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Nintendo VS. System

October 20, 2023

The Nintendo VS. System[a] is an arcade system developed and produced by Nintendo from 1984 to 1990. It is based on most of the same hardware as the Family Computer (Famicom), later released as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Most of its games are conversions from the Famicom and NES, some heavily altered for the arcade format, and some debuted on the VS. System before being released on the Famicom or NES. The system focuses on two-player cooperative play. It was released in three different configurations: upright VS. UniSystem cabinets, upright VS. DualSystem cabinets, and sit-down VS. DualSystem cabinets. Games are on pluggable circuit boards, allowing for each side to have a different game.

VS. System
A VS. Dr. Mario arcade machine
DeveloperNintendo
ManufacturerNintendo
TypeArcade video game
Release dateJanuary 1984; 39 years ago (January 1984)
Lifespan1984-1990
Discontinued1990 (1990)
Units sold100,000
MediaROM chips
CPURicoh 2A03
PlatformNES-based
Best-selling gameVS. Super Mario Bros.
SuccessorPlayChoice-10

The VS. System was a commercial success in the United States, with about 100,000 arcade cabinets sold, as the highest-grossing arcade machine of 1985. It was the first version of the Famicom hardware to debut in North America, in 1984. The system's success in the arcades proved the market for the official release of the NES console in North America in 1985.

Hardware Edit

The VS. System was designed primarily as a kit to retrofit Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 3, Popeye, and Mario Bros. cabinets, so they require the same special monitor. These monitors use inverse voltage levels for their video signals as compared to most arcade monitors.

Almost all VS. System cabinets have identical hardware powered by a Ricoh 2A03 central processing unit (CPU), the same in the Nintendo Entertainment System, except for special PPUs or video chips.[1] Each chip contains a different palette that arrange the colors in different configurations chosen apparently at random. Most boards can be switched to a new game simply by swapping the program ROMs and the appropriate PPU or the game will have incorrect colors.[2] Several of the later units employ further copy protection by using special PPUs which swap pairs of I/O registers or return special data from normally unimplemented regions of memory. Attempts to run these games in other VS. System models will result in the game failing to even start.

Some dedicated double cabinets look like two games butted together at an angle, with a single motherboard. The Red Tent, a steel sit-down cabinet for the VS. DualSystem, allows play for up to four players simultaneously. It has the same motherboard as the double cabinet.

Because the VS. System has the same CPU as the NES, its games can be ported to the NES with modifications to the console including extra memory banks and additional DIP switches.[3]

Version differences Edit

Some games differ from their Famicom or NES versions. For example, VS. Super Mario Bros. is considerably more difficult than Super Mario Bros.; some of the levels were reused in Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Family Computer Disk System.[4] Some games' graphics differ; for example, VS. Duck Hunt has more details and animation sequences.

History Edit

In 1980, Data East had introduced the concept of a convertible arcade system board, or arcade conversion system, with the DECO Cassette System, but it was not a major success. The first successful arcade conversion system is Sega's Convert-a-Game system in the early 1980s. Its success led to several other arcade manufacturers introducing their own arcade conversion systems by the mid-1980s, including the Nintendo VS. System in 1984.[5]

The Nintendo VS. System is important in the history of the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Vs. System is the first version of the Famicom hardware to debut in North America during 1984, the success of which proved the market for the official release of the NES console.[6][7] Following the video game crash of 1983, the North American home video game market had collapsed. Nintendo's negotiations with Atari to introduce the Famicom in North America failed due to Atari's collapse, and Nintendo of America's market research garnered warnings from retailers and distributors to stay away from home consoles, with US retailers refusing to stock game consoles. Meanwhile, the arcade game industry also had a slump as the golden age of arcade video games ended, but the arcade industry recovered and stabilized with the help of software conversion kit systems, such as Sega's Convert-a-Game system, the Atari System 1, and the Nintendo-Pak system. Hiroshi Yamauchi realized there was still a market for video games in North America, where players were gradually returning to arcades in significant numbers. Yamauchi still had faith there was a market for the Famicom, so he introduced it to North America through the arcade industry.[6]

Nintendo based the VS. System hardware on the Famicom, and introduced it as the successor to its Nintendo-Pak arcade system, which had been used for games such as Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong 3. Though technologically weaker than Nintendo's Punch-Out arcade hardware, the VS. System was relatively inexpensive, fulfilling Gunpei Yokoi's philosophy of "lateral thinking with withered technology". The Nintendo-Pak and Punch-Out hardware also have a limited game library, whereas the VS. System accessed a wider variety of games, by easily converting Famicom games. Nintendo of America hired Jeff Walker from Bally to help market the VS. System in North America, where it debuted at the 1984 ASI show along with Punch-Out in February.[6]

