Super Joy III

[shmenge]

OK, so I'm a newbie, and I got a Super Joy III from my son.  It doesn't have the original Donkey Kong but I'd like to play DK.  Does a Famicom DK cartridge play in it?  Are there any issues with regions in ancient gamedom?  Why are there little notch nubs on the slot input of the console? 

[nintendodork]

I also have a Super Joy III!
I'm not sure if it can play Famicom games or not, because no matter which way I put mine in, it just takes me back to the 12000 in 1 screen...

[ericj]

The power switch on Power Joy's has two directions--left & right. One way turns on the internal games and the other way turns on the cartridge input. And yes, you can play Famicom games on them, but the controller is hella irritating and it's way easy to bump the cartridge and fuck up your game. The notches are there so you put the cartridge in the correct way.

[shmenge]

When I put the Famicom DK cartridge in I just get a black screen.  The dealer I bought it from said it tested out perfectly .  Is it possible to insert it slightly mis-aligned?  What else can be wrong?

[ericj]

Wiggle the cart around with the Power Joy turned on and see if you can get a pic. Old games rarely work when perfectly inserted into a cartridge slot, let alone a very cheaply made one. Make sure you're able to get a picture with the internal games, to rule out connection issues with the Power Joy & your TV. It may be a good idea to clean the cartridge pins and cartridge slot, too.

[nintendodork]

Probably misaligned, the connectors on that thing are crap, make sure both the connectors on the clone and the pins on the game are both clean, also, try pushing it in harder and faster...I've learned this works quite well with other things related to this (Thanks to Hades)

[FamicomFreak]

Hmm also make sure the cart is positioned on the right side.

[YamiMario]

You could just get an Nicro Fami. They have the same guts, but the pins on the Nicro Fami is way better.

[shoggoth80]

The short answer is yes, your Super Joy should play just about any Famicom cart. I have a handful of different clones, and all my legit carts work in them. Of course, if you are going to go the clone route, I would keep an eye out for a console, instead of the Famicom in a controller style clone... in my opinion they play better (as far as control manipulation) and they last longer too.

[nintendodork]

He's right, the controller ones are the least favorable out of the clones.  If you can't get a Famicom or adapter, then get a famiclone that's in a console

[NintendoKing]

Exactly the reason why I only play pirate games, and never Clone Systems. Real thing or no thing, in my opinion; atleast as far as systems go.

[shoggoth80]

I typically would agree, if you can get the real deal, go for it... as the chances of being disappointed by compatibility, color saturation, potential audio glitches/ improper processing, and build quality is 100% less than with the clones. However, for some reason, I like the clones too. I can't explain it. Of course, most of my clones have been gotten pretty cheaply... and I think they have a place in gaming history somewhere. To me they are fun to collect, and I can pretty much shamelessly use it. I am still working at finding an A/V Fami... just because I don't want to run the risk of damaging my Sharp Twin (still have the box, inserts etc... sorta a centerpiece for my consoles).  That one cost me a pretty penny, and I treat it that way. I am part collector, part player. I am sure that I am not the only one.

Of course, when going with the real consoles, I recommend either the Twin (hard to beat it), or the A/V unit for ease of connection. Though as a general rule, the Sharp Twin tends to run a bit of a premium, even a little more so than the A/V.

[nintendodork]

I like my setup.  An original Famicom and original FDS, except the Famicom is A/V modded very well (It can play through both speakers and plays the extra sound)