Konami's Famicom game of the 1985 film. Rescue the Goonies, find the treasure, avoid the Fratelli gang.
The Goonies was developed and published by Konami for Famicom in September 1986 — a side-scrolling action game based on the 1985 Richard Donner film. Players controlled Mikey through cave environments, rescuing kidnapped Goonies from locked cages by finding keys and fighting the Fratelli gang. The game was a Japan-exclusive that never received an international release. A different Goonies II game released for NES in North America, while the Japanese original remained unique. The Famicom version is fondly remembered for its connection to the film's cultural impact in Japan.
About this game
A side-scrolling action game based on the 1985 Columbia Pictures film, released exclusively in Japan on February 21, 1986 — the same day the Famicom Disk System launched. Players guide Mikey through six stages to rescue his kidnapped friends from the Fratelli gang, with a memorable chiptune arrangement of Cyndi Lauper's 'The Goonies 'R' Good Enough' driving the adventure forward.
Key Features
Each of the six stages hides one imprisoned friend who must be freed before clearing the level. Collecting lanterns extends the time limit, and hidden warp points reward thorough exploration of every screen.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Released in an era when movie-licensed games were often criticized for poor quality, The Goonies proved that Konami could translate a Hollywood property into a genuinely fun game. Its Japan-only status made it a curiosity for overseas collectors from the very beginning, and it influenced how Konami approached licensed titles throughout the late 1980s.
Tricks & Tales
Despite the film's worldwide popularity, the Famicom version was never officially exported — only a VS. System arcade cabinet reached North America. Konami's sequel, The Goonies II (1987), became the sole entry in the series to receive a Western NES release. A Disk System rewrite version was also made available in Japan in 1988.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Japan-exclusive Famicom cartridge. The North American market only received a VS. System arcade version. No PAL release.
Maintenance Tips
The gold-plated edge connectors on Famicom and NES cartridges pick up skin oils and oxidation over decades — a gentle wipe with a cotton swab dampened in 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol, stroking along the length of the pins rather than across them, is the accepted standard. Let the alcohol fully evaporate before reinserting. The old habit of blowing into a cartridge is folklore: the moisture in breath causes slow corrosion of the contacts over time, and any improvement you felt came from the act of re-seating the cart, not from the breath itself. Nintendo eventually updated its own troubleshooting guidance to say explicitly: do not blow into your Game Paks.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese The Goonies copies regularly.
Will this Japanese Famicom cartridge work on a North American Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)?
No, not without an adapter. The Famicom uses a 60-pin edge connector while the NES uses a 72-pin connector with a physically different form factor — the two are incompatible at the cartridge slot level. Third-party adapters exist that bridge the pin difference and allow Famicom cartridges to run in a NES. On a Japanese Famicom, NES cartridges face the same incompatibility in reverse. To play Japanese Famicom software, you need a Japanese Famicom, a Famicom-compatible clone console, or a NES fitted with an appropriate adapter.
How should I clean a Famicom cartridge to ensure reliable play?
Apply 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab and gently wipe the gold-plated PCB edge contacts on the base of the cartridge. Never blow into the cartridge — breath moisture accelerates contact corrosion over time. If cleaning is needed inside, Famicom cartridges use 3.8mm security game bit screws (not standard Phillips); a security bit screwdriver is required to open the shell without damage. Note that most Famicom boot failures originate in the 60-pin console slot rather than the cartridge itself — cleaning the console slot contacts separately with a contact cleaning tool is often the more effective fix.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy The Goonies
A short checklist for buying a used Famicom cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
-
Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
-
Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese Famicom cartridge with a 60-pin connector; a North American NES uses a 72-pin slot, so it will not fit directly.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
-
If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
-
Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
-
Confirm it is genuine, not a reproduction
Sought-after titles are targets for reproduction boards with replacement labels.
Ask for a photo of the circuit board and look for factory markings. Favour a shop with a licensed second-hand dealer permit (古物商) — by law its stock has a traceable origin, your simplest guard against fakes.
-
Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
See what we have in stock →Unexpected Discoveries
Games you weren't looking for — but might be glad you found.
Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where The Goonies sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
Share your memory ↑