The word Famiclone is an acronym or portmanteau of the words Famicom and Clone, and this word was originally coined to describe the multitude of unauthorized copycat reproductions made on the Asian gray market. The Famicom is also known as the original Japanese release of what we know as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Today, the words NES Clone or Famiclone refer to a larger collection of system clones, encompassing the SNES and Sega Genesis clones. This is because most of these systems offer the ability to play multiple consoles on a single machine and almost always include the ability to play NES or Famicom cartridges.
The days of 8-bit or 16-bit consoles may be behind us, but people’s passion for retro gaming is stronger than ever. Consoles like the NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis have been out of the market for a long time, but in recent years there has been a rise in the popularity of these gaming systems. As people who grew up in the early 90s get older, they remember the games of their childhood and desperately want to relive those fun times. The problem is that these consoles now sell for a small fortune on sites like eBay, the systems and their game cartridges can fetch a hefty premium if they’re in good working order.
The scarcity and prohibitive cost of original systems has created an opportunity for outside manufacturers to create “clones” or reproductions of these classic video game systems. Console clones got off to a iffy start at first, because they were originally produced and sold when the original systems were still on the market. They were produced as cheap imitations of the real thing and were sold in the underground world of small electronics stores. Today, things couldn’t be more different. Several hardware patents for the NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis have long since expired, allowing companies to legally make clones. It’s gotten to the point where some clones like the Retro-Bit Retrogen, which is a portable system capable of playing Sega Genesis cartridges, is officially licensed by Sega itself!
As you can imagine, there is a wide variety of NES clones available, all with their own set of distinctive features. One thing they all have in common is that they provide more reliability and durability than aged originals. For example, the original front-loading NES had a serious design flaw in its 72-pin cartridge connector that made games unplayable after some use. Clones use upgraded modern components and can start your games the first time, every time. No more blowing into cartridges over and over again. The variety of clones is generally divided into categories that describe the number of systems they support.
Single system clones (NES/Famicom Generation)
- NEX generation by Messiah Entertainment
- retro entertainment system by Retro Bit
- FC Console by Yobo Gameware
Dual system clones (NES/Famicom and SNES generation)
- retro duo by Retro Bit
- C2 by Tomee
- twin HR by Yobo Gameware
Triple system clones (NES/Famicom generation, SNES and Sega Genesis)
- RetroN 3 by Hyperkin
- FC3 plus by Yobo Gameware
Handheld clones
- FC Mobile II by Hyperkin (NES)
- FC-16GB by Yobo Gameware (SNES)
- retrogenic by Retro-Bit (Sega Genesis)
In addition to the original systems that each clone supports, there are other important features to consider. For example, some clones will allow you to use the original classic controllers on your new clone, this keeps the experience as authentic as possible. What’s better than being able to connect your Nintendo Zapper to the clone and duck hunt in Duck Hunt? As you can see, the NES clones and Famiclones have a lot of value in providing the gamer looking to relive their memories of classic games, the best part is that it won’t break the bank.
