Difference between revisions of "Nintendo Entertainment System"

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[[Image:NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|The North American NES.]]
 
[[Image:NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|The North American NES.]]
  
The '''''Nintendo Entertainment System''''', known as the '''''Family Computer''''' or '''''Famicom''''' in Japan, is a video game console created by [[Nintendo]]. It was first released in 1983 in Japan as in America in 1985.
+
The '''Nintendo Entertainment System''', first released in Japan as the [[Famicom|Family Computer]], is a third-generation [[video game console]] created by [[Nintendo]]. It was first released in 1983 in Japan as the [[Famicom]] and in North America in 1985. The system uses a Ricoh 2A03 processor which is a modified [[MOS 6502]] with an integrated audio processing unit (APU), and a custom picture processing unit (PPU). The PPU allows for smooth scrolling, something that was rare in video games of the day and really added to the playability of the system.
  
Back around 1988, my brother and I pooled our paper route money to buy the Action Set which came with the [[Zapper]], two [[NES Controller|controllers]], and a [[Super Mario Bros. + Duck Hunt]] dual cart. I still have the system, though it barely works now due to the poor design. It has become one of my favorite video game platforms ever made. We later got the [[NES Advantage]], a friend of mine had the [[NES Max]], and my cousins had the [[Power Pad]]. For awhile we had a [[Game Genie]], and I also remember borrowing a [[Game Action Replay]] for a short time.
+
==Personal==
 +
The first NES game I ever saw was a [[VS. System]] arcade version of ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' (around 1986-1987), but I first saw the home console around 1987 at my baby sitter's house. They played ''[[Karate Champ]]'', ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', and I think, ''[[Popeye (video game)|Popeye]]''. As I watched them play, I was really looking forward to a turn on it, but the older boy in my baby sitter's family kept playing non-stop. Finally, when he said he'd had enough and would let someone else play, someone in my baby sitter's family put their hand on the NES console and said that it had gotten too hot and might become damaged, so they unplugged it and I never got to play. I already didn't like the baby sitters, but I remember feeling especially cheated because of that. I never did play on their console because my mother stopped using them as a baby sitter shortly after that.
 +
 
 +
Back around 1988, my brother and I pooled our paper route money to buy the Action Set which came with the [[Zapper]], two [[NES Controller|controllers]], and a [[Super Mario Bros. multicarts|''Super Mario Bros.'' / ''Duck Hunt'']] dual cart. I still have the system, though it barely works now due to the poor design. It has become one of my favorite video game platforms ever made. We later got the [[NES Advantage]], a friend of mine had the [[NES Max]], and my cousins had the [[Power Pad]]. For awhile we had a [[Game Genie]], and I also remember borrowing a [[Game Action Replay]] for a short time. The NES was certainly the most formative console for me, and I spent a lot of time designing my own games on paper that I was sure I would one-day make for it.
  
 
==Status==
 
==Status==
 
I own a very damaged, but still working, original model NES.
 
I own a very damaged, but still working, original model NES.
  
==Favorite Games==
+
==Games==
Of the games I've played on the system, I have particularly enjoyed:
+
: ''See all [[:Category:NES Games|NES Games]].''
* [[Bionic Commando]]
+
 
