Famicom 4-Player Games

I have this (awesome) Famicom-only release (for those curious it's Downtown Nekketsu Koushinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundoukai -- a game with the Kunio-Kun characters from River City Ransom but in a twisted version of the olympics). The game supports up to four players and I really want to be able to play it in that way.... the problem is I don't have a Famicom and I don't know how exactly Famicom multitaps work (I used to play the game on a Famicom with four players but it was years ago and not my system.)

I can think of three ways I could do this, increasing in price:

1) The cheapest way would be to grab a 60-72 pin adpater (like the T89) and hooking up a Four-Score ... but does any one know if that would actually work?

2) I could also buy a Famicom, but I don't know what the extra controllers are called or where I could find them. I remember extra controllers for players three and four actually being on one controller port (like the Tennis Paddles for the 2600) and plugging into the Famicom's expansion port.... is that right?

3) An even MORE expensive way would be to buy a Twin Famicom because I've read that it actually has contoller ports, but again, I really have no idea if these are the same controllers as the original Famicom, or some other Twim-Fami-only controllers (I've never seen a Twin Famicom in person.)

So my question is -- how can I get my four player Famicom working! Heh, I'm open to actually buying a Famicom if I have too, although hopefully a Four Score/NES Satellite would do the trick.

I searched a while on Google/Wikipedia/etc. but no one really explains what works and what doesn't! So frustrating

Thanks in advance!

 

I m almost certain Twin-fami has regular controllers. It is a famicom+FDS in one, just that.

 

All Famicoms (Original, New, Twin, Titler and even the Sharp TVs) all have a 15 Pin port. In this you plug in a 4 Player adapter.

However Nintendo did not make a four player adapater for the Famicom, however Hori did make one and it supports as many games as you can count on one hand (ie less then 5). It's not the easiest thing to find but when it does show up it can be quite cheap (I saw it last for less then Y1500 (about $15 or £7)).



You will also need 2 external Famicom controllers (Hori, Hudson, Dempa, ASCII and many other companies made external controllers). The adapter as you notice has a switch so you can use it in 2 player mode so you can use 2 external controllers on the machine (as normally you could only plug one into the machine).

 

Cool! Can you use 2 external controllers hooked up this way (2 player mode) on most games?

CF

 

Yes, you can use the external controllers as replacements for the joypads. I have a Dempa Famicom XE-1 and it's a great joystick.

 

If you're technically inclined and willing I can make a diagram for a 4 player adapter for NES that will support this and other similar Famicom games. The only difficulty is that you need to use the expansion port at the bottom of the NES. I have no idea where you can get a connector to fit that, I also can't actually test it since I have neither the game or a NES.

 

I guess that means that the four-score + 72-pin adapter does not work?

But I would love to see the diagram, that would be pretty sweet! What sort of connector is at the bottom of a NES?

Otherwise... I guess a new Famicom purchase is in my future....

 

A fourscore or satellite will not work.

I haven't owned a NES in 10 years but I think it was a special edge connector which you probably can't easily buy.

Again, this isn't tested but I believe if you hook the pads up to the expansion connector as in the diagram, it will work. I've doublechecked it. Expansion connector pins are numbered counterclockwise. Enjoy:

Code:

 
PAD 3

                                 +-
                           2   - |O\
                           37  - |OO\ - 1
                           43  - |OO|
                           12  - |OO|
                                 +--+

PAD 4
                                 +-
                            2  - |O\
                            11 - |OO\ - 1
                            43 - |OO|
                            20 - |OO|
                                 +--+

 

Are You talking about Crash and the Boys Street Challenge? That game was not Famicom only, it was released in the US, as far as I know...

 

if you use an AV famicom i'm sure you can use a 4 score. I just tested sort of. i dont have a 4 player game but hte AV famicom uses nes controllers and can use the 4 score for 2 player games.

 

1) The 4 score/satellite aren't nearly compatible with Famicom multitaps.

2) When you put the 4 score on 2 player, you're not even using it.

3) The AV Famicom still needs the Famicom expansion port for peripherals, it doesn't connect the "expansion" bits to the pad connectors like toploading NES does for the zapper.