Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) arrived
in the U.S. at a time when the concept of home videogames was
thought to be dead. The abrupt decline of Atari, Coleco and Mattel
in the years between 1983 and 1985 left retailers skeptical, even
hostile, toward the prospect of another gaming console. Yet despite
this uphill battle, the NES quickly became a phenomenon, at once
reviving the industry and making the name Nintendo synonymous with
videogames.
Based on the already popular Japanese Famicom, the 8-bit NES was
first test-marketed in New York City in late 1985 and became
available nationwide toward the end of 1986. Nintendo's strategy was
to position the console as more than just a videogame machine, and
to that end, they heavily emphasized two peripherals included in the
package: the Zapper light gun and a toy-like robot called R.O.B.
Although these two gadgets helped get the NES into stores, it was a
game called Super Mario Bros. that really sold the system. With its
large worlds, scrolling environments, and hidden secrets, the game
clearly showed off the NES' power over previous consoles. Another
innovation was the system's controller, which contained two action
buttons, start and select buttons, and a cross-shaped "d-pad" first
introduced on Nintendo's Game & Watch handheld units.
Due to its experience with piracy and unauthorized cartridges on the
Famicom, Nintendo included a "lockout" chip in the NES that allowed
them to control the quantity and quality of games released by
third-party companies, as well as receive a license fee for each
game sold. Companies such as Tengen found various ways to circumvent
the chip, leading to inevitable legal action.
The NES' formula for success relied on a healthy dose of first-party
classics, such as The Legend of Zelda, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out and
Metroid, complemented by strong third-party games like Metal Gear,
Mega Man, Castlevania and Battletoads. But despite Nintendo's "Seal
of Quality," the system still had more than its fair share of poor
titles, including such bombs as Gilligan's Island and Home Alone 2:
Lost in New York.
The NES arguably hit its peak in 1990 with the release of Super
Mario Bros. 3, which sold 17 million copies worldwide. Although the
system continued to remain a strong presence for several years
afterward, the release of the Super NES in 1991 marked the beginning
of the end. The last game for the NES was Wario's Woods, released in
1994.
— Skyler Miller
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