* [[Contra]]
+
These are the NES games that are important to me:
* [[DuckTales]]
+
<gallery>
* [[Final Fantasy]]
+
Bad Dudes - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja|Bad Dudes]]''
* [[The Goonies II]]
+
Bionic Commando - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Bionic Commando (NES)|Bionic Commando]]''
* [[Guerrilla War]]
+
Contra - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Contra (NES)|Contra]]''
* [[The Legend of Zelda]]
+
Dragon Warrior - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Dragon Warrior]]''
* [[Mega Man II]]
+
DuckTales - NES - USA.jpg|''[[DuckTales]]''
* [[Metroid]]
+
Final Fantasy - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Final Fantasy]]''
* [[Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!]]
+
Gauntlet - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Gauntlet (NES)|Gauntlet]]''
* [[River City Ransom]]
+
Goonies II, The - NES - USA.jpg|''[[The Goonies II]]''
* [[Section-Z]]
+
Guerrilla War - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Guerrilla War (NES)|Guerrilla War]]''
* [[Shadowgate]]
+
Legend of Zelda, The - NES - USA.jpg|''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''
* [[Super C]]
+
Life Force - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Life Force]]''
* [[Super Mario Bros.]]
+
Mega Man II - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Mega Man II]]''
* [[Super Mario Bros. 3]]
+
Metroid - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Metroid]]''
* [[Tetris]]
+
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!]]''
* [[Ultima: Exodus]]
+
River City Ransom - NES - USA.jpg|''[[River City Ransom]]''
* [[Ultima: Quest of the Avatar]]
+
Section-Z - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Section-Z (NES)|Section-Z]]''
 +
Shadowgate - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Shadowgate]]''
 +
Spy Hunter - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Spy Hunter]]''
 +
Super C - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Super C]]''
 +
Super Mario Bros. - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''
 +
Super Mario Bros. 2 - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]''
 +
Super Mario Bros. 3 - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
 +
Tecmo Bowl - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Tecmo Bowl]]''
 +
Tecmo Super Bowl - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Tecmo Super Bowl]]''
 +
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (video game)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''
 +
Tetris - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Tetris (Nintendo)|Tetris]]''
 +
Ultima - Exodus - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Ultima: Exodus]]''
 +
Ultima - Quest of the Avatar - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Ultima: Quest of the Avatar]]''
 +
Uninvited - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Uninvited]]''
 +
Zelda II - Adventure of Link, The - NES - USA.jpg|''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
==Hardware==
 +
* [[Four Score]]
 +
* [[Game Action Replay]]
 +
* [[Game Genie]]
 +
* [[NES Advantage]]
 +
* [[NES Controller]]
 +
* [[NES Max]]
 +
* [[Power Pad]]
 +
* [[Satellite]]
 +
* [[Zapper]]
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
* Many great games were released on the platform.
+
* A lot of really great games were released on the platform.
 
* The controllers, though not the most comfortable to hold, were very tough and could survive a lot of abuse.
 
* The controllers, though not the most comfortable to hold, were very tough and could survive a lot of abuse.
* The system's PPU (picture processing unit) was designed very well and provided some of the best graphic abilities of the day.
+
* The system's PPU (picture processing unit) was designed very well and provided some of the best graphic abilities of the day. Most other systems were seeing rough scrolling in 8-bit chunks, but the NES could scroll smoothly. Later hardware advances allowed 8-way smooth scrolling.
* The APU (audio processing unit) built into the CPU was was the best audio for a home console at the time. While it featured the typical 3 pulse wave, 1 noise channel design, Nintendo wisely changed one of the pulse waves into a triangle wave giving it a more robust sound. They also added a DPCM channel for digital sound effects, voice, and even sample-based music.
+
* The APU (audio processing unit) built into the CPU was was the best audio for a home console at the time. While it featured the typical 3 pulse wave/1 noise channel structure, Nintendo engineers wisely changed one of the pulse waves into a triangle wave giving it a more robust sound. They also added a DPCM channel for digital sound effects, voice, and even sample-based music.
* Allowing cartridges to include additional chips for additional functionality was a fantastic idea which greatly extended the life of the platform.
+
* Allowing cartridges to include extra chips for additional functionality was a fantastic idea which greatly extended the life of the platform.
* Nintendo wisely created an official magazine to help direct buyers toward the best games.
+
* Nintendo of America wisely created an official magazine to help direct buyers toward the best games.
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
Line 43: Line 72:
 
* The available color palette of the PPU is pretty awful.
 
* The available color palette of the PPU is pretty awful.
 
* The system is not very ascetically pleasing to look at.
 
* The system is not very ascetically pleasing to look at.
 +
* In order to eliminate competition, Nintendo prevented those developers who initially released their games on the NES from releasing them on any other console.
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
* The spring-loaded toaster design was a serious engineering flaw that caused most systems to stop working properly after only a couple years, and Nintendo didn't accept responsibility and fix them.
+
* The spring-loaded toaster design had an engineering problem, and it was amplified by the lock-out chip. This caused most systems to begin experiencing problems after only a couple months and keep getting worse over time. Nintendo not only refused to fix them, but completely denied responsibility for their error.
* The lock-out chip was also a major contributor to games not working properly.
 
