"Numbered" Famicom Games

[BoneSnapDeez]

Updated 12/19/18

So, I made this thread awhile ago. It's about "numbered" Famicom games. Those that came printed with large numbers either on the cart or box (or both). This was done by the publisher, to create these neat little now-collectible subsets. Not every publisher did this (the overwhelming majority did not) and those that did were wildly inconsistent. I tried to find a list of such "numbered" games with no such luck -- in fact, search engines sometimes returned this here thread as the first result, haha. So, I decided to document this myself. I cross-referenced several lists of Famicom games, and viewed box and cart images. I believe what I have is mostly accurate, if you notice any omissions or errors, holla at me.

To give a good visual of what I'm talking about, here are some "#1" games...

Now, the lists...

Irem

1 - Zippy Race
2 - 10-Yard Fight
3 - Spelunker
4 - Sqoon
5 - Mashou (Deadly Towers)
6 - Spelunker II: Yuushahe no Chousen
7 - Kaiketsu Yancha Maru (Kid Niki: Radical Ninja)
8 - Goardic Gaiden (The Guardian Legend)
9 - Napoleon Senki
10 - Hototogisu
11 - Nishimura Kyoutarou Mystery: Blue Train Satsujin Jiken
12 - Holy Diver
13 - Major League
14 - Image Fight
15 - Gekitotsu Yonku Battle
16 - Shinsenden
17 - Nishimura Kyoutarou Mystery: Super Express Satsujin Jiken
18 - Meikyuu Jima (Kickle Cubicle)
19 - ???????????????????????????????????
20 - Perman: Enban o Torikaese!!
21 - Juuryoku Soukou Metal Storm (Metal Storm)
22 - Kaiketsu Yancha Maru 2: Karakuri Land
23 - Spartan X 2
24 - Daiku no Gen-San (Hammerin' Harry)
25 - Perman Part 2: Himitsu Kessha Madoodan o Taose!
26 - Taiyou no Yuusha Fighbird
27 - Ai Sensei no Oshiete: Watashi no Hoshi
28 - Kaiketsu Yancha Maru 3: Taiketsu! Zouringen
29 - Daiku no Gen-San 2: Akage no Dan no Gyakushuu

After game #9 Irem stopped printing numbers on the front of game boxes, but continued to number the carts. Irem is all screwed up. The numbers don't exactly follow chronological release date, and I've never been able to find a #19, despite cross-referencing many Famicom lists. If anyone knows of its identity, let me know.

Jaleco

1 - Exerion
2 - Formation Z
3 - Ninja-kun: Majou no Bouken
4 - Field Combat
5 - City Connection
6 - Ninja Jajamaru-kun
7 - Argus
8 - Choplifter
9 - Jajamaru no Daibouken
10 - Urusei Yatsura: Lum no Wedding Bell
11 - Mississippi Satsujin Jiken: Murder on the Mississippi
12 - Youkai Club
13 - Moero!! Pro Yakyuu (Bases Loaded)
14 - Bio Senshi Dan: Increaser tono Tatakai
15 - Esper Bouken Tai
16 - Uchuusen: Cosmo Carrier
17 - Moero!! Pro Tennis (Racket Attack)
18 - Maniac Mansion
19 - Moero!! Pro Yakyuu '88: Kettei Ban (Bases Loaded II: Second Season)
20 - Moero!! Junior Basket: Two on Two (Hoops)
21 - Moero!! Pro Soccer (Goal!)
22 - Jajamaru Ninpou Chou
23 - Shin Moero!! Pro Yakyuu
24 - Terao no Dosukoi Oozumou
25 - The Lord of King (Astyanax)
26 - Pinball Quest
27 - Jajamaru Gekimaden: Maboroshi no Kinmajou
28 - Moero!! Judo Warriors
29 - Moe Pro!! Yakyuu '90: Kandou Hen (Bases Loaded 3)
30 - Magic John (Totally Rad)
31 - Saiyuuki World 2: Tenjoukai no Majin (Whomp 'Em)
32 - Ninja Jajamaru: Ginga Daisakusen
33 - Moe-Pro! Saikyou Hen (Bases Loaded 4)
34 - Tsurupika Hagemaru: Mezase! Tsuruseko no Akashi
35 - Pizza Pop!
36 - Plasma Ball
37 - Toukon Club
38 - Goal!! (Goal! Two)
39 - Yousei Monogatari: RodLand (RodLand)
40 - USA Ice Hockey in FC (Pro Sport Hockey)
41 - Mezase! Top Pro Green ni Kakeru Yume

