The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES as it is more commonly know, reached a milestone achievement over the weekend. October 18th, 2015 marked the console’s 30th birthday in North America.
The NES launched with 18 games in North America, featuring the most extensive launch lineup considering Japan got 3 titles and Europe got 8. I was born three years after the console launched, and my parents were kind enough to buy me and my brother a NES; this was the catalyst that started my love affair with video games.
I have great memories playing the console; I used to sit in my dining room with my old fashioned box television playing the likes of Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt; another one of my favourites was Kickle Cubicle. I can’t quite believe it is 30 years old already. It’s amazing to see where Nintendo have gone over the years from their handhelds to their home consoles, and they’ve managed to keep a steady fanbase throughout.
Sony also tweeted the console giants marking this special occasion thanking them for ‘paving the way’, there may always be those console wars between the big guns, but it is nice to see that support can come from rivals too!
Dear NES: Happy 30th, and thanks for paving the way
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 18, 2015
If you never got around to playing on the NES you can still pick up quite a few gems from the ’80s/’90s on the eShop for Wii and Wii U. Graphically they’re pretty basic compared to todays standards but it’s always good to gain some perspective of where it all began! Duck Hunt is not quite the same without your trusty red lightgun, but the Wii remote is a worthy substitute.
Have you got any fond memories of the NES era? Favorite games? Let us know in the comments below.
