FC Mobile II: A Revolutionary Way to Play NES Games

Upon opening the FC Mobile II, we were struck by its size. Considering it houses a full NES and the necessary sensors for the two included wireless controllers and wireless light gun, we expected something larger. But the FC Mobile II fits snugly into your pocket and is designed for travel play. Keep in mind, however, that an NES cartridge in the system increases its size.

Buttons are placed in the perfect location so your hands won’t cover the speakers and the power switch is along the top so you don’t accidentally turn it off while playing. However, the buttons are quite stiff when you first start using the machine. In addition to that, the unit itself and the wireless controllers have dedicated turbo buttons which make games like Contra and Commando much more fun.

The cartridge bay was also built in a way that prevents the games from being shaken so even if you’re playing on a bus or airplane, gameplay is never interrupted. The 72-pin connector is made with high-quality metals to prevent erosion and the bay is designed to allow a straight and direct connection with the cartridge similar to the design of the Model 2 NES, the SNES, or the N64. Games will always work as long as they are cleaned properly. (To properly clean an NES game, open the cartridge using a security bit and remove dust or carbon build-up from the connectors.)

The LCD screen is backlit to allow easy play in any light conditions. As for the sound, the speakers are loud enough so you won’t have to use headphones, but you have the option to do so, of course. When compared to modern day handhelds, the screen seems a bit small but considering that NES games are not as graphically complex as newer titles, a larger screen isn’t necessary.

The main attraction of the FC Mobile II is undoubtedly the fact that it can be connected to any TV set and used just like a regular NES console, making it the ideal machine for people on the road or at home. The bundled AV cable hooks into any composite input and the range on the wireless controllers and light gun is good enough for you to play from anywhere in the room as long as you have the sensors lined up. Unfortunately, the wireless technology used in the FC Mobile II is slightly outdated. Rather than utilizing Bluetooth or even actual wireless, the system employs infra-red technology similar to a TV remote.

You can also use the actual system as a controller even when connected to a TV, so for business trips or hotel stays you need only bring the AV cable to enjoy great games. It also comes with a small AC adapter that will override any batteries in the compartment and thus save power during at home play.

Another improvement over most handhelds is the fact that the battery compartment is secured with a small screw, making it impossible to lose the battery cover. The same applies to the battery compartments on the wireless controllers and light gun. And you won’t have to change the batteries that often either because the FC Mobile II can operate for over 6 hours on one set of batteries. It’s available in matte black or white and both models are textured to prevent fingerprints, keeping a bit of the classic NES aesthetic but still maintaining a modern look.

Then there’s the obvious price aspect. While the FC Mobile II Portable NES System is only 49.95, to buy an original NES system, another controller, and a Zapper Light Gun you’d have to spend almost $30 more.

The packaging says that the FC Mobile II is “a revolutionary way to play NES games” and that is 100% true. If you’re looking to replace your old NES console or just want a way to enjoy classic titles on the road, the FC Mobile II is the game system for you. It has a few design flaws but the ability to play Bionic Commando or any other one of the great NES games wherever you are makes up for it.

The FC Mobile II is available at eStarland in two colors:

FC Mobile White – $49.95
FC Mobile Black – $49.95

“Get a silk bag from the graveyard duck to live longer” – Castlevania 2 NES

As much as I love classic games, I sometimes wonder, if anyone ever proofread the translation in any of the games. There was so little text in many of the games; I cannot fathom how the publishers would not have at least dedicated some time to edit the translated text.

There are two prime examples of this that I can remember from playing the NES during my childhood. Metal Gear and Castlevania 2: Simons Quest. Even at 5 years old I knew the dialog made little sense.

Metal Gear was relatively the better of the two in the grammatical sense. I can only remember four errors in the dialog

The Guards saying: “I feel asleep”
Snake stating: “Uh – oh! The truck have started to move!”
And two of Big Boss’s radio messages:
“First, attempt to contact missing our “Grey Fox,” then try to find the Metal Gear.”
“Now, locate the Grey Fox’s hidden cells, check the way! Over.”

Castlevania 2’s dialog made little or no sense. The game was very open ended and one of the few was to actually progress in the game without a strategy guide was to talk to Transylvanian villages whose English was obviously not their first language.

