Nintendo NES

[Vic 2000]

I never owned a NES back then even if i wanted to buy one. I owned Atari ST and thought, why get an eigh bit console when i own a 16 bit computer? Still i was temped to buy a NES when watching some of the great games.

Many years after i got a NES emulator, and after watching countless of longplays downloaded from this site (lightyears better quality then on YouTube)
http://www.longplays.org/downloads.php?cat_id=15

I realized that NES was superior to my Atari ST. In fact, NES had much better games then both Amiga and ST together, and in some cases even SNES. NES was about quality games, and it shows. The same game on NES is in most cases much better then on ST and Amiga. On the other hand all top software houses made games directly on NES, companies like Konami, Capcom, Nintendo, Hudson, Jaleco, Square, Enix, Taito, Irem and lots of more.

NES still impresses me with it's tiling graphics, good sound and fun games.

NES was voted the most importand game console ever, it's not hard to understand why.

[pitcalco]

My brother had a Nintendo back in the day. Sure, it was a lot of fun, but I did not see much of a difference in quality when comparing apples with apples, i.e. the same games played on the Commodore 64. Super Mario Bros 2 came with my brother's system, while I had the rip-off called Giana Sisters on the Commodore. Pretty much the same. Thinking of a few of his other games, I think "Infiltrator" was identical on both systems. It got to a point that I suggested that he simply should have bought the games for the C64 instead of forking out his allowance money on an new game system altogether.

That is not to knock the NES at all. Had he had a Nintendo and no computer, I would suggest the opposite, namely, spending the money on new games for the Nintendo instead of buying a computer, especially given he was only interested in games and not in programming.

[CBR125R]

I dunno. I never got into the NES myself. Yes, there are some good games for it, but it seems like there are a plethora of 2D platformers and scrollers, which I never have gotten into.

[Vic 2000]

Castlevania series
Dragons Quest series
Final Fantasy series
Ninja Gaiden series
Blue Shadow
Shatterhand
Super Mario Bros series
Zelda series

Just to name a few of all awesome games for NES.

We often got so so conversions of many games while the orginal japanese software houses worked directly on NES.

And while we got a so so Double Dragon series, all three games was completly rewritten for NES and much better then the arcade orginal.

Just look at Bionic Commando for exemple, we got so so conversions of the arcade orginal while NES got a brand new special version that was lightyears much better and a full fledged action adventure game. (one of the best games for nes)

Do youself a favour, download and watch some of the longplays i linked too, it's top quality and as good at watching a NES in action. Then, compare.

Then compare the Batman series, they are totally awesome for NES (made by sunsoft). Or perhaps Konamis Contra series.

NES really was that good.

[Kweepa]

Hmm.
There's no doubt that the average quality of the games on NES was higher than ST.
But the ST was capable of so much that the NES wasn't.
Infocom adventures
Xenon & Xenon II
Defender of the Crown
Rocket Ranger
Loom
Monkey Island
Another World
Oids
Speedball
Arkanoid
Time Bandit
Llamatron
Carrier Command
Populous
Interphase
Dungeon Master

[Vic 2000]

Metal Gear
Faxanadu
Mega Man series
Bomberman series
Meteroid
Little Nemo
Gradius
Gargoyles Quest series
Duck Tales series
Blades of Steel
Mike Tysons Boxing
Rygar
Rush'n Attack

And many more

Just to watch Battletoads in action is a good exemple of what NES was capable of. The big difference was that the worlds biggest and best game developers was releasing games for NES. It's hard to compete with giants like Konami, Capcom or Square. They used lots of tricks for making the games more fun and involving, like plenty of cut scenes and small graphic touches.

It was NES who put the japanese software houses on the map as the worlds leading game developers. I don't think that even one japanese game developer wrote a single game for ST or Amiga, all of them was for the most so so conversions of the orginal game for NES.

NES was never built for handling solid vector games like Interphase, Carrier Command or Damocles. But for 2D sprite based games there was nothing that could match the excellence NES in the 80's. NES sold in over 60.000.000 units, that's more then all Ataris and Commodores computers and consoles put together.

NES was an excellent console for it's time who got supported by the best software houses in the world at that time.

And yes, there's plenty of good games on ST and Amiga too off course.

[English Invader]

I was always intrigued by the NES as a kid. Sega was a lot more popular in the UK than Nintendo and the only times I had any opportunity to play on a NES was on the one they had in the children's ward when I was hospitalised with asthma. I mostly played Super Mario 3, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and New Ghostbusters II. Later on, they got a SNES and the only games I remember them having were Super Mario World and Super Soccer. I think my brother got to play Turtles in Time there further down the track (much to my chagrin!).

To me, the most important video game console is the Mega Drive. Sonic the Hedgehog was my big bang into the world of video games.