Reception Edit

Upon release, the VS. System generated excitement in the arcade industry, receiving praise for its easy conversions, affordability, flexibility, and multiplayer capabilities.[6][8] Eddie Adlum of RePlay magazine said Nintendo had suddenly become "the big guy on the block" in 1984 due to the VS. System, which "not only meant interchangeable games but interaction between players on dual-monitor games".[9] However, the graphics received a mixed response. Roger C. Sharpe of Play Meter magazine called it a "highly attractive and open-ended interchangeable game system featuring excellent graphics and realistic on-screen visuals" in 1984.[10] The VS. System received some criticism for its graphics being technologically weaker than more recent rival arcade systems, and than Nintendo's own powerful Punch-Out arcade hardware.[6]

In Japan, VS. Tennis topped Japan's chart for table arcade cabinets in April 1984[11] and May 1984,[12] and VS. Baseball topped the chart in June[13] and July 1984.[14] By 1985, however, the VS. System had declined in Japan, which led to Yamauchi deciding to withdraw Nintendo from the Japanese coin-op industry in late 1985[6][15] and Nintendo focusing more on the Famicom.[16]

In North America, by contrast, the VS. System became a major success.[6] Following the arcade success of sports video games such as Konami's Track & Field (1983), Nintendo capitalized on this trend with several sports games (Punch-Out, Vs. Tennis and Vs. Baseball) that took the US arcade market by storm; Sharpe considered Nintendo "a force to reckon with" based on their strong performance.[10] The VS. System was declared an "overwhelming hit" by Play Meter, attributing its success to "good games and low price".[17] Between 10,000 and 20,000 arcade cabinets were sold in 1984,[18] and individual Vs. games were top earners on arcade charts.[7] VS. Tennis topped the arcade charts for software conversion kits in July 1984 (on the RePlay charts)[19] and August 1984 (on the Play Meter charts),[20] and VS. Baseball topped the charts from September[21] through November 1984.[22][23] Hogan's Alley and Duck Hunt then became even more popular in American arcades, popularizing light gun shooter video games.[9] By 1985, 50,000 cabinets had been sold, establishing Nintendo as an industry leader in the arcades.[24] In November 1985, five VS. games were on the US RePlay top 20 arcade charts, with Hogan's Alley holding the top spot.[25] Duck Hunt was also popular in arcades at the time.[6] The VS. System went on to become the highest-grossing arcade machine of 1985 in the United States,[26][27] and Hogan's Alley and Excitebike became the top two highest-grossing arcade system games that year.[28]

The success of the VS. System gave Nintendo the confidence to repackage the Famicom for North America, as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Nintendo's strong positive reputation in the arcades also generated significant interest in the NES. It also gave Nintendo the opportunity to test new games as VS. Paks in the arcades, to determine which games to release for the NES launch. Nintendo's software strategy was to first release games for the Famicom, then the VS. System, and then for the NES. This allowed Nintendo to build a solid launch line-up for the NES. Many games' North American debut was on the VS. System before being released for the NES, which gave players the impression of being "amazed" at the accuracy of the arcade "ports" for the NES.[6]

Within a few months of its 1986 release, 20,000 VS. Super Mario Bros. arcade units were sold, becoming the best-selling VS. release, with each unit consistently earning more than $200 (equivalent to $530 in 2022) per week. Its arcade success helped introduce Super Mario Bros. to many players who did not yet own a Nintendo Entertainment System.[29] By the time the NES was launched in North America (from late 1985 to 1986), about 100,000 VS. Systems had been sold to American arcades.[30][31] According to Ken Horowitz, the VS. System "was perhaps the most vital catalyst in the rise of the NES to the top of the home video game market".[6]

List of games Edit

Unknown prototypes of VS. System games may exist, either unreleased or released briefly for market testing.[32][33] The VS. System launch game was VS. Tennis, released in January 1984.

