View source for Family Computer Disk System

{{system infobox
|image=[[File:Famicomdisksystemconsole.jpg|250px]]<br>The [[Family Computer]] with the Disk System RAM Adapter and disk drive attached to the console
|generation=Third
|release={{flag list|Japan|February 21, 1986<ref>{{cite|author=|date=|url=https://famicomworld.com/system/fds/|title=Famicom Disk System (FDS)|publisher=Famicom World|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20240625193659/https://famicomworld.com/system/fds/|accessdate=July 2, 2024}}</ref>|British HK|1991<ref>{{cite|author=Nakamanga|date=September 30, 2019|url=youtu.be/MXuVDUUmYyo|title=Famicom and Disk System Hong Kong Version - Commercial|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=June 1, 2024}}</ref>{{better source}}}}
|discontinued=1993 (remained supported until September 25, 2003)<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0408/what|archive=web.archive.org/web/20190629044100/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0408/what|title=ディスクシステムとは？|publisher=nintendo.co.jp|accessdate=June 1, 2024|language=ja}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Famicom Disk System Logo.png|left|200px||class=invert-dark]]
The '''{{wp|Famicom Disk System|Family Computer Disk System}}''' (also called the '''Famicom Disk System''') is an accessory for the [[Family Computer]]. It allowed the Family Computer to play certain games on a proprietary floppy disk format called "Disk Cards" rather than ROM cartridges, as Disk Cards were not only cheaper but also allowed for higher data capacity than cartridges at the time. Besides that, the disks were rewritable, so saving was easier.

[[Nintendo]] sought to make Disk Cards a permanent standard for all of its future games at that point, but this plan was abandoned a few years later due to various hardware issues, most prominently the fact that the system's games were easy to pirate. Later in 1986, Nintendo sought to counter this problem by installing special Disk Writer kiosks that would allow consumers to download games onto Disk Cards for ¥500 as opposed to the retail price of ¥2,600; some Disk System games were even exclusive to these kiosks. The service was very popular, remaining in place until the Family Computer line's discontinuation in 2003, 9 years ''after'' the discontinuation of the Disk System itself. Excluding prize disks, FDS games were available through retail, Disk Writer, or both. ''[[Mario Bros. Returns]]'' and the FDS ports for ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'', ''[[Pinball]]'', and ''[[Wrecking Crew]]'' could be purchased only through the Disk Writer. The former was priced at ¥400 because of its promotional nature, making it the cheapest FDS game. ''[[I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater]]'' was retail-only software, but it was sold in handicraft stores. ''[[All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.]]'' was sold through a mail order lottery system and at {{wp|Nippon Broadcasting System}}'s building on a single day. The Disk Writer was also capable of updating software for any game that needed it (thus acting as an early precursor to modern internet-based software patching), the sole exception being ''[[Golf: Japan Course]]'', which required mailing the disk to Nintendo.

==Games==
===Differences from cartridge versions===
For the most part, FDS games are identical to their Famicom or NES cartridge versions, including their title screen copyright years and any absences of saving data. Here are some differences found in ''Super Mario'' games:<ref>{{cite|url=pony.velvet.jp/fcdisk/fmcmdskw17.html|title=カセットとディスクカード両方で発売|publisher=pony.velvet.jp|language=ja|accessdate=May 19, 2024}}</ref>

*''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'': When Mario scores, the points are in orange instead of white.
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'': The [[Minus World]] is completely different. Beating it counts as beating the game, which starts [[Hard Mode]].
*''[[Wrecking Crew]]'': It is possible to save custom levels without the ''[[Family BASIC]]''{{'}}s Data Recorder accessory.

===Blue and gold disks===
Six games received blue disks, five were made by Nintendo and were compatible with Disk Fax, four of which are ''Super Mario'' games. All compatible blue disk games were subject of tournaments with scores submitted through the Disk Fax, a device that could send contestants' data and high scores to Nintendo. The tournament began as soon as the blue disks were released.

