1
Famicom / Disk System / Re: Family BASIC Super Thread
Last post by P - March 31, 2025, 05:50:31 pmHere are some things that I think are worthy additions to the thread:
PS/2 keyboard adapter (and PS/2mouse)
Made by Emerson who is a member here, but I don't think he posted his design here. It's a prototype design so it's not clear if it works though.
USB keyboard adapter
Later in the same thread as above, Bitcore posted his design which uses a USB keyboard instead (he gave up on PS/2). It emulates the Family BASIC keyboard, the Subor keyboard and mouse and the Hori Track trackball, which is the closest thing to an official mouse for the Famicom. It's intended to bring all the features of a USB keyboard to the Famicom which homebrew may use.
He also made Nesmon, which is a Famicom version of "Wozmon" the monitor software used with the Apple I computer, as well as yet another set of versions of Microsoft BASIC.
Family BASIC disk version
There was an unofficial, yet legal, version of Family BASIC for the Famicom Disk System called "Disk BASIC" made possible by I2 (read as "Aitsuu"), the creators of Tonkachi Editor and Souseiki Famy among other things. The instructions and required program listings were found in some magazines.
The advantages of Disk BASIC includes:
It's created using the official Family BASIC cartridge & keyboard, a Famicom with FDS, a tape recorder, Tonkachi Editor (which is a sort of hex editor on a disk card), a blank FDS disk card to write it to (both sides needed), a blank tape and the listing of a special BASIC program that you would have to type in.
With FDSStick or the new FDSkey we can create an unlimited amount of empty disks, so the empty disk requirement isn't really a problem.
I guess you would also need an FDS disk drive that has disabled write protection so you can write full disks, but the FDSStick/FDSkey solves this too.
The procedure is basically done by writing a program that dumps the ROM to the tape, preparing the blank disk by using Tonkachi Editor to make it bootable, boot the prepared disk and use it to load the ROM from tape to save it on the disk's side B, use Tonkachi Editor again to finish Disk BASIC which is now stored on side B.
If Family BASIC V2.1 was used, Disk BASIC will be "2.1D".
BG GRAPHICS editor is executed by typing BGTOOL just like on V3.
Alternatively I2 sold an "I2 Disk Basic Generator Kit" for creating Disk BASIC using their Souseiki Famy I2 copier.
Enri also has a webpage that describes how to do it using Mesen on a modern computer.
Here is the original discussion thread.
PS/2 keyboard adapter (and PS/2mouse)
Made by Emerson who is a member here, but I don't think he posted his design here. It's a prototype design so it's not clear if it works though.
USB keyboard adapter
Later in the same thread as above, Bitcore posted his design which uses a USB keyboard instead (he gave up on PS/2). It emulates the Family BASIC keyboard, the Subor keyboard and mouse and the Hori Track trackball, which is the closest thing to an official mouse for the Famicom. It's intended to bring all the features of a USB keyboard to the Famicom which homebrew may use.
He also made Nesmon, which is a Famicom version of "Wozmon" the monitor software used with the Apple I computer, as well as yet another set of versions of Microsoft BASIC.
Family BASIC disk version
There was an unofficial, yet legal, version of Family BASIC for the Famicom Disk System called "Disk BASIC" made possible by I2 (read as "Aitsuu"), the creators of Tonkachi Editor and Souseiki Famy among other things. The instructions and required program listings were found in some magazines.
The advantages of Disk BASIC includes:
- Boot directly into BASIC like on V3,
- more RAM than even V3 offers (8126 byte),
- all the possibilities of CHR RAM (meaning fully redefinable character and sprite pattern data instead of being limited to using Mario, Lady, crabs, nitanita etc) and
- FDS hardware access (saving BASIC programs to empty disk cards perhaps?).
