Blog: (01/17/22 - 01/21/22)

Monday, January 17th - Follow-up questions

As I do research, I keep a running list of questions I come up with while reading articles. I decided to tackle a few today. 

When did Nintendo first start teasing the Super Famicom?

According to an article in the Famicom Hissyoubon magazine, Hiroshi Yamauchi first teased about a "Super Famicom" in September of 1987, a full 3 years before the system released. Coincidentally, he made this tease a month before NEC's PC Engine came out, which was probably Nintendo's biggest threat during this era. 

How many Famicoms did Nintendo sell in Japan per year? In 1988, they claimed it had peaked.

These numbers come from a report published by the Japan Institute for Promotion of Digital Economy and Society. The source is directly from Nintendo. The numbers on the left represent units sold per year, while the numbers on the right are total sales. 

As you can see, it looks like the peak actually happened back in 1986! It seems like releasing the Super Famicom in 1990 was a good idea. Sales were on the decline. 

What came packaged with the Super Famicom?

I read conflicting articles about what actually came with the Super Famicom in the retail box. Well, I finally was able to confirm: The Super Famicom came with...

- The console
- two controllers

And that's it! Nintendo stated that the RF adapter and AC adapter from the Famicom was compatible with the Super Famicom, so there was no need to bundle them with the console. If players needed these cables, they were sold separately. 

It's interesting, because Nintendo has pulled this stunt somewhat recently with the Nintendo 3DS XL. 

Tuesday, January 18th - Minty!

I've been searching for months on eBay for a decent-looking launch edition of the Super Nintendo. Well, I finally found one! The box is in impeccable shape and comes with all the documentation. It even has the plastic wrap around the controllers and console!

I always look for the best condition items for filming. I want it to look good on camera!

Research is still going well. I'm nearing the finish line and hopefully, I can start outlining / writing by next week. 

Wednesday, January 19th - More mail from Japan!

In the video, I want to touch on the merchandising bonanza that accompanied Super Mario World. Check out these cute plushies of Yoshi and a Koopa Troopa!

Today, I sifted through 29 issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly, looking for mentions of the Super Famicom and Super Mario World. Amazingly, EGM reported on the Super Famicom in their very first issue, in May of 1989. That is very early! It speaks to a bigger story: The barrier between Japan and the United States was disappearing, and video gaming was becoming a globally cultural phenomenon. EGM proceeded to mention the system in just about every issue up until its eventual release in North America. 

Of course, rumors were swirling about the system and Super Mario World. One of the weirdest rumors was that the Super Famicom would launch in the United States as a peripheral for the NES that attached to the expansion port on the bottom. 

Tomorrow, I'll be diving into Nintendo Power and GamePro. 

Thursday, January 20th - Get the Power!

As I stated yesterday, I went through all the Nintendo Power and GamePro magazines today. Nintendo Power was pretty quiet about the Super Famicom and Super Mario World up until early 1991. 

My favorite discovery was a little 'beef' between EGM and Nintendo Power. In one issue of Nintendo Power, a reader asked when they were going to talk about the Super Famicom because they "read about it in another magazine." Nintendo Power basically told the reader that they only print facts in their magazine and not to believe wild rumors.

In another instance, EGM consistently advertised import gaming shops that sold the Super Famicom. Nintendo Power wrote a quick blurb in a 1991 issue that called import gaming "illegal" and encouraged readers not to do it. 

Surprisingly, GamePro didn't have much coverage. Just a standard preview/review of Super Mario World and the Super Nintendo.

Tomorrow, I tackle one more major magazine: Video Games & Computer Entertainment. 

Friday, January 21st - Maintenance Day

Another great maintenance day. I shipped out orders / Patreon rewards, made a new TikTok video, and organized my magazine collection. 

Speaking of TikTok, I've decided to release these 1-minute history videos on multiple platforms! You can find the links below. Just choose your favorite platform. I plan to launch these videos on January 31st, 2022. 

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@gaminghistorianofficial 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gaminghistorian 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/GamingHistorianLive 

I think I'll start outlining/writing this episode next week. Have a great weekend, and see you next time!

- Norm