Title Developer Release date Ref
JP NA
VS. Tennis Nintendo January 1984[34] March 1984 [35][36][37][38]
VS. Mahjong Nintendo February 1984 Unreleased [35]
VS. Baseball Nintendo March 1984 April 1984[39] [35][37][38][40]
VS. Duck Hunt Nintendo Unreleased April 1984 [37][38][39]
VS. Wrecking Crew Nintendo July 26, 1984 September 1984 [41][42][39]
VS. Pinball Nintendo July 26, 1984 October 1984 [43][44][37][38]
VS. Stroke and Match Golf Nintendo July 26, 1984 October 1984 [44][37][38]
VS. Ladies Golf Nintendo July 26, 1984 December 1984 [44][37][38]
VS. Balloon Fight Nintendo October 3, 1984 September 1984 [43][39]
VS. Ice Climber Nintendo February 1, 1985 October 1984[39] [45][37][38]
VS. Clu Clu Land Nintendo December 5, 1984 Unreleased [46]
VS. Excitebike Nintendo December 5, 1984 February 1985 [45][46][37][38]
VS. Urban Champion Nintendo December 1984 January 1985 [47][48][39]
VS. Hogan's Alley Nintendo Unreleased April 1985 [37][38][39]
VS. Mach Rider Nintendo 1985 November 1985 [49][37]
VS. Soccer Nintendo 1985 November 1985 [50][37][38]
VS. Raid on Bungeling Bay Nintendo 1985 1985 [51][38]
VS. Battle City Namco 1985 Unreleased
VS. Star Luster Namco 1985 Unreleased
VS. Super Mario Bros. Nintendo Unreleased February 1986 [52][53][54]
VS. Ninja JaJaMaru-kun Jaleco April 1986 Unreleased [55][56]
VS. Gumshoe Nintendo Unreleased May 1986 [57][39]
VS. Slalom[A] Nintendo Unreleased October 1986 [58][39]
VS. Gradius[B] Nintendo Unreleased November 1986 [59][39]
VS. The Goonies[B] Nintendo Unreleased November 1986 [60][39]
VS. Super Chinese Namco 1986 Unreleased
VS. Super Xevious: GAMP no Nazo Namco 1986 Unreleased
VS. Tower of Babel Namco 1986 Unreleased
VS. Valkyrie no Bōken: Toki no Kagi Densetsu Namco 1986 Unreleased
VS. Mighty Bomb Jack Tecmo 1986 Unreleased [61]
VS. Atari R.B.I. Baseball Namco December 1986 1987 [62][63][64]
VS. Volleyball Nintendo December 1986 Unreleased [39]
VS. Castlevania[B] Nintendo Unreleased 1987 [65]
VS. Family Tennis Namco 1987 Unreleased [66]
VS. Top Gun Konami Unreleased 1987 [67]
VS. T.K.O. Boxing Data East Unreleased 1987 [68]
VS. Sky Kid Sunsoft Unreleased 1987 [69][70]
VS. The Quest of Ki Namco 1988 Unreleased
VS. Freedom Force Sunsoft Unreleased March 1988 [71][39]
VS. Vulcan Venture Konami Unreleased April 1988 [39]
VS. Platoon Sunsoft Unreleased 1988 [72]
VS. Tetris Atari Games Unreleased 1988
VS. Dr. Mario Nintendo Unreleased 1990 [73]
VS. Motocross Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased [38]
VS. Nintendo 500 Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased [38]
VS. Football Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased [38]
VS. Helifighter Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased [38]
VS. Head to Head Baseball Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased
VS. Great Tennis Jaleco Unreleased Unreleased [74]
VS. Lionex (prototype) Sunsoft Unreleased Unreleased [75]
VS. The Wing of Madoola (prototype) Sunsoft Unreleased Unreleased [75]
VS. Tōkaidō Gojūsan-tsugi (prototype) Sunsoft Unreleased Unreleased
  1. ^ Developed by Rare, copyright owned by Rare.
  2. ^ a b c Developed by and licensed from Konami.