{|class="wikitable"
|+Disk Fax Tournaments
|-
!Tournament number!!Game!!Date!!Prizes
|-
|1||''[[Golf: Japan Course]]''||February 21 to May 10, 1987 (original deadline was April 30)||Prizes included two different gold disk versions of the game, each with a harder course. The top 100 players received the Champions' Course and gold plaques. 5,000 others received the Professional Course.
|-
|2||''[[Golf: US Course]]''||June 14 to August 31, 1987||The top 100 players received trophies. 10,000 received a gold Famicom cartridge of ''Punch-Out!!'' and 1,000 got ''Golf: Prize Card'', a harder gold disk version.
|-
|3||''[[Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race]]''||October 30 to December 15, 1987||The top 100 players of each of the four difficulty levels received trophies. 10,000 received a special edition [[Game & Watch]] of ''[[Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|Super Mario Bros.]]''
|-
|5||''[[Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally]]''||April 14 to May 31, 1988||The top 100 players of each of the three car types received trophies. 10,000 received stationery sets.
|}
The three gold disks and ''Wakusei Aton Gaiden'' are the only FDS games that were never available through retail.<ref>{{cite|url=pony.velvet.jp/fcdisk/fdsstdylst_e.html|title=Famicom Disksystem<!--spelling mistake is on webpage--> - All Software and Version List|publisher=pony.velvet.jp|language=en|accessdate=May 19, 2024}}</ref> No gold or blue disk games have a cartridge equivalent and were distributed only in Japan. An NES counterpart to ''Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally'' was planned, but was rejected by Nintendo of America for looking too "cute."<ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo|date=September 19, 2017|url=www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-f-zero|title=F-ZERO Developer Interview|accessdate=September 20, 2017|archive=web.archive.org/web/20170912011823/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-f-zero}}</ref>

===''Super Mario'' games===
This gallery does not include [[Family Computer]] or [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] games.
<gallery>
Fdsfamicomgolf jp.png|''[[Golf]]''
SMB1 FDS Boxart.jpg|''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''
SMB TLL Boxart.png|''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels|Super Mario Bros. 2]]''
Mario sweater.jpg|''[[I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater]]''
All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros cover.jpg|''[[All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.]]''
Famicom-Golf-Japan-Course-cover.png|''[[Golf: Japan Course]]''
Fds famicomgolfuscourse jp.jpg|''[[Golf: US Course]]''
DDP Famicom Box Art.jpg|''[[Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic]]''
F1Race.png|''[[Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race]]''
Donkey Kong FDS TitleScreen.png|''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''
HotRally.png|''[[Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally]]''
DKJ Famicom Title Screen.png|''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]''
Kaettekita Mario Bros Title.png|''[[Mario Bros. Returns]]''
Wrecking Crew FDS TitleScreen.png|''[[Wrecking Crew]]''
PinballTitle.png|''[[Pinball]]''
</gallery>

==Appearances in the ''Super Mario'' franchise==
The Disk System makes a cameo appearance in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', on [[Grodus]]'s computer at [[X-Naut Fortress]]. His computer accepts a [[Data Disk]] that looks like a Disk Card and loads up the Disk System's BIOS when turned on.<ref>{{cite|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjuIzeNyNEQ|title=Paper Mario - The Thousand-Year Door - Famicom Disk System|date=March 26, 2010|author=[[User:Wildgoosespeeder|wildgoosespeeder]]|publisher=YouTube|language=en|accessdate=May 19, 2024}}</ref>
<gallery>
PPTTYD Grodus Office FDS Mario.png|The Disk System's BIOS with [[Mario]] in it in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''
PPTTYD Grodus Office FDS Luigi.png|The Disk System's BIOS with [[Luigi]] in it ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''
X-Naut Fortress (Data Disk) (Switch).png|The room in the [[Nintendo Switch]] remake of ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''
</gallery>

