Flashback NES 197
Gamespot has a piece in their Flashback series up, looking at the significance of the NES, Nintendo's original console offering in the United States. Last year the console celebrated its 20th year. Gamespot has a talk with Nintendo and reflects on the games that made the system great. From the article: "There was no denying that the NES was a phenomenon. By the 1990's one in every three American homes had an NES and video games had become a billion-dollar industry. Nintendo had taken over Saturday morning cartoons, cereal boxes, and the surface of commercial merchandise the world over. Through several different iterations, from the Japanese-exclusive Famicom Disk System to the 90's released top-loading NES, the NES dominated video game sales for nearly a decade."
Memories (Score:1)
Not much differnet from today, when I spend hours in front of a computer at work and a TV at home, playing games!
Re:Memories (Score:2, Funny)
Santa brought me the Rob the Robot bundle instead of the SMB bundle. Santa is such a jerk.
competition with PC games, then and now (Score:1, Interesting)
Now, it seems like consoles have finally reached technological parity with PCs (never mind ease of use). The only remaining problem is input
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2, Informative)
This isn't something new. And neither is claiming that consoles have "finally reach technological parity with PCs." So can we really hang this one up, at least until the next "Next Ge
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2)
But specs really aren't that important, it's all about the games, right? I will agree th
Are we remembering the same 1986? (Score:3, Insightful)
At that time, hardware specifically designed for *gaming* allowed a number of gametypes that simply could not be done on the PC. When the original Commander Keen came out, in 1990, people were stunned that you could do
Re:Are we remembering the same 1986? (Score:4, Insightful)
OTOH, to me PC == personal computer, so I count Amigas in that category. They had 68000s, which were a hybrid 16/32 bit architecture (later pure 32 bit with the 68020). They had excellent hardware for video games (hardware accelerated blits, the ability to change palettes in mid frame), digital sound, most had 512 Mb with some at 1 or even 2 Mb, and could even run 3D games (although very primitive ones by today's standards - no texture mapping).
The NES was quite primitive compared to the Amiga, so Amiga (and Atari) games were just much more sophisticated. The x86 machines were primitive also, but as you say, they surpassed everything else around the time of Doom, in the early texture-mapped 3D days.
Re:Are we remembering the same 1986? (Score:2)
Carrier Command.
LK
Re:Are we remembering the same 1986? (Score:3, Interesting)
The 386 was 32-bit (Score:2)
Re:The 386 was 32-bit (Score:2)
Intel had started selling 'em, but IBM hadn't started buying 'em yet. Perhaps Compaq or some of the other clone OEMs had started selling 32-bit systems in 1986, but as is the situation with 64-bit Windows systems today it's unlikely that there was much software being released to take advantage of the new hardware.
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:1, Flamebait)
God you are such a newb. atari & Amiga != pc.
Pc's were the ibm clones, mostly used for office applications.
get your fsckn facts straight.
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:1)
Careful, "PC" stands for Personal Computer, not IBM-Compatible Personal Computer. (Although people do tend to make that assumption)
Åre you making the claim that the Atari ST and Amiga were not "Personal Computers"?
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2)
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:1, Informative)
Only to the x86 weenies who think "modern computer history" started with the IBM-PC.
The term PC was in use as far back as '76, and possibly even in '72, which predates x86 machines. Here's what wikipedia says about it, which roughly matches my memory of the time (emphasis mine):
"The phrase "personal computer" was common currency before 1981, and was used as early as 1972 to characterize Xerox PARC's Alto. However, due to the success of
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2)
Hmm. I remember owning a BBC. The other machines I knew existed at that time where Atari, Amiga, Tiki, some brand I forgot and I think maybe Mac? I wasn't very old :)
Either way, I know none of those were referred to as PC's in common speach atleast, and this was before the 286 become a major hit, and the all-conquering 386 came. Anyways, I'm Norwegian and thus not a native English speaker, so that might be the cause of t
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2)
The XT was IBM's second personal computer model; the first was indeed named "PC" (accompanied by, as is IBM's nature, some inscrutable 4-digit model number).
I believe the XT differed from the PC in that it used an 8088 CPU instead of the fully-16-bit 8086, and it was with the XT that the Color Graphics Adapter was introduced.
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2)
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2)
nerd ego
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:1, Interesting)
In the 80s I had a C64, which was an agressively priced home computer. I had boxes full of games for it, but I prefered the NES due to the superior graphics and lack of load times. In the early 90s, I wanted an Amiga, but there was no way my parents were going to buy me one, so I had an SNES. By the mid/late 90s I switched to PC, because
Re:competition with PC games, then and now (Score:2)
I hope the Revolution is successful (Score:5, Insightful)
I remember my dad playing Super Mario Bros. with me. Rad Racer and a few others, too. There's no way he'd pick up Halo or Final Fantasy today. Not only do these games require an extended commitment (which means only hardcore gamers with lives can truly enjoy them instead of the pick-up-and-play nature of older games), they've abandoned their simplicity and uniqueness in exchange for more shaders and polys.