See also Edit

Notes Edit

  1. ^ Japanese: 任天堂VS.システム, Hepburn: Nintendō Buiesu Shisutemu

References Edit

  1. ^ "Nintendo Vs. UniSystem/DualSystem Chipsets". www.pc-10.com. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  2. ^ "Nintendo Vs. Unisystem Nintendo Vs. Dualsystem Arcade Manuals, PPU, PCB info, daughter board info, Nintendo Vs. Instruction Cards, game info". www.johnsarcade.com. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  3. ^ Assenat, Raphael. "Modding a NES to run Unisystem VS arcade games (1/14)". www.raphnet.net.
  4. ^ McLaughlin, Rus (September 13, 2010). "IGN Presents: The History of Super Mario Bros". IGN. p. 3. from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  5. ^ "The Replay Years: Video Systems". RePlay. Vol. 11, no. 2. November 1985. pp. 128, 130.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Horowitz, Ken (July 30, 2020). "The Vs. System (1984)". Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games. McFarland & Company. pp. 119–28. ISBN 978-1-4766-4176-8.
  7. ^ a b Stark, Chelsea (October 19, 2015). "30 years later, Nintendo looks back at when NES came to America". Mashable. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  8. ^ Cognevich, Valerie (15 November 1984). "Nintendo presents new Paks at distributor showing". Play Meter. Vol. 10, no. 21. pp. 24–5.
  9. ^ a b Adlum, Eddie (November 1985). "The Replay Years: Reflections from Eddie Adlum". RePlay. Vol. 11, no. 2. pp. 134-175 (168-71).
  10. ^ a b Sharpe, Roger C. (December 15, 1984). "1984—Every Which Way But Up". Play Meter. Vol. 10, no. 23. pp. 39, 49–51.
  11. ^ "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 233. Amusement Press, Inc. April 1, 1984. p. 27.
  12. ^ "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 235. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 May 1984. p. 29.
  13. ^ "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 237. Amusement Press, Inc. June 1, 1984. p. 29.
  14. ^ "Best Hit Games 25" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 239. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 July 1984. p. 25.
  15. ^ "Coin-Op "Super Mario" Will Shop To Overseas" (PDF). Amusement Press. 1986-03-01. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  16. ^ ""Fami-Com" Exceeds 10M. Its Boom Is Continuing" (PDF). Amusement Press. 1987-05-01. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  17. ^ "1984—Even Orwell Couldn't Predict How Bad It Was". Play Meter. Vol. 10, no. 23. December 15, 1984. pp. 23–8.
  18. ^ Horowitz, Ken (July 30, 2020). Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games. McFarland & Company. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-4766-4176-8. More than 10,000 VS. System units were sold by the end of 1984 alone (some put the figure as high as 20,000)
  19. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. July 1984.
  20. ^ "National Play Meter". Play Meter. August 15, 1984.
  21. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. September 1984.
  22. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. November 1984.
  23. ^ "National Play Meter". Play Meter. Vol. 10, no. 21. November 15, 1984. pp. 28–9.
  24. ^ "The Vs. Challenge". RePlay. Vol. 11, no. 3. December 1985. p. 5.
  25. ^ "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 11, no. 2. November 1985. p. 6.
  26. ^ "AMOA Expo '85: Award Winners". RePlay. Vol. 11, no. 3. December 1985. p. 44.
  27. ^ "Springsteen Sweeps JB Awards" (PDF). Cash Box. November 23, 1985. p. 39.
  28. ^ "1985 Operator Survey: This Poll Says Go Gettum!". RePlay. Vol. 11, no. 2. November 1985. pp. 91-102 (93-4).
  29. ^ Horowitz, Ken (July 30, 2020). Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games. McFarland & Company. p. 156. ISBN 978-1-4766-4176-8.
  30. ^ Horowitz, Ken (July 30, 2020). Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games. McFarland & Company. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-4766-4176-8.
  31. ^ "Rx: Nintendo". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 1. October 1990. pp. 68, 70.
  32. ^ "other unMAMEd Arcade Games up to 1990". unmamed.mameworld.info.
  33. ^ "Urban Champion - NintendoWiki". niwanetwork.org.
  34. ^ "Vs. Tennis (Registration Number PA0000204665)". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  35. ^ a b c "Flyer Fever - Vs. Tennis / Mahjong / Baseball (Japan)".
  36. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Tennis (U.S.)".
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Flyer Fever - The Vs. Challenge (U.S.)".
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Flyer Fever - VS.-Pak Library of Proven Best Sellers (U.S.)".
  39. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 128. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  40. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Baseball (U.S.)".
  41. ^ . Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  42. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Wrecking Crew (Japan, Flyer 2)".
  43. ^ a b . Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  44. ^ a b c . Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  45. ^ a b . Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  46. ^ a b . Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  47. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Urban Champion (Japan)" (PDF). Amusement Press. June 1, 1985.
  48. ^ "VS Urban Champion". Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  49. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Mach Rider (Japan)" (PDF). Amusement Press. August 15, 1985.
  50. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Soccer (Japan)" (PDF). Amusement Press. December 1, 1985.
  51. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Raid on Bungeling Bay (Japan)" (PDF). Amusement Press. May 1, 1985.
  52. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Mario's Adventure (U.S.)".
  53. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Super Mario Bros. (U.S.)".
  54. ^ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 57. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  55. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Ninja JaJaMaru-kun (Japan, Overseas Readers Column)" (PDF). Amusement Press. May 1, 1986.
  56. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Ninja JaJaMaru-kun (Japan)".
  57. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Gumshoe (U.S.)".
  58. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Slalom (U.S.)".
  59. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Gradius (U.S.)".
  60. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. The Goonies (U.S.)".
  61. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Mighty Bomb Jack (Japan)" (PDF). Amusement Press. October 15, 1986.
  62. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Pro Yakyu Family Stadium (Japan)" (PDF). Amusement Press. June 1, 1987.
  63. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Pro Yakyu Family Stadium (Japan, Overseas Readers Column)" (PDF). Amusement Press. June 15, 1987.
  64. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Atari R.B.I. Baseball (U.S.)".
  65. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Castlevania (U.S.)".
  66. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Family Tennis (Japan)" (PDF). Amusement Press. February 1, 1988.
  67. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Top Gun (U.S.)".
  68. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. T.K.O. Boxing (U.S.)".
  69. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Sky Kid (U.S., Flyer 1)".
  70. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Sky Kid (U.S., Flyer 2)".
  71. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Freedom Force (U.S.)" (PDF). Amusement Press. April 15, 1988.
  72. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Platoon (U.S.)".
  73. ^ "Flyer Fever - Vs. Dr. Mario (U.S.)".
  74. ^ "Game Machine - Vs. Great Tennis (Japan)" (PDF). Amusement Press. November 1, 1988.
  75. ^ a b "Flyer Fever - Vs. Lionex / The Wing of Madoola (Japan)".

