Famicom Disk System
Encyclopedia
The was released on February 21, 1986 by Nintendo
as a peripheral for the Family Computer
("Famicom") console in Japan
. It was a unit that used proprietary floppy disk
s (called "Disk Cards") for data storage. It was announced, but never released, for the North America
n Nintendo Entertainment System
. Through its entire production span, 1986–2003, 4.44 million units were sold.
The device was connected to the Famicom deck by plugging a modified cartridge known as the RAM
Adapter into the system's cartridge port, which attached via a supplied cable to the disk drive. The RAM adapter contained 32 kilobyte
s (KB) of RAM for temporary program storage, 8 KB of RAM for tile and sprite
data storage, and an ASIC
known as the 2C33. The ASIC acted as a disk controller
for the floppy drive, and also included additional sound hardware featuring primitive wavetable synthesis
and FM synthesis
capabilities. The Disk Cards used were double-sided, with a total capacity of 112 KB per disk. Many games spanned both sides of a disk, requiring the user to switch sides at some point during gameplay. A few games used two full disks (four sides). The Disk System was capable of running on six C-cell batteries
or the supplied AC adapter. Batteries would usually last five months with daily game play. The battery option was included due to the likelihood of a standard set of AC plugs already being occupied by a Famicom and a television.
of storage space was quite appealing. The rewritable aspect of the disks also opened up new possibilities; games such as The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Kid Icarus
were released to the FDS with a save feature. Many of these titles were subsequently ported
to cartridge format and released for the NES
a year or two later, with saving implemented with password resume or battery-backed memory.
released The , a Family Computer model that features a built-in Disk System.
's "Quick Disk" 2.8 in (71.1 mm) square disk format which was used in a handful of Japanese computers and various synthesizer keyboards, along with a few word processors. Some of the QuickDisk drives even made it into devices in Europe and North America, though they were somewhat rare. Mitsumi already had close relations with Nintendo, as it manufactured the Famicom and NES
consoles, and possibly other Nintendo hardware.
and Luigi
make an appearance in the FDS's BIOS
. After turning on the system, a "battle" between the two characters would begin over the color scheme of the Nintendo sign and screen border, until a disk is inserted into the FDS.
s do not service them (as the system was not released in those regions). The old belts have a habit of breaking or even melting on occasion.
In addition, the disks themselves must be tested and verified to work on both sides, as the FDS disks′ construction can allow dirt to get into the disk, or even for the disk to demagnetize over time. Even one bad sector
on a disk will render it unplayable. In an effort to save money on production, Nintendo opted to not use disk shutters (a feature seen on 3.5 in (88.9 mm) floppy disks) to keep dirt out, instead opting to include wax paper sleeves as with the older 5.25 in (133.4 mm) disks. The only exception to this were certain games that were specially released on blue disks (which did have shutters).
Also, error messages received when attempting to load a disk are unusually simple, to the point where it is difficult to know what the exact problem is. Most in-game error messages during loading are often displayed as 'Err. ##', with ## being the designated number for the type of error message; the most common ones are Err. 02 (the Disk System's batteries being low on power or with no batteries put in altogether), Err. 07 (Side A and B reversed when trying to load the disk), and Err. 27 ('Disk trouble', usually involving the disk surface itself). However, the error messages themselves consist of little explanation (Err. 27, for example, only give the accompanying message 'Disk trouble') and in most cases within gameplay itself, such as Zelda 2
, the error message is not given at all, with only the number code shown.
Square Co., Ltd. had a branch at one point called 'Disk Original Group', a software label that published Disk System titles from Japanese PC software companies. The venture was largely a failure and almost pushed a pre-Final Fantasy
Square into bankruptcy. (Final Fantasy was to be released for the FDS, but a disagreement over Nintendo's copyright policies caused Square to change its position and release the game as a cartridge.)
Nintendo released a disk version of Super Mario Bros.
in addition to the cartridge version. The Western-market Super Mario Bros. 2
originated from a disk-only game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic.
, before Nintendo used Mike Tyson
and Mr. Dream instead in later NES versions.
video game Super Smash Bros. Melee
, switching the language to Japanese (via the options menu) would also result in the trophy gallery's Nintendo Entertainment System
and Super NES
being replaced with a Family Computer and Super Famicom, respectively. Additionally, Disk-kun could be unlocked as a trophy via accessing all bonus scores.
The background music of the Nintendo GameCube
's system menu is a highly slowed-down version of the FDS startup jingle.
In episode 26 of the Oh My Goddess!
TV series, a Disk System (and presumably a Disk Card) shows up in the episode as Skuld is making a 10-dimensional scythe.
The FDS boot up theme is briefly played in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
when Princess Peach inserts a floppy disk into Sir Grodus' computer during the fifth chapter's interlude.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
as a peripheral for the Family Computer
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...
("Famicom") console in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was a unit that used proprietary floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
s (called "Disk Cards") for data storage. It was announced, but never released, for the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Nintendo Entertainment System
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...
. Through its entire production span, 1986–2003, 4.44 million units were sold.
