“This is a NES compatible machine that has been erased from history”
Once upon a time, I basically acquired every single book on the subject of video games that went to print. Which wasn’t all that very often, so it was easy to keep up. Well, not so much these days, though the primary reason why I don’t feel compelled to maintain a complete library is due to the fact that most cover the same ground, generally speaking.
Obviously the best ones distinguishable via the amount and quality of research that’s put forth, as well as their points of interest… there’s a lot to say about the Famicom, for example. But what about Famiclones? There’s no such tome, but there might be one day! And courtesy of… a chiptuner? Yet not just any chiptuner, but one of the founders of the modern Japanese movement, Haruhisa Tanaka, aka Hally!
For anyone who hasn’t been paying attention to his Twitter account as of late, Hally’s been posting various photos, and asking various questions, regarding the wild world of bootleg consoles, specifically the ones that hail from Taiwan between 1977 and 1990. Which will be covered in Volume 1…
Some of what Hally has been sharing may be familiar… or perhaps only feels that way… whereas some is new to a seasoned vet such as myself. The most important thing is his attempt to connect the dots and fill in the blanks, which there are a lot of. This involves Hally asking out loud, on Twitter, if anyone out there is familiar with such and such, like the Creator 75/IQ-801…
Guiding his way, to a certain degree, is some kind of “Taiwan Exclusive Database” (according to Google Translate). Which is where this mystery machine is listed. Hally initially notes: “it is strange for NES compatible machines. Rather, as of 1987, the streamlined design so far is too futuristic. Even somewhere like a mega drive.”
Later, Hally would come to realize that the assumed Sega connection has merit: “the company that registered this is called Seika Electric, a company that has been manufacturing Sega subcontractors since the Mark III era… Moreover, there are cases where this company actually registered client designs.”
Alas, some are a total mystery, like Famicone from clone from 1988; other than knowing that it’s from some outfit known as Dar Yar Electronics, it would appear nothing else is known, at least not yet…
In certain cases, maybe most, the info is out there. The problem is, “the model number, time series, and the relationship between the sales company and the development company are quite confusing.” Like with these Famiclones that simply go by Konami; this first one also goes by Seniton System-1 and was created by Fujian Seniton Electronics Technology in Taiwan, but initially for mainland China…
Whereas this second one goes by the Seniton Super Mode-3, the HiTex HT-767. the Game World JA-003, or Game Soldier 007, depending on where in the world it appeared. Including China, Korea, Russia, and Taiwan…
FYI/BTW: even though it was designed in Taiwan, it wasn’t until someone chimed in and confirmed that it was indeed also released there, hence why Hally is using Twitter as a primary source.
Here we see some joysticks that was developed between 1989 and 1990…
And after asking if anyone knew anything, one person pointed out the top right’s resemblance to the official TG16 Turbo Stick…
Whereas the one below it is the 929 Fighter, “a Sega Mega Drive and Super Nintendo-compatible arcade stick with turbo features, created by a currently unknown manufacturer. It is a reasonably common peripheral in South America.“
Hally’s also using digging into official patents; apparently Nintendo filed these supposed re-designs of the Game Boy, circa 1992…
“Interestingly, in Taiwan, two types of designs that are slightly different from these are registered at about the same time.”
BTW, my favorite one (thus far) would have to be this one that’s apparently by just one person, Chen Fengyì, and apparently was never produced, yet Hally will surely find out for sure…
Like many others, including now you maybe, I’ll be keeping close tabs on Hally’s Twitter to see what other questions are posed and answered. Was gonna say that I’d take this time, as The Picture Book of Intellectual Properties In The History Of Taiwanse Video Games is being put together, to check out his first one, on the subject of chiptunes, but it’s apparently only in Japanese. Oh well.
I’ll still get the new book anyway, especially if the author’s pic is this one by Marjorie Becker...
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