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{{Redirect|NES}}
{{redirect|Family Computer|the 1977 VideoBrain product|VideoBrain Family Computer}}
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{{Infobox CVG system
|title=Nintendo Entertainment System (International)<br />Nintendo Family Computer (Japanese)
|logo=<div style="white-space: nowrap;">[[Image:NES logo.svg|147px|Official Nintendo Entertainment System logo]][[Image:Famicom Family logo.svg|84px|Famicom Family logo]]</div>
|image={{nowrap|[[File:NES-Console-Set.png|250px|Nintendo Entertainment System with controller]]<br>[[File:Famicom-Console-Set.png|250px|Nintendo Famicom]]}}
|caption='''Top:''' Nintendo Entertainment System with controller<br/>'''Bottom:''' Nintendo Family Computer
|manufacturer=[[Nintendo]]
|type=[[Video game console]]
|generation=[[History of video game consoles (third generation)|Third generation]]
|release date={{vgrelease|JP=July 15, 1983|NA=October 18, 1985|EU=September 1, 1986{{cref|a}}}}{{vgrelease|EU/[[Australasia|AUS]]|1987{{cref|a}}}}
|discontinued={{vgrelease|NA=1995<ref name="Museum"/>|JP=September 25, 2003<ref>L'Histoire de Nintendo volume 3 p. 113 (Ed. Pix'n Love, 2011)</ref>}}
|CPU=[[Ricoh 2A03]] [[8-bit]] processor ([[MOS Technology 6502]] core)
|media=[[ROM cartridge]] ("Game Pak"){{cref|b}}
|controllers=2 controller ports{{cref|c}}<br />1 expansion slot
|unitssold=61.91 million<ref name="consolidatedsales">{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e0912.pdf |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |accessdate=2010-02-14 |date=2010-01-27 |publisher=Nintendo |format=PDF |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5nXieXX2B |archivedate=2010-02-14}}</ref>
|topgame= ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' ([[Pack-in game|pack-in]]), 40.23 million <small>(as of 1999)</small><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=52404 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060317005503/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=52404 |title=Best-Selling Video Games |publisher=[[Guinness World Records]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |archivedate=2006-03-17}}</ref><br /> ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', 18 million <small>(as of July 27, 2008)</small><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2463142/Super-Mario-Bros-voted-greatest-computer-game-ever.html|title=Super Mario Bros voted greatest computer game ever|date=2008-07-27|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|accessdate=2010-07-22}}</ref>
''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]''<br />(10 million)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tech.uk.msn.com/features/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4825211|title=The games that sold consoles|first=Patrick|last=Goss|publisher=MSN|accessdate=2011-09-24}}</ref>
|manufacturer=[[Nintendo]]
|predecessor=[[Color TV Game]]
|successor=[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]}}

The '''Nintendo Entertainment System''' (also abbreviated as '''NES''' or simply called '''Nintendo''') is an [[8-bit]] [[video game console]] that was released by [[Nintendo]] in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987. In most of Asia, including Japan (where it was first launched in 1983), China, Vietnam, Singapore, the [[Middle East]] and [[Hong Kong]], it was released as the {{Nihongo|'''Family Computer'''|ファミリーコンピュータ|Famirī Konpyūta}}, commonly shortened as either the {{Nihongo|'''Famicom'''|ファミコン|Famikon}}, or abbreviated to '''FC'''. In South Korea, it was known as the '''Hyundai Comboy''' (현대 컴보이) and was distributed by [[Hynix]] which then was known as Hyundai Electronics. It was succeeded by the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]].

Once the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling gaming console]] of its time,<ref name="dominate">{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |page=349}}</ref>{{cref|e}} the NES helped revitalize the US video game industry following the [[North American video game crash of 1983|video game crash of 1983]],<ref>{{cite journal |last=Consalvo |first=Mia |year=2006 |title=Console video games and global corporations: Creating a hybrid culture |journal=New Media Society |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=117–137 |doi=10.1177/1461444806059921 |format=PDF}}{{subscription required}}</ref> and set the standard for subsequent consoles of its generation. With the NES, Nintendo introduced a now-standard business model of licensing [[Video game development parties|third-party developers]], authorizing them to produce and distribute software for Nintendo's platform.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sanchez-Crespo |first=Daniel |title=Core Techniques and Algorithms in Game Programming|accessdate=2007-10-24|date=2003-09-08|publisher=New Riders Games|isbn=0131020099|page=14}}</ref>

In 2009, the Nintendo Entertainment System was named the single greatest video game console in history by [[IGN]], out of a field of 25.<ref>http://www.ign.com/top-25-consoles/1.html</ref> 2010 marked the system's 25th anniversary, which was officially celebrated by [[Nintendo of America]]'s magazine [[Nintendo Power]] in issue #260 (November 2010) with a special 26-page tribute section. Other video game publications also featured articles looking back at 25 years of the NES, and its impact in the video game console market.

==History==
{{Main|History of the Nintendo Entertainment System}}
{{Listen
|filename=Famicom.ogg
|title=Famicom|description=Famicom (as pronounced by a native speaker of Japanese)
}}Following a series of [[arcade game]] successes in the early 1980s, Nintendo made plans to produce a cartridge-based console called The Famicom. [[Masayuki Uemura]] designed the system, which was released in Japan on July 15, 1983 for [[Japanese yen|¥]]14,800 alongside three [[Porting|ports]] of Nintendo's successful arcade games ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Junior|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'' and ''[[Popeye (arcade game)|Popeye]]''. The Famicom was slow to gather momentum; a bad chip set caused the initial release of the system to [[crash (computing)|crash]]. Following a [[product recall]] and a reissue with a new [[motherboard]], the Famicom’s popularity soared, becoming the best-selling game console in Japan by the end of 1984.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4|pages=279, 285}}</ref>

Encouraged by these successes, Nintendo soon turned its attention to the North American market. Nintendo entered into negotiations with [[Atari]] to release the Famicom under Atari’s name as the name ''Nintendo Advanced Video Gaming System''; however, this deal eventually fell through when Atari executives discovered that Coleco, one of Atari's competitors, was (illegally) demonstrating their [[Coleco Adam]] computer with ''Donkey Kong'', which not only was one of Atari's competitors, but with disregard to Atari's right to publish the game for computer systems.<ref name="Kent283">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4|pages=283–285}}</ref>{{cref|g}} Subsequent plans to market a Famicom console in North America featuring a keyboard, [[Compact_Cassette#Data_recording|cassette data recorder]], wireless [[joystick]] controller and a special [[BASIC]] cartridge under the name "Nintendo Advanced Video System" likewise never materialized.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=287}}</ref> By the beginning of 1985, the Famicom had sold more than 2.5 million units in Japan and Nintendo soon announced plans to release it in North America as the Advanced Video Entertainment System (AVS) that same year. The American [[Video game journalism|video game press]] was skeptical that the console could have any success in the region, with the March 1985 issue of ''[[Electronic Games]]'' magazine stating that "the videogame market in America has virtually disappeared" and that "this could be a miscalculation on Nintendo's part."<ref>{{cite journal|title=Nintendo's Final Solution|journal=[[Electronic Games]]|year=1985|month=March|volume=4|issue=36|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/electronic-games-magazine-1985-03/Electronic_Games_Issue_36_Vol_04_01_1985_Mar#page/n7/mode/2up|accessdate=5 February 2012|page=9}}</ref>

In June [[1985 in video gaming|1985]], Nintendo unveiled its American version of the Famicom at the [[Consumer Electronics Show]] (CES). It rolled out its first systems to limited American markets starting in New York City on October 18, 1985, following up with a full-fledged North American release of the console in February of the following year.<ref>{{cite book | first = Van | last = Burnham | year = 2001 | title = Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age, 1971–1984 | page = 375 | publisher = MIT Press | location = Cambridge, Massachusetts | isbn = 0-262-52420-1 }}</ref> Nintendo released 17 launch titles: ''[[10-Yard Fight]]'', ''[[Baseball (1983 video game)|Baseball]]'', ''[[Clu Clu Land]]'', ''[[Duck Hunt]]'', ''[[Excitebike]]'', ''[[Golf (video game)|Golf]]'', ''[[Gyromite]]'', ''[[Hogan's Alley (video game)|Hogan’s Alley]]'', ''[[Ice Climber]]'', ''[[Kung-Fu Master|Kung Fu]]'', ''[[Pinball (video game)|Pinball]]'', ''[[Stack-Up]]'', ''[[Tennis (video game)|Tennis]]'', ''[[Wild Gunman]]'', ''[[Wrecking Crew (video game)|Wrecking Crew]]'', ''[[Soccer (1985 video game)|Soccer]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''.<ref name="Dayton, David 2010">{{cite web |author=Dayton, David |date=18 October 2010 |title=Super Mario's Release Date is Missing! |work=The Mushroom Kingdom |url=http://themushroomkingdom.net/smb_release.shtml |accessdate=2011-10-08}}</ref>{{cref|h}} Some varieties of these launch games contained Famicom chips with an adapter inside the cartridge so they would play on North American consoles, which is why the title screen of "[[Gyromite]]" has the Famicom title "Robot Gyro" and the title screen of "[[Stack-Up]]" has the Famicom title "Robot Block".<ref name="Adapters"/>