[Vic 2000]

NES was quite popular in Sweden and i was tempted to buy a NES several times. I bought a SNES instead and later Amiga CD32 and Sega Megadrive. I had plenty of fun with all my consoles. I sold my Amiga CD32 to buy a Megadrive and had almost a year of fun entertainment playing Sonic, Ecco and all the other awesome games. 32 bit was nothing compared to 16 bit in this case because the games was so much more fun to Megadrive.

In fact, it wasn't before i watched all those longplays (see the link in my first posting) that i realized how good NES really was. Today i'm a big fan of NES.

[ral-clan]

I don't know why, but the NES leaves me flat. I have no nostalgic connection to it, even though I picked one up very cheaply simply because the arcade ports are pretty good.
It just doesn't excite me. But I guess I was just a few years too old. I had moved on to the C64 when the NES came out and really, there was nothing a NES could do that a C64 couldn't do better (to me, anyway).

[yogi]

It's funny, as I get older, I've gotten into the older systems more and more. I'm old enough to have grown up without consoles or home computers. I was in my early 20s when the Atari 2600 came out. I was hooked on it and the A800, and used them into the '90s. I still have em, a Sunnyvale heavy sixer and my first A800; intend to be buried with them
But in the last decade +, I seem to have amassed (horded) allot of systems, whenever I run across them at thrift stores or yard sales. Some are just dust collectors because they are boring, sound wise. For me the sound/music is the draw.
The NES is one of those sweet spots, great graphics and very good sound. It doesn't compare to the SID (but what does, sorry Pokey, AY, TIA...). And the homebrew/chiptune scene is one of the more active, so there are allot of tools and support for development.
The quality of the commercial games was very high, mainly because of the tight control Nintendo Corp had. They learned a good lesson after the crash of Atari's 2600, so there weren't many stinker (Yea I'm talking to you, ET!).
As they captured the market, the level of cart tech was amazing. The bank switching techniques blow me away; with only 32K of ROM memory addressing for games. They pushed the ROM densities up to 256KB on later games and had on-cart secondary sound chips, ( Famicom only though).
The system design was ground breaking. The graphics processor (PPU) is an independent system, separate RAM and ROM. Once setup, the only CPU interaction is during the VBI to reload the PPU ram with changes. ~90% of the CPU cycles are free for the game engine. The audio processor had DMA controlled DPCM sample channel, 2 sq, 1 tri and 1 noise channels with individual volumes. Not bad on a 1984 1.79MHz 6502 system!
The only thing that was bone headed: the front loader NES' Z-force connector design. Too bad the cart loading design flaw hadn't been foreseen. Oh well, as long as people still make the stacked 72 pin connectors.
Yogi

[beamrider]

I actually prefer the sound of the NES and Atari 8 bit to the 64's SID. Not taking anything away from its versatility but the SID always sounded a bit too much like a synthesiser to me and had less of an "Arcade" sound and so didn't match some of the early games quite as well. I thought the same thing when they first started using prerecorded music from CD in the PlayStation to acompany its games.

[Jeff-20]

But in the last decade +, I seem to have amassed (horded) allot of systems, whenever I run across them at thrift stores or yard sales. Some are just dust collectors because they are boring, sound wise.

Which systems would you consider your dust collectors, Yogi?

Like you I've amassed a bunch of machines and sold many back into circulation after my curiosity was satisfied. Among them: the Atari Jauguar, the Nintendo 64, Tomy Tutor, Sega Master System. A few systems I bought back: Colecovision, Intellivision. I decided I could keep a console and not collect the entire library of games.

I learned curiosity drives me. I've never owned a Magnovox system, and despite all the negatives I hear about it, I'm tempted to get one. Because collectors keep talkig about it.

The NES is a fine system, but I admit I don't play it often. I invested in a flashcart thinking I would. I don't.


Sent from my phizzone

[yogi]

I actually prefer the sound of the NES and Atari 8 bit to the 64's SID. Not taking anything away from its versatility but the SID always sounded a bit too much like a synthesiser to me and had less of an "Arcade" sound and so didn't match some of the early games quite as well. I thought the same thing when they first started using prerecorded music from CD in the PlayStation to a company its games.

Just saying that the SID's timbers are unique. Personal tastes aside, the SID is 'lead dog' because of it's unique design, a synth on a chip; the fact that techniques were developed to recreate the SID timbers on other chips points to it's standing. But just my opinion

To be sure, Atari Pokey was/is my first 'love' but I enjoy the unique sounds that most of the 8bit 'PSG' era chips have and the 2A03's APU is one of the better.

Yea the PS had some fine music, but at that point it's no longer chip and could have been from any Beige Box PC. The SNES, though not 'CD' moved to a less descript sample based playback also.

One thing that would be cool is a MOD tracker port to the PS, the main problem is getting your samples into it. Of course, many would shrug and say "just use Fast Tracker and playback on the PS" and they'd be right in allot of ways; UI, storage, ect.
Yogi

[yogi]

But in the last decade +, I seem to have amassed (horded) allot of systems, whenever I run across them at thrift stores or yard sales. Some are just dust collectors because they are boring, sound wise.

