So I got to reading this article, about the development of the original Famicom. I find there's frustratingly scant detail about the development history of the console - most sources I find tend to write with the NES more in mind. Anyway, the article has a paragraph on the naming of the console, and says the original name was Gamecom, and that "Several prospective titles had come up prior to the console’s manufacture, but “Family Computer†survived because of how well it expressed the nature of the product." Do we know what other names were considered? Also, it mentions a critical bug in the PPU detected in the early units which had to be recalled. What did this do that was so fatal? Freeze games? Any and all interesting factoids about the Famicom are also appreciated
The bug in the PPU made games freeze randomly and, after Nintendo found it to be a PPU bug, recalled all units and redesigned the PPU with Ricoh. I can also say the SEGA SG-1000, its competitor, came out THE SAME EXACT DAY as the Famicom oddly enough, July 15, 1983.
Well for starts they have a larger game library, plus the games play better and has far less boring shovelware than the Nes & (a little bit of the) Famicom honestly. Also the hardware could be rivaled to that of the Sega Mark III/Master System more than Nintendo's. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Famicom but i don't believe is really "that" great of a system or it's certain titles. That's my two cents I'll carry on elsewhere... sorry about that
I see. All Nintendo consoles seem to have shovelware on them. The Wii and the DS being most notable for this in recent years.