The system was originally targeted for release in the spring of 1985, but the release date was pushed back. After test-marketing in the New York City area in late fall, the system was released nationwide in February 1986. The [[North American video game crash of 1983|video game market crash of 1983]] was due to a lack of consumer and retailer confidence in video games, due partially to confusion and misrepresentation in the marketing of video games. Prior to the NES, the packaging of many video games had artwork which exaggerated the graphics of the actual game. A single game, such as Pac-Man, would appear on many different game consoles and computers, with large variations in graphics and sound between the versions. Nintendo's marketing aimed to regain consumer and retailer confidence. The game system was referred to as an "Entertainment System", the games as "Game Paks", not video games, and the console itself as a "Control Deck", not a console. The [[R.O.B.]] was part of a marketing plan to portray the NES as novel and different than previous game consoles. The packaging of the launch lineup of NES games had pictures with a very close representation of the actual graphics of the game. Symbols on the launch games clearly showed the genre of the game to reduce confusion. A 'seal of quality' was printed on licensed game and accessory packaging. The initial seal stated: "This seal is your assurance that Nintendo has approved and guaranteed the quality of this product". This text was later changed to "[[Nintendo#Seal_of_Quality|Official Nintendo Seal of Quality]]". The [[10NES]] lockout chip system deterred the production of NES games without Nintendo's approval, which helped to ensure that the system would have a reputation for high-quality games.

Unlike with the Famicom, Nintendo of America marketed the console primarily to children, instituting a rather strict policy of not permitting profanity, sexual, religious, or political content in games. The most famous case of this was Lucasfilm's attempts to port [[Maniac Mansion]] (a game with a considerable amount of unacceptable material) to the NES. NOA continued their censorship policy until 1994 with the event of the [[Entertainment Software Rating Board]] system.

In Europe and Australia, the system was released to two separate marketing regions. One region consisted of most of mainland Europe (excluding Italy), and distribution there was handled by a number of different companies, with Nintendo responsible for most cartridge releases. Most of this region saw a 1986 release. Mattel handled distribution for the other region, consisting of the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, starting the following year. Not until the 1990s did Nintendo's newly created European branch direct distribution throughout Europe.<ref name="Europe">{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |pages=413–414}}</ref> Despite the system’s lackluster performance outside of Japan and North America, by 1990 the NES had outsold all previously released consoles worldwide.<ref name="classic">{{cite web |author=Nielsen, Martin |year=1997 |title=The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) FAQ v3.0A |work=ClassicGaming.com's Museum |url=http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=ConsoleMuseum.Detail&id=27 |accessdate=2007-07-16}}</ref> The slogan for this brand was ''It can't be beaten''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |page=345}}</ref> The Nintendo Entertainment System was not available in the [[Soviet Union]].

As the 1990s dawned, however, renewed competition from technologically superior systems such as the [[16-bit]] [[Mega Drive|Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]] marked the end of the NES’s dominance. Eclipsed by Nintendo's own [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES), the NES’s user base gradually waned. However, even as developers ceased production for the NES, a number of high-profile video game franchises and series that started on the NES were transitioned to newer consoles and remain popular to this day. Nintendo continued to support the system in North America through the first half of the decade, even releasing a new version of the system's console, the [[Nintendo Entertainment System (Redesigned Model NES-101)|NES-101]] model (known as the HVC-101 in Japan), to address many of the design flaws in the original console hardware.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} The last game released in Japan was ''[[Takahashi Meijin no Bōken Jima IV]] (Adventure Island IV)'', while in North America, ''[[Wario's Woods]]'' was the last licensed game; unlicensed games are still being produced to this day.<ref name="LastGames">{{cite web |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/famicom/index27.shtml |title=8-Bit Memories, 1988–1994 |first=Benjamin |last= Turner |coauthors=Christian Nutt |date=2003-07-18 |work=GameSpy.com |page=27 |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref> In the wake of ever decreasing sales and the lack of new software titles, Nintendo of America officially discontinued the NES by 1995.<ref name="Museum"/> Despite this, Nintendo of Japan kept producing new Nintendo Famicom units until September 2003,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6029220.html |title=Nintendo to end Famicom and Super Famicom production |author=Hirohiko Niizumi |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |date=2003-05-30 |accessdate=2009-01-04}}</ref> and continued to repair Famicom consoles until October 31, 2007, attributing the decision to discontinue support because of insufficient supplies of parts<ref>{{cite news |title=Nintendo's classic Famicom faces end of road |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAJfrC1k8lDKLOCGJu4VonjOYxBg|publisher=[[Agence France-Presse|AFP]]|date=2007-10-31| accessdate=2007-11-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/0710/16/news102.html |title=初代「ファミコン」など公式修理サポート終了|accessdate=2008-01-20|date=2007-10-16|work=ITmedia News|publisher=ITmedia|language=Japanese}}</ref>

==North American bundle packages==
[[File:NES-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|The Nintendo Entertainment System console/Control Deck]]
For its complete North American release, the NES was released in four different bundles: the Deluxe Set, the Control Deck, the Action Set and the Power Set. The Deluxe Set, retailing at US$199.99, included R.O.B., a light zapper, two controllers, and two game paks: Gyromite, and Duck Hunt. The Control Deck was the barebone set, retailing at US$89.99 with no game, and US$99.99 bundled with "Super Mario Bros." The control deck consisted of the console itself, and two game controllers. The Action Set, however, was released in 1988 was sold for US$149.99 and came with the console, two game controllers, an ''NES Zapper'', and a dual game pak containing ''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Duck Hunt''.<ref name="Museum">{{cite web|url=http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=ConsoleMuseum.Detail&id=26&game=5|title=Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) – 1985–1995|work=Classic Gaming |publisher=IGN |accessdate=2010-07-19}}</ref><ref name="actionset">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L.| authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond- The Story That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World|origyear=2001|edition=First|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=305|chapter=The Seeds of Competition|quote=The Nintendo Action Set, which included everything in the Control Deck packaging plus the "Zapper" light gun and the game ''Duck Hunt'', sold for US$149, as did the Master System and gun set, which included the "Light Phaser" and the game ''Safari Hunt''.|year=2001}}</ref> In 1989, the Power Set was released, which came with the console, two game controlers, a ''NES Zapper'', a ''Power Pad'', and triple game pack containing ''Super Mario Bros'', ''Duck Hunt'', and ''World Class Track Meet''.
In 1990, a Sports Set bundle was released, including the console, an [[NES Satellite]] infrared wireless [[multitap]] adapter, four game controllers, and a ''[[U.S. Championship V'Ball|Super Spike V'Ball]]''/''[[Nintendo World Cup]]'' game pak.<ref name="Picking">{{cite news|title=Picking Out a Home Video Game System|first=Andree|last=Brooks|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/04/news/picking-out-a-home-video-game-system.html?scp=5&sq=nes+advantage&st=nyt|newspaper=New York Times|date=1991-05-04|accessdate=2010-06-29}}</ref>
Two more bundle packages were released using the original model NES console. The Challenge Set included the console, two controllers, and a ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' game pak released in 1990. The Basic Set, first released in 1987, included only the console and two controllers with no pack-in cartridge.<ref name="Picking"/> Instead, it contained a book called the ''[[Nintendo Player's Guide|Official Nintendo Player's Guide]]'', which contained detailed information for every NES game made up to that point. Finally, the console was [[Nintendo Entertainment System (Model NES-101)|redesigned]] for both the North American and Japanese markets as part of the final Nintendo-released bundle package. The package included the new style NES-101 console and one redesigned "dogbone" game controller. Released in October 1993 in North America, this final bundle retailed for US$49.99 and remained in production until the discontinuation of the NES in 1995.<ref name="Museum"/>

==Regional differences==
[[File:Nintendo-Famicom-Disk-System.png|thumb|The [[Family Computer Disk System|Famicom Disk System]] was a peripheral available only for the Japanese Famicom that used games stored on "Disk Cards" with a 3" [[floppy disk|Quick Disk]] mechanism.]]

Although the Japanese Famicom, North American and European NES versions included essentially the same hardware, there were certain key differences among the systems.

===Different case design===
The Famicom featured a top-loading cartridge slot, a 15-[[pin]] expansion port located on the unit’s front panel for accessories (as the controllers were hard-wired to the back of the console) and a red and white color scheme.<ref name="InsideFamicom"/> The NES featured a front-loading cartridge slot and a more subdued gray, black and red color scheme. An expansion port was found on the bottom of the unit and the cartridge connector [[pinout]] was changed.