Which systems would you consider your dust collectors, Yogi?

Like you I've amassed a bunch of machines and sold many back into circulation after my curiosity was satisfied. Among them: the Atari Jauguar, the Nintendo 64, Tomy Tutor, Sega Master System. A few systems I bought back: Colecovision, Intellivision. I decided I could keep a console and not collect the entire library of games.

I learned curiosity drives me. I've never owned a Magnovox system, and despite all the negatives I hear about it, I'm tempted to get one. Because collectors keep talkig about it.

The NES is a fine system, but I admit I don't play it often. I invested in a flashcart thinking I would. I don't.

Sent from my phizzone

Hmmm, I've yet to run across in the flesh, most of your list except I EBayed a couple Sega Game Gears (almost a Master Sys) mainly for midifiying. They're on the ToDo list- had to recap them, which was a pain. Then to re chip a cart, the 'new' SM to GG cart converter I got from ebay was sh*t and had to search for another. When it finally was in hand, didn't have time to mess with em. :/
Did find a TI 99 at a thrift once, but passed on it (kind of regret that sometimes).

Are you referring the the Magnavox Odyssey? Interesting as it was 'The' first home video game. Pong was the first home system I played. If you found one for a good deal, might be worth money over time, or right now. It's hard to put a future price on this stuff; What the next gen will be interested in and all. Collectors now want 'in box' NOS. Empty boxes being sold on EBay, who knew?

Most of what I've seem: people collect things and then their estate has to dispose of it. At the same time there are fewer people that have the found memories of growing up with BRAND X game system. If it's something you love go for it, but remember people did lose money with baseball cards.

The main dust catchers:
A very early Atari sports system (Pong on steroids).
Some Tandys: a Model 3, Coco2, MC10 and the little M? 100 plamtop.
An IBM "Convertible" (boat anchor), model 5142. Plus a Second shoulder bag with the plug ins modules. How could the call this a 'laptop'?
Some early Zenith laptops.
A real offbeat game console, the A'Can, kind of a Sega mega imitation but only like 10 cart title were produced for it, so doubt I'll ever play it.

Almost all these were hand me down from friends. Most people see junk but they're kind of history to me. The TRS Model 3 just looks cool, same with the IBM but my main interest is 'chip tune' sort of stuff so these don't get no lov'n.

I'm not much of a gamer so not into cart collections, rather spend on flash carts . Played the Atari and Sega a lot more when the kids were young. But got them the Xbox and most the games weren't multi-player, so no more Saturday morning family competitions. We used to have a timer for Halo play, so we wouldn't have the boys fighting over who's turn.
Now we have our first grand baby coming, may have to set-up a A2600/Harmony cart system for my son and daughter in law so they can raise another retro gamer!

I've gotten into NES coding lately an enjoy it, there is so much variety with the on-cart sound chips. The real challenge is finding flash cart support for them on the NES. Really want a VRC7 (YM2413ish FM) NES flash cart. There are also some really great composing ROMs by Neil Baldwin for native tracking fun.

Got a couple different A2600 models I use with Paul Slocum's music softs and Highly Liquid midi I/O.

Though I haven't done much programming on it, Love my Sega Genny allot and hopefully soon will get my long over due Gen/MDM midi interface from Littlescale.

On the 'puter front: A800XL + RTM tracker is ATM my favorite, but got a Kerberos cart coming for my rebuilt C64 so think'n I may love a midi Cynthcart.

The last little while been going through the VIC. Had it in a box for years (got it for a Ham radio TNC but ended using a dedicated TNC). Passed by the box too many times, till I decided to get VTracker 2 going. Glad I did, really fun messing on this system. Plan to adapt one of my NES HW projects for the VIC, a Midi Clock to Sync24 PIC controller.

I need to get cables and test my Atari STFM 1024. It would be fun to track the other gear from the ST, Ol'Skool style! As well as running Maximizer for AY love.

Add in a SNES waiting for Ctrix' WIP tracker, a Play Station with MTV's "Music Producer" game, a sprinkling of old Pent PCs for Adlib II FM and MOD tracker goodness. Stir in some MidiBox projects, bake at 400 and Enjoy!
err, sorry for ramblin'
Yogi

[Vic 2000]

NES had the worlds best game developers for it's time and that's the big reason for why NES was so good. So many awesome games were brought to the homes thanks to NES. Not to mention how many awsome games that were born on NES, some of them is even still around.

The hardware isn't always that importand, game developing is far more importand.

I bough an Amiga CD32, the worlds first 32bit console. It didn't stand a chance against the 16bit Sega Genesis and Nintendo SNES thanks to their superior games. And when i played Sonic II for the first time, i bough a Sega Genesis the day after.