External links Edit

  • NintendoVS.com fan site
  • Nintendo VS. System at the Killer List of Videogames
  • Nintendo VS. System Games and Accessories: PAR Playchoice-10 Games and Resources

October 20, 2023
nintendo, system, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, august, 2. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Nintendo VS System news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Nintendo VS System a is an arcade system developed and produced by Nintendo from 1984 to 1990 It is based on most of the same hardware as the Family Computer Famicom later released as the Nintendo Entertainment System NES Most of its games are conversions from the Famicom and NES some heavily altered for the arcade format and some debuted on the VS System before being released on the Famicom or NES The system focuses on two player cooperative play It was released in three different configurations upright VS UniSystem cabinets upright VS DualSystem cabinets and sit down VS DualSystem cabinets Games are on pluggable circuit boards allowing for each side to have a different game VS SystemA VS Dr Mario arcade machineDeveloperNintendoManufacturerNintendoTypeArcade video gameRelease dateJanuary 1984 39 years ago January 1984 Lifespan1984 1990Discontinued1990 1990 Units sold100 000MediaROM chipsCPURicoh 2A03PlatformNES basedBest selling gameVS Super Mario Bros SuccessorPlayChoice 10The VS System was a commercial success in the United States with about 100 000 arcade cabinets sold as the highest grossing arcade machine of 1985 It was the first version of the Famicom hardware to debut in North America in 1984 The system s success in the arcades proved the market for the official release of the NES console in North America in 1985 Contents 1 Hardware 2 Version differences 3 History 3 1 Reception 4 List of games 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksHardware EditThe VS System was designed primarily as a kit to retrofit Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Jr Donkey Kong 3 Popeye and Mario Bros cabinets so they require the same special monitor These monitors use inverse voltage levels for their video signals as compared to most arcade monitors Almost all VS System cabinets have identical hardware powered by a Ricoh 2A03 central processing unit CPU the same in the Nintendo Entertainment System except for special PPUs or video chips 1 Each chip contains a different palette that arrange the colors in different configurations chosen apparently at random Most boards can be switched to a new game simply by swapping the program ROMs and the appropriate PPU or the game will have incorrect colors 2 Several of the later units employ further copy protection by using special PPUs which swap pairs of I O registers or return special data from normally unimplemented regions of memory Attempts to run these games in other VS System models will result in the game failing to even start Some dedicated double cabinets look like two games butted together at an angle with a single motherboard The Red Tent a steel sit down cabinet for the VS DualSystem allows play for up to four players simultaneously It has the same motherboard as the double cabinet Because the VS System has the same CPU as the NES its games can be ported to the NES with modifications to the console including extra memory banks and additional DIP switches 3 Version differences EditSome games differ from their Famicom or NES versions For example VS Super Mario Bros is considerably more difficult than Super Mario Bros some of the levels were reused in Super Mario Bros 2 for the Family Computer Disk System 4 Some games graphics differ for example VS Duck Hunt has more details and animation sequences History EditIn 1980 Data East had introduced the concept of a convertible arcade system board or arcade conversion system with the DECO Cassette System but it was not a major success The first successful arcade conversion system is Sega s Convert a Game system in the early 1980s Its success led to several other arcade manufacturers introducing their own arcade conversion systems by the mid 1980s including the Nintendo VS System in 1984 5 The Nintendo VS System is important in the history of the Nintendo Entertainment System The Vs System is the first version of the Famicom hardware to debut in North America during 1984 the success of which proved the market for the official release of the NES console 6 7 Following the video game crash of 1983 the North American home video game market had collapsed Nintendo s negotiations with Atari to introduce the Famicom in North America failed due to Atari s collapse and Nintendo of America s market research garnered warnings from retailers and distributors to stay away from home consoles with US retailers refusing to stock game consoles Meanwhile the arcade game industry also had a slump as the golden age of arcade video games ended but the arcade industry