===60-pin vs. 72-pin cartridges===
The original Famicom and the re-released [[Nintendo Entertainment System (Model NES-101)#Family Computer (model HVC-101)|AV Family Computer]] both utilized a 60-pin cartridge design,<ref name="Adapters"/> which resulted in smaller cartridges than the NES, which utilized a 72-pin design.<ref name="zif"/> Four pins were used for the [[10NES]] lockout chip.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://benheck.com/Downloads/NES_Famicom_Pinouts.pdf |title=NES – Famicom Cartridge Pinout Sheet |format=PDF |accessdate=24 August 2010 }}</ref> Ten pins were added that connected a cartridge directly to the expansion port on the bottom of the unit. Finally, two pins that allowed cartridges to provide their own sound expansion chips were removed. Some early games released in North America were simply Famicom cartridges attached to an adapter (such as the [[T89 Cartridge Converter]]) to allow them to fit inside the NES hardware.<ref name="Adapters"/> Nintendo did this to reduce costs and inventory by using the same cartridge boards in North America and Japan. The cartridge dimensions of the original Famicom measured in at 5.3&nbsp;×&nbsp;3&nbsp;inches, compared with 4.1&nbsp;×&nbsp;5.5&nbsp;inches for its North American redesign.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}}

===Peripherals===
A number of [[Peripheral|peripheral devices]] and [[Computer software|software]] packages were released for the Famicom. Few of these devices were ever released outside of Japan.
* ''[[Family BASIC]]'' is an implementation of BASIC for the Famicom that came with a keyboard. Similar in concept to the Atari 2600 BASIC cartridge, it allowed the user to program their own games, which could be saved on an included cassette recorder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2007/03/vgl_koji_kondo_/ |title=VGL: Koji Kondo Interview |first=Chris |last=Kohler |date=2007-03-11 |work=Wired.com |publisher=Condé Nast |accessdate=2010-07-19}}</ref> Nintendo of America rejected releasing Famicom BASIC in the US because they did not think it fit their primary marketing demographic of children.<ref>{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |page=162}}</ref>

====Famicom MODEM====
[[File:Famicom Network System.jpg|thumb|Famicom Network System]]
The ''[[Famicom Modem]]'' is a [[modem]] that allowed connection to a network which provided content such as financial services,<ref name="Modem">{{cite news |title=Stock Link by Nintendo |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/03/business/stock-link-by-nintendo.html?scp=70&sq=nintendo%20entertainment%20system&st=Search |newspaper=New York Times |date=1989-10-03 |accessdate=2010-06-30 }}</ref> but it was only available in Japan. A modem was, however, tested in the United States, by the [[Minnesota State Lottery]]. It would have allowed players to buy [[scratchcard]]s and play the lottery with their NES. It was not released in the United States because some parents and legislators voiced concern that minors might learn to play the lottery illegally and anonymously, despite assurances from Nintendo to the contrary.<ref name="lottery">{{cite news |title= Nintendo and Minnesota Set A Living-Room Lottery Test|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/27/business/nintendo-and-minnesota-set-a-living-room-lottery-test.html|accessdate=2008-02-16|date =1991-09-27|work=New York Times | first=Eben | last=Shapiro}}</ref>

===Famicom Disk system===
In 1986, Nintendo released the FDS in Japan, a type of floppy drive that used a single-sided, proprietary 2" disk and plugged into the cartridge port. It contained RAM for the game to load into and an extra FM synthesis sound chip. The disks were obtained from vending machines in malls and other public places where buyers could select a title and have it written to the disk. Nintendo's idea was that this would cost less than cartridges and users could take the disk back to a vending booth and have it rewritten with a new game. Each disk stored data in a single spiral track, which was read from beginning to end in similar fashion to a phonograph record (unlike normal floppy and hard disks which use concentric tracks). The disks were used both for storing the game and saving progress and total capacity was 128k (64k per side). The FDS ran off either an AC adapter or six C batteries. Upon power-up, it displayed a boot screen where the user was asked to insert a disk. After pressing Start, the game would load into the cartridge adapter's RAM and run from there (larger titles required the disk to be flipped over to access the other side).

A variety of games for the FDS were released by Nintendo (including some like SMB that had already been released on cartridge) and third party companies such as Konami and Taito. A few unlicensed titles were made as well. However, its limitations became quickly apparent as larger ROM chips were introduced, allowing cartridges with greater than 128k of space. More advanced memory mappers soon appeared and the FDS quickly became obsolete. Nintendo also charged developers considerable amounts of money to produce FDS games, and many refused to develop for it, instead continuing to make cartridge titles. The FDS disks also had no dust covers (except in some unlicensed and bootleg variants) and were easily prone to getting dirt on the media. In addition, the drive used a belt which broke frequently and required replacement. After only two years, the FDS was discontinued, although vending booths remained in place until 1993 and Nintendo continued to rewrite and offer replacement disks until 2003.

Nintendo of America initially planned to bring the FDS to the United States, but after considering the numerous problems encountered with them in Japan rejected the idea. Many FDS games such as Castlevania, Zelda, and Bubble Bobble were sold in the US as cartridge titles, with PCM channel digitized sounds replacing the FDS's FM sound effects and battery saves in place of the disk save.

===External sound chips===
The Famicom had two cartridge pins that were originally intended to facilitate the Famicom Disk System’s external sound chip, but were also used by cartridge games to provide [[sound chip|sound enhancements]]. These pins were removed from the cartridge port of the NES and relocated to the bottom expansion port. As a result, individual cartridges could not make use of this functionality and many NES [[Internationalization and localization|localizations]] suffered from technologically inferior sound compared to their equivalent Famicom versions. ''[[Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse]]'' is a notable example of this problem.<ref>{{cite web |first =Benj |last=Edwards |url=http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/90 |title=Japanese Castlevania III: The Music is Worth it |work=[http://www.vintagecomputing.com/ Vintage Computing and Gaming] |date=2006-03-10 |accessdate=2010-07-22}}</ref>
[[File:Famicom-Controllers.jpg|thumb|right|Unlike the NES, the Famicom's controllers were hardwired to the system itself. The 2nd controller eliminated the Start and Select buttons, replacing them with a microphone and a volume control slider.]]

===Hardwired controllers===
The Famicom’s original design includes hardwired, non-removable controllers. In addition, the second controller featured an internal [[microphone]] for use with certain games and lacked SELECT and START buttons.<ref name="InsideFamicom">{{cite web| url = http://www.pcworld.com/article/148391-7/inside_nintendos_classic_game_console.html| title = Inside Nintendo's Classic Game Console| first = Benj| last = Edwards| date = 2008-08-07| publisher = ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]''| accessdate = 2010-06-23}}</ref> Both the controllers and the microphone were subsequently dropped from the redesigned AV Famicom in favor of the two seven-pin controller ports on the front panel used in the NES from its inception.<ref name="AVFamicom">{{cite web |first =Benj |last=Edwards |url=http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/73 |title=Gotta Love That Fresh "AV Famicom Smell" |work=[http://www.vintagecomputing.com/ Vintage Computing and Gaming] |date=2006-02-23 |accessdate=2010-07-01}}</ref>

===Lockout circuitry===
The Famicom contained no lockout hardware and, as a result, unlicensed cartridges (both legitimate and bootleg) were extremely common throughout Japan and the Far East.<ref name="lockout">{{cite news |title= The Games Played For Nintendo's Sales|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/21/business/the-games-played-for-nintendo-s-sales.html?scp=341&sq=nintendo%20entertainment%20system&st=Search&pagewanted=2|accessdate=2010-06-28|date =1989-12-21|work=New York Times | first=Anthony | last=Ramirez}}</ref> The original NES (but not the top-loading [[Nintendo Entertainment System (Redesigned Model NES-101)|NES-101]]) contained the [[10NES]] lockout chip, which significantly increased the challenges faced by unlicensed developers. Tinkerers at home in later years discovered that disassembling the NES and cutting the fourth pin of the lockout chip would change the chip’s mode of operation from "lock" to "key", removing all effects and greatly improving the console’s ability to play legal games, as well as bootlegs and converted imports. NES consoles sold in different regions had different lockout chips, so games marketed in one region would not work on consoles from another region. Known regions are: USA/Canada (3193 lockout chip), most of Europe (3195), Asia (3196) and UK, Italy and Australia (3197). Since two types of lockout chip were used in Europe, European NES game boxes often had an "A" or "B" letter on the front, indicating whether the game is compatible with UK/Italian/Australian consoles (A), or the rest of Europe (B).} Rest-of-Europe games typically had text on the box stating "This game is not compatible with the Mattel or NES versions of the Nintendo Entertainment System". Similarly, UK/Italy/Australia games stated "This game is only compatible with the Mattel or NES versions of the Nintendo Entertainment System".

Pirate cartridges for the NES were rare, but Famicom ones were common and widespread in Asia. Most were produced in Hong Kong or Taiwan, and they usually featured a variety of small (32k or less) games which were selected from a menu and bank switched. Some were also hacks of existing games (especially SMB), and a few were cartridge conversions of Famicom Disk System titles such as the Japanese SMB2.

