NES VS Famicom Disk System - 5 Import Games with Better Audio!

In this episode, we compare and contrast the audio quality of the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Famicom Disk System and rank my five favorite Famicom Disk System games from an audio standpoint.

One of my favorite things about the Famicom Disk System is the enhanced audio native to it. Games sound so much richer, so much deeper, it's almost like a completely different system. While there were intentions to add expansion audio to the NES in the USA and Europe, it never happened. As such, those enhanced audio versions were forever locked away. I have played many games through my FDS, and these are my favorite games with enhanced audio.

Testing: For the most part, I have connected my Famicom Disk System to my HDMI Modded NES with a 60-to-72 pin adapter. I did have some games that would not play through my FDS, so for those I used my Sharp Famicom Turbo Twin via composite connectors to my RetroTink5x set to 1080P output.

5 - Kid Icarus
Starting out a game that has more subtle enhanced audio, Kid Icarus tweaks the theme music, the death music, and some of the sound effects by taking advantage of the additional channels that the Famicom offers. Unlike some of the other games we will feature where the difference is night and day, this is definitely more subtle. Perhaps if I enjoyed Kid Icarus more I would rank this game higher as well, but as it is, it's a pretty decent start.

4 - Castlevania 2: Simon's quest
While it may be a terrible night for a curse, it's a wonderful game to hear expansion audio. The main music is so much richer and deeper in Simon's Quest, and once you get out of the town and get to fighting enemies the enhanced audio really shines. From killing enemies, and picking up weapons, to just the background music, Simon's Quest is an example of what the Famicom could do from an audio standpoint, and it's marvelous.

3 - Metroid
Metroid suffers a similar fate as Kid Icarus, where if I was a bigger fan of the game I might rank it higher. The foreboding tones that have been added to the theme music, the overall richness that the Famicom Disk System version gets, it's all so much better than what we got with the NES. One of the more subtle effects that really stands out to me is when you open a door, the Famicom Disk System version just sounds more substantial than what the NES version did. Another benefit of the FDS version is the fact that you no longer have to remember your passwords, your progress is saved right to the disk!

2 - The Legend of Zelda: The Hyrule Fantasy
This was almost my number one, and for many people, it probably would be. Again, from the theme to the weapons, to other sound effects, it's almost as if the original Zelda (raise your hand if you knew the full title as the Hyrule Fantast) is a different game on the Famicom Disk System. While many may point to Zelda 2 as having even more and better enhancements, for me the original legend of Zelda is where it's at. Just listen to the sound effect when link shoots the sword across the screen, it's just so good. Plus, you can use the player 2 controller to defeat Pol's Voice!

1 - Gyruss
I know for many this will be an odd choice, but stay with me here. Gyruss is very similar to me to Tempest 2000, both in gameplay and how much I love the soundtrack. Based on classical music, the NES version sounds amazing, you can't say it doesn't. When you hear how much better the Famicom Disk System version sounds, it's a shock that there could be an improvement on something already so good. The base hits harder, the richness is even greater, and for all these reasons and more it is my number one favorite soundtrack on the Famicom Disk System.

These are not the only games with enhanced audio, simply five of my favorites. Nintendo and Konami both did amazing things with the Famicom Disk System audio, which is why they have so many games that I rank so highly. But where do these games fall in your opinion? Did I miss any out? Make sure you leave your favorite Famicom Disk System enhanced audio games down in the comments.

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