recovered and stabilized with the help of software conversion kit systems such as Sega s Convert a Game system the Atari System 1 and the Nintendo Pak system Hiroshi Yamauchi realized there was still a market for video games in North America where players were gradually returning to arcades in significant numbers Yamauchi still had faith there was a market for the Famicom so he introduced it to North America through the arcade industry 6 Nintendo based the VS System hardware on the Famicom and introduced it as the successor to its Nintendo Pak arcade system which had been used for games such as Mario Bros and Donkey Kong 3 Though technologically weaker than Nintendo s Punch Out arcade hardware the VS System was relatively inexpensive fulfilling Gunpei Yokoi s philosophy of lateral thinking with withered technology The Nintendo Pak and Punch Out hardware also have a limited game library whereas the VS System accessed a wider variety of games by easily converting Famicom games Nintendo of America hired Jeff Walker from Bally to help market the VS System in North America where it debuted at the 1984 ASI show along with Punch Out in February 6 Reception Edit Upon release the VS System generated excitement in the arcade industry receiving praise for its easy conversions affordability flexibility and multiplayer capabilities 6 8 Eddie Adlum of RePlay magazine said Nintendo had suddenly become the big guy on the block in 1984 due to the VS System which not only meant interchangeable games but interaction between players on dual monitor games 9 However the graphics received a mixed response Roger C Sharpe of Play Meter magazine called it a highly attractive and open ended interchangeable game system featuring excellent graphics and realistic on screen visuals in 1984 10 The VS System received some criticism for its graphics being technologically weaker than more recent rival arcade systems and than Nintendo s own powerful Punch Out arcade hardware 6 In Japan VS Tennis topped Japan s chart for table arcade cabinets in April 1984 11 and May 1984 12 and VS Baseball topped the chart in June 13 and July 1984 14 By 1985 however the VS System had declined in Japan which led to Yamauchi deciding to withdraw Nintendo from the Japanese coin op industry in late 1985 6 15 and Nintendo focusing more on the Famicom 16 In North America by contrast the VS System became a major success 6 Following the arcade success of sports video games such as Konami s Track amp Field 1983 Nintendo capitalized on this trend with several sports games Punch Out Vs Tennis and Vs Baseball that took the US arcade market by storm Sharpe considered Nintendo a force to reckon with based on their strong performance 10 The VS System was declared an overwhelming hit by Play Meter attributing its success to good games and low price 17 Between 10 000 and 20 000 arcade cabinets were sold in 1984 18 and individual Vs games were top earners on arcade charts 7 VS Tennis topped the arcade charts for software conversion kits in July 1984 on the RePlay charts 19 and August 1984 on the Play Meter charts 20 and VS Baseball topped the charts from September 21 through November 1984 22 23 Hogan s Alley and Duck Hunt then became even more popular in American arcades popularizing light gun shooter video games 9 By 1985 50 000 cabinets had been sold establishing Nintendo as an industry leader in the arcades 24 In November 1985 five VS games were on the US RePlay top 20 arcade charts with Hogan s Alley holding the top spot 25 Duck Hunt was also popular in arcades at the time 6 The VS System went on to become the highest grossing arcade machine of 1985 in the United States 26 27 and Hogan s Alley and Excitebike became the top two highest grossing arcade system games that year 28 The success of the VS System gave Nintendo the confidence to repackage the Famicom for North America as the Nintendo Entertainment System NES Nintendo s strong positive reputation in the arcades also generated significant interest in the NES It also gave Nintendo the opportunity to test new games as VS Paks in the arcades to determine which games to release for the NES launch Nintendo s software strategy was to first release games for the Famicom then the VS System and then for the NES This allowed Nintendo to build a solid launch line up for the NES Many games North American debut was on the VS System before being released for the NES which gave players the impression of being amazed at the accuracy of the arcade ports for the NES 6 Within a few months of its 1986 release 20 000 VS Super Mario Bros arcade units were sold becoming the best selling VS release with each unit consistently earning more than 200 equivalent to 530 in 2022 per week Its arcade success helped introduce Super Mario Bros to many players who did not yet own a Nintendo Entertainment System 29 By the time the NES was launched in North America from late 1985 to 1986 about 100 000 VS