Facts
- Type: Video game console
- Released: 1983 (Japan), 1985 (USA), 1986 (Europe), 1993 (Brazil)
- Discontinued: 2003 (Japan), 1995 (USA and Europe)
- Units sold: 62 million
- Manufacturer: Nintendo
- Generation: Third generation
- Introductory price: 179 USD (US Deluxe Set)
- Media: ROM cartridge (8 KB – 1 MB (Metal Slader Glory) )
- CPU: Ricoh 2A03 (MOS 6502 core)
- Memory: 2 KB RAM
- Controller: 2 controller ports, 1 expansion slot
- Best-selling game: Super Mario Bros (40 million)
- Predecessor: Color TV-Game
- Successor: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Released 1983 (Japan): The Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES for short) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It is a remodeled export version of the company’s Family Computer (FC) platform in Japan, also known as the Famicom for short, which launched on July 15, 1983.
The NES was launched through test markets in New York City and Los Angeles in 1985, before being given a wide release in the rest of North America and parts of Europe in 1986, followed by Australia and other European countries in 1987. Brazil saw only unlicensed clones until the official local release in 1993. In South Korea, it was packaged as the Hyundai Comboy and distributed by SK Hynix which then was known as Hyundai Electronics; the Comboy was released in 1989.
The best-selling gaming console of its time, the NES helped revitalize the US video game industry following the North American video game crash of 1983. With the NES, Nintendo introduced a now-standard business model of licensing third-party developers, authorizing them to produce and distribute titles for Nintendo’s platform.
My Nintendo Entertainment System
I got mine at a local pickup together with two controllers and the standard bundle cartridge containing Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt. Duck Hunt requires a light gun though, which in turn requires to use a CRT TV or monitor due to the technology. Was told the console had been in little use, and it appears like that is true, it looks and works almost like new. Bought a “140-in-1” cartridge off eBay just to test some games out together with my kids at three and five years of age.
22.06.2019: Visited the expo “Retrospillmessen 2019” and bought the original light gun there, “”Zapper”. It’s the later version with grey and orange color scheme and not the original 1985 version with grey and white colors. The reason for this change was that the original color scheme made it to “realistic”.
