NTDEC

NTDEC pirate copy of Life Force/Salamander

NTDEC (Nintendo Electronic Co.) was a Taiwanese manufacturer of video game cartridges and accessories for the NES and Famicom. They also manufactured Famicom to NES converters to play Famicom games on the NES.

Piracy

NTDEC produced a large number of pirated copies of games between 1989 and 1991, which were sold in Asia and in the USA via mail order. Unusually among pirate cartridge manufacturers, NTDEC cartridges are often identifiable by the company logo on the cartridge and the in-game copyright noticed modified to read "NTDEC", as well as the rear label featuring a green "QUALITY GUARANTY" (sic) stripe. Legal action was brought against the company by Nintendo in 1993 for its activities in the US, as well as its use of the "Nintendo" trademark in its company name. ^[1]

Original games

Between 1991 and 1993, NTDEC published a number of original games in Asia, some of which were distributed in parts of South America and Europe. Many of these games are credited to Mega Soft, although it is unknown if this a separate entity to NTDEC. Six games previously released by NTDEC/Mega Soft in 1991 were compiled on the Caltron 6-in-1 cartridge in 1992, which was distributed in the US - since this cartridge contains only NTDEC/Mega Soft games and carries the same CN-xx ID as the previous original NTDEC games, Caltron is believed to be the same company as NTDEC.

Asder

Following the legal action of 1993, the company appears to have ceased operations under the NTDEC name. Another Taiwanese company, Asder Electronic Co., Ltd, has released educational computer systems and TV game joypads containing Mega Soft games, and several original Famicom titles continuing NTDEC's CN-xx numbering. However, is unknown whether this company is in fact NTDEC under a new name, or a separate company that obtained the rights to NTDEC's past titles.

References

1. ^ Companies to pay $24 Million in Nintendo piracy case New York Times, Dated May 25 1993

External links

• Asder
• Caltron 6 in 1