Systems had been sold to American arcades 30 31 According to Ken Horowitz the VS System was perhaps the most vital catalyst in the rise of the NES to the top of the home video game market 6 List of games EditUnknown prototypes of VS System games may exist either unreleased or released briefly for market testing 32 33 The VS System launch game was VS Tennis released in January 1984 Title Developer Release date RefJP NAVS Tennis Nintendo January 1984 34 March 1984 35 36 37 38 VS Mahjong Nintendo February 1984 Unreleased 35 VS Baseball Nintendo March 1984 April 1984 39 35 37 38 40 VS Duck Hunt Nintendo Unreleased April 1984 37 38 39 VS Wrecking Crew Nintendo July 26 1984 September 1984 41 42 39 VS Pinball Nintendo July 26 1984 October 1984 43 44 37 38 VS Stroke and Match Golf Nintendo July 26 1984 October 1984 44 37 38 VS Ladies Golf Nintendo July 26 1984 December 1984 44 37 38 VS Balloon Fight Nintendo October 3 1984 September 1984 43 39 VS Ice Climber Nintendo February 1 1985 October 1984 39 45 37 38 VS Clu Clu Land Nintendo December 5 1984 Unreleased 46 VS Excitebike Nintendo December 5 1984 February 1985 45 46 37 38 VS Urban Champion Nintendo December 1984 January 1985 47 48 39 VS Hogan s Alley Nintendo Unreleased April 1985 37 38 39 VS Mach Rider Nintendo 1985 November 1985 49 37 VS Soccer Nintendo 1985 November 1985 50 37 38 VS Raid on Bungeling Bay Nintendo 1985 1985 51 38 VS Battle City Namco 1985 UnreleasedVS Star Luster Namco 1985 UnreleasedVS Super Mario Bros Nintendo Unreleased February 1986 52 53 54 VS Ninja JaJaMaru kun Jaleco April 1986 Unreleased 55 56 VS Gumshoe Nintendo Unreleased May 1986 57 39 VS Slalom A Nintendo Unreleased October 1986 58 39 VS Gradius B Nintendo Unreleased November 1986 59 39 VS The Goonies B Nintendo Unreleased November 1986 60 39 VS Super Chinese Namco 1986 UnreleasedVS Super Xevious GAMP no Nazo Namco 1986 UnreleasedVS Tower of Babel Namco 1986 UnreleasedVS Valkyrie no Bōken Toki no Kagi Densetsu Namco 1986 UnreleasedVS Mighty Bomb Jack Tecmo 1986 Unreleased 61 VS Atari R B I Baseball Namco December 1986 1987 62 63 64 VS Volleyball Nintendo December 1986 Unreleased 39 VS Castlevania B Nintendo Unreleased 1987 65 VS Family Tennis Namco 1987 Unreleased 66 VS Top Gun Konami Unreleased 1987 67 VS T K O Boxing Data East Unreleased 1987 68 VS Sky Kid Sunsoft Unreleased 1987 69 70 VS The Quest of Ki Namco 1988 UnreleasedVS Freedom Force Sunsoft Unreleased March 1988 71 39 VS Vulcan Venture Konami Unreleased April 1988 39 VS Platoon Sunsoft Unreleased 1988 72 VS Tetris Atari Games Unreleased 1988VS Dr Mario Nintendo Unreleased 1990 73 VS Motocross Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased 38 VS Nintendo 500 Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased 38 VS Football Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased 38 VS Helifighter Nintendo Unreleased Unreleased 38 VS Head to Head Baseball Nintendo Unreleased UnreleasedVS Great Tennis Jaleco Unreleased Unreleased 74 VS Lionex prototype Sunsoft Unreleased Unreleased 75 VS The Wing of Madoola prototype Sunsoft Unreleased Unreleased 75 VS Tōkaidō Gojusan tsugi prototype Sunsoft Unreleased Unreleased Developed by Rare copyright owned by Rare a b c Developed by and licensed from Konami See also EditPlayChoice 10 Nintendo s other NES based arcade series Nintendo Super System the Super NES based arcade system Wild Gunman 1984 which had a fictional VS arcade version featured in the film Back to the Future Part II 1989 Notes Edit Japanese 任天堂VS システム Hepburn Nintendō Buiesu ShisutemuReferences Edit Nintendo Vs UniSystem DualSystem Chipsets www pc 10 com Retrieved July 30 2017 Nintendo Vs Unisystem Nintendo Vs Dualsystem Arcade Manuals PPU PCB info daughter board info Nintendo Vs Instruction Cards game info www johnsarcade com Retrieved July 30 2017 Assenat Raphael Modding a NES to run Unisystem VS arcade games 1 14 www raphnet net McLaughlin Rus September 13 2010 IGN Presents The History of Super Mario Bros IGN p 3 Archived from the original on September 5 2015 Retrieved April 1 2015 The Replay Years Video Systems RePlay Vol 11 no 2 November 1985 pp 128 130 a b c d e f g h i j Horowitz Ken July 30 2020 The Vs System 1984 Beyond Donkey Kong A History of Nintendo Arcade Games McFarland amp Company pp 119 28 ISBN 978 1 4766 4176 8 a b Stark Chelsea October 19 2015 30 years later Nintendo looks back at when NES came to America Mashable Retrieved 13 April 2021 Cognevich Valerie 15 November 1984 Nintendo presents new Paks at distributor showing Play Meter Vol 10 no 21 pp 24 5 a b Adlum Eddie November 1985 The Replay Years Reflections from Eddie Adlum RePlay Vol 11 no 2 pp 134 175 168 71 a b Sharpe Roger C December 15 1984 1984 Every Which Way But Up Play Meter Vol 10 no 23 pp 39 49 51 Best Hit Games 25 PDF Game Machine in Japanese No 233 Amusement Press Inc April 1 1984 p 27 Best Hit Games 25 PDF Game Machine in Japanese No 235 Amusement Press Inc 1 May 1984 