Family BASIC

Family BASIC is an accessory for the Family Computer that allows users to create programs in programming language. It was created as a joint effort between Nintendo, Sharp Corporation, and Hudson Soft. Family BASIC more specifically utilizes its own variation of BASIC, NS-HuBASIC, with "NS-Hu" being a prefix abbreviation of the three respective companies' names. Family BASIC is a reissue of Playbox BASIC for the Sharp Nintendo Television. 
The first edition of the Family BASIC application cartridge is bundled with a computer style keyboard and instructional textbook. Family BASIC is comparable to the Commodore line of computers. User-generated BASIC programs could be saved on any cassette recorder, the standard one being the Famicom Data Recorder.
The Family BASIC keyboard plugs into an expansion port on the front of the Famicom, and the Data Recorder can be plugged into the back of the keyboard labeled "SAVE" and "LOAD." A more recent method is using a computer or smart device's microphone and headphone jacks to record the analog signal from the keyboard and then play it back when the game is requesting data to be loaded.
On February 21, 1985, an updated version of the application cartridge, titled Family BASIC V3, was released.
==Relevance to Mario==
===Sprites===
There are 16 animated sprites built-in, many of which are sprites and tilesets reused from a few Mario-related Nintendo Entertainment System games, including Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Mario Bros., and Pinball. It is possible to change the color of the sprites, which is shown in the manual, along with a tutorial on creating a Luigi sprite.
Name 	Origin game 	Notes
Mario 	Mario Bros. 	
Lady 	Pinball 	Has slight differences to her Pinball sprites
Fighterfly 	Mario Bros. 	
Achilles 	Original 	A bird, also using palette swap of the sprite in VS. Pinball
Nitanita 	Original 	A smiling face
Penpen 	Pinball 	Later reused and edited in Binary Land for the male and female penguins, colored light green and pink respectively.
Fire 	Donkey Kong 	
Car 	Original 	
Spinner 	Original 	A spaceship
Star Killer 	Original 	Another spaceship
Starship 	Original 	Another spaceship
Explosions 	Original 	
Shellcreeper 	Mario Bros. 	
Sidestepper 	Mario Bros. 	
Bird 	Donkey Kong Jr.	
Laser effects	Original 	
===Family BASIC V3 minigames===
Four mini-games were included on Family BASIC V3. All of them utilize the Mario programming sprites, to some extent:
*Game 0 "Heart": There is an outline of a heart, and the player can fill it by either speaking or breathing into the second controller's microphone. When done, Mario and Lady will come together, in a recreation of a cutscene of Nintendo's 1979 arcade game, Sheriff.
*Game 1 "Penpen Maze": The object is for Penpen, who is the player's character, to collect numbers on a grid sequentially while avoiding two Sidesteppers. Penpen starts off with three traps, which can temporarily stun the Sidesteppers.
*Game 2 "Mario World": Mario has to collect apples and numbers sequentially while avoiding two Nitanitas. The minigame takes place on a single-screen area with platforms, ladders, and springs. There is a time limit, and if it runs out, it is a Game Over.
*Game 3 "Star Killer": An endless space shooter on a wraparound screen. It supports either one or two players, who control Star Killer and Starship respectively. Some of the enemies encountered include Spinners, Fighterflies, Fireballs, and Achilleses.
==In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!==
The Family BASIC is the focus of the similarly-titled microgame Family Basic. The object is to type in the number or letter shown in the command.
==Gallery==
Family BASIC Heart.png|Gameplay of "Heart"
Family BASIC Penpen Maze screenshot.png|Gameplay of "Penpen Maze"
Category:Family Computer accessories
Category:Japan-exclusive accessories