小霸王 vs. 任天堂紅白機：一場跨越海峽的山寨傳奇

對於成長於80、90年代的中國與台灣玩家來說，小霸王學習機與紅白機兼容機（如台灣的「小天才」、「勝天」等）無疑是無數家庭中的第一台遊戲機。這些機器外觀與任天堂原版的紅白機（Famicom）幾乎如出一轍，遊戲陣容也大同小異，但背後的故事卻是山寨與創意並存、充滿魔改與侵權的歷史縮影，更是時代記憶中一道特殊的風景線。

從硬體到外觀：「學習機」的偽裝與「紅白機」的轉生

任天堂在1983年推出紅白機（Famicom），採用紅白配色、插卡式設計，搭配兩個有線手柄，其後推出的美版NES則造型方正、顏色偏灰，更具科技感。然而在中國與台灣市場，這經典設計被大量仿製，並以不同形式出現。

中國的小霸王學習機表面上打著「學習電腦」的旗號，實則90%以上時間都是用來玩遊戲。它的設計把鍵盤與主機結合，甚至在開機時顯示「小霸王其樂無窮啊！」以博得家長好感。台灣的兼容機，如「勝天9000」，則以金色外殼和號稱「更強兼容性」吸引消費者，儘管實際常常死機。「小天才IQ-501」的外型則更貼近美版NES，還配有可拆卸手柄。雖然在外觀上看似一致，但核心晶片卻天差地遠。任天堂使用專屬晶片如 RP2A03，保證音效與畫面品質；而山寨機則多採用廉價替代晶片，導致音效變調、畫面閃爍等問題，比如《超級瑪利歐》的背景音樂就常被玩家戲稱為「走音版」。

遊戲兼容：能玩但不完美，魔改也能出經典

由於硬體模仿到位，多數任天堂原版卡帶可以在小霸王或台灣的兼容機上運行，但也常發生如《惡魔城》或《忍者龍劍傳》畫面花屏、卡死的情況。而本土製作的「999合1」合卡雖然名義上擁有上百款遊戲，實際上只是幾十個遊戲的換皮重複，例如《坦克大戰》的魔改版《90坦克》風靡一時。小霸王與台灣製造商也推出一些經過中文化的遊戲，例如《吞食天地》、《封神榜》等角色扮演遊戲被翻譯成中文版，雖然用詞生硬（如將「攻擊」翻成「攻打」），卻讓許多玩家第一次能夠理解複雜的RPG劇情。也有不少玩家記得，在某些兼容機上輸入《魂斗羅》的「30命密技」（↑↑↓↓←→←→BA）竟會失效，讓童年的憤怒化作對主機一頓猛拍。

市場策略與侵權陰影：時代造就的奇蹟與悲劇

山寨機之所以能在當時橫掃市場，最大的原因無非是價格優勢與法律漏洞。原版紅白機1980年代在中國市價高達千元人民幣，相當於一個家庭半年甚至一年的收入；而小霸王等兼容機只售200至300元人民幣，對普通家庭而言更具吸引力。同時，當時中國與台灣對知識產權保護相對薄弱，任天堂對這些山寨產品幾無訴訟之門。在台灣，有的業者甚至直接搶先註冊「小天才」等商標，令任天堂法務團隊徒呼負負。小霸王更是在行銷上狠下功夫，請來成龍代言，廣告語「同是天下父母心，望子成龍小霸王」深入人心，成功說服無數父母掏錢購買“學習機”給孩子玩遊戲。但進入2000年後，隨著PlayStation與PC電腦的普及，紅白機兼容市場迅速萎縮。儘管任天堂曾在歐美對山寨產品發起法律戰，但對亞洲市場的影響力始終有限。小霸王最終也於2018年推出「懷舊復刻機」，卻被網友批評為「炒冷飯」，銷量平平。

總結：山寨的原罪，與一代人的啟蒙之路

不可否認，小霸王與台灣兼容機從未向任天堂支付過一分錢版權費，其本質是赤裸裸的侵權行為。但從另一個角度看，正是這些廉價山寨機讓千千萬萬的中國與台灣孩子第一次接觸到電子遊戲，成為啟蒙的一代。今日活躍於遊戲開發界的許多中國年輕人，例如《黑神話：悟空》的團隊成員，就曾坦言自己童年是靠小霸王打開遊戲世界大門。那些魔改的遊戲卡，如《水滸傳》、《三國志》漢化版，也成為了獨特的文化記憶。如今，小霸王的官網仍在販售「4K高清學習機」，卻已無人問津。但那聲熟悉的開機語音——「啊哈，小霸王其樂無窮啊！」 依然能瞬間把人拉回童年的客廳，和那段懵懂而快樂的電子時光。

Subor vs. Nintendo Famicom: A Cross-Strait Tale of Bootleg Legend

For gamers growing up in China and Taiwan during the 1980s and 1990s, the Subor Learning Computer and Famicom-compatible consoles (such as Taiwan’s “Little Genius” and “Victory Sky”) were undoubtedly the first game consoles in many households. These machines bore a striking resemblance to Nintendo’s original Famicom in both appearance and game library, but behind the familiar exterior lay a tangled history of piracy, innovation, and nostalgia—a cultural phenomenon shaped by its time.