The device was connected to the Famicom deck by plugging a modified cartridge known as the RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
Adapter into the system's cartridge port, which attached via a supplied cable to the disk drive. The RAM adapter contained 32 kilobyte
Kilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
s (KB) of RAM for temporary program storage, 8 KB of RAM for tile and sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
data storage, and an ASIC
Application-specific integrated circuit
An application-specific integrated circuit is an integrated circuit customized for a particular use, rather than intended for general-purpose use. For example, a chip designed solely to run a cell phone is an ASIC...
known as the 2C33. The ASIC acted as a disk controller
Disk controller
The disk controller is the circuit which enables the CPU to communicate with a hard disk, floppy disk or other kind of disk drive.Early disk controllers were identified by their storage methods and data encoding. They were typically implemented on a separate controller card...
for the floppy drive, and also included additional sound hardware featuring primitive wavetable synthesis
Wavetable synthesis
Wavetable synthesis is used in certain digital music synthesizers to implement a restricted form of real-time additive synthesis. The technique was first developed by Wolfgang Palm of PPG in the late 1970s and published in 1979, and has since been used as the primary synthesis method in...
and FM synthesis
Frequency modulation synthesis
A 220 Hz carrier tone modulated by a 440 Hz modulating tone with various choices of modulation index, β. The time domain signals are illustrated above, and the corresponding spectra are shown below ....
capabilities. The Disk Cards used were double-sided, with a total capacity of 112 KB per disk. Many games spanned both sides of a disk, requiring the user to switch sides at some point during gameplay. A few games used two full disks (four sides). The Disk System was capable of running on six C-cell batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
or the supplied AC adapter. Batteries would usually last five months with daily game play. The battery option was included due to the likelihood of a standard set of AC plugs already being occupied by a Famicom and a television.
History
In 1986, the disks' 112 KBKilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
of storage space was quite appealing. The rewritable aspect of the disks also opened up new possibilities; games such as The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus, known as in Japan, is an action platform video game for the Famicom Disk System in Japan and the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and North America. The first entry in Nintendo's Kid Icarus series, it was published in Japan in December 1986, and in Europe and North America in...
were released to the FDS with a save feature. Many of these titles were subsequently ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to cartridge format and released for the NES
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...
a year or two later, with saving implemented with password resume or battery-backed memory.
Hardware versions
SharpSharp Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products. Headquartered in Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan, Sharp employs more than 55,580 people worldwide as of June 2011. The company was founded in September 1912 and takes its name from one of its founder's first...
released The , a Family Computer model that features a built-in Disk System.
Technology
The Disk System's Disk Cards were somewhat proprietary 2.8 by 3 in (71.1 by 76.2 mm) 56K-per-side double-sided floppy. These "Disk Cards," as they are officially called, were a slight modification of MitsumiMitsumi
is a Japanese manufacturer of consumer electronic components, founded in 1954.-Products:One of the company's most noticeable product lines are video game console controllers...
's "Quick Disk" 2.8 in (71.1 mm) square disk format which was used in a handful of Japanese computers and various synthesizer keyboards, along with a few word processors. Some of the QuickDisk drives even made it into devices in Europe and North America, though they were somewhat rare. Mitsumi already had close relations with Nintendo, as it manufactured the Famicom and NES
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...
consoles, and possibly other Nintendo hardware.
BIOS
Nintendo's flagship mascot brothers MarioMario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and Luigi
Luigi
is a fictional character, featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario series,...
make an appearance in the FDS's BIOS
BIOS
In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
. After turning on the system, a "battle" between the two characters would begin over the color scheme of the Nintendo sign and screen border, until a disk is inserted into the FDS.
Piracy
Within a year of its release, piracy of Disk Cards became rampant via use of slightly modified QuickDisks and different disk copying techniques. Hacker publications such as Backup Technique (which later became Game Labo, still published today) And Famicom Kaizō Manual showed the plans to make various devices to copy the disks along with very simple plans to convert QuickDisks to FDS disks. At least a couple issues of Backup Technique even advertised products like the Dubbing Boy and the Dubbing Boy II for copying the disks, which were commercialized versions of some of the do-it-yourself projects that the publications wrote articles on. To thwart this piracy, Nintendo changed one of the ICs in the drive to a newer version and made slight modifications to some of the traces on the other PCB within the drive. Techniques were quickly published to build modification boards to circumvent these measures. Certain software techniques were used by some programmers to thwart the copying of their disks, but even these were circumvented by certain unlicensed FDS programs like Disk Hacker (versions include 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and II), Kosodate Gokko, Copy Master, Disk Keeper, and others, which facilitated the copying of disks.Reliability
While the Disk System was years ahead of its time in terms of a disk-format game console, the system and games both have reliability issues. The drive belt in the drive is a proprietary size, and standard floppy drive belts are too large. Until 2004, Japanese residents were able to send their systems to Nintendo directly for repairs/belt replacements, but Nintendo of America and the PAL regionPAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s do not service them (as the system was not released in those regions). The old belts have a habit of breaking or even melting on occasion.
