Family Computer Disk System: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Famicom Disk System Logo.png|left|200px||class=invert]]
[[File:Famicom Disk System Logo.png|left|200px||class=invert]]
The '''{{wp|Famicom Disk System|Family Computer Disk System}}''' (also called the '''Famicom Disk System''') is an accessory for the [[Family Computer]]. It allowed the Family Computer to play certain games on a proprietary floppy disk format called "Disk Cards" rather than ROM cartridges, as Disk Cards were not only cheaper but also allowed for higher data capacity than cartridges at the time. Besides that, the disks were rewritable, so saving was easier. [[Nintendo]] sought to make Disk Cards a permanent standard for all of its future games at that point, but this plan was abandoned a few years later, due to various issues.
The '''{{wp|Famicom Disk System|Family Computer Disk System}}''' (also called the '''Famicom Disk System''') is an accessory for the [[Family Computer]]. It allowed the Family Computer to play certain games on a proprietary floppy disk format called "Disk Cards" rather than ROM cartridges, as Disk Cards were not only cheaper but also allowed for higher data capacity than cartridges at the time. Besides that, the disks were rewritable, so saving was easier.


The Family Computer Disk System's games were easy to pirate, so the piracy issue became an especially big problem for Nintendo. In 1986, Nintendo sought to counter Disk System piracy by installing special Disk Writer kiosks that would allow consumers to download games onto Disk Cards for ¥500 as opposed to the retail price of ¥2,600; some Disk System games were even exclusive to these kiosks. The service was very popular, remaining in place until the Family Computer line's discontinuation in 2003, 9 years ''after'' the discontinuation of the Disk System itself. Excluding prize disks, FDS games were available through retail, Disk Writer, or both. ''[[Kaettekita Mario Bros.]]'' and the FDS ports for ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'', ''[[Pinball (game)|Pinball]]'', and ''[[Wrecking Crew]]'' could be purchased only through the Disk Writer. The former was priced at ¥400 because of its promotional nature, making it the cheapest FDS game. ''[[I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater]]'' was a retail-only game, but it was sold in handicraft stores. ''[[All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.]]'' was sold through a mail order lottery system and at {{wp|Nippon Broadcasting System}}'s building on a single day. The Disk Writer was also capable of updating software for any game that needed it (thus acting as an early precursor to modern internet-based software patching), the sole exception being ''[[Golf: Japan Course]]'', which required mailing the disk to Nintendo.
[[Nintendo]] sought to make Disk Cards a permanent standard for all of its future games at that point, but this plan was abandoned a few years later due to various hardware issues, most prominently the fact that the system's games were easy to pirate. Later in 1986, Nintendo sought to counter this problem by installing special Disk Writer kiosks that would allow consumers to download games onto Disk Cards for ¥500 as opposed to the retail price of ¥2,600; some Disk System games were even exclusive to these kiosks. The service was very popular, remaining in place until the Family Computer line's discontinuation in 2003, 9 years ''after'' the discontinuation of the Disk System itself. Excluding prize disks, FDS games were available through retail, Disk Writer, or both. ''[[Kaettekita Mario Bros.]]'' and the FDS ports for ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'', ''[[Pinball (game)|Pinball]]'', and ''[[Wrecking Crew]]'' could be purchased only through the Disk Writer. The former was priced at ¥400 because of its promotional nature, making it the cheapest FDS game. ''[[I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater]]'' was a retail-only game, but it was sold in handicraft stores. ''[[All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.]]'' was sold through a mail order lottery system and at {{wp|Nippon Broadcasting System}}'s building on a single day. The Disk Writer was also capable of updating software for any game that needed it (thus acting as an early precursor to modern internet-based software patching), the sole exception being ''[[Golf: Japan Course]]'', which required mailing the disk to Nintendo.


==Games==
==Games==
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*[[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] also appear in the Disk System's BIOS, seen when the Disk System is started. The BIOS also makes a cameo appearance in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', on [[Sir Grodus]]'s computer. His computer accepts a [[Data Disk]] that looks like a Disk Card.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjuIzeNyNEQ</ref>
*[[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] also appear in the Disk System's BIOS, seen when the Disk System is started. The BIOS also makes a cameo appearance in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', on [[Sir Grodus]]'s computer. His computer accepts a [[Data Disk]] that looks like a Disk Card.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjuIzeNyNEQ</ref>
*The system mascot, Diskun, made a cameo as a toy in Booster's Tower in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''. This was made more apparent in the game's remake for the Nintendo Switch due to enhanced graphics.
*The system mascot, Diskun, cameos as a toy in Booster's Tower in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''. This was made more apparent in the game's [[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)|remake]] for the [[Nintendo Switch]] due to the higher quality graphics.
*When sped up 19 times, the [[Nintendo GameCube]] menu ambience is revealed to be a slowed-down version of the startup tune for the Disk System BIOS.<ref>[[Media:GCN Main Menu Sped Up.oga]]</ref>
*When sped up 19 times, the [[Nintendo GameCube]] menu ambience is revealed to be a slowed-down version of the startup tune for the Disk System BIOS.<ref>[[Media:GCN Main Menu Sped Up.oga]]</ref>
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