Nintendo NES

Famicom adapter

Match the adapter to the direction you need. A 72-to-60 adapter lets a 60-pin Famicom cartridge run on a 72-pin NES. Always insert and remove it with the console powered off.

Famicom 72-to-60 adapter

The NES and the Japanese Famicom share the same core hardware but use different cartridge shapes and pin counts. A 72-to-60 adapter bridges the gap, accepting a 60-pin Famicom cartridge and presenting it to the NES as a 72-pin cart.

Confirm the pin counts

Your NES uses a 72-pin slot; Famicom carts have 60-pin edges. The adapter converts between them. Verify both before buying.
Seat the Famicom cartridge

Insert the 60-pin Famicom game into the adapter's slot, lining up the edge connector squarely and pressing until it seats.
Insert the adapter into the NES

With the console off, place the loaded adapter into the NES cartridge slot as you would a normal 72-pin game.
Power on and verify

Switch the console on. The Famicom title should boot. If the picture is unstable, reseat the cartridge and adapter and check the NES connector.

About expansion audio

Some Famicom games include extra sound hardware on the cartridge. A plain adapter passes the cartridge through but does not route that expansion audio to a stock NES, so those channels may be silent.