Nintendo Entertainment System

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"NES" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Ness.
This article is about the first Nintendo console outside Japan. For the treasure from Wario World, see List of treasures in Wario World § Greenhorn Ruins.
Nintendo Entertainment System
The NES model 1.
Generation Third generation
Release date USA October 18, 1985
Nintendo Entertainment System:
British HK 1986[1]
Singapore June 1986[2]
Finland September 1, 1986[3][4]
Denmark September 1, 1986[3][4]
Norway September 1, 1986[3][4]
Sweden September 1, 1986[3][4]
India January 1987[2][5]
NZ 1987[6]
Australia 1987[6]
Austria 1987[2]
Italy 1987[6]
Switzerland 1987[2]
Ireland 1987[7][6]
UK 1987[8][6]
France October 1987[9]
Netherlands Late 1987[10]
Spain c. 1988[11]
South Korea October 1989[12]
Israel 1990[2]
Hungary 1991[2]
Portugal 1991[13]
Slovenia 1992[2]
South Africa (1928-1994) 1993[14]
Czech Republic 1993[2]
Slovakia 1993[2]
Brazil Late 1993[15]
Croatia 1994[2]
Poland November 14, 1994[2]
NES Classic Edition:
Australia November 10, 2016[16]
Europe November 11, 2016
USA November 11, 2016
Discontinued USA August 14, 1995
Europe 1995
Ratings NES Classic Edition:
ESRB:E10+ - Everyone 10+
PEGI:7 - Seven years and older
ACB:PG - Parental Guidance
USK:12 - Twelve years and older
Predecessor Color TV-Game
Successor Super Nintendo Entertainment System
“Now you're playing with power!”
—Advertisement slogan for the NES
The logo for the Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System (abbreviated as NES) is a third-generation home video game console created by Nintendo as the Western counterpart of the Family Computer (often named Famicom for short). It was released in the United States on October 18, 1985; British Hong Kong in 1986; Singapore in June 1986; Scandinavia on September 1, 1986; India in January 1987; New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom in 1987; France in October 1987; the Netherlands in late 1987; Spain circa 1988; South Korea in October 1989; Israel in 1990; Hungary and Portugal in 1991; South Africa, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia in 1993; Brazil in late 1993; Croatia in 1994; and Poland on November 14, 1994 (the latter simultaneously with the Game Boy and Super Nintendo Entertainment System).[2] Because the NES and Famicom were both released in British Hong Kong, the latter was marketed as a revision of the former rather than the other way around.[1] The South Korean and Indian editions were respectively retitled the Hyundai Comboy and Samurai Electronic TV Game System to circumvent import restrictions in both countries.

The original Nintendo Entertainment System model is a complete redesign of the Famicom, featuring a gray and white color scheme, a covered slot on the front where cartridges are slid into, and detachable controllers. The system and its launch titles contributed to revitalizing the American video game industry following the video game crash of 1983, due to its software quality control through the Official Nintendo Seal of Quality and toy-like peripherals.[17] The Nintendo Entertainment System and Famicom sold 61.91 million units combined before being discontinued in 1995.[18][19]

Super Mario Bros. is one of the Nintendo Entertainment System launch titles, and it was frequently packaged with the system, including in the Control Deck, Action Set (as a Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt compilation cartridge), and Power Set (as as a Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt / World Track Class Meet cartridge) bundles. It is credited as being the game that helped the industry recover from the video game crash of 1983. For decades, Super Mario Bros. was the system's best-selling game, let alone video games in general, having sold 40.23 million copies. Eventually, Super Mario Bros. 3 was released in the United States, and it became an instant hit, making 500 million dollars in less than 24 hours.[citation needed]

The Nintendo Entertainment System's graphical capabilities, extended RAM, and even sound capabilities can be expanded with the use of memory mappers like the MMC2, MMC3, and MMC5. The only two Super Mario games that use memory mappers are Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3 with the MMC3 mapper being used. The only Mario cameo appearance that uses memory mappers is Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, using MMC2 in particular and also being the only NES game that uses that particular mapper.

An expansion port is located underneath the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is assumed that it would have been used for a Western equivalent of the Family Computer Disk System, but it went unused. However, the redesigned NES-101 Top Loader model lacks the expansion port entirely.

Accessories[edit]

NES Controller[edit]

The NES Controller.
NES Dogbone Controller
The later "dogbone" version of the NES controller which is included with the NES-101 Top Loader models.

The NES Controller is the basic controller packaged with every Nintendo Entertainment System. It has four buttons and a directional pad on a brick-shaped case. A Button and B Button are stationed on the right, the Start Button and Select Button is in the middle, and the D-pad is on the left of the controller. Nintendo later released a different form of the NES, the NES-101 model, which used a "dog-bone" design instead of the brick design, which looked a lot like Super Nintendo Entertainment System controllers. This design combines elements of the Game Boy and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System controller.

Unlike the Famicom, the NES does not have any audio controls (volume slider and microphone) on the second controller. Instead, the Start Button and Select Button buttons are available on both controllers, making those practically identical. Another difference is that the NES' controllers can be extracted, while the Famicom's cannot.

