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This is extremely cool. I always find these kinds of breakdowns interesting, because they always find something absolutely unique to the device. Does anyone kn

This is extremely cool. I always find these kinds of breakdowns interesting, because they always find something absolutely unique to the device. Does anyone know, for this kind of "unique card device" use case, do companies usually have an in-house team in charge of developing it, or do they hire a third party, or does a third party approach them with the offer of a device like this? If a third party, is it a small shop, or some established company? How is the company known and how does it build that relationship with Nintendo?

userbinator 9y ago
Nintendo has long used Macronix as its storage device supplier: http://wccftech.com/nintendo-nx-macronix-memory-slots/ http://wccftech.com/nintendo-nx-macronix-memory-slots/
- 0xcde4c3db 9y ago
  Fun fact: Macronix used to make chips to defeat the NES lockout system for unlicensed cartridges [1]. I don't know if they made the ROMs or cartridges as well, but it seems plausible. I think their partnership with Nintendo started during the N64 era, with Toshiba and Sharp making most of their ROMs before that. [1] https://www.google.com/patents/US5004232 https://www.google.com/patents/US5004232
  - derefr 9y ago
    Similarly, Argonaut Games, the company that worked with Nintendo to produce StarFox and the SNES SuperFX chip. Their first interaction with Nintendo was when "Argonaut submitted a proof-of-concept method of defeating the Game Boy's copyright protection mechanism." Another fun fact: Argonaut later evolved the very same SuperFX chip into the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARC_(processor) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARC_(processor), which is used in, among [many] other things, Intel's infamous Management Engine. You very likely have an Argonaut core in your computer.
city41 9y ago
Back in the 80s Hudson developed the HuCard format based on their earlier Bee card format. They approached NEC with it and together they created the PC Engine (know as the TurboGrafx 16 in the US). http://www.videogameden.com/article.htm?hu http://www.videogameden.com/article.htm?hu
- qmarchi 9y ago
  I still have mine!

userbinator 9y ago

Nintendo has long used Macronix as its storage device supplier: http://wccftech.com/nintendo-nx-macronix-memory-slots/ http://wccftech.com/nintendo-nx-macronix-memory-slots/

0xcde4c3db 9y ago
Fun fact: Macronix used to make chips to defeat the NES lockout system for unlicensed cartridges [1]. I don't know if they made the ROMs or cartridges as well, but it seems plausible. I think their partnership with Nintendo started during the N64 era, with Toshiba and Sharp making most of their ROMs before that. [1] https://www.google.com/patents/US5004232 https://www.google.com/patents/US5004232
- derefr 9y ago
  Similarly, Argonaut Games, the company that worked with Nintendo to produce StarFox and the SNES SuperFX chip. Their first interaction with Nintendo was when "Argonaut submitted a proof-of-concept method of defeating the Game Boy's copyright protection mechanism." Another fun fact: Argonaut later evolved the very same SuperFX chip into the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARC_(processor) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARC_(processor), which is used in, among [many] other things, Intel's infamous Management Engine. You very likely have an Argonaut core in your computer.

city41 9y ago

Back in the 80s Hudson developed the HuCard format based on their earlier Bee card format. They approached NEC with it and together they created the PC Engine (know as the TurboGrafx 16 in the US). http://www.videogameden.com/article.htm?hu http://www.videogameden.com/article.htm?hu

qmarchi 9y ago
I still have mine!