Famicom 3D System
 | |
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Type | Video game accessory |
| Generation | Third generation |
| Connectivity | Famicom expansion port 2 3.5 mm jacks (glasses) |
The Famicom 3D System[1] is a Japan-exclusive accessory for the Family Computer released[2] in 1987.
Overview
The 3D System consists of a pair of active shutter glasses and an adapter to connect them to the Famicom's third player expansion port. The glasses are connected to the adapter via dual 3.5 mm jacks. This allowed compatible games to display a stereoscopic image similar to that of the Sega Master System's SegaScope 3-D Glasses. Games would play in conventional 2D until a "3D mode" was activated by use of the select button.[3]
Twin Famicom 3D System
Sharp Corporation released their own branded version of the 3D System called the Twin Famicom 3D System.[4] Though marketed towards users of Sharp's Twin Famicom, it was equivalent to the 3D System with only cosmetic differences.
Reception and legacy
The 3D System was not commercially successful and, as a result, was never released outside Japan.[2] Criticisms included the clunkiness of the glasses and the limited selection of compatible titles. Eight years later, in 1995, Nintendo again ventured into stereoscopic gaming with the commercially unsuccessful Virtual Boy. In the following years, Nintendo experimented in stereoscopic 3D with both the GameCube and Game Boy Advance SP systems, but these features were not released commercially due to cost and technical limitations.[5] Finally, in 2011, Nintendo released the 3DS handheld capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D images without the need for special glasses. The 3DS has enjoyed a largely positive reception and sales numbers dwarfing those of its predecessors.
List of compatible games
- Attack Animal Gakuen by Pony Canyon
- Cosmic Epsilon by Asmik
- Falsion[6] by Konami
- Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally[5] by Nintendo
- Fūun Shōrin Ken: Ankoku no Maō (風雲少林拳 暗黒の魔王)[7] for the Famicom Disk System by Jaleco
- Highway Star (Rad Racer outside Japan)[8] by Square
- JJ: Tobidase Daisakusen Part II by Square
See also
References
- ^ Packaging material refers to it as the Family Computer 3D System (ファミリー コンピュータ スリーディー システム). The product itself only has "FAMICOM 3D SYSTEM".
- ^ a b Plunkett, Luke. Nintendo's First 3D Technology Shot A Spaceship At Mario's Face. Kotaku. 30 April 2010.
- ^ Famicom 3D System at Famicom World
- ^ ファミコンの周辺機器が大集合 (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ^ a b Iwata, Satoru. And That's How the Nintendo 3DS Was Made - Satoru Iwata Talks About Past Projects. Iwata Asks. 2011.
- ^ Sachdev, Ishaan. The Remarkable History Of The 3DS. Siliconera. 19 June 2010.
- ^ ディスクの墓場 (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ^ Porter, Rick. ed. Square Enix’s Rad Racer could be the 3DS’s next 3D Classic. GamesTM. 2 June 2011.