Famicom Disk System

Background
The Famicom Disk System was a Japan-exclusive disk drive add-on for the Family Computer (the Japanese version of the NES) which was released in 1986 by Nintendo.

(February 21, 1986-September 2003)


Nickname: "The Disk Boot-Up Screen"

Logo: On a space background, we see a sign-like object with a cord under it with the Nintendo logo without the oval around it inside it moving downwards. Underneath the Nintendo logo, we see the text "PLEASE SET DISK CARD" (when there is no disk in the system) or "PLEASE PRESS ANY BUTTON" (when a disk is in the system) message blinking repeatedly. The object flashes various colors repeatedly. We then see two bars with white stripes on the top and bottom also flashing colors too. It then stops in the middle of the screen, the logo stops flashing and remains a random color (possible colors include, , , , or neon blue). After a few seconds, Mario and Luigi then start doing various things (such as hitting a cord and changing the color, or chasing each other). If no disk is inserted, this keeps on playing until you insert a disk. Once you do insert a disk and hit any button on the controller, it will either say "WAIT A MINUTE..." or "NOW LOADING...". When the disk has fully loaded, the logo will then fade out and a message (usually a message saying that the product is licensed by Nintendo on third-party games) will sometimes scroll upwards (a la a Copyright Warning Scroll on a videotape). After a few seconds, the game you loaded into the console will then start.

Trivia: This logo (along with the disk system itself) makes a cameo appearance in the 2004 Nintendo GameCube game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door after beating Chapter 5. During Princess Peach's segment, TEC-XX (a supercomputer that supervises her while she is captured) asks her to make an invisibility potion (and undress entirely) in order to access Sir Grodus' (one of the main villains in the game) computer. The system accepts data disks (similar to the actual disks used by the system) and when Peach puts the disk into the system, a recreation of the logo is seen on the computer screen. This is done in order for TEC-XX to analyze the data.

Variant: Later versions of the system, as well as the Twin Famicom will have "FAMICOM" in place of the "NINTENDO" text.

FX/SFX: Typical 8-bit animation.

Music/Sounds: A catchy 18-note 8-bit theme is heard during the first six seconds of the logo. After that, it remains silent. A 16-bit version exists.

Music/Sounds Trivia:
 * The Nintendo GameCube main menu has a throwback to this logo. If the sounds played on the console's main menu are sped up by 16x, you can hear a version of this theme.
 * This theme is remastered in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
 * This logo's theme was remixed for the track "Piroli" from Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen when you plug-in and/or turn on the Famicom Disk System. Although the system was only released in Japan, this can still be found on emulations of Famicom Disk System games.

Editor's Note: None.