Nintendo Entertainment System: The Complete Buyer's Guide
Nintendo launched the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in October 1985, starting with a test market in New York City before a nationwide rollout in 1986. It revived the home console business after the 1983 crash and introduced millions of players to Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Metroid.
Quick facts
| North American launch | October 18, 1985 (New York test market) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
| Media | Cartridges (Game Paks) |
| Controller ports | 2 |
| Best-selling game | Super Mario Bros. |
| Worldwide sales (with Famicom) | 61.91 million |
| Discontinued | 1995 |
Models and what changed
The original NES-001 is the gray front-loading console most people picture. You push the cartridge in and press it down into a 72-pin connector, and that connector is the main source of the familiar blinking power light when it wears out.
The NES-101, often called the top loader, arrived in 1993 at a smaller size with redesigned controllers. Cartridges insert straight down, which avoids the 72-pin connector problem, but it only outputs RF video unless it has been modified.
The front loader offers both RF and composite (yellow, red and white RCA) output, so it is usually the easier model to connect to a modern TV without modification.
Tips for buying one today
- Check the cartridge connector on a front loader. A blinking red power light or a gray screen usually points to a worn 72-pin connector, which can be replaced or refurbished.
- Make sure you have the right power supply and video cable. The NES uses its own AC adapter, and a composite cable is the simplest way to connect a front loader to a TV.
- Many newer TVs no longer accept an analog RF signal, so plan on composite input, a composite-to-HDMI converter or an upscaler for a modern set.
- The NES Zapper light gun does not work on modern flat-panel TVs because it depends on the timing of a CRT display.
- North American and PAL cartridges are region locked by the lockout chip, and Japanese Famicom cartridges use a different 60-pin shape that needs an adapter.
Games to play first
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- The Legend of Zelda
- Metroid
- Mega Man 2
- Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
- Castlevania
- Contra
- Kirby's Adventure
Shop by genre
NES Action & Adventure Games · NES Platformers · NES Shooters · NES Sports Games · NES Party & Family Games
Guides
- How to Connect an NES, SNES or Sega Genesis to a Modern TV
- Every Super Mario Game in Order: 2D, 3D and the Best Spin-Offs
Frequently asked questions
Why does my NES blink and not start the game?
On the front-loading NES-001 this is almost always a poor connection between the cartridge and the 72-pin connector, or dirty cartridge contacts. Cleaning the cartridge and replacing or refurbishing the connector usually fixes it.
Can I connect an NES to an HDMI TV?
Not directly. The front loader outputs composite video, which you can plug into a TV with composite input or run through a composite-to-HDMI converter or upscaler. The top loader outputs RF only unless modified.
How do NES games save?
Most NES games use passwords or have no saving at all. Some, like The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy, save to battery-backed memory inside the cartridge, and those batteries can eventually run out.
Will Famicom games work on a North American NES?
Not without an adapter. Famicom cartridges are smaller and use 60 pins instead of 72, so they need a 60-to-72 pin converter to fit.