Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo Entertainment System
Designer	NERD
Manufacturer	Nintendo
CPU	Ricoh 2A03 at 1.79 MHz (1.66 MHz in a PAL NES)
GPU	Ricoh RP2C02 (RP2C07 in a PAL NES)
RAM	2 KB
VRAM	2 KB
Media	Cartridge (3½-inch floppy disk via the Family Computer Disk System)
Released	JP: JP: July 15, 1983 NA: October 18, 1985 EU: September 1, 1986
Added to Museum	December 25, 1988 (NES)

The Nintendo Entertainment System, the second home video game console by Nintendo, was known as the Family Computer, or Famicom, in Japan. It was first released in Japan in 1983, in North America in 1985, and in Europe in 1986.

Nintendo creates a cartridge-based home console

The Japanese Family Computer

Nintendo had already sold several video game systems with games built into them in Japan as part of their Color TV-Game line and designed the light guns, based on their Beam Gun line and their Simulation System, which were used in the Shooting Gallery game for the Magnavox Odyssey console. Nintendo was also a licensee of the Odyssey and sold the system in Japan.

However, by the early 1980s, consoles that read programmable data on cartridge media were replacing dedicated video game consoles that could only play the games programmed into them. Nintendo Research & Development 2, the development team that had previously designed the Color TV-Game line, went to work designing a system that could read media from a cartridge.

The result was the Family Computer, or Famicom, which came with two built-in controllers, and a microphone embedded in the second controller. It was a hit as soon as it released on July 15, 1983 in Japan. The early success of the console was helped in no small part by Famicom ports of Nintendo's popular arcade games, which were also handled by Nintendo R&D2.

Nintendo enters the foreign home console market

North American NES Action Set

By 1985, Nintendo had success in the United States with their arcade games such as Donkey Kong and Mario Bros., and their Game & Watch series. However, they had yet to break into the North American home console market. This was coupled with the fact that the video game crash of 1983 caused retailers to be skeptical of video game systems in North America. After the crash, most economists warned that video games were simply a passing fad. At first Nintendo sought an established parter to get their foot in the door, and approached Atari with an offer to market their Family Computer in the United States. However, Atari declined. Instead, Nintendo renamed the system from the Family Computer to the Nintendo Entertainment System, in order to distance themselves from the consoles that contributed to the crash, and took the risky approach of releasing the system in North America on their own.

They redesigned the system in muted black and grey tones, and made a system that loaded cartridges from the front of the system instead of on top. This was done in an effort to resemble the video cassette recorders of the time, so it would blend into the average American entertainment center. It was released in North America on October 18, 1985, and it became a smash hit. By the early 1990s, it had entered the public consciousness to a level where the name Nintendo became synonymous with video game consoles themselves.

The home video game market rebounds in North America

The Nintendo Entertainment System was the major factor that brought the United States video game market back after the North American video game crash of 1983, helped in no small part by Nintendo's approval policy, and their official seal of quality which was printed on each officially licensed cartridge. This strict policy not only limited the amount of games a company could release per year, but since Nintendo of America wanted to project a family image, some violent or sexually suggestive games were censored from their original releases. For the most part though, this system worked in Nintendo's favor, as it prevented the influx of cheaply made games that helped lead to the crash.

Some companies created new branches to get around the game limit. There were also some unlicensed games released on the system that got around Nintendo's protection system, including Atari's games through their Tengen label. Bootleg games and clones of the console were also produced, however these were more prevalent in Asia and Eastern Europe than in North America. However, the censorship and unlicensed releases did little to hurt Nintendo's profits. The NES remained the best selling video game console worldwide for the rest of the decade.

Nintendo Entertainment System outside of North America

The worldwide markets received the same front-loading model as the United States. It was released in Europe on September 1, 1986 and in Oceania in 1987. In Korea, it was licensed by Hyundai and released as the Comboy Nintendo Entertainment System in October 1989.