It's created using the official Family BASIC cartridge & keyboard, a Famicom with FDS, a tape recorder, Tonkachi Editor (which is a sort of hex editor on a disk card), a blank FDS disk card to write it to (both sides needed), a blank tape and the listing of a special BASIC program that you would have to type in.
With FDSStick or the new FDSkey we can create an unlimited amount of empty disks, so the empty disk requirement isn't really a problem.
I guess you would also need an FDS disk drive that has disabled write protection so you can write full disks, but the FDSStick/FDSkey solves this too.
The procedure is basically done by writing a program that dumps the ROM to the tape, preparing the blank disk by using Tonkachi Editor to make it bootable, boot the prepared disk and use it to load the ROM from tape to save it on the disk's side B, use Tonkachi Editor again to finish Disk BASIC which is now stored on side B.
If Family BASIC V2.1 was used, Disk BASIC will be "2.1D".
BG GRAPHICS editor is executed by typing BGTOOL just like on V3.
Alternatively I2 sold an "I2 Disk Basic Generator Kit" for creating Disk BASIC using their Souseiki Famy I2 copier.
Enri also has a webpage that describes how to do it using Mesen on a modern computer.
Here is the original discussion thread.
2
Technical & Repair Assistance / Re: Twin Fami Burning Smell
Last post by P - March 31, 2025, 04:06:55 pmI see, I guess there's a short somewhere.
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Famicom / Disk System / Re: Batong 686 Famiclone
Last post by Virtvic - March 31, 2025, 02:59:24 pmFamiclone side works if you inject +5vdc directly into it and output directly from it to another screen.You cannot see attachments on this board.
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Famicom / Disk System / Re: Batong 686 Famiclone
Last post by Virtvic - March 31, 2025, 02:55:58 pmSure!You cannot see attachments on this board.
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Buy / Sell / Trade / Re: Looking to start collectin...
Last post by The Award Man - March 31, 2025, 04:44:43 amTHANK YOU
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Technical & Repair Assistance / Re: Twin Fami Burning Smell
Last post by landmasta - March 31, 2025, 12:31:48 amWell, I went ahead and bought a purpose built adapter for the Twin Famicom from a reputable retro game website but unfortunately the problem persists. When I plugged it in, the burning smell returned and the same thing when I tried turning it on. I think I can rule out the adapter being the issue then.
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Buy / Sell / Trade / Re: For Sale: Famicom Twin-Pin...
Last post by Tanooki - March 30, 2025, 07:56:25 pmQuote from: prince tomato on August 18, 2020, 03:29:46 amthey are $45 a piece,
and shipping from the Netherlands will depend on your location, see attached PostNL shippingrates,
shippingrates from the Netherlands are pure extortion, there is not a lot i can do about that,
the good news is i can ship 8 of these for the same price as 1,
so if you are interested, and you can get some local members/friends in on this, you could save a lot on shipping.
please message me with any questions you may have, and i'll get right back to you asap.
Is this possibly still for sale? I know the post is a few years old now.
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Off-Topic Chat / Re: Has anyone made a FDS port...
Last post by radiochan - March 30, 2025, 07:31:06 amBuilt in? No.
It's possible you can put a RAM adapter in the cartridge slot of one of those portable Famiclones tho. Or obviously just run .fds images off an Everdrive.
It's possible you can put a RAM adapter in the cartridge slot of one of those portable Famiclones tho. Or obviously just run .fds images off an Everdrive.
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Famicom / Disk System / Re: Venus Mini Doctor Copier?
Last post by radiochan - March 28, 2025, 08:09:44 pmI bought one of these, since I already had a Famicom and a FDS RAM adapter and it was very inexpensive compared to an Everdrive. Some info:
If it's the webzone I was linked to, these will only accept Venus Mini Doctor images from there. No, "regular" Game Doctor images won't work on it. I've tried it and gotten a corrupted screen.
This will only register one side. You can't use multisides (not like there are any multiside VMD games).
FDS Stick will let you flash the images to it. I have one that's full of VMD and regular FDS images.