Jaleco went from printing nice prominent numbers on their boxes to small thin numbers on the carts. There are some additional Jaleco games that went unnumbered.

Namco

1 - Galaxian
2 - Pac-Man
3 - Xevious
4 - Mappy
5 - Galaga
6 - Dig Dug
7 - Druaga no Tou
8 - Warpman
9 - Battle City
10 - Pac-Land
11 - BurgerTime
12 - Star Luster
13 - Tag Team Pro Wrestling (Tag Team Wrestling)
14 - Dig Dug II
15 - Super Chinese (Kung-Fu Heroes)
16 - Babel no Tou
17 - Valkyrie no Bouken: Toki no Kagi Densetsu
18 - Sky Kid

Namco abruptly stopped numbering their games after Sky Kid.

Nihon Bussan

1 - MagMax
2 - Seicross
3 - Terra Cresta
4 - Crazy Climber
5 - Booby Kids
6 - Artelius
7 - Cosmo Police Galivan
8 - Keiba Simulation: Honmei
9 - Kurogane Hiroshi no Yosou Daisuki! Kachiuma Densetsu
10 - Mahjong G-Men: Nichibutsu Mahjong III
11 - F1 Circus
12 - Mahjong Taisen

All games numbered. The final four had numbers printed on the carts themselves, but not on the front of the boxes.

Seta

1 - Hon Shogi: Naitou Kudan Shogi Hiden
2 - Morita Shogi
3 - 8 Eyes
4 - Tom Sawyer no Bouken (Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
5 - Murder Club

Seta only published seven total Famicom games. Murder Club has its number on the cart only, while Seta's final two games seem to be unnumbered.

Sunsoft

2 - Route-16 Turbo
3 - Ikki

An attempt was made. Sunsoft didn't even bother numbering their first game (Super Arabian) and apparently stopped altogether after Ikki. Included for the sake of posterity.

Taito

1 - Space Invaders
2 - Chack'n Pop
3 - Front Line
4 - Elevator Action
5 - Sky Destroyer
6 - Gyrodine
7 - Kage no Densetsu (The Legend of Kage)
8 - Musashi no Ken: Tadaima Shugyou Chuu
9 - Takeshi no Chousenjou
10 - Arkanoid
11 - Mirai Shinwa Jarvas
12 - Kyonshies 2
13 - Minelvaton Saga: Ragon no Fukkatsu
14 - Yamamura Misa Suspense: Kyouto Ryuu no Tera Satsujin Jiken
15 - Taito Grand Prix: Eikou e no License
16 - Arkanoid II
17 - Fudo Myouoden (Demon Sword)
18 - Kyuukyoku Harikiri Stadium
19 - Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (Rainbow Islands)
20 - Takeshi no Sengoku Fuuunko
21 - Akira
22 - Yamamura Misa Suspense: Kyouto Hana no Misshitsu Satsujin Jiken
23 - Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijou
24 - Operation Wolf
25 - Kyuukyoku Harikiri Stadium Heisei Gannenhan
26 - Golf-kko Open
27 - Chuka Taisen
28 - Chase H.Q.
29 - Flipull: An Exciting Cube Game
30 - Don Doko Don
31 - Power Blazer
32 - Burai Fighter
33 - Insector X
34 - Kyuukyoku Harikiri Stadium III
35 - Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijou 2
36 - Taito Basketball (Ultimate Basketball)
37 - Tetra Star: The Fighter
38 - JuJu Densetsu (Toki)
39 - SD Keiji: Blader
40 - Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijou 3
41 - Don Doko Don 2
42 - Kyuukyoku Harikiri Koushien
43 - Wanpaku Kokkun no Gourmet World (Panic Restaurant)
44 - Seirei Densetsu Lickle (Little Samson)
45 - The Flintstones: The Rescue of Dino & Hoppy
46 - Captain Saver (Power Blade 2)
47 - Bubble Bobble 2
48 - The Jetsons: Cogswell's Caper!

