Famicom World

Family Computer => Famicom / Disk System => Topic started by: senseiman on February 02, 2011, 08:38:19 pm

Title: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 02, 2011, 08:38:19 pm
I have something that I am considering purchasing and wanted a bit of feedback from you all.

I saw something at my local shop that really intrigued me, but I can't find any information about it anywhere.  I'm hoping someone here can help.

Basically it is an old light-gun game made by Nintendo.  It definitely pre-dates the Famicom, looks like it is from the early-mid 70s.  It is called "Electro Safari" (in katakana).  Basically it is a framed picture with a safari scene in it.  There is a Tiger in the scene with a light receptor (?) of some sort.  The front of the box has a painting of a kid aiming a light gun at the tiger and a "light beam" going from the gun to the Tiger.

The thing is pretty big (about the size of a 20 inch TV screen) and the box is in really nice condition (also comes with the manual, etc).  It is 2000 yen (about 20 bucks US).

Anybody know any info on this?  I've done google searches in English and Japanese but can't find anything about it.  Think its a good deal?  Should I buy it?  Argh, I'm so confused.  If it was smaller I would just get it, but if it turns out to be junk then it is going to take up a lot of shelf space. 
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: nintendodork on February 02, 2011, 08:51:01 pm
Is it something like this?

(http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/10/nintendo_custom_lion.jpg)

or something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaUmcG3iors (but obviously not the same "scene")

Either way, I know both of those things are really sought after (and rare) outside of Japan.  I have no idea how common they are or how much they're worth in Japan though.

Edit* Didn't see the part of your post that said how big it was the first time. I would assume it's like the second thing I posted.  If it works, then yes, it's definitely a rare collector's item, or will also fetch a nice sum of money if you decide to sell it on eBay or something.  It's worth much more than $20. :D
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 02, 2011, 09:02:31 pm
Thanks, yes, like that!  Except its a picture instead of a statue.  Definitely from the same era though as the writing on the box is the same font, etc.

I found one in this video from the Nintendo Museum.  Go to 5:02 and you'll see what I am talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ4gjxgg5M8&feature=related
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: nintendodork on February 02, 2011, 09:07:36 pm
Ah! Very cool! I never knew they existed in picture form. I've also never seen one of those on eBay, so I'd definitely snag that while you've got the chance.  If you ever do happen to come across one of the statue ones and want to flip it for some cash, I've been looking for one for a long time.  Feel free to shoot over a PM. :)
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 02, 2011, 10:59:57 pm
LOL, you talked me into it!

BEHOLD!  The wonder that is KousenjuuSP Electro Safari:

http://famicomblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/mega-insane-bargain-of-day-kousenjuusp.html
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: jpx72 on February 02, 2011, 11:07:45 pm
Oh MAN! That's the craziest Nintendo thing I've ever seen (and yes, I saw the nintendo vacuum cleaner)!
It's awesome!!! If I were you, I'll let it hang in my living room under some extra lights pointed at it!
Don't worry about the missing gun, I think it would be much easier to track down than the actual painting/shooting picture/whatever that thing is!
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 02, 2011, 11:24:39 pm
Quote from: jpx72 on February 02, 2011, 11:07:45 pm
Oh MAN! That's the craziest Nintendo thing I've ever seen (and yes, I saw the nintendo vacuum cleaner)!
It's awesome!!! If I were you, I'll let it hang in my living room under some extra lights pointed at it!
Don't worry about the missing gun, I think it would be much easier to track down than the actual painting/shooting picture/whatever that thing is!


Yeah, its pretty cool, isn't it?  I'm so in love with it....la dee da dee da!   :D

I might just put it in the living room.  If I'm feeling cheeky.  The missus might not like it too much:) 

I'm going to try tracking down a light gun for it.  According to the inserts it came with it will work with either a "SP rifle" or "Gun" (which refers to a handgun-type thing). 

Fun fun fun!
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: nintendodork on February 03, 2011, 04:54:45 am
Quote from: senseiman on February 02, 2011, 10:59:57 pm
LOL, you talked me into it!

Didn't take much convincing. ;D  Glad you got it though!  A Google search shows what the standalone light guns looked like when they were in their box:
(http://individual.utoronto.ca/roninkengo/pictures/nintendoocelot.jpg)
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: UglyJoe on February 03, 2011, 05:18:44 am
Have you tried holding a flashlight up to the sensor?  Maybe that would trigger it?
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 03, 2011, 04:49:12 pm
Quote from: nintendodork on February 03, 2011, 04:54:45 am
Didn't take much convincing. ;D 


Yeah, you didn't have to twist my arm too hard!  ;)  A little push was all I needed.

