Topic: Donkey Kong, Castlevania, Mega Man Hitting 3DS eShop in Japan

[the_dan_x]

A trifecta of awesome games are coming to the 3DS Virtual Console next week in Japan.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/32064

Akumajõ Dracula (Castlevania), Rock Man 4: Aratanaru YabĹŤ (Mega Man 4), and Donkey Kong are all set to release on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console next week on October 17 in Japan for 500 yen each. 

Mega Man 4 and Donkey Kong are the original Famicom versions of the games, while Castlevania is based on the original Japanese Famicom Disk System version. This version includes three save file slots, whereas the NES version had none, as well as some slight level design differences. 

There are currently over 100 Virtual Console and 3D Classics titles available on the eShop in Japan.

[UncleBob]

I wonder if we'll get both Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong "Original Edition" here in the US.

Because I'll download both.

[KDR_11k]

Is the original DK NES version really "awesome"? Of course it's no DK'94 but it doesn't even have all the levels.

[Pixelated Pixies]

I've made my feelings pretty clear on other articles/threads about NES games which have been purchased on Wii VC being released on the 3DS. Provided that both versions are comprobable, If you own a digital license to play a game on one Nintendo platform you should be able to play them on another. Sony has started to move towards this, albiet very slowly. I only wish things would move a little quicker.

[Infinitys_End]

AFAIK, the Famicom and NES versions of Castlevania's OST are identical (I can't seem to find any examples of it on YT, d'oh!).  I know the FDS allowed for slightly "better" sound due to an extra sound channel, as is the case with Legend of Zelda, but as far as the first CV game goes, it's the same.


The big difference is with CVIII, which had the VRC6 chip embedded into it, which allowed its OST to be leaps and bounds better than the NES version.

[the_dan_x]

@infinitys_End


I see. One of the biggest difference in Disk games versus NES cart games would be the opening theme in Zelda II. Both are cool, though.


Zelda II - Disk System
Zelda II - Cart

[Mop it up]

I never knew there was a difference between the Famicom Disk System and NES hardware, I thought all the disks did was add more/rewritable memory. That Zelda II comparison is interesting indeed.

[tendoboy1984]

Did the Mega Man games have improved sound on the Famicom Disc System? Cause the NES versions had some of the most complex tracks of any NES game.

[TJ Spyke]

Did the Mega Man games have improved sound on the Famicom Disc System? Cause the NES versions had some of the most complex tracks of any NES game.

There were no Mega Man games on the Famicom Disk System. So, that would be "no".

[tendoboy1984]

Did the Mega Man games have improved sound on the Famicom Disc System? Cause the NES versions had some of the most complex tracks of any NES game.

There were no Mega Man games on the Famicom Disk System. So, that would be "no".

Oh. I'm guessing the improved sound quality of later NES titles was due to developers putting their own custom chips in the cartridges. Right?


Cause if you listen to early NES games like Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Ice Hockey, Donkey Kong Jr., Dig Dug, Rally X, and compare them to games like Mega Man 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Castlevania 2 and 3, Super Mario Bros. 3, the sound quality is vastly different.

[MegaByte]

No. No NES games had custom sound chips because the NES didn't support it like the Famicom did.

[tendoboy1984]

No. No NES games had custom sound chips because the NES didn't support it like the Famicom did.

Then how did later NES games like Mega Man 2 (and it's successors), Castlevania 3, Super Mario Bros. 3, etc. have higher-quality compositions and sound design? Most of the early NES games didn't even have more than one track for music, without any percussion effects or rhythmic syncopation.

[TJ Spyke]

Because over time developers get more familiar with a system and can pull more out of it. It still happens today, think of something like Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, which looks vastly better than any of the early PlayStation 3 games.