Popeye Teaches English to Japanese Kids, + Table Games Really Bring in the Adults

Famicom Friday Issue #001

Famicom Friday is an occasional series that explores the treacherous back catalog of the Nintendo Famicom. The following is a free preview of a paid subscriber post. Paid subscribers get access to exclusive Nintendo is Great posts and a complimentary paid subscription to our sister Substack, the Sonoran Videogame Society. Thanks for reading!

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Famicom Friday!

I know I said I wasn’t going to be playing any Japan-only Famicom games alongside the US-released NES games, but I changed my mind. Not sure how often I’ll feel like covering really obscure Famicom games, but for now, I’m quite into it!

Whenever I do release a Famicom Friday, however, much like the main quest, I’ll be proceeding through the Famicom library in chronological order, starting with Gomoku Narabe Renju (just rolls off the tongue).

Why am I starting with Gomoku… and not the original Famicom launch game trio of Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Popeye, you ask?

Well, if a game released in the US at all (even if it was released in Japan first), then it will be covered in the main Nintendo is Great posts, according to its US release date.

If a game only came out in Japan, it will be featured in Famicom Friday, according to its Japanese release date.

I hope that makes all the sense to you. If not, leave me a comment, direct message, you know the drill.

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Gomoku Narabe Renju

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PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER: Nintendo

RELEASE DATE: Aug. 27, 1983 (JP)

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Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, and Popeye were the only Famicom games on the market for a solid month between July and August of 1983. Sure, two of those games are top-notch arcade ports, and I’m sure the lack of other titles boosted their sales, but… nothing else, Nintendo? Surely the parents who just spent ¥14,800 on a brand new Famicom would appreciate more adult fare?

Contemplate and you shall receive. The next two Famicom titles released were Gomoku Narabe Renju and Mahjong, two games geared towards an older demographic. Gomoku Narabe – known as Five in a Row – is a simple title where you connect five black or white dots together in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row. The phrase “renju,” according to Romhacking.net, “refers to the professional rules that make the game more difficult for the black player (who always goes first) thus making the chance of victory more even for both players.” Alrighty then.

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I believe in you, black dots!

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Basically, you connect your own tiles, you block your opponent’s connection, they block yours, the dance continues until one of you wins. Imagine Othello without the added layer of strategy (no flipping over your opponent’s tiles, just connecting), and that’s about it. Depending on your fondness for connecting things, Gomoku Narabe Renju is fun for ten minutes or ten hours. The game isn’t a terribly deep experience, but it is better than Popeye.

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