• Classic Console Review: Nintendo Entertainment System

  

  Written by Zeromage 14 Comments
  Last Updated:: June 2, 2008

  Saying the Nintendo Entertainment System is the greatest video system of all time is not a difficult argument to make. Countless video gamers could make arguments on a variety of different levels to why this is. One of these arguments clearly has to do with how many classic games were released under the NES enterprise. One could simply look at all the greatest video games of all time lists that are out there to understand how many classic games were made for this ubiquitous system. Off the top of my head I can name Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Mike Tyson’s Punchout, Mega Man and Castlevania as some of the great games for the NES. All of these games had numerous sequels after them because of the outstanding success they won from their first NES versions.

  Let’s not forget the illustrious graphics that highlighted animation and graphic design beyond anything else for the time. When one played Mega Man 2, one couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the design of the dragon boss at the end of Wiley’s first fortress level. Everyone who played Mario 3 enjoyed the noticeably colorful characters in the third water level and the intricate world map that spoke of vast adventures ahead. The creativity that went into the design of bosses in the Nintendo era was stunning. While modern technology surely wins in the sophistication department, it often fails in comparison to the creativity that went into a boss for a NES game.

  Lets go to the very simple reasons why the Nintendo Entertainment System was an absolute success. How about the universal playability of a game like Mario 1? Who wouldn’t play this game and be hopelessly addicted after 5 minutes of game play? The controls and purpose of the game were simplified so everyone could enjoy the Mushroom Kingdom without asking “What do I do next”? With Mario, the 2d side-scroller became the premiere game design for any video game. The gamer didn’t need to think more than what was in front of him. The gamer always knew the time he had to finish a level and the approximate distance he had to traverse to complete the level. It wasn’t just Mario either that employed the simple 2d side scroller quality to perfection. One could look at the likes of Contra, Duck Tales, and Bionic Commando as other examples of 2d perfection. Don’t think all the games for the NES though were easy to beat just because they were simple to control and simple to understand. As highlighted on our top 10 hardest games of all time, Nintendo could have a penchant for making the gamer work his ass off.

  Great games, iridescent graphics, and varying difficulty levels just touches the surface on why the Nintendo is the grand father of the video game market. Anyone who has played a game like Kid Icarus thoroughly could give you even more reasons why the NES was one of the greatest video game systems of all time. Anyone who has played through Zelda 1 and 2 could give you even more reasons why their favorite games of all time happened to be for the NES. Anyone who played the games for the NES era understands the memories and quality that went into playing these games. Many gaming systems after the NES would fail to match the above said qualities. Unlike some of these later systems, the NES wasn’t about being cool. It wasn’t about overwhelming the gamer with special effects and intricate plot lines. The NES was about simple fun with fun progenitors and bosses that anyone could become attached to. That future systems ignored this formula for success was perplexing. It would only further confirm the legacy that the NES had won itself.

  Rating:

14 Comments

1. #1 gnome says:
   March 15th, 2010 at 3:58 pm

   An excellent write-up really and interesting even to us aging home-computer fanboys