===Audio/video output===
The original Famicom featured an [[RF modulator]] plug for audio/video output,<ref name="InsideFamicom"/> while its redesign, the AV Famicom, featured only RCA composite output.<ref name="AVFamicom"/> On the other hand, the original NES featured both an RF modulator and [[RCA connector|RCA]] [[composite video|composite]] output cables, but the top-loading [[Nintendo Entertainment System (Redesigned Model NES-101)|NES 2]] featured only RF modulator output.<ref name="Hookup">{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/nes/hook_nes.jsp |title=NES Hookups |publisher=Nintendo |accessdate=2010-06-28}}</ref> The original North American NES was the first and one of the only game consoles to feature direct composite video output, and thus having the ability to be connected to a [[composite monitor]].
The French NES, model (FRA) featured a unique "RGB audio/video Output", a proprietary output connector similar to the SNES connector. With the help of an additional PAL-to-RGB chip, it allow this model of NES to output [[RGB]] video signal. A specific cable was given with every unit, using the [[SCART]] plug to connect it to the TV set.

===Third-party cartridge manufacturing===
In Japan, several companies, namely Nintendo, [[Konami]], [[Capcom]], [[Namco]], [[Bandai]], [[Taito]], [[IREM]], [[Jaleco]], [[Sunsoft]] and [[Hudson Soft]], manufactured the cartridges for the Famicom.<ref>{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |page=61}}</ref> This allowed these companies to develop their own customized chips designed for specific purposes, such as Konami's VRC 6 and VRC 7 sound chips that increased the quality of sound in their games. All licensed US cartridges were made by Nintendo except Konami and Acclaim (who produced their own PCBs, but used Nintendo's provided gray cartridge shells)

===European "Mattel" and "NES" Versions===
In the UK, Italy and Australia which share the PAL A region, two versions of the NES were released; the "Mattel Version" and "NES Version".<ref>[http://www.blisteredthumbs.net/2010/12/gycw-nes-ports-1-contra/ Guru Larry's Retrospective on the regional variations and releases of the European Nintendo Entertainment System.]</ref> When the NES was first released in those countries, it was distributed by Mattel and Nintendo decided to use a lockout chip specific to those countries, different from the chip used in other European countries. When Nintendo took over European distribution in 1990, they produced consoles that were then labelled "NES Version", therefore the only differences between the two are the text on the front flap.

===Clones===
[[Dendy (console)|Dendy]] (Russian: Де́нди) was a Chinese hardware clone of the NES, produced for the Russian market. A clone that was popular in [[Eastern Europe]] in the 1990s was the Super Design Ending-Man BS-500 AS, also known as '''[[Terminator (video game system)|Terminator]]'''. Similarly, in India, clones by the names of Little Master and Wiz Kid were popular.<ref>[http://www.mediavideoonline.com/tvgames.html Welcome to MEDIA VIDEO LIMITED, Brand leader in TV GAMES, RECHARGEABLE EMERGENCY LIGHTS, FANS AND FLASHLIGHTS. Media Video Limited is India's most reputed leading Consumer Ele...]</ref> In Poland, there was a clone produced called '''[[Pegasus (console)|Pegasus]]''', and in Argentina, there was a clone called '''Family Game''' alongside with the Nintendo Entertainment System.

{{clear}}

==Game controllers==
{{See also|List of Nintendo Entertainment System accessories}}
[[Image:NES-controller.jpg|thumb|right|In addition to featuring a revised color scheme that matched the more subdued tones of the console itself, NES controllers could be unplugged. They nevertheless lacked the microphone featured in Famicom controllers.]]

The [[game controller]] used for both the NES and the Famicom featured an oblong brick-like design with a simple four button layout: two round buttons labeled "A" and "B", a "START" button and a "SELECT" button.<ref name="NESBooklet">{{cite manual | title =Nintendo Entertainment System Instruction Booklet | publisher =Nintendo | year =1989 | page =5 }}</ref> Additionally, the controllers utilized the cross-shaped [[D-Pad|joypad]], designed by Nintendo employee [[Gunpei Yokoi]] for Nintendo [[Game & Watch]] systems, to replace the bulkier [[joystick]]s on earlier gaming consoles’ controllers.<ref name="Dpad">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=279}}</ref>

The original model Famicom featured two game controllers, both of which were hardwired to the back of the console. The second controller lacked the START and SELECT buttons, but featured a small [[microphone]]. Relatively few games made use of this feature. The earliest produced Famicom units initially had square A and B buttons.<ref name="20years">{{cite web|author=Nutt, Christian; Turner, Benjamin|year=2003|title=Metal Storm: All About the Hardware.|work=Nintendo Famicom—20 years of fun | url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/famicom/index5.shtml|accessdate=2006-05-21}}</ref> This was changed to the circular designs because of the square buttons being caught in the controller casing when pressed down and glitches within the hardware causing the system to freeze occasionally while playing a game.

The NES dropped the hardwired controllers, instead featuring two custom 7-pin ports on the front of the console. Also in contrast to the Famicom, the controllers included with the NES were identical to each other—the second controller lacked the microphone that was present on the Famicom model and possessed the same START and SELECT buttons as the primary controller. Some NES localizations of games, such as ''[[The Legend of Zelda (game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', which required the use of the Famicom microphone in order to kill certain enemies, suffered from a lack of a hardware to do so.<ref name="InsideFamicom"/>
[[File:NES-zapper.jpg|thumb|left|The NES Zapper, a [[light gun]] accessory]]

A number of special controllers designed for use with specific games were released for the system, though very few such devices proved particularly popular. Such devices included, but were not limited to, the [[NES Zapper]] (a [[light gun]]), the [[R.O.B.]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=297}}</ref> the [[Power Pad]], the [[Power Glove]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |page=226}}</ref> and the [[LaserScope]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Nutt, Christian; Turner, Benjamin|year=2003|title=Metal Storm: All About the Hardware.|work=Nintendo Famicom—20 years of fun | url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/famicom/index8.shtml|accessdate=2010-07-23}}</ref> The original Famicom featured a deepened [[D-subminiature|DA-15]] expansion port on the front of the unit, which was used to connect most auxiliary devices.<ref name="InsideFamicom"/> On the NES, these special controllers were generally connected to one of the two control ports on the front of the unit.

Nintendo also made two turbo controllers for the NES called [[NES Advantage]] and the [[NES Max]]. Both controllers had a Turbo feature, a feature where one tap of the button represented multiple taps. The NES Advantage had two knobs that adjusted the firing rate of the turbo button from quick to Turbo, as well as a "Slow" button that slowed down the game by rapidly pausing the game. The "Slow" button did not work with games that had a pause menu or pause screen and can interfere with jumping and shooting. The NES Max also had the Turbo Feature, but it was not adjustable, in contrast with the Advantage. It also did not have the "Slow" button. Its wing-like shape made it easier to hold than the Advantage and it also improved on the joystick. Turbo features were also featured on the [[NES Satellite]], the [[NES Four Score]], and the [[U-Force]].

Near the end of the NES's lifespan, upon the release of the AV Famicom and the top-loading NES 2, the design of the game controllers was modified slightly. Though the original button layout was retained, the redesigned device abandoned the brick shell in favor of a dog bone shape. In addition, the AV Famicom joined its international counterpart and dropped the hardwired controllers in favor of detachable controller ports. However, the controllers included with the Famicom AV had cables which were three-feet long, as opposed to the standard six-feet of NES controllers.<ref name="AVFamicom"/>

In recent years, the original NES controller has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the console. Nintendo has mimicked the look of the controller in several recent products, from promotional merchandise to limited edition versions of the Game Boy Advance.<ref name="GBA">{{cite news |title= Revenge of Pac-Man: Vintage Games Are Back|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/03/technology/circuits/03clas.html?scp=3&sq=%22nintendo%20entertainment%20system%22%20discontinuation&st=Search|accessdate=2010-07-17|date =2004-06-03|work=New York Times | first=Stephen | last=Totilo}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

==Hardware design flaws==
[[Image:NES Cleaning Kit.JPG|thumb|left|The official NES Cleaning Kit was intended to address flaws in the NES design that caused cartridge connectors to be particularly susceptible to interference from dirt and dust.]]

