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Nintendo NES

Nintendo console · Generation 3

Nintendo NES

NES (1983), known as the Famicom in Japan: Nintendo's 8-bit console that revived the US home game market after the 1983 crash.

History of the Nintendo NES

Hiroshi Yamauchi asked Masayuki Uemura, head of Nintendo R&D2, for a simple, cheap console that could run arcade games from cartridges. The hardware was modelled on the Galaxian and Donkey Kong arcade boards, and Ricoh made the graphics chip. The D-pad controllers came from the Game & Watch line and were hardwired to save money. The Famicom name, short for "Family Computer", was suggested by Uemura's wife, and Yamauchi chose the red, white and gold colours.

The Famicom launched in Japan on July 15, 1983, at ¥14,800, with Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Popeye. A faulty circuit caused crashes, and Yamauchi ordered a full recall; after a revised board was released, it was Japan's best-selling console by the end of 1984. That year Nintendo began accepting games from other publishers, starting with Namco and Hudson Soft. For North America, Lance Barr and Don James redesigned it to look like a video cassette recorder.

The NES went on test sale in New York on October 18, 1985, and reached all of North America on September 27, 1986, with the market still reeling from the 1983 crash. The Zapper light gun and R.O.B. robot helped get it into toy stores, and the 10NES chip locked out unlicensed games. Its strict terms for publishers led to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in 1991. It struggled more in Europe, against the Master System and computers such as the ZX Spectrum.

Series such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Mega Man, Castlevania, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest began on it. The Super Nintendo succeeded it in 1990, though Nintendo kept supporting it, and cheaper redesigned models arrived in 1993. The NES was discontinued in North America and Europe on August 14, 1995, and the last Famicom was built on September 25, 2003. In 2016 came the NES Classic Edition, a miniature replica with 30 games.

Milestones

  1. 1983

    July 15: the Famicom goes on sale in Japan.

  2. 1984

    Nintendo opens up to third-party games and launches the VS. System arcade platform.

  3. 1985

    October 18: the NES debuts in a New York test market.

  4. 1986

    September 1: arrives in Scandinavia, its first European market.

  5. 1986

    September 27: nationwide North American launch.

  6. 1991

    Settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission over its licensing terms.

  7. 1993

    October: the New-Style NES is released; the New Famicom follows in Japan in December.

  8. 1995

    August 14: the NES is discontinued in North America and Europe.

  9. 2003

    September 25: the last Famicom is built.

Models and revisions

The hardware variants of the Nintendo NES and their model numbers.

  • Family Computer (Famicom) · 1983

    Original white and red Japanese model with a top-loading slot, hardwired controllers and a microphone on the second pad.

    Models: HVC-001

    Model history

  • Nintendo Entertainment System (carga frontal) · 1985

    Western redesign in grey, black and red, with VCR-style front loading and the 10NES lockout chip.

    Models: NES-001

    Model history

  • NES (versiones PAL) · 1986

    Versions for Europe and Oceania, sold through local distributors and split into two mutually incompatible zones.

    Model history

  • NES (versión asiática)

    Front-loading NES version for Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

  • Hyundai Comboy · 1989

    Version distributed by Hyundai Electronics in South Korea from October 1989, as the country banned Japanese cultural imports.

  • Samurai Electronic TV Game System

    Licence-built version of the PAL NES produced in India by Samurai Electronics.

  • New-Style NES / New Famicom · 1993

    Compact, cheaper 1993 redesign with a top-loading slot and the "dog bone" controller. It never reached Europe.

    Models: NES-101, HVC-101

    Model history

  • Famicom Adapter (prototipo) · 1988

    Prototype Famicom with AV output shown alongside the Super Famicom in 1988 to play through it. It never went into production.

  • Sharp C1 (My Computer TV) · 1983

    Sharp CRT television with a built-in Famicom, sold in Japan from October 1983 in 14-inch and 19-inch sizes.

    Model history

  • Sharp Nintendo Television (Game Television) · 1989

    Sharp television with a built-in NES, shown at the 1987 CES and sold in the US in 1989, only as a black 19-inch model.

  • Twin Famicom · 1986

    Sharp console combining the Famicom and Famicom Disk System in one unit. Released only in Japan in 1986.

    Models: AN-500R, AN-500B, AN-505-BK, AN-505-RD

    Model history

  • Famicom Titler · 1989

    1989 Sharp Famicom for video production, with internal RGB and S-Video output, a keyboard and a microphone.

    Model history

  • Nintendo VS. System · 1984

    1984 Famicom-based arcade system, with single- or dual-screen cabinets and swappable games.

    Model history

  • PlayChoice-10 · 1986

    1986 arcade unit that let players try up to ten NES games on a timer. It succeeded the VS. System.

    Model history

  • Famicombox · 1986

    1986 commercial Famicom for hotels and resorts, with pre-installed games played for a fee.

  • NES Test Station · 1988

    1988 NES-based diagnostic unit for testing consoles, controllers, cables and games at World of Nintendo stores.

Special editions

Limited editions, colours and commemorative bundles.

  • —

    Super Set · España

    Console with four controllers, the NES Four Score adapter and a cartridge with Super Mario Bros., Tetris and Nintendo World Cup.

  • 1985

    Deluxe Set · Norteamérica

    Test-launch bundle with two controllers, the Zapper, the R.O.B. robot and the games Gyromite and Duck Hunt.

  • 1986

    Control Deck con Super Mario Bros. · Norteamérica

    Basic set with two controllers and Super Mario Bros., introduced ahead of the nationwide launch.

  • 1987

    Basic Set · Norteamérica

    Console and two controllers without a game, with a user's guide covering the available games.

  • 1988

    Action Set · Norteamérica

    Replaced the Deluxe Set: console, two controllers, the Zapper and a dual cartridge with Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt.

  • 1988

    Power Set · Norteamérica

    Added the Power Pad mat and a triple cartridge with Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt and World Class Track Meet.

  • 1990

    Pack Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles · Europa

    Bundle released against Nintendo of America's wishes that boosted the console's European sales.

  • 1990

    Sports Set · Norteamérica

    Four controllers, the NES Satellite wireless adapter and a dual cartridge with Super Spike V'Ball and Nintendo World Cup.

  • 1992

    Challenge Set · Norteamérica

    Console and two controllers with Super Mario Bros. 3.

  • 1993

    New-Style NES con cartucho triple · Australia

    The redesigned model with a cartridge containing Super Mario Bros., Tetris and Nintendo World Cup.