---
title: Nintendo NES
categories:
- Consoles
params:
  name: NES
  image: /media/museum/photos/nintendo_nes_1s.jpg
  company: /companies/nintendo
  company_name: Nintendo
  tabs:
  - photos
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  - videos
  forum_thread: 847
  photos:
  - title: DEMONSTRATION UNIT
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'This is a demonstration unit used in some stores selling the NES. It operates like a jukebox. Up to twelve cartridges can be inserted into the unit. Then, the game is selected by a "Game Select" button. At the rear of the system, a knob is used to select accorded playing time: 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes or ... 120 minutes!'
    image: /media/museum/photos/nintendo_nes_demo-unit_1.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_1943.gif
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_adventure-island.gif
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_bionic-commando.gif
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_castlevania.gif
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_double-dragon.gif
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_micro-machines.gif
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_smb.gif
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_smb3.gif
  - title: SCREENSHOT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/nintendo_nes_ss_zelda.gif
  emulators:
  - title: JNES
    url: http://www.jabosoft.com/jnes/
    platform: Windows
    text: Jnes is a NES emulator for win32 platforms that uses DirectX for it's hardware interface. It's emulation capabilities include graphics, sound, input devices, and emulating quite a few memory mapping boards found in most USA games and a few popular japanese ones.
  - title: NESten
    url: http://tnse.zophar.net/NESten.htm
    platform: Windows
    text: Excellent emulator for Windows
  - title: NNNesterJ
    url: http://www.emulation9.com/nnnesterj/
    platform: Windows
    text: Maybe the best emulator for Windows
  - title: Zophar's Domain
    url: http://www.zophar.net/nes.html
    platform: Other platform
    text: Zophar's Domain has an excellent selection of NES emulators. Prepare to see a lot of them!
  - title: FCE Ultra
    url: http://fceultra.sourceforge.net/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: FCE Ultra is a portable NES/Famicom emulator for DOS, Linux and Windows
  - title: RockNES
    url: http://rocknes.kinox.org/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: Excellent emulator for Windows, DOS, Linux & MacOS
  links:
  - title: '|tsr''s NES archive'
    url: http://www.atarihq.com/tsr/
    text: Excellent site. A must see if you are curious about the NES
  - title: Internet NES Database
    url: http://dod.hpi.net/ivgdb/
    text: NES software database. Useful.
  - title: NES Land
    url: http://www.nesland.vgnetworks.com/
    text: The only Australian based NES site!
  - title: NesDev
    url: http://nesdev.parodius.com
    text: A very good lis of links, especially hardware & technical related links.
  - title: NESworld.com
    url: http://nesworld.parodius.com/
    text: A lot of interesting ingo here
  - title: The NES files
    url: http://www.nesfiles.com/
    text: A large Game selection, with pictures, codes, docs, and more
  - title: TheOldComputer.com
    url: http://www.theoldcomputer.com/
    text: This excellent site has NES roms and a huge NES game boxes archive
  - title: www.nesplayer.com
    url: http://www.nesplayer.com/
    text: 'A lot of info here. Among them : game reviews...'
  videos:
  - title: First NES commercial
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6pW2IYOivA
    text: 'Length: 31s'
  oc_id: 866
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230328055320/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=866
    date: '2023-03-28'
---

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released in Japan in 1983 under the name **Famicom**. This was short for **Fam**ily **Com**puter. Hundreds of games were produced for the system and it sold very well.

It had one of the most unique accessories too; R.O.B (Robotic Operating Buddy). It was controlled by flashes from the screen generated by the game itself. It couldn't do much except move around some discs from one platform to another. It was popular because it was something different.

The NES was home to some of the biggest franchises in video game history and there are still games being made based on characters first seen on the NES. Characters like Mario (who technically was first seen in the Arcades in Donkey-Kong game, though he was called then only "jumpman"), Samus (Metroid), and Link.

Other companies like Sega (Master System) and Atari (Atari 7800) tried to get a piece of the pie with their own systems but neither of them were able to come anywhere near the sales figures of the Nintendo. There is no doubt that the NES was the most popular 8-bit gaming system.

In the early '90s Nintendo redesigned the NES. It was top-loading design and the controllers looked alot like SNES controller except with only 2 buttons. The Famicom (japanese version of the NES) had the longest production life of any console ever to this day from 1983 to 2004 in Japan. It shifted 60 million units in its life time!

A bunch of accessories were available for the NES & Famicom, including : lightgun, ROB the robot, disk drives, BASIC keyboard, dancing mat, power glove, additional controllers and much more...