Dendy (console)

Dendy

The Dendy Junior with a cartridge and detachable controllers
Developer	Steepler
Manufacturer	TXC Corporation Subor "Tensor" factory, Dubna
Product family	Famicom hardware clone
Type	Home video game console
Release date	RUS: December 17, 1992[1][2]
Discontinued	1998
Units sold	1.5[3] to 6[4] million
Media	ROM cartridge
CPU	Ricoh 2A03

Dendy (Russian: Де́нди) is a series of home video game consoles, an unofficial hardware clone of Nintendo's third-generation Famicom. Dendy was produced by Steepler since late 1992, and assembled in Taiwan from Chinese components. It was mainly sold in Russia and post-Soviet countries. Manufacturing assembly grew to add the Subor factory in China and at Tenzor factory in Dubna town in Russia.

The Dendy lineup was divided into two categories: the basic Dendy Classic and the budget Dendy Junior, which differ in design, quality, and price. The Classic is a copy of the Micro Genius console of Taiwan TXC Corporation and was produced in the same factory. The Junior was made from cheaper system on a chip technology specifically for Steepler. A Dendy Pro version with one wired and one wireless gamepad was sold from only one small batch.

Because the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System were never officially sold in post-Soviet states, the Dendy achieved great popularity in the region. It was promoted through television programs and video game magazines. Dendy became a household name in Russia and began to be applied to the rest of the Famicom hardware clones, colloquially called Famiclones, and to other consoles. After the bankruptcy of Steepler, sales of the original Dendy ceased in 1998, and at the time, according to various estimates, between 1.5 and 6 million units were sold. It is believed that it created a market for video games and game consoles in Russia.