R.O.B.[edit]

Main article: R.O.B.

Cleaning Kit[edit]

Nintendo Entertainment System Cleaning Kit
Featuring Mario.

Over time, pins inside the NES and game cartridges would get dirty. Nintendo released an approved cleaning kit to improve the condition of the contacts so games would play without interruption. Mario is on the cover of the NES Cleaning Kit.

NES Classic Edition[edit]

NES Classic Edition
The NES Classic Edition
Main article: Classics § NES Classic Edition

Announced on July 14, 2016, the NES Classic Edition (known as the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and Australia) is a smaller version of the Nintendo Entertainment System and the first entry to the Classics series. It was released in Australia on November 10, 2016, and in the Americas and Europe on November 11, 2016.[20] Unlike the original NES, the NES Classic Edition does not support cartridges, but rather features 30 games pre-installed, including Super Mario games such as Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, and Dr. Mario. A version for the Japanese Family Computer, the Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer, was released in Japan on the same day and includes a slightly different software line-up than the NES Classic Edition.

The NES Classic Edition was discontinued on April 2017,[21] but resumed production in Summer 2018.[22] On June 26, 2017, a successor was announced in the form of the SNES Classic Edition.[23]

Appearances in the Super Mario franchise[edit]

The NES treasure from Wario World
The NES as a Wario World treasure
  • At the beginning of the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Mama Mia Mario", as Mario and Luigi are relaxing in front of the TV, Luigi is seen holding an NES controller.
  • The NES appears as one of Wario's treasures in Wario World.
  • 9-Volt has an NES in WarioWare: Twisted!
  • In Super Paper Mario, one of Francis's protected rooms has an NES, along with various other Nintendo consoles.
  • In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the design on the carpet in the Genius Girl's room is based on the NES controller.
  • Though the console itself does not appear in Super Mario Odyssey, one of the filters that are available for use in Snapshot Mode is the graphics style of the NES.
  • LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System, a LEGO version of the system created as part of the LEGO Super Mario partnership, was released on August 1, 2020. The set also features a Super Mario Bros. cartridge as well as a television "playing" the game and is compatible with the Mario figure from the Mario Starter Course set.[24]
  • In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mario owns an NES in his apartment and is seen playing Kid Icarus on the console. The Toad at the antique store asks about an NES cartridge, to which the clerk tells them to blow into it, referencing a popular urban legend claiming that doing to would remove dust within the cartridge and allow it to work properly (in reality, blowing into the cartridge could risk causing further damage due to airborne saliva droplets corroding the copper connectors).

Gallery[edit]

Logos[edit]

Photographs[edit]

  • Original NES

    Original NES

  • The NES-101 model.

    The NES-101 model.

  • Hand holding NES Classic Edition as scale.

    Hand holding NES Classic Edition as scale.

  • The US packaging of the NES Classic Edition.

    The US packaging of the NES Classic Edition.

  • The European packaging of the Nintendo Classic Mini.

    The European packaging of the Nintendo Classic Mini.

  • The Australian packaging of the Nintendo Classic Mini.

    The Australian packaging of the Nintendo Classic Mini.

  • Image macro from the official NintendoAUNZ social media accounts, showing the NES alongside three Super Mario Bros. games for the system

    Image macro from the official NintendoAUNZ social media accounts, showing the NES alongside three Super Mario Bros. games for the system

Super Mario games[edit]

This gallery does not include Family Computer games.

Miscellaneous[edit]

  • NES Game Atlas

    NES Game Atlas

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ファミリーコンピュータ[?]
Famirī Konpyūta 		Family Computer
ファミコン[?]
Famikon 		Famicom
Korean 현대 컴보이[?]
Hyeondae Keomboi 		Hyundai Comboy
Spanish (NOA) Nintendo Entertainment System[?] -
Spanish (NOE) Sistema de Entretenimiento de Nintendo[?] Nintendo Entertainment System

References[edit]

