Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

gaming history · 1980s tech · Nintendo · video games

A game-changing console. The NES arrived in American homes in 1986 and became one of the most successful video game systems ever made. It let families play arcade-style games at home instead of visiting game rooms.

Started in Japan. The NES was first released in Japan as the Famicom (Family Computer) on July 15, 1983, before coming to the United States and other countries. It showed the whole world that home gaming could be a huge entertainment business.

Packed with classics. The NES gave us legendary games like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong that are still loved today. These games turned millions of kids into gamers.

Programmable and flexible. Unlike Nintendo's earlier dedicated consoles that played only one or two games, the NES could play many different games on cartridges. This made it way more fun and kept people interested for years.

Beat the competition. The NES competed with Sega's Master System but became the clear winner of the 1980s console wars. It gave Nintendo the power to shape what video games would become for decades.