  
==Documentation==
+
==Media==
 +
===Documentation===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
NES - Manual.pdf|Manual.
+
Nintendo Entertainment System - Control Deck - Manual - Rev-3.pdf|Control Deck manual, rev-3.
 +
Nintendo Entertainment System - Control Deck - Manual - Rev-5.pdf|Control Deck manual, rev-5.
 +
Top Secret Passwords - Nintendo Player's Guide.pdf|Top Secret Passwords - ''[[Nintendo Player's Guide]]''.
 +
NES Game Atlas - Nintendo Player's Guide.pdf|NES Game Atlas - ''Nintendo Player's Guide''.
 +
I Am Error - Hardcover - USA - 1st Edition.jpg|''[[I Am Error: The Nintendo Family Computer / Entertainment System Platform]]''.
 +
Unofficial NES-Famicom, The - Visual Companion, A.pdf|''The Unofficial NES/Famicom - A Visual Companion''.
 +
Master System - NES - Toys R Us Ad.jpg|Toys "R" Us ad with a [[Master System]].
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
==Gallery==
+
===Infographics===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Every Official NES Game Released In the USA.jpg|Every Official NES Game Released In the USA.
 
Every Official NES Game Released In the USA.jpg|Every Official NES Game Released In the USA.
 +
Satoshi Matrix - Top 100 NES-Famicom Games.png|Favorite games of Satoshi Matrix.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 +
===Prototypes===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Nintendo Entertainment System - Advanced Video System 1985-Q1 Prototype.jpg|An early prototype called the Advanced Video System. Include tape-recorder for data read/write, a keyboard, and a [[BASIC]] interpreter. First quarter of 1985.
 +
Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985-Q3 Prototype.jpg|A later prototype of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Third quarter of 1985.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 +
===Fan Art===
 +
<gallery>
 
J2Dstar - Playing With Power!.jpg|Fan art by J2Dstar.
 
J2Dstar - Playing With Power!.jpg|Fan art by J2Dstar.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
 +
===Videos===
 +
{{#ev:youtube|Vk6vGRD6tkA|256|inline|NES Works - Advanced Video System.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|B9kyey_qxNM|256|inline|NES Works - NES.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|czjBGRDKydE|256|inline|NES Works - Launch.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|lFFxg-Y37_s|256|inline|NES Works - Fandom.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|Hj_rmcaHvEE|256|inline|NES Works - Region locking.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|_VBjikK8-A4|256|inline|Did You Know Gaming?|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|gVgWaIAiOBY|256|inline|Boundary Break.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|ZWQ0591PAxM|256|inline|Fitting a game into 40 KB.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|vD_xsYCCawE|256|inline|8-Bit Guy, NES clones.|frame}}
 +
 +
==Favorites==
 +
===Games===
 +
This is a list of my top 20 favorite games published on the NES.
 +
 +
# ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
 +
# ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''
 +
# ''[[Mega Man II]]''
 +
# ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''
 +
# ''[[Metroid]]''
 +
# ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]''
 +
# ''[[Final Fantasy]]''
 +
# ''[[Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!]]''
 +
# ''[[Bionic Commando (NES)|Bionic Commando]]''
 +
# ''[[Super C]]''
 +
# ''[[Contra (NES)|Contra]]''
 +
# ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]''
 +
# ''[[River City Ransom]]''
 +
# ''[[Blaster Master]]''
 +
# ''[[Mega Man III]]''
 +
# ''[[Life Force (NES)|Life Force]]''
 +
# ''[[Guerilla War (NES)|Guerilla War]]''
 +
# ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]''
 +
# ''[[Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES)|Double Dragon II: The Revenge]]''
 +
# ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''
 +
 +
===Companies===
 +
This is a list of my top ten favorite game companies that developed or published games on the NES.
 +
# [[Nintendo]]
 +
# [[Capcom]]
 +
# [[Konami]]
 +
# [[Technos]]
 +
# [[Sunsoft]]
 +
# [[Kemco]]
 +
# [[Enix]]
 +
# [[Square]]
 +
# [[Tecmo]]
 +
# [[Fujisankei Communications International|FCI]]
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System] - Wikipedia.
+
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System}}
 +
{{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/nes/list-games}}
 +
{{Link|VGMPF|2=http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Nintendo_Entertainment_System}}
 +
 
 +
* [http://tasvideos.org/EmulatorResources/NESAccuracyTests.html tasvideos.org/EmulatorResources/NESAccuracyTests.html] - Accuracy tests of NES emulators.
  
  
[[Category: Platforms]]
+
[[Category: Video Game Platforms]]

Revision as of 13:33, 11 March 2021

The North American NES.

