DCEmu Asks - FM Towns Marty a History & Whats Your Favourite Game

[wraggster]

Continuing our network wide feature for just about every console thats emulated and that we own, in time it can be used as a reference point for people to look at what games are the very best on each system

Firstly heres a look at each system and a description to remind you of the history of the console.

http://www.dcemu.co.uk/fmtownsmarty.JPG


FM Towns Marty

The FM Towns Marty, a.k.a. "FM Towns", a.k.a. "FM Marty Towns. A brief glance at this system, and you might mistake it for a white Turbo Duo, but on closer inspection, you'll notice that the slot on the front isn't for a HuCard, but instead for an actual 3.5" floppy.

The Fujitsu Company decided to make an attempt to penetrate the console games market by taking their popular FM TOWNS line of computers, and adding in some special components to create a stand alone video game console. The plan was for the software designed for the FM TOWNS computers to be modified slightly so that the games would work on both the computer and the console. The FM Towns Marty has the distinction of being the first 32-bit video game console.

This system was compatible with most of the Fujitsu line of computers, so it could use the 3.5" slot to play many of computer games. The 32-bit system's CD reader was used mainly to play games made specifically for this system, although some computer software at the time also came in CD format. The system was released in 1991 with a 386 processor that was later upgraded to a 486 (The FM Towns Marty 2). The first version is much rarer, but more limited. Since the system can play games designed for the FM Towns PC, it's library is larger then what you might expect.

It came with a two button controller and had a port for a second controller as well. A mouse and keyboard were also available to play compatible PC games. If ever there was a system made to play "hentai" games, this was it. While it may not have been it's main purpose, there were many adult anime games available. Fujitsu supported the units for many years, and some third party games supported the systems as late as 1999. Fujitsu wisely discontinued the console line with the arrival of the more powerful 32bit Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn.


Whats the Best FM Towns Marty Game ?

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[mungrin]

Marty had the only arcade perfect port of Splatterhouse.

[wolfpack]

ive never even heard of this system..... a bit more research ill need to do

[havoc_012]

I consider my self a fairly hardcore gamer, and I've never even heard of this thing.

[kennyk]

I heard of it a while back on some import game site. Pretty sure it was Japan only.

[ExcruciationX]

I've never heard of it either, and WTF's up with the name?

[jamotto]

That picture is the FM Towns Marty 2, the FM Towns Marty was beige, though it really doesn't matter as both were nearly identical.

If you liked arcade perfect video games this was the console to have.

[paul3100]

never heard of it either and i collect systems as a hobby and have most systems emulated with games!

I think il go away and see whats available for this system on the pc ;-)

paul

Lost of info on the FM here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_Towns

A japanese web site with emulators and bios files for the FM models: http://retropc.net/ryu/xm7/xm7.shtml

[JKKDARK]

All the Ultima games

[geise69]

My favorite game for this system was Saturday Night Slam Masters. I loved the arcade version and the version for this system at the time was the "only" arcade perfect port with out having to have the arcade cab in my house. My brother had that. =P

[MetaFox]

Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders

The FM-Towns had the best version of this game over any other platform. :)

[____anders____]

never heard of it either (and i've heard a lot of sh*t :D)...

but the games could still be fun though

[sappo]

Ultima 6 with voices... Great!

[Joe88]

what the heck is this thing
Ive never seen or heard of it ...

[geise69]

Really the only people that are mainly going to know about this system are people that imported most of their games back in the day or read Die Hard Gamefan. I'm pretty sure that was the only magazine that gave this system some respect that it deserved. I don't believe EGM NextGen, or haha Gamepro ever reviewing this. Next Generation magazine might have though.

[paladinja]

Firstly, not going to simultaneously praise my own gaming knowledge AND admit I've never seen this before.

Secondly, I've never seen this before. But if I had, I would've called it "Peter Frampton".

Thirdly, 'Next generation' magazine was awesome.

That is all.

[geise69]

NextGen was an awesome magazine. I loved the CD's they always added with the magazine. I was sad to see them go. Same with Gamefan, but at least a few of the "good" editors started Hardcore Gamer Mag. NextGen was great and them adding Christmas Nights was the best thing ever. I still have my copy of it. Anyways for anyone wanting to play some FM-TOWNS or FM-TOWNS MARTY there is an emulator called UNZ.

[redsyrup]

FM Towns Marty was a dream system for me back when I was reading DieHard Magazine at the newstand of my local video tape rental store... way before netflix and block buster.

Testujin and Rtype are the only games I remember seeing images for, but Diehard Magazine made those pics look unforgetable.

Later I settled for Rtype on TurboGrafx, and that was a good choice.

[murak]

There are some good games for the FM Towns, mainly (I think anyway) ports with upgraded gfx and music. Shadow of the Beast anyone?

[Starscream]

The Marty is basically the console version of the FM-Towns computer. There are a number of arcade ports (Samurai Showdown, Afterburner, Super Street Fighter etc.) as well as ports from the NEC PC98 (Adventures, RPGS etc.)
It's emulated via Unz (not xm7 as posted before).

[deanowski]

The Marty also has the best home version of "Turbo Outrun".