When Nintendo released the NES in the US, the design styling was deliberately different from that of other game consoles. Nintendo wanted to distinguish its product from those of competitors and to avoid the generally poor reputation that game consoles had acquired following the [[North American video game crash of 1983|video game crash of 1983]]. One result of this philosophy was to disguise the cartridge slot design as a front-loading [[zero insertion force]] (ZIF) cartridge socket, designed to resemble the front-loading mechanism of a [[Videocassette recorder|VCR]]. The newly designed connector worked quite well when both the connector and the cartridges were clean and the pins on the connector were new. Unfortunately, the ''ZIF connector'' was not truly zero insertion force. When a user inserted the cartridge into the NES, the force of pressing the cartridge down and into place bent the contact pins slightly, as well as pressing the cartridge’s ROM board back into the cartridge itself. Frequent insertion and removal of cartridges caused the pins to wear out from repeated usage over the years and the ZIF design proved more prone to interference by dirt and dust than an industry-standard card edge connector.<ref name="zif">{{cite web | first=Benj | last=Edwards | title=No More Blinkies: Replacing the NES's 72-Pin Cartridge Connector | url=http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/13 | work=[http://www.vintagecomputing.com/ Vintage Computing and Gaming] | date=2005-11-07 | accessdate=2007-06-03}}</ref> These design issues were not alleviated by Nintendo’s choice of materials; the console slot nickel connector springs would wear due to design and the game cartridge copper connectors were also prone to [[tarnishing]].<ref name="corrosion">{{cite web | first=Rob | last=Nelson | title=Nintendo Redivivus: how to resuscitate an old friend | url=http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2003/02/nintendo.ars | work=Ars Technica | date=2003-02-12 | accessdate=2007-06-03}}</ref>
[[Image:10nes.JPG|thumb|right|The 10NES authentication chip contributed to the system's reliability problems. The circuit was ultimately removed from the remodeled NES 2.]]

Problems with the [[10NES]] lockout chip frequently resulted in the console's most infamous problem: the blinking red power light, in which the system appears to turn itself on and off repeatedly because the 10NES would reset the console once per second. The lockout chip required constant communication with the chip in the game to work.<ref name="song">{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |page=247}}</ref> Dirty, aging and bent connectors would often disrupt the communication, resulting in the blink effect.<ref name="zif"/> Alternatively, the console would turn on but only show a solid white, gray, or green screen. Users attempted to solve this problem by blowing air onto the cartridge connectors, licking the edge connector, slapping the side of the system after inserting a cartridge, shifting the cartridge from side to side after insertion, pushing the ZIF up and down repeatedly, holding the ZIF down lower than it should have been and/or cleaning the connectors with alcohol. Many of the most frequent attempts to fix this problem instead ran the risk of damaging the cartridge and/or system. {{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} In 1989, Nintendo released an official NES Cleaning Kit to help users clean malfunctioning cartridges and consoles.

With the release of the top-loading [[Nintendo Entertainment System (Redesigned Model NES-101)|NES-101]] (NES 2) toward the end of the NES's lifespan, Nintendo resolved the problems by switching to a standard card edge connector and eliminating the lockout chip. All of the Famicom systems used standard card edge connectors, as did Nintendo’s subsequent game consoles, the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] and the [[Nintendo 64]].

In response to these hardware flaws, "Nintendo Authorized Repair Centers" sprang up across the U.S. According to Nintendo, the authorization program was designed to ensure that the machines were properly repaired. Nintendo would ship the necessary replacement parts only to shops that had enrolled in the authorization program. In practice, the authorization process consisted of nothing more than paying a fee to Nintendo for the privilege. In a recent trend, many sites have sprung up to offer Nintendo repair parts, guides, and services that replace those formerly offered by the authorized repair centers.

==Third-party licensing==
Nintendo's near [[monopoly]] on the home video game market left it with a degree of influence over the industry exceeding even that of [[Atari]] during Atari's heyday in the early 1980s. Unlike Atari, which never actively courted third-party developers (and even went to court in an attempt to force [[Activision]] to cease production of [[Atari 2600]] games), Nintendo had anticipated and encouraged the involvement of third-party software developers—but strictly on Nintendo's terms. To this end, a 10NES authentication chip was placed in every console and another was placed in every officially licensed cartridge. If the console's chip could not detect a counterpart chip inside the cartridge, the game would not load.<ref name="song"/> Because Nintendo controlled the production of all cartridges, it was able to enforce strict rules on its third-party developers, which were required to sign a contract by Nintendo that would obligate these parties to develop exclusively for the system, order at least 10,000 cartridges, and only make five games per year.<ref>{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |pages=214–215}}</ref>
[[Image:Bible adventures.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Unlicensed games, such as Wisdom Tree's ''[[Bible Adventures]]'', were often released in cartridges which looked very different from typical NES Game Paks.]]

===Unlicensed games===
Several companies, refusing to pay the licensing fee or having been rejected by Nintendo, found ways to circumvent the console's authentication system. Most of these companies created circuits that used a voltage spike to temporarily disable the 10NES chip in the NES.<ref>{{cite book |title=Game Over |last=Sheff |first=David |authorlink=David Sheff |year=1993 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-40469-4 |page=286}}</ref> A few unlicensed games released in Europe and Australia came in the form of a [[dongle]] that would be connected to a licensed game, in order to use the licensed game's 10NES chip for authentication. In order to combat unlicensed games, Nintendo of America threatened retailers who sold them with losing their supply of licensed titles. In addition, multiple revisions were made to the NES PCBs to prevent these games from working.

[[Atari Games]] created a line of NES products under the name [[Tengen (company)|Tengen]] and took a different approach. The company attempted to [[Reverse engineering|reverse engineer]] the lockout chip to develop its own "Rabbit" chip. However, Tengen also obtained a description of the lockout chip from the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office]] by falsely claiming that it was required to defend against present infringement claims in a legal case. Nintendo sued Tengen for [[copyright]] infringement, which Tengen lost as it could not prove that the legally obtained patent documents had not been used by the reverse engineering team. Tengen's [[Competition law|antitrust]] claims against Nintendo were never finally decided.<ref>{{cite web |author=U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit |year=1992 |title=Atari Games Corp. v. Nintendo of America Inc. |work=Digital Law Online |url=http://digital-law-online.info/cases/24PQ2D1015.htm |accessdate=March 30, 2005}}</ref>

Following the introduction of the [[Mega Drive|Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]], Nintendo began to face real competition in the industry and in the early 1990s was forced to reevaluate its stance towards its developers, many of whom had begun to defect to other systems. When the console was reissued as the [[Nintendo Entertainment System (Redesigned Model NES-101)|NES 2]], the [[10NES]] chip was omitted as a cost-saving measure. Games marketed for the NES after that point still included a [[10NES]] chip in order to work with the large installed base of original NES consoles.
[[Image:PSOne Style Famicom Clone adjusted.jpg|thumb|left|Pirated clones of NES hardware remained in production for many years after the original had been discontinued. Such devices were frequently built to superficially resemble younger consoles, such as this one modeled after a [[PlayStation (console)#PS One|PS One]].]]

===Hardware clones===
{{Main|Nintendo Entertainment System hardware clone}}

A thriving market of unlicensed NES hardware [[Clone (computing)|clones]] emerged during the heyday of the console's popularity. Initially, such clones were popular in markets where Nintendo never issued a legitimate version of the console. In particular, the [[Dendy (console)|Dendy]] ({{lang-ru|Де́нди}}), an unlicensed hardware clone produced in Taiwan and sold in the former [[Soviet Union]], emerged as the most popular video game console of its time in that setting and it enjoyed a degree of fame roughly equivalent to that experienced by the NES/Famicom in North America and Japan. The [[Family Game NES Clone|Family Game]] was marketed in Argentina, resembling the original hardware design. The [[Micro Genius]] ([[Simplified Chinese characters|Simplified Chinese]]: 小天才) was marketed in Southeast Asia as an alternative to the Famicom; Samurai was the popular [[PAL]] alternative to the NES; and in Central Europe, especially Poland, the Pegasus was available.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} Samurai was also available in India in early 90s which was the first instance of console gaming in India.

The unlicensed clone market has flourished following Nintendo's discontinuation of the NES. Some of the more exotic of these resulting systems have gone beyond the functionality of the original hardware and have included variations such as a portable system with a color LCD (e.g. [[PocketFami]]). Others have been produced with certain specialized markets in mind, such as an NES clone that functions as a rather primitive [[personal computer]], which includes a keyboard and basic word processing software.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/story?id=5529989&page=1 |title=Researchers Propose $12 Computer for Developing Countries |first=Ashley |last=Phillips |date=2008-08-07 |publisher=ABC News |accessdate=2010-07-19}}</ref> These unauthorized clones have been helped by the invention of the so-called [[NES-on-a-chip]].<ref>{{cite web | first=Benj | last=Edwards | title= VC&G Interview: Brian Parker on RetroZone and the PowerPak NES Flash Cart | url=http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/351 | work=[http://www.vintagecomputing.com/ Vintage Computing and Gaming] | date=2007-08-07 | accessdate=2010-07-21}}</ref>

As was the case with unlicensed software titles, Nintendo has typically gone to the courts to prohibit the manufacture and sale of unlicensed cloned hardware. Many of the clone vendors have included built-in copies of licensed Nintendo software, which constitutes copyright infringement in most countries.

