Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly known as the NES for short and as the Famicom (short for Family Computer) in Japan, is an 8-bit video game console manufactured by the Japanese company Nintendo, first released in 1985. In Japan later on, an upgrade called the Famicom Disk System was released. The NES was released by Hyundai in South Korea as the Comboy. The NES was the first console released by Nintendo and was the best selling console of its time. Nintendo released the NES after successes in the arcade with games such as Donkey Kong and Popeye. The NES is known for revitalizing the video game industry after its 1983 crash. Some NES consoles were bundled with a cartridge consisting of both Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt.

The main competitor of the NES was Sega who, after the Genesis was released, created a promotional campaign Genesis Does What Nintendon't. Soon after that, Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Unlicensed clones[edit]

Unlicensed clones, dubbed Famiclones, are sold due to the lack of original hardware remaining. The first Famiclones were illegal and sold while the NES was produced in markets where the NES was not introduced. They were introduced in North America by companies such as Yobo and Retro Duo and are considered legitimate, due to NES hardware patents expiring. They have mixed compatibility rates, but Yobo and Retro Duo units function well.

Notable Games[edit]

• Bible Adventures
• Bomberman
• Dr. Mario
• Kirby's Adventure
• The Legend of Zelda
• Metroid
• StarTropics
• Super Mario Bros.
• Donkey Kong