==Diskun==
[[File:FDS Logo.png|thumb|100px|Stock art of Diskun]]
A mascot known as Diskun has featured heavily in marketing for the Family Computer Disk System and its software. He is portrayed as a stylized Disk Card with eyes. Cameos of Diskun can be found across the ''Super Mario'' franchise.
* Several Diskun appear in the default service data screens of ''[[Golf: Japan Course]]'' and ''[[Golf: US Course]]''. Diskun also appears on the score sheet menu in ''U.S. Course''.
* A limited number of ''[[Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|Super Mario Bros.]]'' [[Game & Watch]]es with Diskun-themed packaging were awarded to contestants of a ''[[Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race]]'' tournament held in Japan in late 1987.
* Diskun cameos as a toy in [[Booster Tower]] in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''. This was made more apparent in the game's [[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)|remake]] for the [[Nintendo Switch]] due to the higher quality graphics.
* A [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophy]] and [[Spirit (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)|spirit]] of Diskun can be unlocked in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', respectively.
* An unused sprite of an enemy resembling a black-colored angry Diskun can be found in the [[List of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga pre-release and unused content#E3 demo|E3 demo]] of ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''.
* In the ''[[WarioWare: Touched!]]'' microgame [[Power Chord]], the rock star has a tattoo of Diskun on their right arm.
* A poster with Diskun can be seen behind [[Satoru Iwata|Shop Manager Iwata]] during [[9-Volt]] and [[18-Volt]]'s stage in ''[[WarioWare: Smooth Moves]]''.
* Diskun appears as a [[Mystery Mushroom]] [[Costume Mario#143|costume]] in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'', and can be randomly unlocked by clearing the 100 Mario Challenge on Super Expert difficulty.
* In ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', a shop named "Disk-kun Hardware Co." can be seen in Brooklyn, featuring the mascot in its logo.

===Gallery===
<gallery>
Golf JC Service data.png|Diskun on the service data screen of ''Golf: Japan Course''
SMB G&W Diskun case.jpg|The Diskun-themed ''Super Mario Bros.'' Game & Watch
SMRPGNS Booster Toy Box.png|A Diskun toy in Booster Tower in ''Super Mario RPG''
Trophy289.png|Diskun's trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''
MLSS E3 demo Unused Diskun Enemy.png|The unused Diskun enemy sprite from the ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga'' E3 demo
Power Chord.png|The Diskun tattoo in the Power Chord microgame in ''WarioWare: Touched!''
Videogamestore.png|The Diskun poster in ''WarioWare: Smooth Moves''
SMM-SMB-Diskun.png|Diskun's Costume Mario sprite in ''Super Mario Maker''
TSMBM Disk-kun Hardware Co.jpg|"Disk-kun Hardware Co." sign from ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]''
</gallery>

<!--==Gallery==-->

==Multimedia==
{{media table
|file1=FDS Startup.oga
|title1=Boot jingle
|file2=FDS DiskRead.oga
|title2=Disk Read jingle
|file3=FDS Error.oga
|title3=Error jingle
}}

==Names in other languages==
===Family Computer Disk System / Famicom Disk System ===
{{foreign names
|Jpn=ファミリーコンピュータ ディスクシステム
|JpnR=Famirī Konpyūta Disuku Shisutemu
|JpnM=Family Computer Disk System
|Jpn2=ファミコン ディスクシステム
|Jpn2R=Famikon Disuku Shisutemu
|Jpn2M=Famicom Disk System
}}
===Diskun===
{{foreign names
|Jpn=ディスくん
|JpnR=Disukun
|JpnM=Portmanteau of「ディスク」(''disuku'', "disk") and「くん」(''{{wp|Japanese honorifics#Kun|kun}}'')
|Rus=Дискун
|RusR=Diskun
|RusM=Diskun
|RusN=''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''
}}

==Notes==
{{multiple image
|align=right
|direction=horizontal
|image1=FamicomDiskSystemMain Menu2.png
|width1=200
|caption1=Family Computer Disk System BIOS
|image2=Famicom Disk System Main Menu.png
|width2=200
|caption2=Twin Famicom BIOS
}}
*[[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] appear in the Disk System's BIOS, seen when the Disk System is started. The sprites are based on ones from ''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]'' for the Famicom.
*When sped up 19 times, the [[Nintendo GameCube]] menu ambience is revealed to be a slowed-down version of the startup tune for the Disk System BIOS.<ref>[[Media:GCN Main Menu Sped Up.oga]]</ref>
{{br}}

==References==
{{NIWA|NWiki=1|StrategyWiki=1|ZeldaWiki=Famicom Disk System}}
<references/>

{{NES}}
{{Systems}}
[[Category:Accessories]]
[[it:Family Computer Disk System]]