by Nick - 10.18.05

Can you believe it? 20 years ago today, the NES was launched in the US.
I was five.
It’s both strange and exciting to realize that I have practically been around for the entire advent and rise of video games. Essentially, an entire new form of entertainment has grow exponentially in a very short time. While gaming would assuredly still exist had we never gotten the NES, it certainly would not be the same.
I find it exhilarating that I can go back to my roots and still play those first NES games. Even better, they still kick a ton of ass. The pure brilliance and creativity housed in those old cartridges is amazing. Gaming has definitely progressed over the last 20 years, even if at times it is hard to see the incremental changes. Without the pioneering that Nintendo started with the NES though, history may have turned out differently.
So, thanks you little 8-bit wonder. Thank you for properly ushering in a new form of entertainment. Thank you fueling the talent and imagination of players and developers the world over. Here’s to the next 20 years!











Happy 20th wee gray box!
Now I’m all teary, and have a hankerin’ for Dragon Warrior!
kit - 10.18.05 10:42 pm
Happy B-Day, you little box of the most amazing stuff
its hard to belive that little bundle of joy is my elder
RenegadeGhost - 10.18.05 10:46 pm
To follow Mario’s 20th anniversary…
Happy! NES 20th!
kreven - 10.18.05 10:49 pm
I feel so old knowing I was born before the system that started modern gaming. And one year later another revolution.
John - 10.18.05 10:54 pm
Here’s some pictures of my still intact NES box:
http://tinyurl.com/7f6do
http://tinyurl.com/dlezv
kreven - 10.18.05 10:55 pm
What do you know, me and the NES have the same birthday!!! I also turned the big 20 today too (it’s actually 12:00am now, so technically my birthday and the NES’s birthday were yesterday), totally RAD!
enfilade - 10.18.05 10:57 pm
I don’t know where mine is….
SavageS - 10.18.05 11:45 pm
Mine is waiting for me at my grandparents’ house
N Rumas - 10.18.05 11:46 pm
They grow up so fast *sob*…
HAPPY! 20th Anniversary.
Pikachelsea - 10.18.05 11:54 pm
*reminisces on first experiences with the NES, like playing Duck Hunt and holding the gun up to the screen with the gun to shoot without missing*
NintendoFreak411 - 10.19.05 12:06 am
…my first NES memory is at my friend Jim Dato’s house… I went over to his house all the time and was like, “Hey Jim, wanna play Nintendo??” Eventually he accused me of “using him” to play Nintendo…
octorok - 10.19.05 12:13 am
The one good thing that came from my parents divorce; my father bought me the NES day one in NY and pretty much anything/game I wanted for it.
dj - 10.19.05 12:40 am
So I guess NES is off at college?
And it’s still so great! It’s true. So many classic games, and you can buy most of them for $15 if you can find them.
Jack - 10.19.05 12:50 am
My NES has a computer inside of it now : /
http://www.bit-tech.net/news_images/pdxlan_5_case_mods/artic le_img.jpg
: )
VideoGamerJ - 10.19.05 12:50 am
Thanks for starting the magic for me 20 years ago, Nintendo.
Carlos Pita - 10.19.05 12:54 am
Little gray box that changed the world, happy 20th Birthday.
hokku - 10.19.05 1:33 am
Happy Birthday!!!
*grabs NES controller*
You made me put my C64 down!! I never regret it!
zorniki - 10.19.05 3:11 am
Happy Birthday NES (and enfilade).
I was born in 89, and I’ve only played a slew of NES games recently thanks to Nintendo’s NES series on the GBA, but one day when I can, I’m buying one. Or maybe even a nexus if they get good reviews.
But I do, however, remember playing the SNES.
Kerrry - 10.19.05 8:43 am
Happy birthday, at that time I was really a video game freak, i had the NES , the atari, a commodor and an amstrad, lots of game & watche , the only thing that I still have from that era is the original Gameboy, anyway happy 20 years we love you nintendo
MaCrAmaN - 10.19.05 11:10 am
I’ll never forget the memories of playing Super Mario Bros. on that old B&W TV in my room.
I saw it for the first time in color at a Costco store as a demo.
Rynen10K - 10.19.05 11:11 am
Best NES game ever…
It was a baseball game… only with robots… and if someone got tagged, they fought.
2nd and 3rd go to Super Mario 3 and Jepordy Junior Edition
yanipheonu - 10.19.05 11:16 am
Happy B-day buddy. We’ve had some good times.
SithLord - 10.19.05 5:14 pm
It’s been a long time since I so enjoyed reading posts in the net. Two thumbs up! thins that excited you at 14: http://www.sun.com , think that will make relief , black girls on their mission
Joshua Adams - 11.03.05 11:11 am