Nice clean set with all Taito Fami games included. An expanded and updated version of Kyuukyoku Harikiri Stadium (Kyuukyoku Harikiri Stadium '88 Senshuu Shin Data Version) also bears the number 18. All carts are numbered, along with the vast majority of box fronts.

Tecmo

1 - Mighty Bomb Jack
2 - Solomon no Kagi (Solomon's Key)
3 - Super Star Force: Jikuureki no Himitsu
4 - Argos no Senshi: Hachamecha Daishingeki (Rygar)
5 - Tsuppari Oozumou
6 - Captain Tsubasa (Tecmo Cup Soccer Game)
7 - Ninja Ryuukenden (Ninja Gaiden)
8 - Gekitou Pro Wrestling!! Toukon Densetsu (Tecmo World Wrestling)
9 - Gekitou!! Stadium (Bad News Baseball)
10 - Ninja Ryuukenden II: Ankoku no Jashinken (Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos)
11 - Captain Tsubasa II: Super Striker
12 - Tecmo Bowl
13 - Tecmo World Cup Soccer
14 - Obocchamakun
15 - Ninja Ryuukenden III: Yomi no Hakobune (Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom)
16 - Kyatto Ninden Teyandee
17 - Radia Senki: Reimeihen
18 - Tecmo Super Bowl
19 - Solomon no Kagi 2: Coolmintou Kyuushutsu Sakusen (Fire'n Ice)

Decent set, all the Tecmo Fami games represented. Numbers are printed on boxes, but not prominently on the carts themselves.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Great thread. Those Namco games keep going, BTW. I think they top out around twenty or so, but I could be wrong. Also, I am not sure that the numbers always appear on the carts. (They do on the Namco games, but I am pretty sure that they do not appear on the Tecmo games.)

Fun Fact! Games for the Arcadia 2001 are numbered 1 through 23; however, only 22 games were released for the system in North America.

[Gunstar Green]

I always thought the Irem LED games were funny. It was like they were shaming Nintendo for not including one on the system itself.

[alienjesus]

I dunno about Famicom games, but Hudson numbered all of their PC Engine games

[Tanooki]

Not just Hudson but also Namco/Namcot did it on HuCards too.

Data East has a #11 on Burgertime. Namco is noted in the thread, but their home division NAMCOT has numbered releases too.

Oh and Taito did it the entire time as Bubble Bobble 2 was #47.

This guy owns around 575 Famicom games, scanned every single one of them from the front. You can skim the list for more.
https://retro-video-gaming.com/my-famicom-library/

[BoneSnapDeez]

Bump! Updated the first post for a proper thread!

[Gunstar Green]

Nice, I really love old Famicom stuff. This is a great reference.

[Tanooki]

If you want an answer I know of just one person to turn to on that number mystery, fcgamer over on NintendoAge. He owns every legit and I think most if not all bootlegs of legit games for the system, and all the unlicensed things like Sachen too. It took a ton of years, but he has the known complete set and is working on a book too cataloging it all.

If you have an account or someone here does, contact him and ask about that one as he can check his notes or direct cartridge library.

[sevin0seven]

the list here could also help you out: http://famicomworld.com/game-list/

It has the games ID (with the numbers your looking for). You can sort it out by Pub/Dev.