Family Basic

Developer	Hudson, Sharp, Nintendo
Publisher	Nintendo
Platforms	Famicom, (Can be played on NES)
Date	1984/6/21
Links	Wikipedia MobyGames [<none> The Cutting Room Floor]

Family Basic is a cartridge that came out in 1984 for the Famicom. It came with a keyboard and added a form of HuBASIC programming to the Famicom.

Quotes

1984年のきょう『ファミリーベーシック』(Family Basic)発売!! ファミコンでプログラムを組める!! キャラクター制御が独特で容易｡ただし容量はたったの2Kバイト弱｡ これが無ければ私がゲーム業界に入ることもなく､つまりカービィもスマブラも生まれませんでした｡私の大先生です。 スマブラSP

• 

ファミリーベーシックと言っても、今となってはどんなものだかまったくイメージで きない方も多いでしょうね… ここ↓で、少し紹介しています。 [video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4CScehGk_s&t=2115s]

Masahiro Sakurai Twitter 20 June 2021

Books

1984/10/20
ファミリーベーシックで遊ぼう! (Let's Play With Family Basic)

1984/12/1
Hudson Cassette Collection Vol. 1

1984/12/30
ケイブンシャの大百科210 ファミリーコンピュータ任天堂 (Keibunsha Encyclopedia 210: Family Computer Nintendo)

1985/1/20
ファミリーコンピュータ大図鑑 PART2 (Family Computer Encyclopedia Part 2)

1985/3/20
ファミリーコンピュータゲーム攻略㊙︎テクニック (Family Computer Game Strategy Secret Techniques)

1985/4/11
ぼくとわたしのファミリーベーシック教室 (My Family Basic Classroom)

1985/4/15
ファミリーコンピュータANDファミリーベーシックPERFECT BOOK (Family Computer and Family Basic Perfect Book)

1985/4/22
(Let's Sing With Family Basic)

1985/4/30
ファミリーコンピュータ大図鑑 PART3 (Family Computer Encyclopedia Part 3)

1985/4/30 ノポリス 徳間書店 (Technopolis Tokuma Shoten)
任天堂のファミリーベーシック入門 (Introduction to Nintendo's Family Basic)

1985/5/5
ケイブンシャの大百科218 ファミリーコンピュータ2 任天堂 (Keibunsha Encyclopedia 218: Family Computer 2 Nintendo)

1985/5/21 小学館 (Shogakukan)
ファミリーコンピュータわくわく必勝法 (Shogakukan Encyclopedia 107: Family Computer Waku Waku Winning Method)

1985/5/27 誠文堂新光社 (Seibundo Shinkosha)
ファミリーベーシックホップ : ファミコン大作戦 (Family Basic Hop: Famicom Daisakusen)

1985/5/27 誠文堂新光社 (Seibundo Shinkosha)
ファミコンソフト集001 : ファミコン大作戦 (Famicom Software Collection 001: Famicom Strategy)

1985/5/31 ノポリス 徳間書店 (Technopolis Tokuma Shoten)
Game Pochette Cassette Vol. 1

1985/6/? 誠文堂新光社 (Seibundo Shinkosha)
ファミコンソフト集002 : ファミコン大作戦 (Famicom Software Collection 002: Famicom Strategy)

1985/6/1
Hudson Cassette Collection Vol. 2

1985/6/5
ケイブンシャの大百科222 ファミリーコンピュータ2 任天堂 (Keibunsha Encyclopedia 222: Family Basic Nintendo)

1985/6/8
GAME GAME 20 ファミリーベーシックで遊ぼう! (Game Game 20)

1985/6/24 誠文堂新光社 (Seibundo Shinkosha)
ファミリーベーシックステップ : ファミコン大作戦 (Family Basic Step: Famicom Daisakusen)

1985/7/? 誠文堂新光社 (Seibundo Shinkosha)
ファミコンソフト集003 : ファミコン大作戦 (Famicom Software Collection 003: Famicom Strategy)

1985/7/1
ファミリーコンピュータ大図鑑 PART4 (Family Computer Encyclopedia Part 4)

1985/7/24 誠文堂新光社 (Seibundo Shinkosha)
ファミリーベーシックジャンプ : ファミコン大作戦 (Family Basic Jump: Famicom Daisakusen)

1985/8/30
ファミリーコンピュータ大図鑑 PART5 (Family Computer Encyclopedia Part 5)

1985/9/?
一生懸命　ファミリーコンピュータ　ゲーム＋ベーシック入門 (Hard Work: Family Computer Games+Basic Guide)

1985/10/30
ファミリーコンピュータ大図鑑 PART6 (Family Computer Encyclopedia Part 6)

1985/11/30
ファミリーコンピュータ大図鑑 PART7 (Family Computer Encyclopedia Part 7)

1985/12/15
Hudson Cassette Collection Vol. 3

1985/12/20 小学館 (Shogakukan)
きみにも作れる!!ファミリーコンピューターゲーム (Shogakukan Encyclopedia 191: You Can Make It Too!! Family Computer Games)

1986/?/?
ファミリーベーシックおもしろゲーム大作戦 (Family Basic Funny Game Daisakusen)

1986/1/1
ファミリーコンピュータ大図鑑 PART8 (Family Computer Encyclopedia Part 8)

1986/1/15 新星出版社 (Shinsei Publishing Co. Ltd.)
任天堂　ファミリーコンピューター　ファミリーベーシック　ぼくらのファミコン入門 (Nintendo Family Computer Family Basic Introduction to Our Famicom)

1986/1/15
ファミリー コンピュータ オリジナルゲーム集 25 (Family Computer Original Game Collection 25)

1986/8/15 新星出版社 (Shinsei Publishing Co. Ltd.)
絵でわかるファミコンベーシック (Learn With Pictures Family Basic)

Cassettes

1984/6/? Famicom Data Recorder
Comes with it.
Contains Game/Background 3 from the Family Basic Manual on one side, blank on the other side.

