The Nintendo Entertainment System
The 8-bit console that saved video games.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →Following the devastating North American video game crash of 1983, Nintendo released the NES (known as the Famicom in Japan). With strict quality control, the "Seal of Quality," and a killer app called Super Mario Bros., the NES resurrected and redefined the gaming industry.
Verified Facts
- Nintendo marketed the NES as a "toy" and an "Entertainment System" rather than a "Video Game Console" to bypass retailers who were terrified of stocking video games after the 1983 crash.
- The iconic D-pad (directional pad) was invented by Nintendo's Gunpei Yokoi for the Game & Watch handhelds and became the industry standard for controllers.
- Super Mario Bros. established the template for the side-scrolling platformer and remains one of the most influential pieces of software ever written.