Best Famicom console + mod to have?

[Magicalbottle]

I've been out of the loop for a long time...looking for the best Famicom hardware and mod there is. Do I go with the original Famicom or a twin system? NESRGB the best mod? Anyone selling this as a combo or willing to mod?

EDIT: I'm looking to play on original Famicom hardware via RGB (no HDMI) on my PVM's 2130 or 2950. I ready the Everdrive N8 is the best choice for games?

[Guspaz]

There is no one answer. If it has to be Famicom, maybe an AV Famicom with hidefnes or NESRGB mod. Or an Analogue Nt Mini. Or a RetroUSB AVS. For the disk system, probably just use an FDSStick with the RAM adapter since the real disk mechanisms are so unreliable due to age. It all depends on your situation and use case.

[Lawfer]

First, do you want RGB or HDMI?

[fernan1234]

It's kinda hard to find a good combo for this. IMO the Twin is not worth it with the FDSStick being available, unless you feel fascinated with using the actual disks. With the Twin you also want to make sure you get a later revision (the one with turbo controllers) as the early ones have terrible FDS/expanded audio mixing. The OG Famicom motherboards also vary in their audio mixing, with the very early and very late ones not being as good. The AV Famicom is convenient but the sound is not the same as the OG Famicom, it's, to my ear, noticeably more shrill/metallic, whereas the OG (and Twin) sounds more organic.

NESRGB is nice but IMO for the NES/Famicom it is not essential as the system's very simple graphics do lend themselves well to being greased up by composite, though of course S-video and RGB via the NESRGB looks quite nice. The NESRGB also offers the advantage of a cleaner (though visibly different) composite output. I guess the nice thing about a Twin+NESRGB combo would be that it can give all the options: RGB, S-video, composite encoded by NESRGB, and stock composite via the original composite out.

There are also the digital options (Hi-Def NES, AVS, etc.). A Mister probably is just as good if not better (clean audio, unlike the consoles which are always a bit buzzy at best).

GL finding the right hardware for you.

[Bratwurst]

It's kinda hard to find a good combo for this. IMO the Twin is not worth it with the FDSStick being available, unless you feel fascinated with using the actual disks. With the Twin you also want to make sure you get a later revision (the one with turbo controllers) as the early ones have terrible FDS/expanded audio mixing. The OG Famicom motherboards also vary in their audio mixing, with the very early and very late ones not being as good. The AV Famicom is convenient but the sound is not the same as the OG Famicom, it's, to my ear, noticeably more shrill/metallic, whereas the OG (and Twin) sounds more organic.

Volume levels are different when expansion audio is mixed in with the AV Famicom vs the original.

My personal setup is an original Famicom with NESRGB installed, and NES extension cables spliced into the controller cords from the back, wired for P1 and P2 + Zapper, no mic. Set on top of a FDS that's been gutted and fitted with an FDSStick inside.

[fernan1234]

My personal setup is an original Famicom with NESRGB installed, and NES extension cables spliced into the controller cords from the back, wired for P1 and P2 + Zapper, no mic. Set on top of a FDS that's been gutted and fitted with an FDSStick inside.

Oh I forgot about controller cord length also being an issue. Can be a real problem if you're not able to mod longer cords in and can't keep the console very, very close to you during use.

[FinalBaton]

OP needs to state if he wants RGB or HDMI. Not enough info in his query for people to give him advice for his particular needs

Also does it need to be original hardware(especially Fami)? or is FPGA clone fair game

[RottenToTheGore]

Set on top of a FDS that's been gutted and fitted with an FDSStick inside.

Have any pictures of that? How do you press the button on the FDSStick when you need to flip the disk?

[Bratwurst]

Have any pictures of that? How do you press the button on the FDSStick when you need to flip the disk?

3D printed harness I designed along with an extension from a chopped up SNES/N64/Gamecube video cable. The drive button's original slide tab mechanism hits a momentary switch I wired into a decased FDSStick. USB cable hides in the battery compartment if I ever want to flash new stuff. The LED inside is strong enough I can see it through the FDS shell, so I never bothered routing the light.



Another thing about the original Famicom's controllers, they look good but just plain suck to handle with the cord jutting out of the sides. I never use them, so you either need to splice female extension ends into the rear cords, or fabricate an NES to Expansion adapter, which I've also made in the past, they're not hard to make, anyone could:

OP needs to state if he wants RGB or HDMI. Not enough info in his query for people to give him advice for his particular needs

I am a little biased in assuming what he'd want, I'm resistive of playing on anything but CRTs, so to me the NESRGB is the pinnacle of solutions. The Hi-Def kit is expensive and feature requests are neglected, and pretty much everything HDMI based, FPGA etc just looks like an emulator screenshot to me.

[Magicalbottle]

I'm looking to play on original hardware via RGB (no HDMI) on my PVM's 2130 or 2950. I ready the Everdrive N8 is the best choice for games?

[Lawfer]

I'm looking to play on original hardware via RGB (no HDMI) on my PVM's 2130 or 2950.

Get an AV Famicom + NESRGB mod then get an RGBS cable from Retro Access:

BNC: https://retro-access.com/collections/ne ... -multicore

SCART: https://retro-access.com/collections/ne ... ade-boards

I ready the Everdrive N8 is the best choice for games?

Yes, but at the end of this year Krikzz will release the Famicom EverDrive N8 PRO, so if you can wait.

[ApolloBoy]

Another thing about the original Famicom's controllers, they look good but just plain suck to handle with the cord jutting out of the sides. I never use them, so you either need to splice female extension ends into the rear cords, or fabricate an NES to Expansion adapter, which I've also made in the past, they're not hard to make, anyone could:

The problem with using the expansion port is that there are a few games that don't recognize controller input from it, mostly games that didn't see a Japanese release. Here's a list: https://www.famicomworld.com/forum/inde ... #msg167005

When I had an original Famicom I spliced in some NES extension cables where the original controllers went, which is also something I did with my Twin Famicom. This way every game works and you can also use the Four Score for 4-player stuff (which also doesn't work with the expansion port adapter).

[nmalinoski]

When I had an original Famicom I spliced in some NES extension cables where the original controllers went, which is also something I did with my Twin Famicom. This way every game works and you can also use the Four Score for 4-player stuff (which also doesn't work with the expansion port adapter).

Could you then put NES-style controller connectors on the Famicom controllers? Would the P2 microphone still work?

[Bratwurst]

When I had an original Famicom I spliced in some NES extension cables where the original controllers went, which is also something I did with my Twin Famicom. This way every game works and you can also use the Four Score for 4-player stuff (which also doesn't work with the expansion port adapter).

Could you then put NES-style controller connectors on the Famicom controllers? Would the P2 microphone still work?

That's what I did, and you could wire that sixth conductor for the microphone on either D3 or D4, but that rules out using the Zapper or any other NES peripheral that needs those pins. I personally left it out.

[ApolloBoy]

That's what I did, and you could wire that sixth conductor for the microphone on either D3 or D4, but that rules out using the Zapper or any other NES peripheral that needs those pins. I personally left it out.

On my Twin Famicom and my old Famicom I was able to wire a SPDT switch to select between using the microphone or Zapper. Can't for the life of me remember how I wired it up and my Twin Famicom is in storage right now.