I know I talk about the ethics of piracy and copyright a lot, to the point where it might get quite boring (and if that is the case, I'm really sorry!), but a scenario happened today when I was at uni that I feel is pretty relevant.
Myself and a couple of others were playing some casual
Ultimate whilst we were in the student lounge and waiting for our period to start. Items on, 3 players, free for all chaos. Hardly what you'd see at EVO. Anyways, we were playing on Wrecking Crew when one of the people there (let's call them "Chris", he's nice
) asked, "Who's that pink guy?"
Turns out he'd summoned Sukapon from an Assist Trophy, and he was doing his thing. Y'know, tossing his head around, spinning, you get the idea. So I respond by saying that it's Sukapon from
Joy Mech Fight, pretty cool NES fighting game that Nintendo made themselves - all the characters in it are a bit like Rayman.
He then asked me that million dollar question - "Sounds cool! Might check it out some time - where can I play it?"
Let's consider the options that "Chris" has here. Bear in mind that I'm writing from the UK - the NES wasn't as popular here as it was in the States, with SEGA being a prominent force, as well as a lot of the PC market.
- The original Famicom release. If you want to "do things properly", by all means, go ahead. It's the console the game was designed for, after all. Except, an NES isn't going to do - it was a Japan-exclusive game, after all, so aside from having to inport the cartridge you'll also need to either import a Famicom (as well as, probably, a Japanese television from the era) or a 60-to-72 pin adaptor. Bear in mind that the cart on it's own can be found used on eBay for around £15 if you're looking in the right place, though coming from Japan, shipping can be expensive. Note that this option won't financially support Nintendo for their work, by the way.
- Acquire a Japanese Wii that already has the game installed. Nintendo thankfully did a great job with the Virtual Console service on the Wii, though Joy Mech Fight's exclusivity to Japanese markets unfortunately remained in place. Of course, the Wii Shop has been closed for years at this point, so you'll need to find a console with the game already installed. Again, this option won't financially support Nintendo in any way.
- Acquire a Japanese 3DS or Wii U, and get on the eShop - fast. The 3DS and Wii U eShops also both released the game in Japanese markets, but remember - the 3DS and Wii U are both region-locked, and the eShop on both platforms closes on Monday. Unless you can be damn-well certain that you've got all of the preliminary knowledge and technology to run them such as cables or adaptors, as well as a solid shipping service, you might stand a chance. You have five days. Good luck! Oh, and this only supports Nintendo for the next five days. After that - nope!
- Create a new Nintendo account (this time a Japanese one) and then purchase a subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online service. Luckily for Ethan, this is the easiest option. Sure, you're going to have to spend a minimum of an extra £3.49 for a month of access to the game (on top of the money you've already been spending on NSO for your actual account) but it's at least not in the Expansion Pack. It's a lot of effort, but it's your easiest option so far. Oh, and remember to keep the online service topped up if you ever want to go back to the game, by the way. However, this does allow you to financially compensate Nintendo for their work, which is a plus.
Also, all four listed options are in Japanese. Call us uncultured, but none of us who were present speak it.
Now, before I continue, a little note on conversational etiquette. If someone asks you how to go about performing an action or otherwise "doing" something, you're typically expected to give them the least complicated correct answer. Admittedly, being autistic, this doesn't come naturally to me, but it's something I've come to understand. For instance, if someone asks how to work a microwave, you wouldn't read off the entire manual at them, you'd gesture toward what buttons to press and bam - you're done.
With this in mind, I implore you take a wild shot in the dark as to why I responded to "Ethan"'s query with an unlisted fifth option, which would allow him to play the game on pretty much any of his devices, in English, with relatively minimal setup, and with a wide variety of options for controls, visuals, and other aspects of gameplay - that's also recieving active and consistent updates and support, possesses the functionality to play the entire NES library including the releases by third parties like Capcom or Konami, and (though this isn't really a part of my criticism) is free. Yes,
Joy Mech Fight is a pretty specific example, I'm aware, but it's the one I'm using.
I have to wonder, are Nintendo worried that their own library will cannibalise their current output?
