Guide to Retro Gaming: NES

Video games have not always had the mainstream appeal that they do now. In fact, during the period where Atari was king, the industry suffered a major crash which almost set gaming back to the point where some of our earlier consoles would not have existed. However, there was one console to credit with the revival of video games in America, and that console was the Nintendo Entertainment System.

What is the NES?

The Nintendo Entertainment System, known as the Famicom in Japan, was the first console released by Nintendo. It was an 8-bit system that came out in 1985 during a time where no sane retailer would even think of restocking such things as video game systems, since their interest was plummeting fast. Atari titles were lacking in innovation and video gaming was turning into nothing more than a fad. So when Nintendo offered major retail chains their system and agreed to buy them back if they didn't sell, everyone thought they were crazy. If only they would have known that they would become the software giant they are now...

If you are ever in a retro gaming store or a pawn shop, it is quite easy to pick out this clunky looking device. It was a massive gray box with a lid that opens up in the front to insert your games into. Once you place the game inside, you have to push the game down to load it, and if you're lucky, you won't get a blinking light when you turn it on. It was this trivial design that makes the hardware on this system unreliable in the first place. Dirt and dust can easily make its way inside, and users are forced to expel inhuman amounts of air into both the system and the cartridge in order to get it to work, and even that wasn't always successful. In 1993 it was eventually re-released in a top loading form (much like its successor, the SNES) and is much more difficult to find. The NES was officially discontinued in 1995.

What do I need to play a NES?

If you are able to locate one of these devices, it's fairly simple to set up. It should come with a gigantic black AC adapter, as well as a television hook up that should match any modern television. The standard back then was an RF adapter, but there are AV cables available as well. The controller should look like a black and gray plastic square (or gray and red if you have the newer model) and it will come equipped with a control pad as well as the start, select, B, and A buttons. If you plan to play with two players, you will need two of these. Also, some people will have a plastic gun, which will be either gray or red, and it too is required to play a small handful of games. An accessory that you may run across during your search is the precursor to the DDR dance pad, known as the Power Pad. There are very few games that use this, save for a few exercise and olympic games, but they make very good use of the technology in making you run in place like a fool!

What games can I play?

Considering the system is over two decades old, you won't find anything that is going to blow your mind graphically. Most games feature 2D pixelated characters and designs, so most games are very simple in concept and easy to pick up and play. This is very ideal for a first time gamer, since the button layouts for some of the new consoles can be quite intimidating for a lot of people. However, just as there are different flavors ice cream, and different genres of movies, video games too have their own categories:

Platformer - Probably the most popular, usually involves defeating enemies while navigating jumps.

Action - These games are hard to define because they are often very different and share traits with other genres, but they tend to rely more on fast reflexes and button presses.

Sports - Any type of sports simulation falls into this category.

RPG - Stands for role-playing game. Often a game of statistics and strategy. Think Dungeons & Dragons and you'll understand. Very popular in Japan.

Adventure - Another hard to define genre. These are often a cross between action and RPG games, but can indicate the point that the game will be lengthy.

Puzzle - If your brain hurts when you get done, then it's probably one of these games.

Arcade - Based off of titles you may find in your local arcade (if you can even find one anymore).

Keep in mind that there are so many different types of games out there that they may not neatly fit into either one of these categories. In fact, they may consist of elements from each one or all of the genres described, but regardless of the type of game, there is sure to be at least one that appeals to the gamer in you!

What games are recommended?

With an arsenal of great games at its disposal, it's very difficult to decide which ones are the best of the best for the NES. However, if I had to choose just ten of them, these are the ones I would say are a must play (in no particular order):

1) Legend of Zelda - The first game to make me feel like every cent I spent on it was worth it. It was an epic adventure with battery backup installed in the cartridge, so you can restart your progress from when you last saved the game. It involved navigating very carefully designed dungeons while defeating enemies and bosses with some cleverly integrated hack and slash action.

2) Final Fantasy - Released during a time when RPG was still an unknown acronym in the American gaming community. This was the very start of the now popular Final Fantasy series, and it didn't need CG cut scenes and an in-depth storyline to be enjoyable. It has been remade various times on many different systems, so there must be something to love about the simple turn based combat.

3) Super Mario Bros. - I know this is an obvious one, but this game has mainstream appeal for good reason: it's a damn good game. What's better then running around lush landscapes, stepping on the heads of foes and bonking your head on bricks, all the while eating mushrooms? The two sequels that followed were also just as classic.

4) Mega Man - There's six of these damn games on the NES alone, so it should be an easy title to find. The gameplay is standard run and gun action, but the kicker here is that if you manage to defeat one of the end bosses (you'll know who they are, because all their names end in "Man"), you acquire their powers and can use it on your next enemy. Twenty years later, the formula has stayed the same, but the NES ones are the best.

5) Super Mario Bros. 3 - Take the amazing Super Mario Bros., add some new power ups and a world map, and you've got an addicting package of NES gaming goodness. Basically, everything in this version has been approved upon since the original; the graphics, the gameplay, the content... it's only downfall is that it isn't the original!

6) Metroid - A side-scrolling shooter game that focuses heavily on exploration. The game's biggest appeal came from the fact that there was always something new to find, be it a weapon upgrade or a hidden room that you didn't know existed. On top of that, upon the game's conclusion, you learn that the lead character, Samus Aran, is in fact a female. Something that blew the minds of many the first time she took off her 8-bit power suit!

7) Kirby's Adventure - Imagine if you will, a fat marshmallow that can swallow enemies whole and copy their abilities. Now imagine a game where you can play as one. That's this game, and it is damn fun.

8) Donkey Kong - The first appearance of Mario and that lovable ape, it's your job to scale the construction site and rescue the damsel in distress on top. There's only four levels, so it's quite short, but fans of the arcade version won't care much. Barrel dodging has never been so much fun.

9) Contra - A classic two player game where you play as marines trying to fend off an alien invasion. In your arsenal are various ridiculously powerful guns that can sometimes cover the entire screen in bullets. Doesn't seem challenging anymore does it? Don't worry, I promise you that you will die... a lot.

10) Bubble Bobble - A couple of fat dinosaurs need to rescue their girlfriends, and will do so by any means necessary... even if it means completing over a hundred stages of encasing monsters in bubbles and then slamming them into walls. As least the food is good!

Other ways to enjoy NES games

If you don't want to invest in a NES, or just don't want to put in the effort to track one down and its many quality games, don't fret. The Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console allows you to download these and other great games right to your Wii console, so you can play them without destroying your lungs trying to get them to work. Also, even though it's technically not legal unless you own the original, you can download emulators for your computer that allow you to play copied versions of the games. You can research these options more at your own discretion, but it should be noted that the ethical aspect of doing the latter is still in question. However you decide to get your NES fix is up to you, but either way you do it, you'll be experiencing the best that 1980's gaming has to offer!