p 29 Best Hit Games 25 PDF Game Machine in Japanese No 237 Amusement Press Inc June 1 1984 p 29 Best Hit Games 25 PDF Game Machine in Japanese No 239 Amusement Press Inc 1 July 1984 p 25 Coin Op Super Mario Will Shop To Overseas PDF Amusement Press 1986 03 01 Retrieved 2022 06 20 Fami Com Exceeds 10M Its Boom Is Continuing PDF Amusement Press 1987 05 01 Retrieved 2022 06 20 1984 Even Orwell Couldn t Predict How Bad It Was Play Meter Vol 10 no 23 December 15 1984 pp 23 8 Horowitz Ken July 30 2020 Beyond Donkey Kong A History of Nintendo Arcade Games McFarland amp Company p 125 ISBN 978 1 4766 4176 8 More than 10 000 VS System units were sold by the end of 1984 alone some put the figure as high as 20 000 RePlay The Players Choice RePlay July 1984 National Play Meter Play Meter August 15 1984 RePlay The Players Choice RePlay September 1984 RePlay The Players Choice RePlay November 1984 National Play Meter Play Meter Vol 10 no 21 November 15 1984 pp 28 9 The Vs Challenge RePlay Vol 11 no 3 December 1985 p 5 RePlay The Players Choice RePlay Vol 11 no 2 November 1985 p 6 AMOA Expo 85 Award Winners RePlay Vol 11 no 3 December 1985 p 44 Springsteen Sweeps JB Awards PDF Cash Box November 23 1985 p 39 1985 Operator Survey This Poll Says Go Gettum RePlay Vol 11 no 2 November 1985 pp 91 102 93 4 Horowitz Ken July 30 2020 Beyond Donkey Kong A History of Nintendo Arcade Games McFarland amp Company p 156 ISBN 978 1 4766 4176 8 Horowitz Ken July 30 2020 Beyond Donkey Kong A History of Nintendo Arcade Games McFarland amp Company p 155 ISBN 978 1 4766 4176 8 Rx Nintendo RePlay Vol 16 no 1 October 1990 pp 68 70 other unMAMEd Arcade Games up to 1990 unmamed mameworld info Urban Champion NintendoWiki niwanetwork org Vs Tennis Registration Number PA0000204665 United States Copyright Office Retrieved 30 May 2021 a b c Flyer Fever Vs Tennis Mahjong Baseball Japan Flyer Fever Vs Tennis U S a b c d e f g h i j k Flyer Fever The Vs Challenge U S a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Flyer Fever VS Pak Library of Proven Best Sellers U S a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Akagi Masumi October 13 2006 アーケードTVゲームリスト国内 海外編 1971 2005 Arcade TV Game List Domestic Overseas Edition 1971 2005 in Japanese Japan Amusement News Agency p 128 ISBN 978 4990251215 Flyer Fever Vs Baseball U S Flyer Fever Vs Wrecking Crew Japan Flyer 1 Archived from the original on July 20 2018 Retrieved September 2 2017 Flyer Fever Vs Wrecking Crew Japan Flyer 2 a b Flyer Fever Vs Balloon Fight Pinball Japan Archived from the original on July 20 2018 Retrieved September 2 2017 a b c Flyer Fever Golf Pinball Japan Archived from the original on July 20 2018 Retrieved September 2 2017 a b Flyer Fever Ice Climber Excite Bike Japan Archived from the original on July 20 2018 Retrieved September 2 2017 a b Flyer Fever Excite Bike Clu Clu Land Japan Archived from the original on July 19 2018 Retrieved September 2 2017 Game Machine Vs Urban Champion Japan PDF Amusement Press June 1 1985 VS Urban Champion Media Arts Database Agency for Cultural Affairs Retrieved 19 June 2021 Game Machine Vs Mach Rider Japan PDF Amusement Press August 15 1985 Game Machine Vs Soccer Japan PDF Amusement Press December 1 1985 Game Machine Vs Raid on Bungeling Bay Japan PDF Amusement Press May 1 1985 Flyer Fever Vs Mario s Adventure U S Flyer Fever Vs Super Mario Bros U S Akagi Masumi October 13 2006 アーケードTVゲームリスト国内 海外編 1971 2005 Arcade TV Game List Domestic Overseas Edition 1971 2005 in Japanese Japan Amusement News Agency p 57 ISBN 978 4990251215 Game Machine Vs Ninja JaJaMaru kun Japan Overseas Readers Column PDF Amusement Press May 1 1986 Flyer Fever Vs Ninja JaJaMaru kun Japan Flyer Fever Vs Gumshoe U S Flyer Fever Vs Slalom U S Flyer Fever Vs Gradius U S Flyer Fever Vs The Goonies U S Game Machine Vs Mighty Bomb Jack Japan PDF Amusement Press October 15 1986 Game Machine Vs Pro Yakyu Family Stadium Japan PDF Amusement Press June 1 1987 Game Machine Vs Pro Yakyu Family Stadium Japan Overseas Readers Column PDF Amusement Press June 15 1987 Flyer Fever Vs Atari R B I Baseball U S Flyer Fever Vs Castlevania U S Game Machine Vs Family Tennis Japan PDF Amusement Press February 1 1988 Flyer Fever Vs Top Gun U S Flyer Fever Vs T K O Boxing U S Flyer Fever Vs Sky Kid U S Flyer 1 Flyer Fever Vs Sky Kid U S Flyer 2 Game Machine Vs Freedom Force U S PDF Amusement Press April 15 1988 Flyer Fever Vs Platoon U S Flyer Fever Vs Dr Mario U S Game Machine Vs Great Tennis Japan PDF Amusement Press November 1 1988 a b Flyer Fever Vs Lionex The Wing of Madoola Japan External links EditNintendoVS com fan site Nintendo VS System at the Killer List of Videogames Nintendo VS System Games and Accessories PAR Playchoice 10 Games and Resources Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nintendo VS System amp oldid 1176466658, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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