Although most hardware clones were not produced under license by Nintendo, certain companies were granted licenses to produce NES-compatible devices. The [[Sharp Corporation]] produced at least two such clones: the [[Twin Famicom]] and the [[SHARP 19SC111]] television. The Twin Famicom was compatible with both Famicom cartridges and [[Family Computer Disk System|Famicom Disk System]] disks.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kohler |first=Chris |authorlink=Chris Kohler |title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life |year=2004 |publisher=Brady Games |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |isbn=0-7440-0424-1|page=29}}</ref> It was available in two colors (red and black) and used hardwired controllers (as did the original Famicom), but it featured a different case design. The SHARP 19SC111 television was a television which included a built-in Famicom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9026464 |title=The Island of Lost Hardware: TVs With an NES Inside |first=Ray |last=Barnholt |date=2010-04-07 |work=Retronauts |publisher=1Up |accessdate=2010-07-21}}</ref> A similar licensing deal was reached with [[Hynix|Hyundai Electronics]], who licensed the system under the name Comboy in the South Korean market. This deal with Hyundai was made necessary because of the South Korean government's wide ban on all Japanese "cultural products", which remained in effect until 1998 and ensured that the only way Japanese products could legally enter the South Korean market was through licensing to a third-party (non-Japanese) distributor (see also [[Japan–Korea disputes]]).<ref name="korea">{{cite web |title=Breaking the Ice: South Korea Lifts Ban on Japanese Culture |url=http://web-japan.org/trends98/honbun/ntj981207.html |accessdate=2007-05-19 |date=1998-12-07|work=[http://web-japan.org/trends/ Trends in Japan]}}</ref>

More recently, in 2010, Hyperkin developed the RetroN3, which, besides NES carts, also runs [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] and [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] carts, as well as their Japanese counterparts Famicom, Super Famicom and Mega Drive.

==Technical specifications==
===Original chassis/casing===
The original Japanese Famicom was predominantly white plastic, with dark red trim. It featured a top-loading cartridge slot and grooves on both sides of the deck in which the hardwired game controllers could be placed when not in use.<ref name="InsideFamicom"/>

The original version of the North American NES used a radically different design. The NES's color scheme was two different shades of gray, with black trim. The top-loading cartridge slot was replaced with a front-loading mechanism. The slot is covered by a small, hinged door that can be opened to insert or remove a cartridge and closed at other times. The dimensions of this model are {{convert|10|in|abbr=on}} wide by {{convert|8|in|abbr=on}} long by {{convert|3.5|in|abbr=on}} high.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/systems/technical_details_1168.html |title=Nintendo Entertainment System Technical Details |publisher=Nintendo of Europe |accessdate=2010-07-19}}</ref> When opened, the cartridge slot door adds an additional {{convert|1|in|abbr=on}} height to the unit.

===Redesigned model===
{{Main|Nintendo Entertainment System (Model NES-101)}}
[[File:NES-101-Console-Set.jpg|right|thumb|The NES-101 control deck alongside its similarly redesigned NES-039 [[game controller]].]]

The NES-101 model of the Nintendo Entertainment System (HVC-101 model in Japan), known informally as the "top-loader", uses the same basic color scheme, although there are several subtle differences. The power switch is colored a bright red and slides into the on and off position, similar to the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]], instead of the original push-button. Also, there is no LED power indicator on the unit. Like the original Family Computer, it uses a top-loading cartridge slot. The NES-101 model was redesigned after the (also top loading) SNES and indeed they share many of the same design cues. The NES-101 model is considerably more compact than the original NES-001 model, measuring 6" by 7" by 1.5". The NES-101 model offered only [[RF connector|RF]] outputs instead of the RF and [[RCA connector|RCA]] (mono) outputs offered on the original NES-001 model,<ref name="Hookup"/> whereas the HVC-101 model of the Family Computer offered RCA connectors only.<ref name="AVFamicom"/>

===Cartridges===
[[File:NES-Cartridge.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A North American/PAL cartridge (or "Game Pak") was significantly larger than its Japanese counterpart.]]
All officially licensed [[NTSC|NTSC-U]] and [[PAL|PAL region]] cartridges, or "carts", are 5.25&nbsp;inches (13.3&nbsp;cm) tall, 4.75&nbsp;inches (12&nbsp;cm) wide and 0.75&nbsp;inches (2&nbsp;cm) thick. Originally, NES carts were held together with 5 small, [[Socket head screw|slotted screws]]. Later games (post-1987) were redesigned slightly to incorporate two plastic clips molded into the plastic itself, eliminating the need for the top two screws.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reviews.ebay.com/What-apos-s-a-Five-Screw-Nintendo-NES-game-5-screw-huh_W0QQugidZ10000000007353586 |title=eBay Guides – What's a Five Screw Nintendo NES game 5 screw huh |publisher=Reviews.ebay.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-20}}</ref> This is why older NES carts are referred to as "5-screw" and are distinguishable by their flat tops and, as the name suggests, five screws instead of three. Around this time, the standard screws were changed to 3.8&nbsp;mm [[screw|security screw]]s to further secure the ROMs inside from tampering. The back of the cartridge bears a label with instructions on handling. These labels were gray for standard games and gold (or in rare cases silver) for games that featured battery backup. With the exception of ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' and ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'', which were available in gold-plastic carts, all licensed NTSC and PAL cartridges were a standard shade of gray plastic (Famicom cartridges by contrast came in an almost unlimited number of colors) Unlicensed carts were produced in black (Tengen, American Video Entertainment and Wisdom Tree), robin egg blue (Color Dreams and Wisdom Tree) and gold (Camerica) and were all slightly different shape and style than a standard NES cart. Nintendo also produced yellow-plastic carts for internal use at Nintendo Service Centers, although these "test carts" were never made available for purchase by consumers.

Japanese (Famicom) cartridges are shaped slightly differently, measuring only 2.75&nbsp;inches (7.0&nbsp;cm) in length, and 4.25&nbsp;inches (10.8&nbsp;cm) in width. While the NES used a 72-pin interface, the Famicom system used a 60-pin design. Some early NES games (most commonly ''[[Gyromite]]'') were actually 60-pin Famicom PCBs and ROMs with a built-in converter.<ref name="Adapters">{{cite web |first =Benj |last=Edwards |url=http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/23 |title=How to Tell if a Copy of Gyromite has a Famicom Adapter in it |work=[http://www.vintagecomputing.com/ Vintage Computing and Gaming] |date=2005-11-14 |accessdate=2008-10-20}}</ref> Unlike NES games, official Famicom carts were produced in many colors of plastic. Adapters, similar in design to the popular accessory [[Game Genie]], are available that allow Famicom games to be played on an NES.

===Central processing unit===
[[Image:RP2A07.jpg|thumb|Versions of the NES console released in PAL regions incorporated a Ricoh 2A07 CPU.]]

For its [[central processing unit]] (CPU), the NES uses an [[8-bit]] [[microprocessor]] produced by [[Ricoh]] based on a [[MOS Technology 6502]] core. It incorporates custom sound hardware and a restricted [[Channel I/O|DMA controller]] on-die. To save some space on the die, the Ricoh CPU omitted the 6502's BCD (binary coded decimal) mode. [[NTSC]] (North America and Japan) versions of the console use the [[Ricoh 2A03]] (or RP2A03), which runs at 1.79&nbsp;[[Hertz|MHz]].<ref name="specs">{{cite web|title=NES Specifications |url=http://nocash.emubase.de/everynes.htm|accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref> [[PAL]] (Europe and Australia) versions of the console utilize the [[Ricoh 2A03|Ricoh 2A07]] (or RP2A07), which is identical to the 2A03 save for the fact that it runs at a slower 1.66&nbsp;MHz [[clock rate]] and has its sound hardware adjusted accordingly.<ref name="specs2">{{cite web|title=NES specificaties| url=http://www.rgame.nl/nesspecs_eng.html |work=[http://www.rgame.nl/index_eng.html Rgame.nl] |accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref>

===Memory===
[[Image:sramchip.jpg|thumb|A static ram chip from a ''NES'' clone 2k × 8 bit.]]

The NES contains 2&nbsp;[[Kilobyte|kB]] of onboard work [[Random-access memory|RAM]]. A game cartridge may contain expanded RAM to increase this amount. It also has 2&nbsp;kB of video RAM for the use of the picture processing unit (PPU), 256&nbsp;bytes of OAM (object attribute memory) to hold a display list, and 28&nbsp;bytes of palette RAM. The system supports up to 32&nbsp;kB of program [[read-only memory|ROM]] at a time, but this can be expanded by orders of magnitude by the process of [[bank switching]]. Additionally, cartridges may contain 16,352 bytes (nearly 16&nbsp;kB) of address space reserved as "Expansion Area", which often contained an 8&nbsp;kB SRAM. Expanded Video memory (VROM or VRAM) may also be available on the cartridge (on-cartridge mapping hardware also allowing further video expansion past 12&nbsp;kB).<ref name="specs"/> The size of NES games varies from 4k (Space Invaders) to Dragon Warrior IV (topping out at 1MB), but 128k-384k was the most common.

