For gamers of a certain age, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was Christmas morning in a gray, plastic box. It was 1985, and Super Mario Bros. had just come out.
If you were lucky enough to have one of these systems under your tree, you probably spent the next few years huddled around it with friends and family, playing classics like The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Donkey Kong.
But before the NES took the world by storm, Nintendo released its first home gaming console in Japan: the Family Computer or Famicom.
The Origins of the NES:
The NES was created by the Japanese video game company Nintendo Co., Ltd. In 1983, Nintendo released the Family Computer (Famicom) in Japan. The Famicom was a hit, selling over 500,000 units in its first month on the market. Inspired by the success of the Famicom, Nintendo decided to release the console in North America.
However, before doing so, Nintendo made several changes to the Famicom hardware. They redesigned the console's casing and controller and removed two of Famicom's original chips (the Picture Processing Unit and another sound chip). These changes were made in order to make the console more appealing to Americans.
The NES is Launched in America:
The NES was launched in New York City and Los Angeles on October 18, 1985. It was an instant success, selling over 1.5 million units in its first year on the market. The NES would go on to become one of the best-selling gaming consoles of all time, with over 62 million units sold worldwide.
Conclusion:
The NES is one of Nintendo's most iconic gaming consoles. What many gamers don't know is that this console was actually created in America. It was released in Japan as the Family Computer (Famicom), and then later released in North America as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The NES revolutionized gaming and went on to become one of the best-selling gaming consoles of all time. Thanks for reading!
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