Japanese game historians share 100 Super Famicoms with quarantined families
-
What good is a stack of 100 Super Famicoms if you can't share them with families stuck at home?
-
Each family will also get a copy of Super Donkey Kong and Final Fantasy VI.
-
Volunteers hard at work sorting and disinfecting the classic consoles.
-
More cleaning work.
-
JARGA's warehouse of games and consoles is a classic gaming fan's dream.
-
Another view of the JARGA collection.
-
Just throw that Atari 7800 box anywhere...
With families all over the world stuck inside under stay-at-home orders, we're all looking for new ways to keep busy and stay entertained without going out. The Japan Retro Game Association (JARGA) is doing its part to help with Japan's quarantine orders, setting aside 100 Super Famicom systems (Super NES in the West) as "emergency supplies" to ship to families "so that people in their 30s and 40s will be hooked on the game when many children are waiting at home due to the new coronavirus."
In the blog post announcing the program (Google Translate—via Cheesemeister), JARGA says the cleaned and sterilized systems might have some cosmetic wear and tear, but they're guaranteed to work for at least a week after shipment. Each shipment comes with a console along with the necessary cables, one controller, and two games: Super Donkey Kong (aka Donkey Kong Country) and Final Fantasy VI (originally released as Final Fantasy III in the West). "Both are easy to play and I think they are masterpieces that even beginners can enjoy," the organization writes.
JARGA asks that Japanese families requesting a share of this classic game bounty have a child under the age of 16 in the house and the ability to pay a small shipping fee. Recipients will also need a TV with RCA yellow/red/white input jacks, and JARGA suggests via Twitter that such TVs can be found for cheap at Japanese secondhand stores.
"Various masterpiece game software can be purchased at online shopping and retro game stores," JARGA adds in the blog post. "We hope you will have a fun time [using these games] as a communication tool for parents and children."
Since 2011, JARGA has been working "to leave [the] history of Japanese home consoles and game software for posterity as a cultural heritage.” JARGA member Kiyofumi Fukui's collection of over 15,000 games was recently surpassed by the 20,000+ game collection of Texas' Antonio Monteiro, recognized by Guinness World Records.
Japanese families have until the end of the day Sunday, April 26 to request their systems.
Gloss