Satellaview

The Satellaview (サテラビュー, Saterabyū^?) was a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Famicom system in Japan released in 1995 ^[1] It retailed for ¥14,000 (about US$116.48). The name "Satellaview" is assumed to be a portmanteau of "satellite" and "view". However, the console's full name is seldom used; the official abbreviation seen everywhere is BS-X; BS stands for Broadcast Satellaview, and X is literally "unknown" or "nameless". At some point in time someone on the Internet erroneously began calling it the "Bandai" Satellaview, and as a result, some people continue to refer to it as such. ^[2] There is no trace of any Bandai logo or name in any known documentation or indeed in the BIOS overworld interface itself. The BS-X titles fell into several categories:

• exclusive releases, new entries in established series available only on the BS-X; they are still exclusive, as none has been re-released as of yet.
• re-releases, exact replicas of the cartridge data of normal Super Famicom games, except in a format for broadcast over the satellite
• remakes of previous Famicom games, often hugely enhanced, as in the cases of BS Zelda and Mario Excite Bike
• remixed Super Famicom titles were occasionally released, as in the case of BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets
• original creations; there were a handful of BS-X games that were not part of any established series.

No matter what the game was, it was released in weekly or sometimes daily installments, usually with a total of four parts. Some games went on to have multiple stages beyond the scope of the original game, such as BS Zelda "MAP2", which included nine entirely new dungeons beyond the nine already featured in the first BS Zelda broadcast. However the player data could not be transferred onto the new maps, and, just like The Legend of Zelda's "Second Quest", the player had to start over.

Hardware

Diagram showing how the Satellaview interacts with other multimedia devices to deliver the game to the player

The basic system contains:

• Satellaview adapter, attached to the bottom of Super Famicom and plugged into the (previously unused) expansion port
• L-shaped bracket; this supplied power to the Satellaview via the Super Famicom
• Application cartridge "BS-X : Sore wa namae o nusumareta machi no monogatari" (translates as The Story of The Town Whose Name Has Been Stolen)

This application was like a game in itself. The player entered his name and chose his gender, then moved his player character around the town. Each house or shop in the town was a direct link to a particular game, which would load and be ready for play if the player chose to enter that building. The deluxe system contains all the above, plus:

• 8-Megabit Memory Pak - (downloaded games are saved on this memory cart if the user puts it in)

The BS-X base unit contained some memory of its own, but not much (about 512 KB) so for larger games, or (it is to be assumed) for mulitple games to be saved at the same time, the player needed to purchase this Memory Pak, otherwise previous data would have to be erased. The BS-X was developed and released by Nintendo, and St. GIGA was responsible for the file servers and the maintenance side of things after each game had been added.

Interactive features

The system required a subscription to the St. GIGA satellite radio station, and during a limited time (between 4:00 and 7:00 PM), users could download games and receive news about the gaming world (as well as see some ads), and save it on a memory card that plugged into the Satellaview. It was also possible to play quizzes, and also at the end of each game users receive a score readout. By submitting their game or quiz high scores, their score would be recorded, and if they scored high enough they might get a free gift, such as a telephone card or flash-cart.

Live Voice

Some games, such as the two BS Zeldas, featured "Live Voice" (streaming voice data), where a "narrator" would guide the players through the game and give helpful hints and advice. As a Nintendo-console first, in BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets all cutscenes were fully voice acted, much like a radio play. Because of the inclusion of Live Voice, the clock, and other live elements, the BS Zeldas could not be played at any time like some of the other BS-X games, but only during the set hours.

Broadcast dates

Satellaview was broadcast from April 23, 1995 to June 30, 2000. It continued receiving new games up until March 1999. The first game on the system was BS The Legend of Zelda, based on the Famicom game The Hyrule Fantasy: The Legend of Zelda (AKA The Legend of Zelda). It was followed closely after by BS The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Stone Tablets, which was based on The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods (AKA The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past).

See also

• Intellivision's PlayCable
• Sega Genesis's Sega Channel

Sources

External links

• BS-X General Information, Software Downloads
• the official Satellaview AV selector (bottom image)
• N-sider.com - NintendOnline - Page 2 article about Nintendo's online history