Coming To Japan: First New Famicom Cartridge In 21 Years
The Famicom was one of the most important video game consoles of all time. It was Nintendo’s entry into the video game market, which it successfully and singlehandedly saved from oblivion when the Famicom was released in North America, redesigned as the Nintendo Entertainment System. It hasn’t had a new title since 1994, but now that’s about to change.
Notice how I haven’t used the word “game” yet. That’s because this release isn’t a game. It’s a collection of 8-bit music, which is in vogue right now. This album just happens to play on an actual Famicom, and for 30-plus year technology, it looks and sounds great. Onscreen will be a visualizer that will allow you to alter the chiptunes at will: alter the noise bar, the pitch, etc. See a video for yourself:
There are no plans for an NES version of this album, though its publishers, Columbus Circle, say they are aware of the demand for it. “8 Bit Music Power” releases on January 31 in Japan, for the equivalent of $30.
It’s worth nothing that new NES games are actually made quite frequently, though not officially like this one. The 80’s console has an active homebrew community that sells their creations on reproduction carts, which work on real NESes. If you ever feel the urge to play something new for the system, there are already some good titles out there.