1984/10/? ファミリーベーシックで遊ぼう! (Let's Play With Family Basic)
Ordered separately - Book has contact info for ordering the cassette.
Contains almost all the code and backgrounds in the book including code snippets (skips over code adjustments).

1984/12/1 Hudson Cassette Collection Vol. 1
Comes with the book in a slipcase.
Contains all the games/backgrounds in the book and nothing else.

1985/4/? Let's Sing With Family Basic
Comes with the book in an outside box, a pamphlet insert and a cardboard insert for the cassette (book looks like it could be purchased separately too).
Contains all the code from the book (unconfirmed)

1985/5/31 Game Pochette Cassette Vol. 1
Comes with the book in a slipcase.
Contains all the games/backgrounds in the book and nothing else.

1985/6/1 Hudson Cassette Collection Vol. 2
Comes with the book in a slipcase.
Contains all the games/backgrounds in the book and nothing else.

1985/6/? Game Game 20
Comes with the book in an outside book called Interesting 20 with cardboard insert for cassette (book was way more commonly sold separately too).
Possibly contains all the programs/backgrounds listed in the book (unconfirmed).

1985/12/15 Hudson Cassette Collection Vol. 3
Comes with the book in a slipcase.
Contains the game in the book and audio on the other side.

1986/?/? ファミリーベーシックおもしろゲーム大作戦 (Family Basic Funny Game Daisakusen)
Comes with the book in an outside book with foam insert for cassette (book may have been sold separately too).
Possibly contains all the games/backgrounds listed in the book (unconfirmed).

Magazines

Program Pochette Magazine Vol.5 - No.12

BEEP Magazine 1985/02 and 1985/11 confirmed. Most likely 1985/01 - ~1986/01

Famimaga (aka Family Computer Magazine) Issues 7 - 18 confirmed, most likely Issues 1 - 18. Issue 19 and after do not have Family Basic games.

Micom Basic 1984/9 - 1996/4 confirmed

Famitsu No.2 and No. 4 confirmed. Issues 1 - 12 do not have Family Basic games.

Links

Resources:

• https://muuseo.com/takapoo/collection_rooms/17 - Family Computer Encyclopedia Listings
• http://vgsearch.info/list/book/book_fc84-86.htm - Lists early Famicom guide books, and the main resource for finding/dating them. Site owner also released a book with more info.
• http://vgsearch.info/fcmuseum1000-img.htm - Discussing the book in the previous link
• https://yosshin4004.github.io/index.html - Yosshin's website - he programmed some Family Basic games printed in Micom Basic and has articles about Family Basic from that time period (written 1998/9 and updated 2021)
• http://s-sasaji.ddo.jp/bm/pr_fc.htm - List of all Family Basic games/authors from every Micom Basic magazine
• http://beraboman.fc2web.com/guzu.htm - Images of some rare Family Basic books/cassettes
• http://www43.tok2.com/home/cmpslv/Famic/Fambas.htm - detailed dig into Family Basic v2.1a

Blogs/Articles:

• https://kompdog.hatenablog.com/entry/2017/09/30/223954 - 2017/9/30 Article talking about some of the Family Basic books
• http://metopal.com/2019/09/02/family-basic-in-2019/ - 2019/9/2 Recent article on Family Basic in Metopal
• http://rdev.php.xdomain.jp/makimura/archive/family-basic - Amazing hacks of Family Basic to expand RAM and more. Do NOT use for creating ROMs, the owner seems to be against that.
• https://www.wired.com/2007/03/vgl-koji-kondo-/ - Koji Kondo worked on the music programs in the manual

Famicom World:

• https://www.famicomworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=11959.0 - Family Basic Super Thread
• https://www.famicomworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=10276.0 - Translated Family Basic manual

Videos/Games:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyVZ-VVSTaQ - MR.UMELLER game
• http://retrogame-db.com/ファミコン/ファミリーベーシック/ - Bunch of games, some from Micom or other magazines
• https://www.nicovideo.jp/user/1286408/mylist/15978594 - NicoNico User ザラキ who uploaded videos of ALL Family Basic games from ALL issues of Micom Basic 1984-1996
• https://www.nicovideo.jp/user/811833/video - NicoNico user アイロン☆ who uploaded videos of some BEEP magazine games
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4CScehGk_s&t=2115s - Sakurai talks about Family Basic

Possibly Useless:

• http://regekatsu.seesaa.net/category/17526742-1.html - Includes some tests, may have a Family Basic program or discuss using Family Basic
• https://dumbo001.hatenablog.com/category/ファミコン?page=1211037509 - Mentions something called Famibe Cassette and Yosshin
• http://kuroneko64san.blog21.fc2.com/blog-entry-73.html - Hudson Cassette Volumes info
• https://forums.nesdev.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10156 - How to use SStones to convert Family Basic games into roms
• https://ozidual.github.io/FamilyBasicTracking/Main.html - ozidual's original list tracking collecting the Family Basic books/magazines