Immersion is supposed to draw you in, yes; but when you're immersed, the game should be fun to play. A good example is Legend of Zelda, which still remains reasonably simple to play, though Windwaker did add some complexities. But perhaps the greatest example of a "modern" game that was as simple as the old games yet had the depth people demand today is Super Mario 64. Controlling that game is such a piece of cake, and I think Nintendo wants all their games to be that easy to control through their new controller (which an EA rep leaked will have touch sensitivity as well!).
Re:I hope the Revolution is successful (Score:1)
Re:I hope the Revolution is successful (Score:2)
There are still games for gamers low on time (Score:2)
I've gotten hooked on Desert Combat [desertcombat.com], a mod for Battlefield 1942. (I'm aware of Battlefield 2, but I'm on a Mac so this is what I get, I console myself with reports that Battlefield 2 gameplay is not so great hehe) I can hop in, play a map or 2, a couple rounds, and be out in 20-30 minutes. Extremely fun gaming for the time investment, and it naturally ends after each round, during which you
Re:There are still games for gamers low on time (Score:2)
I console myself with reports that Battlefield 2 gameplay is not so great hehe
Whoever is telling you this is on smack. Go find a friend who has a decently endowed PC and BF2. Not to kick 1942 (great game, excellently playable) but BF2 on the right hardware makes it look like last year's potato chip.
Re:There are still games for gamers low on time (Score:2)
Re:There are still games for gamers low on time (Score:2)
Re:I hope the Revolution is successful (Score:2)
Re:I hope the Revolution is successful (Score:2)
Re:I hope the Revolution is successful (Score:2)
Re:I hope the Revolution is successful (Score:2)
Re:I hope the Revolution is successful (Score:2)
Oblivion is coming on PC and xbox 360, and THAT'S what a RPG should be. Not zelda crap. So many
NES for the 21st Century (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:NES for the 21st Century (Score:2)
Re:NES for the 21st Century (Score:2)
Of course, I may continue to do it after that too, since I know now how much it pisses off an anonymous pussy^Wcoward.
Re:NES for the 21st Century (Score:2)
Re:NES for the 21st Century (Score:1)
Re:NES for the 21st Century (Score:2)
Re:NES for the 21st Century (Score:2)
With zelda, you stabbed things with a sword!
Similarly, TMNT was all about killing shit.
Most of the racing games allowed you to push people off the side of the road, Nintendo's ice hockey had fights I think? Ok I think Nintendo pinball was safe, jeopardy and chessmaster. Duckhunt involved shooting things... damn dog wouldn't die. And
Hooray (Score:3, Funny)
JUSTIN BAILEY
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Re:Hooray (Score:2)
Re:Hooray (Score:2)
Okay, but it wasn't named after "the first kid who beat Metroid on the NES" as you claimed.
I never understood gaming... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:I never understood gaming... (Score:1)
Re:I never understood gaming... (Score:3, Insightful)
It wasn't a desire to sit in front of a TV, it was a desire to explore other worlds and find hidden things, be challenged with puzzles and challenging maneuvers, improve skill through practice, and (sometimes) play against friends in multiplayer games. It would be hard to desire this if you'd never experienced it, so perhaps it
Re:I never understood gaming... (Score:1)
Re:I never understood gaming... (Score:1)
Re:I never understood gaming... (Score:1)
Re:I never understood gaming... (Score:2)
Re:I never understood gaming... (Score:2)
Re:I never understood gaming... (Score:2)
I think that is a problem with the industry actually. This has nothing to do with the grandparent or the great grandparent post, but a gripe I've got with modern developers. I've played many games in which I thought to myself "My god. Did the guys who made this even sit down and play their own game? For that matter do they play any games at all? I know 20 other games that get this
SEGA (Score:2, Interesting)
No but really, the sega master system was a good console, and never really got the recognition it deserved. Sort of like how the Atari ST was actually better than the Amiga. Ah, the memories...
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
Re:SEGA (Score:1)
Re:SEGA (Score:1)
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
My Atari Lynx had backlit colour even before the Game Gear, I still have it somwhere. It was a great system, and had it had better marketing, could have done for the handheld market what the NES did for the console market. Unfortunatly, it didn't, and the next hand held I ended up buying was the GBA SP. This weekend I finally bo
Re:SEGA (Score:1)
Good console, but seriously lacking in the software department. Except for Phantasy Star, I can't remember the names of any of the games I've played on the Master System. Genesis, on the other hand, would deliver on so many levels...
