Famicom adapter makes the DS useful
by JC Fletcher 
{ Nov 24th 2007 at 12:00PM }
Finally, we can stop playing all those awful DS and Game Boy Advance games on our DS Lite. Really, we like the hardware, but we want to play real games on the thing. Like Final Fantasy III, Dragon Quest IV, and Ys, not whatever's out on the DS. We're sure you feel the same way.
That's why we think CYBER Gadget's CYBER Familator Lite is so great. Based on their CYBER Familator "Famiclone," It plugs into the DS's GBA slot and allows the system to play genuine (and pirate, we suppose) Famicom cartridges. And, with the right Gyromite cartridge, it'll play American games too. It even has TV out, making it a fully functional Famicom!
It'll be out in Japan next month, but CYBER Gadget has yet to announce the price. The amazing name will probably bump it up an extra 1000 yen or so. Familator.
That's why we think CYBER Gadget's CYBER Familator Lite is so great. Based on their CYBER Familator "Famiclone," It plugs into the DS's GBA slot and allows the system to play genuine (and pirate, we suppose) Famicom cartridges. And, with the right Gyromite cartridge, it'll play American games too. It even has TV out, making it a fully functional Famicom!
It'll be out in Japan next month, but CYBER Gadget has yet to announce the price. The amazing name will probably bump it up an extra 1000 yen or so. Familator.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Crazylink @ Nov 24th 2007 12:22PM
That's... unique, but I think I'd rather have a flash cart with an emulator and some ROMs.
ssuk @ Nov 24th 2007 12:47PM
I'll wait until there's a SNES one... My SNES is currently dying. =(
ehaleen @ Nov 24th 2007 1:19PM
yeah it is neat but thats what homebrew emulators are for
raindog @ Nov 24th 2007 1:17PM
ssuk, google for "snesds". I doubt we'll ever see a SNES clone DS adapter unless Nintendo makes one, so until there's a DS VC (and I hope there will be, since I never owned a SNES) you might as well try an emulator.
RupeeClock @ Nov 24th 2007 2:21PM
So, my options are:
1: Huge chunk of software for reading roms from old japan only cartridges and playing them on the DS.
2: Small flash card with emulator software that reads potentially hundreds of roms from a single memory storage device, and plays them on the DS.
I think I'd go for 2, personally. Hell, I already have, although emulation of some games still don't work, I can still play Megaman 2 whenever I want.
RupeeClock @ Nov 24th 2007 6:34PM
Oh, and if anyone DARE say that emulators are stealing money from hardware developers like this, they should actually consider the fact that the emulator came before the hardware.
Chase @ Nov 24th 2007 7:16PM
Egads, that looks Nomad-sized! O_O'' Seeing that makes me hope Nintendo gets around to allowing downloadable games on the DS.
HellsHammer @ Nov 25th 2007 2:03AM
Does the extra little slot on the bottom mean you can still hold a GBA game?
Either way, unless this is $10 or so, my copy of Kid Dracula is going to be sitting awhile longer.
Mike @ Nov 26th 2007 4:09AM
Can't follow your logic RupeeClock. Of course emulators eat into the profit of harware like this, their markets overlap, who came first is quite irrelevant.
Just like to note if a Snes version of this comes out it'll at least mean the later games, which have chips within the cartridge itself that need to be emulated, can be played on the DS. Apparantly a software only option is impossible for a 100% compatible Snes emulator for DS.
RupeeClock @ Dec 1st 2007 10:28PM
Don't be silly, if someone provides a service or product for free first, and then someone later provides the same for a cost, they're taking advantage of a demand which is fair game.
However, if someone provides a service or hardware for a cost, and then later someone provides the same for free, it can argued that the person is taking profits away from someone who wants to make a living.
I mean, when the GBA was still alive, Visualboy Advance was working amazingly well, that is INDEED stealing profit from GBA hardware sales because it removes the need to buy a console.
However, NesDS for the DS, because it is free, may simply reduce sales for the Famicom adapter because of an easier and cheaper alternative, if it existed in the first place it is not a problem of competitive sales.
Mike @ Dec 4th 2007 6:56PM
How is it that in both cases sales are (probably) lost, but only one case is "stealing" (not literally) simply because of the order it comes in? The results are the same, NesDS, and VisualBoy Advance are both technically illegal/copyright infringing (so no "fair game" is involved neither should've ever existed), and yet you still draw a fine line. Are you a lawyer in training by any chance?