In addition, the disks themselves must be tested and verified to work on both sides, as the FDS disks′ construction can allow dirt to get into the disk, or even for the disk to demagnetize over time. Even one bad sector
Bad Sector
Bad Sector is an ambient/noise project formed in 1992 in Tuscany, Italy by Massimo Magrini. While working at the Computer Art Lab of ISTI in Pisa , he developed original gesture interfaces that he uses in live performances: 'Aerial Painting Hand' , 'UV-Stick' Bad Sector is an ambient/noise...
on a disk will render it unplayable. In an effort to save money on production, Nintendo opted to not use disk shutters (a feature seen on 3.5 in (88.9 mm) floppy disks) to keep dirt out, instead opting to include wax paper sleeves as with the older 5.25 in (133.4 mm) disks. The only exception to this were certain games that were specially released on blue disks (which did have shutters).
Also, error messages received when attempting to load a disk are unusually simple, to the point where it is difficult to know what the exact problem is. Most in-game error messages during loading are often displayed as 'Err. ##', with ## being the designated number for the type of error message; the most common ones are Err. 02 (the Disk System's batteries being low on power or with no batteries put in altogether), Err. 07 (Side A and B reversed when trying to load the disk), and Err. 27 ('Disk trouble', usually involving the disk surface itself). However, the error messages themselves consist of little explanation (Err. 27, for example, only give the accompanying message 'Disk trouble') and in most cases within gameplay itself, such as Zelda 2
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, released as in Japan and often mistakenly called The Adventures of Link, is an action role-playing video game with platforming elements. The second installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment...
, the error message is not given at all, with only the number code shown.
Games
Final Fantasy (video game)
is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
Square into bankruptcy. (Final Fantasy was to be released for the FDS, but a disagreement over Nintendo's copyright policies caused Square to change its position and release the game as a cartridge.)
Nintendo released a disk version of Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
in addition to the cartridge version. The Western-market Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2, often abbreviated SMB2, is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. The game was also remade as part of the Super Mario All-Stars collection for the Super Nintendo Entertainment...
originated from a disk-only game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic.
Launch titles
- BaseballBaseball (Nintendo game)Baseball is a simple baseball video game made by Nintendo in 1983 for the Nintendo Family Computer, making it one of the first games released for the Famicom. It was later one of the NES's 18 launch titles when it was released in 1985 in the United States. As in real baseball, the object of the...
- GolfGolf (video game)Golf is a sports-simulation video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released in Japan in 1984 for the Nintendo Family Computer...
- Mahjong
- Soccer
- Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
- TennisTennis (video game)Tennis is a sports game released in Japan for the Famicom in 1984, and in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. In North America, Tennis was one of 18 launch games for the NES.-Gameplay:...
- The Legend of Zelda
Disk-kun
Nintendo would hold game score contests, and the mascot was called Disk-kun (Mr. Disk or Disk Boy in English). Some of the prizes to these contests included two gold prize disks, one for the game Golf US course, and one for Golf Japan course (not to be confused with the title simply called Golf). These two gold disks had metal shutters on them, like the aforementioned blue Disk Cards. Other prizes were a stationery set, and a gold cartridge version of the Punch-Out!! for the Family Computer. In the gold version of Punch-Out!!, the final opponent was Super Macho ManSuper Macho Man
is a fictional character in the Nintendo-produced Punch-Out!! series of video games. He is an American boxer, hailing from Hollywood, California. He first appeared in Super Punch-Out!! for the arcades, and again in Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System , Super Punch-Out!! for the Super...
, before Nintendo used Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
and Mr. Dream instead in later NES versions.
Legacy
Many years after the FDS was released, the system and its Disk-kun mascot would be recognized by Nintendo and others. In the Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
video game Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
, switching the language to Japanese (via the options menu) would also result in the trophy gallery's Nintendo Entertainment System
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...
and Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
being replaced with a Family Computer and Super Famicom, respectively. Additionally, Disk-kun could be unlocked as a trophy via accessing all bonus scores.
The background music of the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
's system menu is a highly slowed-down version of the FDS startup jingle.
In episode 26 of the Oh My Goddess!
Oh My Goddess!
, also known as Ah! My Goddess!, is a Japanese seinen manga series written and illustrated by Kōsuke Fujishima. It premiered in the November 1988 issue of Afternoon where it is still being serialized. Every few months, the most recent chapters are published in tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
TV series, a Disk System (and presumably a Disk Card) shows up in the episode as Skuld is making a 10-dimensional scythe.
The FDS boot up theme is briefly played in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, or Paper Mario 2, released in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube...
when Princess Peach inserts a floppy disk into Sir Grodus' computer during the fifth chapter's interlude.
External links
- Famicom Dojo - Information on Famicom Disk System product codes and video of Disk System features
- Famicom World - More information on the Disk System
- N-sider.com - NintendOnline - 4 page article about Nintendo's online history
- Famicom Disk System - FDS disk copying, writing, and dumping information. Also includes information on Famicom game doctors and related items.