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
Oh, come on! Sure, the SMS had a smaller library than the NES, but it had some great games: R-Type, Quartet, Fantasy Zone, Wonderboy in Monsterland, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Double Dragon, Time Soldier, Shinobi, Penguin Land... the list goes on. And, while the NES library is vast, the amount of sheer *crap* is equally vast.
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
Re:SEGA (Score:1)
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
Plus Myau w
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
Re:SEGA (Score:2)
LK
The memories... (Score:2)
Re:The memories... (Score:2)
NES marketing (Score:3, Interesting)
If anybody is interested, there are numerous examples of this at Nintendo: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly [i-mockery.com]
Personally, I think that the Super Mario Bros. ceiling fan [i-mockery.com] best shows the complete grasp Nintendo had on many people's lives.
Am I the only one feeling old? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Am I the only one feeling old? (Score:2)
The Nes . . . (Score:1)
Don't forget about the NES.
Last year? (Score:1)
I laughed when I saw this story posted... (Score:1)
Still the best console ever IMO (Score:1)
I spent nearly every day playing on that thing. Or over at a friends house playing a 2-player simo game. There were a ton of great titles on that system.
Hey anyone remember that article in Nintendo Power? The one which said something like "Some games might slow down and flicker. This is because the game is SO powerful!!!"
Man talk about a biased magazine. I mea
Re:Still the best console ever IMO (Score:1)
Heh, I remember that promotion; it's when I got my subscription to Nintendo Power too. I was fifteen at the time, and I was upset when my first issue arrived, but no Dragon Warrior. A call to customer service revealed that my subscription had been processed as a non-promotional subscription, but they sent me the
still going (Score:2)
-bZj
20 years! (Score:1)
Re:20 years! (Score:1)
That's got to be one of the greatest games ever.
I first learned of its existence when I stopped in the arcade at the Tacoma Mall in '89 (either late '89 or very early '90) and there was an SMB3 machine. My jaw dropped, and I promptly spent half of my allowance on it. I would've spent my entire allowance, but I left to tell my friend the news. He refused to believe me and it took a lot of coaxing to convince
Re:20 years! (Score:2)
SMB1 would be 20 years old with the NES. Either way it's pretty sad that it took you that long to beat SMB3.
Re:20 years! (Score:2)
Nightmare and Crime Simulations? (Score:5, Insightful)
Is it just me, or is Nintendo the only company that doesn't cater only to mature audiences? Does Gen Y (or Z or whatever) really demand such over-the-top nightmarish games? Am I so old that only us NES veterans enjoy games that even my young kids can play?
I went to the toy store to buy my son a birthday present. While I was there, I walked down the aisle, taking note of the rough percentage of games for each platform were rated anything below teen or mature. I noticed that only Nintendo had any games I'd want my kids to play.
I don't mind a little violence, but why does every game have to simulate a nightmare or a crime to be worth playing? I just don't understand. I'd appreciate it if someone explained it to me.
Re:Nightmare and Crime Simulations? (Score:1, Insightful)
There are some on every system... (Score:2)
Re:Nightmare and Crime Simulations? (Score:2)
Simply, people want to do something different in their game lives. Hell, even in The Sims my people have lives that are different than mine. As different as possible.
Violence just helps to blow off steam. When some asshole cuts you off in traffic, you can relieve yourself by blowing the head off of a digital asshole on
Re:Nightmare and Crime Simulations? (Score:2)
Or you could just ride a bike and take the trail to work. Maybe people wouldn't need such ridiculous escapes if they didn't put themselves in such terrible lifestyles to begin with?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not down on gamers- personally, I'm a sucker for starcraft (and chess).
Re:Nightmare and Crime Simulations? (Score:2)
I'm a 30 year old smoker. That's out of the question.
Maybe people wouldn't need such ridiculous escapes if they didn't put themselves in such terrible lifestyles to begin with?
That's an unfortunate reality in today's world.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not down on gamers- personally, I'm a sucker for starcraft (and chess).
I can dig the chess thing. I play online and with my PDA. But sometimes I want something else.
LK
Re:Nightmare and Crime Simulations? (Score:2)
I've noticed that Nintendo is what I gravitate to, when it comes to consoles. I have a
Re:Nightmare and Crime Simulations? (Score:2)
Re:Nightmare and Crime Simulations? (Score:2)
Well I'm sorry, Dad. But seriously...TELETUBBIES!?!?
-Eric
NES set the standard for the computer RPG? (Score:2)
Re:NES set the standard for the computer RPG? (Score:2)
Bah. You know what else is 20 years old?
Wasteland!
That RPG left all others in the dust.
Nintendo, the greatest thing...ever. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Irresponsible parents (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Irresponsible parents (Score:1)
Re:Irresponsible parents (Score:2)
I'm tempted,
Re:Irresponsible parents (Score:2)
Re:Man, who cares (Score:1)
Re:Say it with me now... (Score:2)
How do you know you are not just more insane than you think?