Nintendo: a name synonymous with some of the best gaming platforms since console gaming has been in existence. From the breakthrough consoles Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64, to the revolutionary Wii and current Wii U, Nintendo has brought us countless reasons to sit down and play some of our favorite games like The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. However, there is one system that came before all of those; one system that made console gaming relevant and possibly saved it from an early grave. The console I’m writing about is the original Famicom, and it’s having a birthday!
First though, here is a brief history.
The Famicom was released on July 15th, 1983 in Japan to less than favorable reviews. Though the console was easy to setup and use, it didn’t work half of the time. The reason for this was that the original shipment had a defect that would cause the some of them to have burnt motherboard chips. After a recall of the initial shipment, the reviews of the console soared and it quickly became the top selling console of 1984. The ability to play games like Donkey Kong at home instead of shelling out quarter after quarter was a huge leap forward in home gaming entertainment.
In 1985, Nintendo of America released the North American version of the Famicom, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). With its release, the NES became the most sold console worldwide, beating every other console in sales.
Now it is celebrating its 30th Birthday!
Three decades later and we see the results of what the Famicom did for the gaming industry. It’s because of that console that we have those childhood or young adult memories of playing Duck Hunt and trying to shoot the annoying dog. How about that time Uncle Barry taught us how to find the warp pipes in the second stage of Super Mario Brothers? It’s because of Nintendo’s Famicom that all of those memories are possible and we can’t take that for granted.
So happy birthday Famicom! Thank you for 30 years of gaming awesomeness.
Published: Jul 16, 2013 12:36 pm