped slightly differently from Nintendo's cartridges, though they still fit in the NES. The most notable difference however was in color: all Camerica cartridges were gold and later silver. They also featured a switch for play on European NES consoles.
Camerica released the Codemasters
-designed Game Genie
in Canada
and the UK
.
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
games and hardware. It was founded in 1988 and published games through 1992. It created a number of peripherals for the NES, including the Aladdin Deck Enhancer
Aladdin Deck Enhancer
The Aladdin Deck Enhancer, produced by Camerica, and developed by Codemasters, is a cartridge based system that allows software on Compact Cartridges to be played on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is similar to the Datach system for the Famicom, but without the Barcode feature...
. Camerica had the rights to publish most of Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
' game titles, both on the NES and the Deck Enhancer. Thor Aackerlund was a spokesperson for the brand.
Camerica created many early peripherals for the NES, such as Supersonic The Joystick, a wireless controller add-on. Nintendo sued Camerica and their USA distributor, Galoob Toy many times. Camerica and Galoob Toy prevailed every time. There were lawsuits in California, New York and Canada. Nintendo had to pay Galoob Toy USD$15,000,000 in damages over one of those lawsuits.
Since Camerica still lacked license to produce NES games, they had to create their own cartridges that would bypass Nintendo's lock-out chip
Lock-out chip
In a general sense, a lockout chip is a chip within an electronic device to prevent other manufacturers from using a company's device to perform certain functions....
. Like the circuit used in Color Dreams
Color Dreams
Color Dreams was a company that developed video games for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System . While most companies that developed NES games obtained an official license from Nintendo to produce game cartridges, Color Dreams was unusual in that it developed NES games without an official license...
cartridges, the Camerica lock-out defeat generated glitch
Glitch
A glitch is a short-lived fault in a system. It is often used to describe a transient fault that corrects itself, and is therefore difficult to troubleshoot...
pulses that froze the chip. The cartridges they made were shaped slightly differently from Nintendo's cartridges, though they still fit in the NES. The most notable difference however was in color: all Camerica cartridges were gold and later silver. They also featured a switch for play on European NES consoles.
Camerica released the Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
-designed Game Genie
Game Genie
The Game Genie is a series of cheat systems designed by Codemasters and sold by Camerica and Galoob for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Mega Drive/Genesis, and Sega Game Gear that modifies game data, allowing the player to cheat, manipulate various...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Camerica NES games
- Bee 52Bee 52Bee 52 is a side scrolling game for the Nintendo Entertainment System .-Description:The player controls Bee 52, a honeybee with large eyes and a fly-like sucker for a mouth, through which it can spit projectiles at enemies. The game is played through 12 levels, the first four in a backyard, the...
- Big Nose Freaks OutBig Nose Freaks OutBig Nose Freaks Out is a platform game for the NES, produced by Codemasters and published by Camerica. The player controls a cave man character who has had all his bones stolen from a prehistoric bank by a dinosaur. Bignose sets off on an adventure through numerous prehistoric settings...
- Big Nose the CavemanBig Nose the CavemanBig Nose the Caveman is a NES game made by Camerica that was released in 1991. It is a side scroller. In 1993-94, work was done in a port for the Sega Master System, but it was never released commercially, although a prototype version exists .-Story:You control the "Big Nose" character, who is...
- Dizzy the Adventurer
- Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy
- FireHawkFireHawk (NES Game)FireHawk is a game developed by Codemasters which was released by Camerica for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This game has the player being commissioned by the President of the United States to stop the trafficking of drugs into the United States...
- Linus Spacehead's Cosmic Crusade
- Micro MachinesMicro Machines (video games)Micro Machines is a series of computer and video games featuring toy cars, developed by Codemasters and published on several platforms Micro Machines is a series of computer and video games featuring toy cars, developed by Codemasters and published on several platforms Micro Machines is a series of...
- Mig 29 Soviet FighterMig 29 Soviet FighterMig 29 Soviet Fighter is a shoot 'em up game developed by Codemasters in 1989 and released for several contemporary home computers. An unlicensed version was also released for the Nintendo Entertainment System by Camerica where the object is to defeat the World Terrorist Army. It is similar in...
- Quattro Adventure
- Quattro Arcade
- Quattro Sports
- Super Robin HoodSuper Robin HoodSuper Robin Hood is a platform action video game featuring Robin Hood released in November 1985 by Codemasters. The game was developed by the Oliver twins on the Amstrad CPC at the age of 17 and was their first title published by Codemasters....
- Stunt KidsStunt KidsStunt Kids is a side-scrolling motocross racing game developed by Codemasters for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and published in the United States by Camerica in 1992...
- The Ultimate Stuntman