Nintendo Entertainment System coverage on other NIWA wikis:
  1. ^ a b Akfamilyhome (April 1, 2020). A History of Nintendo's Hong Kong Releases. YouTube (Cantonese & English (English subtitles available)). Retrieved June 5, 2024. (Archived May 25, 2024, 11:22:53 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Joshua Rogers (December 26, 2020). World of Nintendo: Exploring Nintendo in (Eastern) Europe. PAX (via YouTube) (English). Retrieved June 5, 2024. (Archived June 5, 2024, 20:16:14 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  3. ^ a b c d Tobias Bjarneby (September 29, 2006). Historien om Bergsala – 20 år med Nintendo. IDG (Swedish). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived December 13, 2021, 23:23:06 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  4. ^ a b c d Joe Skrebels (December 9, 2019). The Lie That Helped Build Nintendo. IGN (English). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived December 21, 2019, 23:17:14 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  5. ^ Desai, Sameer (September 16, 2008). "Nintendo Wii and DS to launch in India on September 30". Rediff News. Retrieved March 23, 2024. (Archived September 29, 2022, 14:05:16 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  6. ^ a b c d e Sheff, David; Eddy, Andy (April 15, 1999). Game Over, Press Start to Continue: How Nintendo Conquered the World. Cyber Active. ISBN 0-9669617-0-6. Page 413. (Archived via archive.today.)
  7. ^ Oli Welsh (February 24, 2017). A complete history of Nintendo console launches. Eurogamer (English). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived November 13, 2019, 19:30:25 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  8. ^ Oli Welsh (February 24, 2017). A complete history of Nintendo console launches. Eurogamer (English). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived November 13, 2019, 19:30:25 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  9. ^ L'Histoire de Nintendo Volume 3 (in French). Pix'N Love. 2011. p. 133.
  10. ^ November 11, 1988. Computerspel komt terug. BN DeStem (Dutch). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived October 26, 2017, 21:45:42 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  11. ^ José Antonio Luna (February 3, 2019). Videojuegos a 10.000 pesetas y NASA en lugar de NES: así fue la llegada de las consolas a España. El Diario (Spanish). Retrieved June 1, 2024. (Archived December 13, 2021, 23:23:05 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  12. ^ Derboo, Sam (June 6, 2010). "A History of Korean Gaming". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved March 23, 2024. (Archived June 16, 2010, 21:53:33 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  13. ^ Damiano Gerli (April 30, 2022). A Discussion on the European Gaming Market in the 80s. The Genesis Temple (English). Retrieved June 4, 2024. (Archived September 20, 2023, 12:48:35 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  14. ^ Rogers, Joshua Alexander (April 16, 2020). LinkedIn. Retrieved March 23, 2024. (Archived September 25, 2022, 15:36:58 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  15. ^ Flavio Barboni (July 27, 2013). Master System x NES: veja a comparação entre os consoles 8 bits. TechTudo (Portuguese). Retrieved June 4, 2024. (Archived July 9, 2018, 01:06:25 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  16. ^ Nintendo AU NZ (July 14, 2016). "Nintendo Classic Mini announcement". X. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  17. ^ Gardner, Matt (October 18, 2020). "It’s Been 35 Years Since Nintendo Changed Western Gaming Forever". Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  18. ^ http://www.webcitation.org/5nXieXX2B
  19. ^ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/
  20. ^ Nintendo. (July 14, 2016). Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo UK. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  21. ^ Otero, Jose (April 13, 2017). Nintendo Discontinues the NES Classic Edition. IGN. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  22. ^ McFerran, Damien (September 12, 2017). Nintendo Is Resurrecting The NES Classic Mini And Increasing SNES Classic Inventory. Nintendo Life. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  23. ^ Nintendo. Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition. Nintendo.com. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  24. ^ Nintendo (July 14, 2020). "LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System: Now you're playing with power...and bricks". YouTube. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
[Edit]
Family Computer / Nintendo Entertainment System games
Super Mario franchise Donkey Kong (1983) • Mario Bros. (1983) • Pinball (1984) • Golf (1984) • Family BASIC V3† (1985) • Wrecking Crew (1985) • Super Mario Bros. (1985) • Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988) • Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) • Dr. Mario (1990) • NES Open Tournament Golf (1991) • Mario is Missing!* (1993) • Mario's Time Machine* (1994)
Donkey Kong franchise Donkey Kong (1983) • Donkey Kong Jr. (1983) • Donkey Kong Jr. + Jr. Sansū Lesson† (1983) • Donkey Kong Jr. Math (1983) • Donkey Kong 3 (1984) • Donkey Kong Classics* (1988)
Yoshi franchise Yoshi (1991) • Yoshi's Cookie (1992)
Wario franchise Wario's Woods (1994)
Family Computer Disk System Golf (1986) • Super Mario Bros. (1986) • Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986) • I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater (1986) • All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. (1986) • Golf: Japan Course (1987) • Golf: U.S. Course (1987) • Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987) • Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race (1987) • Donkey Kong‡ (1988) • Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally (1988) • Donkey Kong Jr.‡ (1988) • Mario Bros. have returned‡ (1988) • Wrecking Crew‡ (1989) • Pinball‡ (1989)
Miscellaneous Nintendo World Championships 1990* (1990) • Nintendo Campus Challenge* (1991)
* NES only
† Famicom only
‡ Disk Writer only
[Edit]
Video game systems and add-ons
Nintendo home consoles Family Computer/Nintendo Entertainment System (Family BASIC, Family Computer Disk System) • Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Satellaview, Super Game Boy) • Nintendo 64 (Nintendo 64DD) • Nintendo GameCube (Game Boy Player) • Wii (Virtual Console, WiiWare) • Wii U (Virtual Console) • Nintendo Switch
Nintendo handhelds Game & Watch • Game Boy • Virtual Boy • Game Boy Color • Game Boy Advance • Nintendo DS (Nintendo DSi, DSiWare) • Nintendo 3DS (Virtual Console) • Nintendo Switch
Other MS-DOS • VS. System • Nintendo PlayChoice-10 • Nintendo Super System • Nelsonic Game Watch • Super Mario Bros. Watch • Gamewatch Boy • Philips CD-i • Mini Classics • Triforce • Visteon Dockable Entertainment System • Classics • LodgeNet • Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo
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