The Nintendo Entertainment System was the first home video game console ever manufactured by Nintendo. Originally the Nintendo Family Computer, it was released in Japan on July 15, 1983 at the start of the third generation of video game consoles. It was so popular that it became Japan's best-selling console by late 1984, and was later released in North America on October 18, 1985, then in Europe in September 1986, and in South Korea as the Hyundai Comboy in 1989.
Overview[]
Colored white, gray and red, the NES can fit up to two controllers. The only buttons on the system itself are a power switch button and a reset button. You must open up the lid to insert a cartridge. The controller contains a black Control Pad on the left, black Select and Start buttons on the middle, and red B and A Buttons on the right. The Nintendo logo is also labeled on the controller.
NES games can hold between 192 kilobits and 6 megabits, depending on the video graphics and gameplay.
Games[]
Nintendo of America has released 18 games on the same date the NES was released -- 10-Yard Fight, Baseball, Clu Clu Land, Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Duck Hunt, Excitebike, Golf, Gyromite, Hogan's Alley, Ice Climber, Kung Fu, Mach Rider, Pinball, Stack-Up, Tennis, Wild Gunman, Wrecking Crew, and Super Mario Bros.
Other notable games include Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988), Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988 in Japan; 1990 in North America and 1991 in Europe), and Kirby's Adventure (1993). The last NES game, Wario's Woods, was released on December 10, 1994, and sales of NES games lasted through August 14, 1995.
Accessories[]
A peripheral for the Famicom (short for Family Computer), known as the Famicom Disk System, was released on February 21, 1986. Both the Famicom Disk System and South Korea's Hyundai Comboy were discontinued in 1992. A much rarer limited-edition NES-101 went on sale in late 1993, and was priced at only $49.99.
In North America, several different bundles were released for the NES: the Basic Set, released in 1987 with no games included ($89.99); the Action Set ($149.99), which also came with two game controllers, the Zapper Light Gun, and a Super Mario Bros. + Duck Hunt game cartridge, and was released in 1988; the Power Set, which came with the Power Pad and the 3-in-1 cartridge game of Super Mario Bros. + Duck Hunt + World Class Track Meet; and the Deluxe Set, priced at $199.99.
Weblinks[]
- http://www.nesfiles.com (launched in April 2000; fansite)
Gallery[]
