July 15, 2023 is a special day in Nintendo history - it marks the 40th anniversary of the Famicom! The system undoubtedly changed the trajectory of the gaming industry not only in Japan, but also around the world. To celebrate, Nintendo has launched a special Famicom 40th anniversary website with tons of information about Famicom releases, accessories alongside numerous activities for gamers in Japan. Of course, with the website being completely in Japanese, you may be wondering what it’s all about. Lucky for you, we break down everything that NCL is doing for the anniversary below.
Kokumin Tōhyō | National Poll
Nintendo has put together a series of polls all related to the Famicom. These will take place over the next few weeks in an effort to decide the most popular Famicom software according to gamers’ answers.
The first poll takes place from Saturday, July 15 until Wednesday, July 19 (11:59 a.m.). The first theme is - What is the first Famicom game you bought (or somebody bought for you)? Those that have a Japanese My Nintendo account can participate by entering in a title in the search box provided. As far as we can tell, all titles released in Japan are included in the database. The nationwide results will be shared on Thursday, July 20. This is billed as the first poll for the campaign with others to come over the following weeks. You can see a list of the poll questions and dates below.
- Poll No. 1 - What is the first Famicom game you bought? | July 15 - 19 | Results July 20
- Poll No. 2 - When you hear "high score," what game comes to mind? | July 20 - 26 | Results July ??
Famicom Talk Shop - Kobayashi Gangu-ten (Toy Shop)
A video series hosted by Japanese comedian Kendo Kobayashi has kicked off with its first episode. The show will be released (roughly) every month with Kobayashi chatting with various people about their memories of the Famicom. You can find the first episode below.
Famicom Zenkoku Issei Quiz | Famicom Nationwide Quiz
All of you would be Famicom experts have a chance to prove yourselves with a series of quizzes. The first quiz is set to take place on Sunday, July 30 from 8:00 p.m. to 8:59 p.m. The quiz will consist of 25 questions and allow up to 30 seconds to answer. Japanese My Nintendo account holders can participate at any time within this period. Other quizzes are scheduled to take place over the next year roughly once per month. While not specifically stated and unlike the Breath of the Wild Quiz from earlier this year, the quiz will likely be in Japanese only.
Famicom Buyūden | Your Famicom Saga
Nintendo wants to know about your Famicom memories on Twitter with "Your Famicom Saga." Using the hashtag #ファミコン武勇伝, gamers are free to share their triumphs, failures, fun times and more. A select few will be showcased on the previously mentioned Famicom Talk Shop. Not only that, but they will also receive a commemorative prize. The prizes are divided up into three tiers - a special Kobayashi Toy Shop towel (showcased tweets), special stamps (“hit” showcased tweets), a Famicom Controller plaque (“big hit” showcased tweets).
Famicom Nenpyō | Famicom History
A special Famicom History page detailing numerous games is also a part of the Famicom 40th anniversary campaign. Tons of information is available including box art, shots of game carts/disks and more. As of right now, games and hardware released between 1983 to 1985 are up on the site with 1986 to 1994 coming later. Familiar games and accessories are there as well as some of the more obscure things, like Famicom Basic and the cassette tape based Data Recorder. You can check out that section via the links below:
Famicom to Wa | What is the Famicom?
A special portal site explaining nearly everything that you need to know about the Famicom is also open. Here, gamers can learn more about the Famicom console itself and Disk System. An excerpt from the Disk System page highlights one of the somewhat lesser known facts about the Disk Writer which you can see below. You can check out the page here.
Sources: Famicom 40th Anniversary Site, NCL
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