Nintendo Entertainment System
| Designer | Nintendo |
| Dates | 1985 to 1995 |
Description
The Nes (Nintendo Entertainment System) was the first console to be released after the game crash of 84' (where the games market was flooded with dozen of consoles which overloaded the market). It wasn't marketed as a console but instead as childs toy, due the lack of investors and retailers.
The Nes was the first 8bit console. It resembled a a small plastic box, with a grey colour scheme. Sporting a black stripe down the right side. Cartridges were loaded by a hinged cover and power contols were just below this, unlike the atrari 2600 (a member of the second generation of games consoles) which was top loading. It included a sleak, neat controller design featuring four buttons and a directional pad. All encased in a tidy rectangle.
Many extras were produced for the console such as a Zapper (a gun, which was a first for the gaming comunity), the power glove and R.O.B. These were included as bundle packages and sold for around £100.
The games consisted of bold, strong graphic and easy game play, that used 2D graphics. The video games ranged from sports, to arcade. All the games were played on a platform format that scrolled form one side of the screen to the other. These games were sold in compact cardboard boxes which could easily be stored on a book shelf.
A Personal View
For me the Nes was the start of modern day gaming. It took the ideas of consoles that came before it ( like the atari) and made them accesable to every one. It was small enough to keep under a tv cabinet and didnt require a seperate screen as it connected to your television. The Nes was very much a part of my life growing up, as i played on many classic titles such as "Super Mario Bros" and "Zelda", both of which are still going strong. The Nes is an integral part of my childhood experience, and for this fact alone it should be a design icon (and i am sure i am not the only one). However the innovative design of the controllers and console matched with its gameplay are what it should be remembered for.
Context
The Sega Master system was also released in 1986 also for approxamately £100 to compeate with the Nes. Although it tried to copy the Nes in design and game play, there were several differences. First of all it was a top loading console ( carrying on from previous generations, such as the atari) and it was a different shape. Yet it had the same controller design, and the same button concepts. It even copied the extras that were available for Nes (as it also had a zapper), as well as having many similar games, first of all "Sonic", which was a rival to "Super Mario Bros". It was not able to cope with the Nes (which had a 95% hold on the market) as it was attempting to be the Nes and not come into its own.
Links
classic gaming - Gaming Museum
nes player - Nes Resource
| Author: | Garion Hayman | Date: | March 2008 |