The VMDs being sold don't have a case, but you can 3D print one, or get one printed. It will function as a "pass through" for regular FDS images or games. I am aware that NewRisingSun coded a VMD specific loader but I haven't found a need for it, unless that loader lets you run single sided regular Game Doctor images (I don't know about this, as I'm running all of it off a FDS stick)
In case anyone cares these aren't specially hacked images, besides hacked to be able to run from a VMD. If you connect a Zapper or Famicom Ray Gun through the EXP port it will still work as intended - I've tested this myself with Duck Hunt and Wild Gunman. If you're using an external Famicom controller via the EXP port the Western games, as guaranteed, they're almost all Western developed games with no Famicom equivalent, sometimes won't acknowledge the EXP port as they have only been hacked to run off disk, not hacked to acknowledge an EXP controller as Player 1.
I don't know about any Family Trainer games hacked for the device. I presume those will still work as intended.
The webzone linked by the seller has a lot of stuff that might be interesting for the Famicom hacker enthusiast, especially since one of the images is a disk version of Family BASIC. I don't know if you can modify it to save and run typein programs as that's for the Game Doctor and *not* the VMD.
Some may be interested in this due to the fact that the current stock of VMDs being sold is far less expensive than an Everdrive or a flash cartridge in general. I am not aware of any way to run the hacked disk images in an emulator. This may be regrettable as I believe some of them to be Hong Kong originals that aren't on cart, but may have been hacked in the past to be able to run as carts in an emulator hacked as FFE games.
If it's the webzone I was linked to, these will only accept Venus Mini Doctor images from there. No, "regular" Game Doctor images won't work on it. I've tried it and gotten a corrupted screen.
This will only register one side. You can't use multisides (not like there are any multiside VMD games).
FDS Stick will let you flash the images to it. I have one that's full of VMD and regular FDS images.
The VMDs being sold don't have a case, but you can 3D print one, or get one printed. It will function as a "pass through" for regular FDS images or games. I am aware that NewRisingSun coded a VMD specific loader but I haven't found a need for it, unless that loader lets you run single sided regular Game Doctor images (I don't know about this, as I'm running all of it off a FDS stick)
In case anyone cares these aren't specially hacked images, besides hacked to be able to run from a VMD. If you connect a Zapper or Famicom Ray Gun through the EXP port it will still work as intended - I've tested this myself with Duck Hunt and Wild Gunman. If you're using an external Famicom controller via the EXP port the Western games, as guaranteed, they're almost all Western developed games with no Famicom equivalent, sometimes won't acknowledge the EXP port as they have only been hacked to run off disk, not hacked to acknowledge an EXP controller as Player 1.
I don't know about any Family Trainer games hacked for the device. I presume those will still work as intended.
The webzone linked by the seller has a lot of stuff that might be interesting for the Famicom hacker enthusiast, especially since one of the images is a disk version of Family BASIC. I don't know if you can modify it to save and run typein programs as that's for the Game Doctor and *not* the VMD.
Some may be interested in this due to the fact that the current stock of VMDs being sold is far less expensive than an Everdrive or a flash cartridge in general. I am not aware of any way to run the hacked disk images in an emulator. This may be regrettable as I believe some of them to be Hong Kong originals that aren't on cart, but may have been hacked in the past to be able to run as carts in an emulator hacked as FFE games.
10
Buy / Sell / Trade / Re: Looking to start collectin...
Last post by fcgamer - March 27, 2025, 11:25:48 pmQuote from: The Award Man on March 27, 2025, 10:35:58 amHello, I am looking to start my Famicom collection. I am mostly complete on my NES collection but down to some Super Heavies. To pass the time in between i want to start something new.
To start my collection i am looking to buy some lots, so if anyone has a bunch of doubles, please let me know and what price you want.
I have a handful of official Japanese Famicom games I want to sell. I'll take a picture and message you about it.