Japan received the Family Computer Disk System, an add-on that added a floppy disk to the Famicom, as well as improved sound hardware with simple wavetable support. It was released on February 21, 1986, and although it was a success, it was never released outside of Japan. Some of the games that were originally Famicom Disk games were released as cartridge games, sometimes with altered audio from the original due to the lack of wavetable support in the original console.

Additional models of the Nintendo Entertainment System

Sharp, one of the companies who had previously released consoles in Nintendo's Color TV Game line, developed the Twin Famicom. This was a Famicom and Famicom Disk System combined in one unit. A switch on the unit enabled switching between cartridge and disk modes. It was released on July 1, 1986 and was only available in Japan.

The NES-101 model was released on October 15, 1993. This design update addressed the major drawback of the original front loading cartridge system. The cartridge contacts in the system often became dusty, and they became loose over time. Because of this, blowing on cartridges to get them to work became a common theme among gamers in the West. Nintendo remedied this with the NES-101 model system, which loaded games from the top. It also featured an ergonomic "dog-bone" shaped controller, which was very similar to their then-current console, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Legacy of the Nintendo Entertainment System

The legacy of the Nintendo Entertainment System remains, even after its heyday. Independent, unlicensed games continue to be produced for the system to this day.

Nintendo has capitalized on the system's continuing popularity with emulators to run the games. In 2001, they included NES games in Animal Forest for the Nintendo 64 and in Animal Crossing for the GameCube. In 2003, they released The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the Gamecube with an emulator to play the NES versions of The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. In 2004, they released emulated versions of several NES titles in the Classic NES Series for Game Boy Advance.

Nintendo introduced the Virtual Console digital download service on the Wii in 2006, which included several emulated NES games. The Virtual Console service was continued on the Wii U in 2011 and on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013.

They also released dedicated consoles that contained modern hardware with an emulator to run the included games. The NES Classic Edition, released as the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and Oceania, and as the Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer in Japan, was released in 2016, right in the middle of the 1980s nostalgia boom. It featured thirty built-in games, HDMI display output for high definition televisions, and a new replica controller which could also connect to the Wii remote for use on the Wii or the Wii U, the latter of which was Nintendo's current home console at the time. In 2018, Nintendo released a special edition of the miniature Famicom in Japan to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Weekly Shonen Jump comic, titled the Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer - Weekly Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary Version. This version contained 20 games that tied into Weekly Shonen Jump and the mini-console was colored gold.

In 2018, Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online service, which contained several NES games which could be played at no additional charge for members of the Nintendo Switch Online service for Nintendo Switch.

NES games owned by WEC Museum

Title	Developer	Release	Added to museum	Notes
Dr. Mario	Nintendo R&D1	1990	March 8, 2003	WEC Museum owns only the cartridge.
GOTCHA! The Sport!	Atlus	1990	September 17, 2018
Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!	Nintendo R&D3	1987	February 6, 2000
Super Mario Bros.	Nintendo R&D4	1985	December 5, 2018