===Video===
The NES uses a custom-made [[Picture Processing Unit]] (PPU) developed by [[Ricoh]]. The version of the processor used in NTSC models of the console, named the RP2C02, operates at 5.37&nbsp;MHz, while the version used in PAL models, named the RP2C07, operates at 5.32&nbsp;MHz.<ref name="specs2"/> Both the RP2C02 and RP2C07 output [[composite video]].<ref name="specs"/> Special versions of the NES's hardware designed for use in [[video arcade]]s use other variations of the PPU. The [[PlayChoice-10]] uses the RP2C03, which runs at 5.37&nbsp;MHz and outputs [[RGBs|RGB video]] at NTSC frequencies. Two different variations were used for [[Nintendo Vs. Series]] hardware: the RP2C04 and the RP2C05. Both of these operate at 5.37&nbsp;MHz and output RGB video at NTSC frequencies. Additionally, both use irregular palettes to prevent easy ROM swapping of games.<ref name="vsseries">{{cite web | title=Unisystem VS schematic | url=http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/nes_vs/VSSCHEM.pdf | format=PDF | accessdate=6 June 2007}}</ref>

All variations of the PPU feature 2&nbsp;[[Kilobyte|kB]] of video RAM, 256&nbsp;bytes of on-die sprite position/attributable RAM (object attribute memory or OAM) and 28&nbsp;bytes of on-die palette RAM to allow selection of background and [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]] colors. This memory is stored on separate buses internal to the PPU. The console's 2&nbsp;kB of onboard RAM may be used for tile maps and attributes on the NES board and 8&nbsp;kB of tile pattern ROM or RAM may be included on a cartridge. Using bank switching, virtually any amount of additional cartridge memory can be used, limited only by manufacturing costs.<ref name="specs"/>

The system has an available [[Palette (computing)|color palette]] of 48 colors and 6 grays. Red, green and blue can be individually darkened at specific screen regions using carefully timed code. Up to 25 simultaneous colors may be used without writing new values mid-frame: a background color, four sets of three tile colors and four sets of three sprite colors. This total does not include color de-emphasis.<ref name="specs"/> The NES palette is based on NTSC rather than RGB values. Normally, every group of four tiles must share the same colors (two on MMC5 games)

A total of 64 sprites may be displayed onscreen at a given time without reloading sprites mid-screen. Sprites may be either 8 [[pixel]]s by 8 pixels, or 8 pixels by 16 pixels, although the choice must be made globally, as it affects all sprites (Super Mario Bros 3 is an example of a game that uses 8x16 mode). Up to eight sprites may be present on one scanline, using a flag to indicate when additional sprites are to be dropped. This flag allows the software to rotate sprite priorities, increasing maximum amount of sprites, but typically causing [[Flicker (screen)|flicker]].<ref name="specs"/> Because of the small size of NES sprites, most games use multiple ones for moving objects.

The PPU allows only one [[Parallax scrolling|scrolling layer]], though the horizontal scroll can be changed on a per-[[scanline]] basis for a parallax effect. The vertical scroll can also be changed between scanlines for a split-screen effect.<ref name="specs"/> On many games, this is done by trapping Sprite 0 and the NMI (which triggers during the vertical retrace), but the more advanced memory mappers (see below) generate an interrupt which can be used for this purpose.

The standard [[display resolution]] of the NES is 256 horizontal pixels by 240 vertical pixels. Typically, games designed for NTSC-based systems had an effective resolution of only 256 by 224 pixels, as the top and bottom 8 scanlines [[Overscan|are not visible]] on most television sets. For additional video memory bandwidth, it was possible to turn off the screen before the [[Raster scan|raster]] reached the very bottom.<ref name="specs"/>

The PPU registers and memory can only be accessed during the vertical retrace phase. Because of this, NES coding is highly timing sensitive and the programmer only has a limited number of clock cycles in which to alter graphics data before the retrace ends and the next frame begins.

Video output connections varied from one model of the console to the next. The original HVC-001 model of the Family Computer featured only [[RF modulator|radio frequency (RF) modulator]] output. When the console was released in North America and Europe, support for composite video through [[RCA connector]]s was added in addition to the RF modulator. The HVC-101 model of the Famicom dropped the RF modulator entirely and adopted composite video output via a proprietary 12-pin "multi-out" connector first introduced for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Conversely, the North American re-released NES-101 model most closely resembled the original HVC-001 model Famicom, in that it featured RF modulator output only.<ref name="20years" /> Finally, the PlayChoice-10 utilized an inverted RGB video output.

===Audio===
The NES board supported a total of five sound channels. These included two [[pulse wave]] channels of variable [[duty cycle]] (12.5%, 25%, 50% and 75%), with a volume control of sixteen levels and hardware [[Portamento|pitch bending]] supporting frequencies ranging from 54&nbsp;[[Hertz|Hz]] to 28&nbsp;[[Hertz|kHz]]. Additional channels included one fixed-volume [[triangle wave]] channel supporting frequencies from 27&nbsp;Hz to 56&nbsp;kHz, one sixteen-volume level [[white noise]] channel supporting two modes (by adjusting inputs on a [[linear feedback shift register]]) at sixteen preprogrammed frequencies and one [[DPCM|differential pulse-code modulation]] (DPCM) channel with 6-bit resolution, using 1-bit delta encoding at sixteen preprogrammed sample rates from 4.2&nbsp;kHz to 33.5&nbsp;kHz. This final channel was also capable of playing standard [[pulse-code modulation]] (PCM) sound by writing individual 7-bit values at timed intervals.<ref name="specs"/>

===Memory mappers===
Developers quickly reached the Famicom's 32k memory barrier by 1985 and began demanding the ability to create larger, more complex games than was possible with the existing hardware. Nintendo responded with the first of their [[Memory Management Controller|MMC]] (Memory Management Controller) chips, which were added to cartridges and allowed bank-switching and other capabilities. The first of these was the MMC1, which allowed battery-backed game saves and the ability to page cartridge ROMs in 16k chunks. Most licensed games used either the MMC1 or the MMC3, which could swap graphics data for animated tiles, diagonal scrolling, and had a built-in interrupt counter for split screen effects, but did not support battery saves. Other games had no mapper and instead only a TTL logic IC to switch out ROM banks.

The most advanced mapper made by Nintendo was the MMC5, which had extra graphics memory and could take some routine tasks like interrupt handling off the CPU, thus freeing more clock cycles for game code. In addition, it used a better battery save method that did not require the user to hold down Reset while powering off the console. Due to its high cost, it was only used in a handful of games (most notably the US version of Castlevania III).

Some third party developers manufactured their own mappers. Konami produced a series of them (the VRC line) which offered more advanced features than Nintendo's MMC chips, but they were never used in US cartridges for cost reasons.

==NES Test Station==
The NES Test Station was a Nintendo Entertainment System testing machine made by Nintendo in 1988.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}
It is a NES-based unit designed for testing NES hardware, components and games. It was only provided for use in World of Nintendo boutiques as part of the Nintendo World Class Service program. Visitors were to bring items to test on the station, often with assistance from a technician or store employee.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}

The NES Test Station features a Game Pak slot and connectors for testing various components (AC adapter, RF switch, Audio/Video cable, NES Control Deck, controllers and accessories) at the front, with a knob selector in the center to select the component to test. The unit itself is very large, weighing almost forty pounds, and securely hooks up to the television through both AV Cables and RF Switch in one wire. The user can choose which output to use for gameplay by pressing the RF/AV for Audio/Video Cable connection, or leave it unpressed for RF Switch connection. The television it's hooked up to (normally nineteen inches) is meant to be placed on top of it.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}
On the front edge are three colored button switches: an illuminated red Power switch, a blue Reset switch and a green switch for alternating between AV and RF connections when testing an NES Control Deck. The different knob selections are:
* Game Pak Channel (for testing Game Paks)
* Control Deck and Accessories Channel (includes tests for NES Controllers, the [[NES Zapper|Zapper]], [[R.O.B.]] and [[Power Pad]])
* Audio Video Channel
* AC Adaptor Channel
* RF Switch Channel
* System Channel (for testing a Control Deck)

The testing simply displays the selected output's results as either 'Pass' or 'Fail.'{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}
Very little is known about this equipment.
Nintendo later provided an add-on for testing Super NES components and games, named the Super NES Counter Tester.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}