The Nintendo Entertainment System, first released in Japan as the Family Computer, is a third-generation video game console created by Nintendo. It was first released in 1983 in Japan as the Famicom and in North America in 1985. The system uses a Ricoh 2A03 processor which is a modified MOS 6502 with an integrated audio processing unit (APU), and a custom picture processing unit (PPU). The PPU allows for smooth scrolling, something that was rare in video games of the day and really added to the playability of the system.

Personal

The first NES game I ever saw was a VS. System arcade version of Super Mario Bros. (around 1986-1987), but I first saw the home console around 1987 at my baby sitter's house. They played Karate Champ, Super Mario Bros., and I think, Popeye. As I watched them play, I was really looking forward to a turn on it, but the older boy in my baby sitter's family kept playing non-stop. Finally, when he said he'd had enough and would let someone else play, someone in my baby sitter's family put their hand on the NES console and said that it had gotten too hot and might become damaged, so they unplugged it and I never got to play. I already didn't like the baby sitters, but I remember feeling especially cheated because of that. I never did play on their console because my mother stopped using them as a baby sitter shortly after that.

Back around 1988, my brother and I pooled our paper route money to buy the Action Set which came with the Zapper, two controllers, and a Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt dual cart. I still have the system, though it barely works now due to the poor design. It has become one of my favorite video game platforms ever made. We later got the NES Advantage, a friend of mine had the NES Max, and my cousins had the Power Pad. For awhile we had a Game Genie, and I also remember borrowing a Game Action Replay for a short time. The NES was certainly the most formative console for me, and I spent a lot of time designing my own games on paper that I was sure I would one-day make for it.

Status

I own a very damaged, but still working, original model NES.

Games

See all NES Games.

These are the NES games that are important to me:

Hardware

Review

Good

  • A lot of really great games were released on the platform.
  • The controllers, though not the most comfortable to hold, were very tough and could survive a lot of abuse.
  • The system's PPU (picture processing unit) was designed very well and provided some of the best graphic abilities of the day. Most other systems were seeing rough scrolling in 8-bit chunks, but the NES could scroll smoothly. Later hardware advances allowed 8-way smooth scrolling.
  • The APU (audio processing unit) built into the CPU was was the best audio for a home console at the time. While it featured the typical 3 pulse wave/1 noise channel structure, Nintendo engineers wisely changed one of the pulse waves into a triangle wave giving it a more robust sound. They also added a DPCM channel for digital sound effects, voice, and even sample-based music.
  • Allowing cartridges to include extra chips for additional functionality was a fantastic idea which greatly extended the life of the platform.
  • Nintendo of America wisely created an official magazine to help direct buyers toward the best games.

Bad

  • Despite Nintendo's strong control over the platform, far too many horrible games were made for the system, which led to the market becoming over-saturated with crappy games.
  • The available color palette of the PPU is pretty awful.
  • The system is not very ascetically pleasing to look at.
  • In order to eliminate competition, Nintendo prevented those developers who initially released their games on the NES from releasing them on any other console.

Ugly

  • The spring-loaded toaster design had an engineering problem, and it was amplified by the lock-out chip. This caused most systems to begin experiencing problems after only a couple months and keep getting worse over time. Nintendo not only refused to fix them, but completely denied responsibility for their error.

Media

Documentation

Infographics

Prototypes

Fan Art

Videos

NES Works - Advanced Video System.
NES Works - NES.
NES Works - Launch.
NES Works - Fandom.
NES Works - Region locking.
Did You Know Gaming?
Boundary Break.
Fitting a game into 40 KB.
8-Bit Guy, NES clones.

Favorites

Games

This is a list of my top 20 favorite games published on the NES.

  1. Super Mario Bros. 3
  2. The Legend of Zelda
  3. Mega Man II
  4. Super Mario Bros.
  5. Metroid
  6. Super Mario Bros. 2
  7. Final Fantasy
  8. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
  9. Bionic Commando
  10. Super C
  11. Contra
  12. Kirby's Adventure
  13. River City Ransom
  14. Blaster Master
  15. Mega Man III
  16. Life Force
  17. Guerilla War
  18. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
  19. Double Dragon II: The Revenge
  20. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Companies

This is a list of my top ten favorite game companies that developed or published games on the NES.

  1. Nintendo
  2. Capcom
  3. Konami
  4. Technos
  5. Sunsoft
  6. Kemco
  7. Enix
  8. Square
  9. Tecmo
  10. FCI

Links

Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-MobyGames.png  Link-VGMPF.png