Emulated NES games owned by WEC Museum

Title	Developer	Release	Added to museum	Notes
Balloon Fight	Nintendo R&D1	1986	January 20, 2003 June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017 January 20, 2018	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Balloon Fight is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Balloon Fight is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Balloon Fight is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES version on Balloon Fight-e on the e-Reader for the Game Boy Advance.
Baseball	Nintendo R&D1	1985	January 20, 2003 January 20, 2018	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Baseball is included. The WEC Museum owns Baseball-e on the e-Reader for the Game Boy Advance.
Battletoads	Rare	1991	September 16, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Rare Replay for Xbox One, in which Battletoads is included.
Bubble Bobble	Taito	1988	June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Bubble Bobble is included.
Bumping Sumo	Tecmo	1987	August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Bumping Sumo is included.
Castlevania	Konami	1987	June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Castlevania is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Castlevania is included.
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest	Konami	1988	June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is included.
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers	Capcom	1990	June 4, 2017	The WEC Museum owns The Disney Afternoon Collection for PlayStation 4, in which Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers is included.
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2	Capcom	1994	June 4, 2017	The WEC Museum owns The Disney Afternoon Collection for PlayStation 4, in which Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 is included.
Clu Clu Land	Nintendo R&D1	1984	January 20, 2003	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Clu Clu Land is included.
Cobra Triangle	Rare	1989	September 16, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Rare Replay for Xbox One, in which Cobra Triangle is included.
Darkwing Duck	Capcom	1992	June 4, 2017	The WEC Museum owns The Disney Afternoon Collection for PlayStation 4, in which Darkwing Duck is included.
Digger T. Rock	Rare	1990	September 16, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Rare Replay for Xbox One, in which Digger T. Rock is included.
Donkey Kong	Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo R&D2	1986	January 20, 2003 June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017 January 20, 2018	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Donkey Kong is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Donkey Kong is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Donkey Kong is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES version on Donkey Kong-e on the e-Reader for the Game Boy Advance.
Donkey Kong Jr.	Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo R&D2	1986	January 20, 2003 June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which Donkey Kong Jr. is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Donkey Kong Jr. is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Donkey Kong Jr. is included.
Donkey Kong Jr. Math	Nintendo R&D2	1986	January 20, 2003	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Donkey Kong Jr. Math is included.
Donkey Kong 3	Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo R&D2	1986	January 20, 2003	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which Donkey Kong 3 is included.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge	Technōs	1988	June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Double Dragon II: The Revenge is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Double Dragon II: The Revenge is included.
Dr. Mario	Nintendo R&D1	1990	June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Dr. Mario is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Dr. Mario is included.
Downtown Nekketsu March	Technōs	1990	August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Downtown Nekketsu March is included.
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari	Technōs	1989	August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari is included.
DuckTales	Capcom	1989	June 4, 2017	The WEC Museum owns The Disney Afternoon Collection for PlayStation 4, in which DuckTales is included.
DuckTales 2	Capcom	1993	June 4, 2017	The WEC Museum owns The Disney Afternoon Collection for PlayStation 4, in which DuckTales 2 is included.
Earthbound Beginnings	Ape	2015	December 3, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES version on the Wii U Virtual Console.
Excitebike	Nintendo R&D1	1985	January 20, 2003 June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Excitebike is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Excitebike is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Excitebike is included.
Final Fantasy	Square	1990	June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Final Fantasy is included.
Final Fantasy III	Square	1990	August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Final Fantasy III is included.
Galaga	Namco	1985 1988	August 10, 2017 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Galaga is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Galaga is included.
Ghosts 'n Goblins	Namco	1986	June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Ghosts 'n Goblins is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Ghosts 'n Goblins is included.
Golf	Nintendo R&D1	1985	January 20, 2003	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Golf is included.
Gradius	Konami	1986	August 10, 2017 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Gradius is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Gradius is included.
Ice Climber	Nintendo R&D1	1985	January 20, 2003	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which Ice Climber is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Ice Climber is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Ice Climber is included.
Kid Icarus	Nintendo R&D1	1987	June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Kid Icarus is included.
