CD, Neo-Geo CD, Nintendo 64DD, Jaguar CD... awright, so most of these were a move to optical

media, which was several times cheaper than cartridges. But before there was optical media,

we made do with FLOPPY DISKS. Sure, they were prone to media degradation, magnetic fields,

cats, dogs, sunspots, and any of a number of other hazards, but they were cheap and

rewritable. So in 1986, Nintendo - after scoring a grand slam with the Famicom - created the

Disk System, a floppy drive for their console that could play games off of proprietary 2-inch

disks. And if you got bored, you could schlep the disk down the nearest convenience store

and load it with a different game for 500 yen - which at the time was barely three bucks.

(As everyone who’s imported a game in the last couple years gets all teary-eyed.) Felicity

from Worcestershire included one with her mass of donated awesomeness, and if I’m

ever on that side of the pond I owe her a pint for her benefaction.

The primary components of the Disk System are the actual floppy disk reader and the

RAM cart that plugs into the Famicom’s cartridge slot. Said disk reader requires its own power

off of an AC adapter... Unless you want to load it up with a half-dozen C batteries.

I don’t even know if they still make those. The RAM cart also plugs into the back of the

system, though since the cable’s so short, the only reasonable place to put the Famicom

is directly on top of the reader. The disks themselves come in jewel cases, sometimes

with game art displayed (in the case of a retail release), though this insert comes

short of obscuring Nintendo’s almighty brand name. It’s this Nintendo imprint that serves

as a kind of copy-protection, as a physical “key” fits into that word; if it’s not

there, the disk won’t sit properly. Unless, of course, you just leave that entire space

recessed, as legions of software pirates would soon discover. And thus, the problem with

cheap media: Anyone with some breadboard, a few wires, and a list of instructions from

a magazine could rip off your product, real cheap. Publishers hated the thing, partly

due to Nintendo’s draconic licensing policies, partly due to the piracy, and partly due to

rather lengthy load times that broke up the flow of the game. Not to mention the FDS had

an additional sound channel, making translation from a Disk-System-developed game back to

a cartridge a right pain. Many just gave the extra channel a miss, though if you can find

footage of the original versions of Legend of Zelda, Kid Icarus, or Doki Doki Panic,

you’ll hear the weird honking noises I’m talking about. In total, almost 200 Disk System

games were published between 1986 and 1992, comprising almost a fifth of the total Famicom

catalog. Not bad for a such a “hated” peripheral. (And that “hated” is in quotation

marks, because I think it’s downright spiffy.)