Thanks for the pic of the light gun, that will be my next "holy grail" of retro game treasure hunting.  I suspect I'll probably have to shell out much more than 2000 yen for one if I ever find one!

Ugly Joe - good suggestion.  According to the Japanese Wikipedia entry games in this series did actually involve the gun shooting light at the target (unlike the Famicom zapper which works the other way around).

Once I get some batteries for it, I'll give it the flashlight treatment!
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: UglyJoe on February 03, 2011, 06:55:49 pm
Just looked it up in Pix'n Love's The History of Nintendo.  They say it's supposed to be a cheetah: "When the cheetah is hit, it moves inside the frame."  It retailed at 5900 yen, apparently.  In addition to the pistol that nintendodork posted, there was also a rifle.  A second series of toys (the "custom" series) also introduced a pistol and a rifle with longer ranges.
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 03, 2011, 11:36:41 pm
Thanks for the info!  Glad to know that it is, in fact, a cheetah!  By the looks of it, I think it must spin around when you hit it.  I really want to set this thing up now:)

The thing had a 5900 yen price tag on it, so that checks out too.
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: Xious on February 04, 2011, 01:26:21 am
For the record, I'm pretty sure that Nintendo was producing these in the 1960s, alongside most of their toy line, and into the 1970s. I wish there was a better guidebook for pre-FC stuff myself as I have some of the toys (e.g. block sets) and other random items. I'd love to have one of the fancier light gun sets like that, but you almost never see them, anywhere.
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: UglyJoe on February 04, 2011, 05:25:23 am
The book I mentioned above says they started making them in1970.  The "Custom" series rolled out in '71 and lasted until '76 (although I would assume there was some overlap).
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 05, 2011, 01:46:38 am
Yeah, the Japanese Wikipedia entry also says they started in 1970. 

I also wish there was a more comprehensive source for info on the pre-Famicom/Game and Watch stuff.  Even in Japanese info is hard to come by.
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: play-airz on February 06, 2011, 04:51:29 pm
In the 90's a uk magazine had a History of Nintendo feature, I recently scanned it. It's shows a couple of the old Nintendo toys.   http://play-airz.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-of-nintendo-part1-nms.html
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 07, 2011, 04:07:20 pm
Hey thanks for posting that, interesting!  The shooting game on there is very similar to mine.
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: UglyJoe on February 07, 2011, 06:04:44 pm
The book I got my info from is available here: http://pixnlovepublishing.com/nextreleases/page1.html (http://pixnlovepublishing.com/nextreleases/page1.html).  It has pics and info on all or most of the pre-Famicom Nintendo merch.
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: manuel on February 07, 2011, 06:28:27 pm
Wow, that looks like an amazing book!
Ordered it!  ;D
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: UglyJoe on February 07, 2011, 08:07:39 pm
Yeah, it's a really good book.  Definitely gonna order their next two books once they get translated.
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 08, 2011, 12:12:17 am
That does look like a cool book.

Now I know what to ask for my birthday!
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: lkermel on February 08, 2011, 06:16:37 pm
Yo !

I have some pictures of these toys on an article I wrote a long time ago about the Nintendo Museum in Osaka :

http://www.videogameden.com/article.htm?osaka

Here're a couple of games similar to the one with the cheetah (top/right corner):
http://www.videogameden.com/articles/osaka/osaka_04.jpg

The Nintendo book from Pix'n Love is incredible, Florent Gorges did an AMAZING work ! And he's got more volumes on the way !!
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: senseiman on February 09, 2011, 04:05:41 pm
Nice article about the Nintendo Museum there, I hadn't noticed that on your site before! 
Title: Re: Old School (Pre-Famicom) Nintendo Stuff: Help Needed!
Post by: donkeyking64 on February 19, 2011, 04:10:46 pm
I recently stumbled upon this forum and think you may be interested to know that I have just started a blog on Nintendo's toys and games from the pre-famicom days.

http://blog.beforemario.com/

The first post covers the various light-guns and targets: http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/02/light-gun-games-kousenjuu-sp-and.html

Would love to hear what you think about it, and what other topics or items you would like to see covered.