Kirby's Adventure	HAL Laboratory	1993	August 10, 2017 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Kirby's Adventure is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Kirby's Adventure is included.
The Legend of Zelda	Nintendo R&D4	1986 1987	August 10, 2017 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which The Legend of Zelda is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which The Legend of Zelda is included.
Mario Bros.	Nintendo R&D1	1981 1983 1985	July 29, 2017 June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Arcade Archives emulated arcade version of 'Mario Bros. on Nintendo Switch. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Mario Bros. is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Mario Bros. is included.
Mario Open Golf	Nintendo R&D2	1991	August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Mario Open Golf is included.
Mega Man	Capcom	1987	June 3, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Mega Man Legacy Collection for the PlayStation 4, in which Mega Man is included.
Mega Man 2	Capcom	1988 1989	June 3, 2017 June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Mega Man Legacy Collection for the PlayStation 4, in which Mega Man 2 is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Mega Man 2 is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Mega Man 2 is included.
Mega Man 3	Capcom	1990	June 3, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Mega Man Legacy Collection for the PlayStation 4, in which Mega Man 3 is included.
Mega Man 4	Capcom	1991	June 3, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Mega Man Legacy Collection for the PlayStation 4, in which Mega Man 4 is included.
Mega Man 5	Capcom	1992	June 3, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Mega Man Legacy Collection for the PlayStation 4, in which Mega Man 5 is included.
Mega Man 6	Capcom	1993	June 3, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Mega Man Legacy Collection for the PlayStation 4, in which Mega Man 6 is included.
Metroid	Nintendo R&D1	1986 1987	June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Metroid is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Metroid is included.
The Mystery of Atlantis	Sunsoft	1986	August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which The Mystery of Atlantis is included.
Ninja Gaiden	Tecmo	1988	June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Ninja Gaiden is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Ninja Gaiden is included.
Pac-Man	Namco	1990 1993	August 10, 2017 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Pacman is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Pac-Man is included.
Pinball	Nintendo R&D1	1985	January 20, 2003	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Pinball is included.
Punch Out!!	Nintendo R&D3	1990	January 20, 2003 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which Punch Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Punch Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream is included.
R.C. Pro-Am	Rare	1987	September 16, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Rare Replay for Xbox One, in which R.C. Pro-Am is included.
R.C. Pro-Am II	Rare	1992	September 16, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Rare Replay for Xbox One, in which R.C. Pro-Am II is included.
Slalom	Rare	1986	September 16, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Rare Replay for Xbox One, in which Slalom is included.
Soccer	Intelligent Systems	1985	September 17, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Soccer is included.
Snake Rattle 'n' Roll	Rare	1990	September 16, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Rare Replay for Xbox One, in which Snake Rattle 'n' Roll is included.
Solar Jetman	Rare	1990	September 16, 2016	The WEC Museum owns Rare Replay for Xbox One, in which Solar Jetman is included.
Solomon's Key	Tecmo	1987	June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Solomon's Key is included.
StarTropics	Nintendo R&D3	1990	January 20, 2003	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which StarTropics is included.
Super Contra Super C	Nintendo	1990	August 10, 2017 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Super Contra is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Super C is included.
Super Mario Bros.	Nintendo R&D4	1985	June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Super Mario Bros. is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Super Mario Bros. is included.
Super Mario Bros. 2 Super Mario USA	Nintendo R&D4	1988 1992	June 22, 2017 August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the Super Mario Bros. 2 is included. The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Super Mario USA is included.
Super Mario Bros. 3	Nintendo R&D4	1988 1990	August 10, 2017 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the NES version of Super Mario Bros. 3 is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the Famicom version of Super Mario Bros. 3 is included.
TaleSpin	Capcom	1991	June 4, 2017	The WEC Museum owns The Disney Afternoon Collection for PlayStation 4, in which TaleSpin is included.
Tecmo Bowl	Tecmo	1989	June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which Tecmo Bowl is included.
Tennis	Nintendo R&D1 Intelligent Systems	1985	January 20, 2003 January 20, 2018	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Tennis is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES version on Tennis-e on the e-Reader for the Game Boy Advance.
Yie Ar Kung-Fu	Konami	1985	August 10, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which Yie Ar Kung-Fu is included.
Wario's Woods	Nintendo R&D1	1994	January 20, 2003	The WEC Museum owns Animal Crossing for GameCube, in which the NES version of Wario's Woods is included.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link	Nintendo R&D4	1987 1988	August 10, 2017 June 22, 2017	The WEC Museum owns the Famicom Mini, on which the Famicom version of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is included. The WEC Museum owns the NES Classic Edition, on which the NES version of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is included.