From Hardware to Appearance: The Disguise of “Learning Machines” and the Rebirth of the Famicom

Nintendo released the Family Computer (Famicom) in 1983, featuring a red-and-white color scheme, cartridge-based design, and two wired controllers. The North American version, the NES, had a more angular, gray-toned appearance with a futuristic touch. However, in the Chinese and Taiwanese markets, this iconic design was heavily cloned and repackaged in various forms.

China’s Subor Learning Computer disguised itself as an educational device, but over 90% of its usage was for gaming. The design merged a keyboard with the main console, and the boot-up screen famously declared, “Subor, infinite fun!” to appeal to parents. In Taiwan, compatible consoles like the “Victory Sky 9000” attracted consumers with gold-colored casings and so-called “enhanced compatibility,” despite frequent crashes. The “Little Genius IQ-501” resembled the NES even more closely and came with detachable controllers.

While the exteriors seemed nearly identical to the original, the internal chips were worlds apart. Nintendo used proprietary chips like the RP2A03 to ensure high-quality sound and visuals. In contrast, these bootlegs used cheap alternatives that often resulted in distorted audio and screen flickering. For example, the background music in Super Mario Bros. was often humorously off-key in bootleg versions.

Game Compatibility: Functional but Flawed, with Bootleg Gems Along the Way

Thanks to the decent hardware mimicry, most original Famicom cartridges could run on Subor and Taiwanese compatibles. However, glitches were common—games like Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden often suffered from screen tearing or freezing.

Homegrown “999-in-1” multi-carts were ubiquitous, though in reality they offered only a few dozen games repeated with minor variations. A modded version of Battle City called 90 Tank became wildly popular.

Subor and Taiwanese manufacturers also localized several RPGs, like Dynasty Wars and Investiture of the Gods, offering crude Chinese translations. Despite awkward wording—like translating “attack” as “strike at”—these localizations allowed many kids to understand complex RPG stories for the first time. Players also vividly recall how famous cheats, such as the Contra 30-lives code (↑↑↓↓←→←→BA), sometimes failed on these systems, leading to frustrated button-mashing.

Marketing Strategy and the Shadow of Infringement: A Miracle and a Tragedy of Its Time

The widespread success of bootleg consoles was largely due to their affordability and legal grey areas. In the 1980s, an original Famicom could cost over 1,000 RMB in China—equal to half or even a full year’s income for a household. Meanwhile, a Subor system was priced at only 200–300 RMB, making it much more accessible.

At the time, intellectual property enforcement in China and Taiwan was weak. Nintendo had little legal recourse against these bootlegs. Some Taiwanese companies even preemptively registered trademarks like “Little Genius,” leaving Nintendo’s legal team powerless.

Subor invested heavily in advertising, even hiring Jackie Chan as their spokesperson. The slogan “All parents share the same dream—Subor helps your child become a dragon” (a Chinese idiom for success) struck a chord with countless parents, who were convinced to buy these “learning machines” that were really just game consoles.

But by the 2000s, with the rise of PlayStation and PCs, the market for Famicom-compatible systems shrank rapidly. Though Nintendo launched lawsuits against bootleg products in the West, their influence in Asia remained limited. Subor eventually released a “retro revival” console in 2018, but it was criticized as a rehash with poor sales.

Conclusion: The Original Sin of Piracy and the Dawn of a Gaming Generation

There’s no denying that Subor and Taiwan’s compatible consoles were blatant copyright infringements—never paying Nintendo a dime. But from another perspective, these cheap knockoffs introduced millions of children in China and Taiwan to the world of video games, igniting the dreams of a whole generation.

Many of today’s Chinese game developers—including members of the team behind Black Myth: Wukong—have openly said that Subor was their gateway into gaming. The bootleg cartridges, like the Chinese versions of Water Margin or Romance of the Three Kingdoms, have become cultural relics in their own right.

Today, Subor’s official website still sells “4K HD learning machines,” but with little interest. Still, that familiar boot-up voice—“Ah-ha! Subor, infinite fun!”—has the power to instantly transport people back to their childhood living rooms, and that era of innocent, pixelated joy.