CHiP Talks Consoles: NES

The NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), known originally in Japan as the FamiCom (Family Computer) is a third-generation home console released in 1983 in Japan and 1986 in Europe.

Company:

Nintendo

Game Storage:

Cartridges

Console:

The NES received a redesign when it was released in the West, being a lot boxier to resemble a VHS player, and changing to a black and grey color palette instead of the white and red of the JP version. It also changed from a top-loading cartridge slot to a front-loading one, again to resemble a VHS player. This was because Nintendo worried a straight-forward game console would have a hard time breaking into the market at the time.

It supports two controllers at once, which recycle their layout from the Game & Watch LCD games, also by Nintendo.

One problem faced by the NES is the fact that the force of inserting the game cartridge in the slot bends the pins of the cartridge, which can lead to them wearing out in the long run.

To amend this, a redesign of the NES, the NES-101 (New Style NES) was created with a top-loading slot.

Accessories:

There were a few extra accessories created for the NES, most of which plug into the controller port. (this is not a comprehensive list)

NES MAX Controller: a controller with a sliding control pad and rapid-fire buttons. The shape is also closer to that of modern controllers, rather than the rectangular shape of the regular NES controllers.

NES Advantage Controller: an arcade style controller featuring a joystick and enlarged buttons with a "turbo" feature. The controller is meant to be placed on a tabletop to emulate the arcade feel.

NES Zapper: a light gun, only released in Japan and North America, with an optical sensor to allow the players to shoot accurately at the screen. It only works with a few compatible games.

My thoughts:

Sadly, I don't own this console (yet), so I cannot speak from first-hand experience. I find retro games really charming, with my favourites being 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit, so the NES is pretty high up on my wishlist. Truth be told, there's not a lot of games for this console that interest me (only 10), it's more the hardware itself that intrigues me.

If ever I manage to get my hands on one, I will come back with a more informed opinion.