Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) video games console, with two controllers, power cable, aerial switch and TV connector cable; Japan, 1985

Video games console, with two controllers, power cable, TV connector cable and aerial switch.

The console is an eight-sided plastic box standing on four circular foam feet. The plastic is in three colours: the uppermost part of the console is light grey (much yellowed); the lower part a darker grey; on the front and back are smaller black plastic panels. When viewed from the front, the bottom third tapers inwards toward the ground. On the front of the console, at the top, is a hinged plastic flap into which the video game cartridges would be inserted. Below this, on the proper right side, are two buttons marked 'power' and 'reset'. On the proper left are two sockets for controllers. On the base is a removeable panel.

With the console are two controllers, each is rectangluar, made from light grey plastic, with an inset face panel, into which are set the sprung controls (left to right): a cross-shaped directional ('D') pad, 'select', 'start', 'B', 'A'. They connect to the NES via long, black cables. There is also an AC power supply, RF cable for connection to a television, and a switch for choosing between aerial and game signal.

Given by Alex Malloy

This object belonged to the donor Alex Malloy (b. 1980) and his younger brother when they were children. He later recalled 'I was a happy and very spoilt child. When I was very young I didn't have many friends and didn't like to play outside, so my parents and grandparents bought me LOTS of toys. As I got older my attention turned to computer games, particularly Nintendo... When my little brother came along he was even more spoilt than I was, so the toys and games really started to accumulate at that time.'

It was given to the Museum in 2016 [2017/119].

Nintendo was originally founded in 1889 in Kyoto, Japan, as a manufacturer of hanafuda playing cards. Nintendo entered the electronic toy industry in 1966, producing a series of early light gun games, but not to great success. In 1974, they were able to secure the contract to distribute the Magnavox Odyssey home video games console in Japan, which marked their first entry into this market. Nintendo began to produce arcade games from 1975, although the company’s fortune was truly made in 1981 with the release of the Donkey Kong in 1981, the title character being designed by Shigeru Miyamoto, who also designed Nintendo’s signature character Mario (an early version of whom appeared in Donkey Kong as ‘Jumpman’).

In 1983, Nintendo launched the Family Computer, aka the Famicom, a games console designed to be used in the home. Its earliest games were ports of Nintendo’s successful arcade games, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr and Popeye. The product was extremely successful, with 2.5 million sold in Japan by 1985. That same year it began to be sold in a redesigned form in North America, as the now-iconic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The NES resuscitated the ailing video games market by establishing a strong product identity, whilst providing reassurance to consumers by enforcing strict licencing rules for games formatted for the system. Along with these considerations, many iconic games were produced for the NES.

The Nintendo Entertainment System was vital for bringing video games into the home in a more focussed, fun and dedicated way than had been previously known. Unlike in Japan, in North America and Europe it was marketed squarely at children. The NES resuscitated the ailing video games market by establishing a strong product identity, whilst providing reassurance to consumers by enforcing strict licencing rules for games formatted for the system. Many iconic games were developed for the NES, including the Super Mario Bros. series.

B.598-2016