Nintendo is still keeping its Switch cards close to its bosom, but one secret revealed by last week's reveal presentation is this secret: it looks like a return to cartridges for Nintendo. The potential pros and cons of this move hardly need spelling out, but - who knows - maybe it will allow for some interesting expansion of the Switch further along the line?
Here are ten cartridges which did exactly that back in the day.
Here are ten cartridges which did exactly that back in the day.
SONIC & KNUCKLES (Mega Drive)
There was so much hype leading up to the release of Sonic & Knuckles, that when it finally showed up it was hard not to let out an existential gasp of ennui, and lay face-down on the carpet for eight hours.
Essentially, it contained the missing half of Sonic 3 - split into two due to memory constraints - but featured a unique "lock-on" cartridge, which allowed you to slot Sonic 2 or 3 into the top. Excitingly, this revealed a few new bits to Sonic 3, or allowed you to play as wall-fisting Knuckles in Sonic 2.
Suffice to say, it might've been the first squeal of desperation from a Sega that would soon do its best to drive repeatedly off the same short pier.
Essentially, it contained the missing half of Sonic 3 - split into two due to memory constraints - but featured a unique "lock-on" cartridge, which allowed you to slot Sonic 2 or 3 into the top. Excitingly, this revealed a few new bits to Sonic 3, or allowed you to play as wall-fisting Knuckles in Sonic 2.
Suffice to say, it might've been the first squeal of desperation from a Sega that would soon do its best to drive repeatedly off the same short pier.
SUPER GAME BOY (Super NES)
There was much mocking from Digitiser prior to the release of the Super Game Boy - who would want to play horrible, black and white Game Boy games on their TV? Our opinion was this: "Massive idiots".
As it turned out, we did. Not only were we idiots, but it turned out that the games were more playable using the Super NES pad, and you could actually work out what was going on, without having to sit beneath a very bright light, or employ some sort of audio transcription service.
Nicely, some Game Boy titles were optimised for the Super Game Boy, featuring colour(ish) graphics when played on your telly. Also: beautiful custom borders. We had it good back then.
As it turned out, we did. Not only were we idiots, but it turned out that the games were more playable using the Super NES pad, and you could actually work out what was going on, without having to sit beneath a very bright light, or employ some sort of audio transcription service.
Nicely, some Game Boy titles were optimised for the Super Game Boy, featuring colour(ish) graphics when played on your telly. Also: beautiful custom borders. We had it good back then.
GAME BOY CAMERA (Game Boy)
Unfortunately, the aforementioned Game Boy screen pretty much rendered the Game Boy Camera a complete waste of time. That's not to say there wasn't a certain degree of interest in the novelty of an affordable digital camera back in 1998, mind (it was featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's smallest).
Naturally, Nintendo wasn't content with merely releasing a camera - and there were various ways it could be used to customise your photos, and included a handful of bundled mini games. However, once your photos were printed out on the Game Boy Printer, it was fairly apparent that the device was no replacement for an actual camera. Unless, that is, you think pictures look better when viewed through some sort of monochromatic gauze.
Naturally, Nintendo wasn't content with merely releasing a camera - and there were various ways it could be used to customise your photos, and included a handful of bundled mini games. However, once your photos were printed out on the Game Boy Printer, it was fairly apparent that the device was no replacement for an actual camera. Unless, that is, you think pictures look better when viewed through some sort of monochromatic gauze.
MICRO MACHINES 2: TURBO TOURNAMENT (Mega Drive)
We sunk countless hours into Micro Machines 2, in the Digitiser office. Alright: probably not countless. But at least 16 hours. Maybe more.
Part of the appeal is that it offered multiplayer larks, thanks to Codemasters' patented J-Cart, which featured a couple of extra joypad ports. Pete Sampras Tennis was actually the first J-Cart game - but the system really came into its own with the sequel to the original "little cars" game. The real innovation with Micro Machines 2 is that eight players could compete at once, with two players per joypad. And for "innovation" read "step too far".
Part of the appeal is that it offered multiplayer larks, thanks to Codemasters' patented J-Cart, which featured a couple of extra joypad ports. Pete Sampras Tennis was actually the first J-Cart game - but the system really came into its own with the sequel to the original "little cars" game. The real innovation with Micro Machines 2 is that eight players could compete at once, with two players per joypad. And for "innovation" read "step too far".
KIRBY: TILT N' TUMBLE (Game Boy)
There were a few Game Boy games released which included a motion sensor in the cartridge. Kirby Tilt N' Tumble was notable, however, for being the only one to boast a transparent pink case.
BOKTAI: THE SUN IS IN YOUR HAND (Game Boy Advance)
Pokemon Go wasn't the first Nintendo-associated game to require players to go outside; Konami's Boktai had an integral light sensor, which charged the player's in-game weapon, when exposed to the sun. Or, presumably, a lightbulb.
POKEMON PINBALL (Game Boy Color)
Rumble features are pretty much par for the course these days, but when Pokemon Pinball was released, the idea of a vibrating handheld was shockingly new. The pack was notable for its weight: not only due to the rumble technology, but due to the fact it also required its own AAA battery. The feature was widely criticised as being little more than a gimmick, which swiftly got old.
Of course, it didn't get old; it got refined, and shoved into every games controller from that point onwards.
Of course, it didn't get old; it got refined, and shoved into every games controller from that point onwards.
GUITAR HERO: ON TOUR (Nintendo DS)
Porting a game series famed for its elaborate fake guitar controller onto a handheld isn't an obvious choice, but Guitar Hero: On Tour did a reasonable job of translating the original game. It came with a custom controller, which slotted into the Nintendo DS cartridge port reserved for Game Boy Advance titles. Consequently, the game didn't work with subsequent iterations of the DS, which did away with the Advance backwards compatibility. Also, it took away any real opportunity to "throw shapes" - at least 80% of the fun of Guitar Hero and its ilk.
AIR RAID (ATARI 2600)
It's remarkable that this 1982 Atari VCS shoot 'em up is all but forgotten today, for it came on a unique T-shaped, blue cartridge. It's believed to be one of the most collectable games ever, with a complete copy of the game selling for over £20,000 on eBay, back in 2010. Why is Air Raid so rare? Because it barely sold, due to its awfulness - making that auction sale all the more absurd.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA (NES)
Coloured cartridges were quite a thing back in the day: we remember Donkey Kong 64's yellow casing, and the blood red plastic of Maximum Carnage. Gold cartridges are more rare - and this golden The Legend of Zelda cart rarer still. Except: it isn't. Ironically, the golden Zelda cart is fairly common among collectors, as it was the default colour run for the original release of the game. More rare is the much more dull-looking grey cartridge, which was released subsequently.
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