==Reception==
{{Expand section|date=April 2010}}

===Legacy===
{{Magazine|section|date=July 2010}}
The NES/Famicom is considered one of the most influential video game systems ever produced.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} It also had the longest-lasting production run that lasted 20 years, from July 1983 to September 2003, before being discontinued in Japan. The NES was released after the "[[North American video game crash of 1983|video game crash]]" of the early '80s, and many retailers and adults treated electronic games as a passing fad.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L.| authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond- The Story That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World|origyear=2001|edition=First|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=280 |year=2001}}</ref> Five years later, in 1988, video gaming was a multi-billion dollar industry.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L.| authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond- The Story That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World|origyear=2001|edition=First|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=347 |year=2001}}</ref> Before the NES/Famicom, Nintendo was known as a moderately successful Japanese toy and playing card manufacturer, and the popularity of the NES/Famicom helped the company grow into an internationally recognized name almost synonymous with video games<ref>{{cite news |title=Nintendo Scores Big |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/04/business/nintendo-scores-big.html?scp=314&sq=nintendo%20entertainment%20system&st=Search&pagewanted=1|accessdate=2010-07-01|date =1988-12-04|work=New York Times | first=Douglas C. | last=McGill}}</ref> and set the stage for Japanese dominance of the video game industry.<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Smart Bomb: Inside the Video Game Industry |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5011925 |series=Talk of the Nation |serieslink=Talk of the Nation |network=National Public Radio |airdate=2005-11-14 |transcript=}}</ref> With the NES, Nintendo also changed the relationship between [[console manufacturer]]s and third-party software developers by restricting developers from publishing and distributing software without licensed approval. This led to higher quality software titles, which helped to change the attitude of a public that had grown weary from poorly-produced titles for other game systems of the day.<ref name="Genesisn't">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L.| authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond- The Story That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World|origyear=2001|edition=First|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|pages=306–307 |year=2001}}</ref> The NES was the first system to use special technology to lock-out unauthorized cartridges.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Steven L.| authorlink=Steven L. Kent|title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond- The Story That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World|origyear=2001|edition=First|publisher=Prima Publishing|location=Roseville, California|isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=398 |year=2001}}</ref>

The NES hardware was also very influential. Nintendo chose the name "Nintendo Entertainment System" for the US market and redesigned the system so it would not give the appearance of a child's toy. The front-loading cartridge input allowed it to be used more easily in a TV stand with other entertainment devices, such as a video cassette player. The controller was radically different from those of previous consoles,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://technologizer.com/2009/08/10/fifteen-classic-game-console-design-mistakes/ |title=Fifteen Classic Game Console Design Mistakes |first=Benj |last= Edwards |date=2009-08-10 |work=Technologizer.com |accessdate=2010-01-01}}</ref> replacing the joystick with a 4-way directional "control pad."<ref name="Dpad"/> Unlike a joystick, the control pad could be manipulated precisely and easily with a single thumb. As the industry adopted the idea, it became universally known as the "directional pad," "D-pad," or "cross pad." Nearly every major game system after the NES incorporated a D-pad onto the primary controller. In later years, Nintendo was recognized with multiple industry awards for the innovation.<ref name="NewControl">{{cite press release |title=Nintendo Wins Emmy Award |publisher=Nintendo|date=2007-07-16|url=http://register.nintendo.com/newsarticle?page=newsArchive&articleid=Q_m8EAksWkrkwRE1kPUQ4Jeago7fOXTL&page=archive |accessdate=2007-10-24}}{{Dead link|date=June 2010}}</ref><ref>National Academy of Television Arts And Sciences. {{cite web |url=http://www.emmyonline.org/tech/applications/engineering_award_winners_rev6.pdf |title=Outstanding Achievement in Technical/Engineering Development Awards |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080228191914/http://www.emmyonline.org/tech/applications/engineering_award_winners_rev6.pdf |archivedate=2008-02-28}}</ref><ref>[http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Sky-News-Archive/Article/20080641299976 Nintendo Wins Emmy For DS And Wii Engineering]</ref>

Many prominent game franchises originated on the NES. The system's hardware limitations led to game design similarities that still influence video game design and culture. Some of the more important franchises that debuted on the NES were Nintendo's own ''[[Mario (series)|Super Mario Bros.]]'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Kohler |first=Chris |authorlink=Chris Kohler |title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life |year=2004 |publisher=Brady Games |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |isbn=0-7440-0424-1 |page=57}}</ref> ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=353}}</ref> and ''[[Metroid (series)|Metroid]]'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=357}}</ref> [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Mega Man (original series)|Mega Man]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/famicom/index20.shtml |title=8-Bit Memories, 1988–1994 |first=Benjamin |last= Turner |coauthors=Christian Nutt |date=2003-07-18 |work=GameSpy.com |page=20 |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref> franchise, [[Konami]]'s ''[[Castlevania]]''<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4|page=358}}</ref> franchise, [[Square (company)|Square]]'s ''[[Final Fantasy]]''<ref>{{cite book |last=Kohler |first=Chris |authorlink=Chris Kohler |title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life |year=2004 |publisher=Brady Games |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |isbn=0-7440-0424-1 |page=95}}</ref> and [[Enix]]'s ''[[Dragon Quest]]''<ref>{{cite book |last=Kohler |first=Chris |authorlink=Chris Kohler |title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life |year=2004 |publisher=Brady Games |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |isbn=0-7440-0424-1 |page=222}}</ref> (now [[Square Enix]]'s) franchises. All of these still exist today.

NES imagery, especially its controller, has become a popular motif for a variety of products,<ref name="USB">{{cite web |url=http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/games/ba5a/ |title=Retro NES USB Controller |work=[http://www.thinkgeek.com Think Geek] |accessdate=2010-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first =Benj |last=Edwards |url=http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/355 |title=VC&G Review: Nintendo Power Mints |work=[http://www.vintagecomputing.com/ Vintage Computing and Gaming] |date=2007-08-19 |accessdate=2010-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Apparel/TShirts/NoveltyTees/Nintendo-Controller-Pop-Art-TShirt-256381.jsp |title=Nintendo Controller Pop Art T-Shirt |work=[http://www.hottopic.com Hot Topic] |accessdate=2010-07-01}}</ref> including Nintendo's own Game Boy Advance.<ref name="GBA"/> Clothing, accessories, and food items adorned with NES-themed imagery are still produced and sold in stores. Such items include hats, shirts, underwear, wallets, wrist-bands, belt buckles, tins containing mint candy, and energy drinks.

==See also==
{{Portal|Nintendo}}
* [[List of Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
* [[List of Family Computer games]]
* [[List of Family Computer Disk System games]]
* [[List of Nintendo Entertainment System emulators]]
* [[Nintendo World Championships]]

==Notes==
{{Refbegin|colwidth=60em}}
{{cnote|a|For distribution purposes, Europe and [[Australasia]] were divided into two regions by Nintendo. The first of these regions consisted of France, the Netherlands, West Germany, Norway, Denmark and Sweden and saw the NES released during 1986. The console was released in the second region, consisting of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Italy, as well as Australia and New Zealand, the following year.}}
{{cnote|b|In Japan, Nintendo sold an optional expansion peripheral for the Famicom, called the [[Family Computer Disk System|Famicom Disk System]], which would enable the console to run software from proprietary [[floppy disk]]s.}}
{{cnote|c|The original Famicom included no dedicated controller ports. See [[#Game controllers|game controllers]] section.}}
{{cnote|e|The NES was the overall best-selling system worldwide of its time. In Japan and the United States, it controlled 85 to 90 percent of the market.<ref name="dominate"/> It was not as successful in Europe, where it was at in most ten to twelve percent of households.<ref name="Europe"/> Nintendo sold 61.9 million NES units worldwide: 19.35 million in Japan, 34 million in the Americas and 8.5 million in other regions.<ref name="consolidatedsales" />}}
{{cnote|f|The commonly bundled game ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' popularized the [[platform game]] genre and introduced elements that would be copied in many subsequent games<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p6_01.html |title=15 Most Influential Games of All Time |accessdate=2007-10-24 |publisher=GameSpot |page=6}}</ref>}}
{{cnote|g|Atari broke off negotiations with Nintendo in response to [[Coleco]]'s unveiling of an unlicensed port of ''Donkey Kong'' for its [[Coleco Adam]] computer system. Although the game had been produced without Nintendo's permission or support, Atari took its release as a sign that Nintendo was dealing with one of its major competitors in the market.<ref name="Kent283"/>}}
{{cnote|h|[[Donkey Kong Jr. Math]] and [[Mach Rider]] are often erroneously included in lists of launch titles. In reality, neither title was available until later in 1986.<ref name="Dayton, David 2010"/>}}
{{Refend}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Famicom and variants}}
* [http://www.youtube.com/v/CW0rirNy-qA Video of Nintendo Famicom] hardware and features from [http://famicomdojo.tv/season1/ FamicomDojo.TV]
* {{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.com/systemsclassic?type=nes |title=Nintendo Entertainment System |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071020045136/http://www.nintendo.com/systemsclassic?type=nes |archivedate=2007-10-20}} at Nintendo.com ([http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.nintendo.com/systemsclassic?type=nes archived versions] at the [[Digital time capsule|Internet Archive Wayback Machine]])
* [http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.nintendo.com/doc/nes_games.pdf NES games list] at Nintendo.com (archived from [http://web.archive.org/web/20070317023021/http://www.nintendo.com/doc/nes_games.pdf the original] at the [[Digital time capsule|Internet Archive Wayback Machine]])
* {{Dmoz|Games/Video_Games/Console_Platforms/Nintendo/NES|Nintendo Entertainment System}}

{{Nintendo hardware|NES}}
{{Third generation game consoles}}

[[Category:1983 introductions]]
[[Category:1985 introductions]]
[[Category:1986 introductions]]
[[Category:1987 introductions]]
[[Category:History of video games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System| ]]
[[Category:Third-generation video game consoles]]

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WHY SO SERIOUS

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