One clue a villager gave really stuck in my head:
“Get a silk bag from the graveyard duck to live longer”

I’ve always read this has if I needed to get a Silk Bag from a graveyard duck in order to live longer. But alas, there is no duck in Simons Quest, but there is a graveyard with a silk bag in it. That only leaves one explanation, the clue should read:

“Get a silk bag from the graveyard.” AND “Duck to live longer”

The second half of the clue should be interpreted as “Crouch to progress further.” This makes a reference to a part where you much crouch with a crystal to reveal a secret staircase to one of the many mansions in the game.

Then there’s always the “You now prossess Dracula’s rib.” Simons Quest doesn’t just have the wrong tense. It flat out just has the wrong words.

Speaking of errors:

I love the power glove… It’s so bad

Power Gloves are so hard to come by around here at eStarland. The second we get it in stock, it sells out. I’ve always wondered what people do with them. Do they keep it as a collectible item? Do they actually PLAY with something this bulky, uncomfortable and impossible to program? Or do they just want to be as awesome as this guy:

I’ve never understood why they sold out so quickly. Can you really experience ULTRA video game action-adventure with the power glove as it states in the box? Do “ultrasonic sensors” send wavy light ways to my TV to make game images move as my hand moves as it shows on the box?

I guess it doesn’t. But these questions where answered when I saw Shaun Phase from Temp Sound Solutions play live with a Power Glove on:

Then it hit me, the NES and its culture isn’t just in our memories. It’s all around us. There’s a huge community that embraces the old NES days and celebrate it. And I ask you, what do you think of the Power Glove? What do you use it for?

Ninja Gaiden and the Death of a NES Controller

It’s mid 1990. There we are, three of us in our L.A. Gear shirts and parachute pants. My cousins had just brought over the NES and we were enjoying the frustrating bliss known as Ninja Gaiden. After a few hours of wearisome playing avoiding enemy ninjas and their annoying bats and hawks – that blindly hover near the top of the screen yet that cause the most damage – we made it to the Guardia de Mieux, the Jaquio himself.“Jump off the walls, and hit him with your sword as you drop down” we yell to oldest cousin playing the game

“Man, don’t worry I got this… damn, my nose is starting to itch”

“WHAT!?” we yell as he does the one action that crushes our dreams of that night, the dream of finding out what happens at the end of Ninja Gaiden – he takes his hands off the controller and scratches his nose. Our Ninja, Ryu, after traversing through impossible tasks and even saving his father from the Masked Devil spell, dies thanks to a simple nose scratch.

So flash forward to the present day. I’m doing my shift for the eStarland Star-tacular Sale and I see it. Some one is buying Ninja Gaiden and the memory comes back, the dreaded nose scratch incident. I pickup the game and this time I’m taking on Jaquio my self, nothing will stop me now!

As soon as I get home I find my NES and Ninja Gaiden. I start to play, but what is this!? Ryu cannot stop moving left, as if he remembers the original incident and is attempting to avoid the start of his journey.

Looks like he wins this time. After years of no use my NES controller seems to be dead. Sticky buttons galore. Looks like I won’t be able to take on Jaquio this time.

So a few days late we at eStarland get this thing in called the “Controller Repair Kit,” it’s suppose to solve issues with the sticky or dead buttons on a controller. I pick one up and give it a shot.

I grab a small Philips head screwdriver and hastily remove the screws from the back of the NES controller. I grab the repair kit, and replace the now worn out rubber button pads on the controller, and put the controller back together. The old rectangle has come back from the dead. Now I know I’m playing with power. Who needs ergonomic controllers anyway?

I start Ninja Gaiden again and only get up to the extremely long fourth level. I get frustrated and give up. At this point getting to Jaquio seems to be an impossible mountain to climb and I give up.

So to all your classic gamers out there, don’t let a worn out controller crush your dreams of reliving the golden age of gaming. Don’t settle with 3rd party controllers and fix that original Nintendo controller, that old friend doesn’t deserve thrown away. It deserves to be fixed and be brought back to life.

The controller repair kit includes all the necessary parts to repair two(2) first party controllers and is available at eStarland.com for the following platforms:

Nintendo NES – $6.95

Nintendo SNES – $6.95

Sega Genesis – $5.95