`
`Nintendo Entertainment System Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
`
`Nintendo Entertainment System
`
`From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
`"NES" redirects here. For other uses, see NES (disambiguation).
`"Family Computer" redirects here. For the 1977 VideoBrain product, see
`VideoBrain Family Computer.
`
`The Nintendo Entertainment
`System (also abbreviated as NES)
`is an 8bit home video game
`console that was developed and
`manufactured by Nintendo. It was
`initially released in Japan as the
`Family Computer (Japanese: ファ
`ミリーコンピュータ Hepburn:
`Famirī Konpyūta) (also known by
`the portmanteau abbreviation
`Famicom (ファミコン Famikon)
`and abbreviated as FC) on July 15,
`1983, and was later released in
`North America during 1985, in
`Europe during 1986, and Australia
`in 1987. In South Korea, it was
`known as the Hyundai Comboy
`(현대 컴보이 Hyeondae Keomboi)
`and was distributed by SK Hynix
`which then was known as Hyundai
`Electronics. It was succeeded by
`the Super Nintendo Entertainment
`System.
`
`The bestselling gaming console of
`its time,[8]e[›] the NES helped
`revitalize the US video game
`industry following the video game
`crash of 1983.[9] With the NES,
`
`Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
`
`Top: Nintendo Entertainment System with
`controller
`Bottom: Nintendo Family Computer with controller
`Also known as Family Computer/Famicom (Japan)
`Hyundai Comboy (Korea)
`Dendy (Russia)
`Developer
`Nintendo
`Manufacturer Nintendo
`Type
`Home video game console
`Generation
`Third generation
`Release date
`JP July 15, 1983
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`Nintendo introduced a now
`standard business model of
`licensing thirdparty developers,
`authorizing them to produce and
`distribute titles for Nintendo's
`platform.[10]
`
`Nintendo Entertainment System Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
`NA/SK October 18, 1985[1]
`EU September 1, 1986 a[›]
`EU/AU 1987 a[›]
`1983–2003
`
`Retail
`availability
`Introductory
`price
`Discontinued
`
`Units sold
`
`Media
`
`CPU
`
`Controller
`input
`
`Bestselling
`game
`
`Predecessor
`Successor
`
`In 2009, the Nintendo
`Entertainment System was named
`the single greatest video game
`console in history by IGN, in a list
`of 25.[11] It is the second greatest
`console behind only the Sega
`Dreamcast in PC Magazine 's "Top
`10 Video Game Consoles of All
`Time".[12]
`
`Contents
`
`1 History
`1.1 Development
`1.2 Release
`1.3 Reception
`1.4 Legacy
`2 Discontinuation
`2.1 1995
`2.2 Japan
`3 Games
`3.1 Game Pak
`3.2 Thirdparty
`licensing
`3.2.1 Unlicensed
`games
`3.3 Emulation
`3.4 Game rentals
`4 Hardware
`
`¥14,800 (Japan)
`$299 (US Deluxe Set)
`NA August 14, 1995[2][3]
`JP September 25, 2003[4]
`Worldwide: 61.91 million
`Japan: 19.35 million
`Americas: 34.00 million
`Other: 8.56 million[5]
`ROM cartridge ("Game Pak")b[›]
`Ricoh 2A03 8bit processor (MOS
`Technology 6502 core)
`2 controller portsc[›]
`1 expansion slot
`Super Mario Bros. (packin), 40.23
`million (as of 1999)[6]
`Duck Hunt (packin), 28 million (as
`of 2015)
`Super Mario Bros. 3 (packin), 18
`million (as of July 27, 2008)[7]
`Color TV Game
`Super Famicom/Super Nintendo
`Entertainment System
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`4.1 Configurations
`4.2 Design flaws
`4.3 Lockout
`4.4 Famicom 3D
`System
`4.5 Famicom Modem
`4.6 Technical
`specifications
`4.7 Accessories
`4.7.1 Controllers
`4.7.2 Japanese
`accessories
`4.7.2.1
`Family
`Computer
`Disk System
`4.8 Hardware clones
`4.9 NES Test Station
`5 See also
`6 Notes
`7 References
`8 External links
`
`History
`
`Development
`
`Main article: History of the Nintendo Entertainment System
`
`Following a series of arcade game successes in the early 1980s, Nintendo made plans
`to create a cartridgebased console called the Famicom. Masayuki Uemura designed
`the system.[13][14] Original plans called for an advanced 16bit system which would
`function as a fullfledged computer with a keyboard and floppy disk drive, but
`Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi rejected this and instead decided to go for a
`cheaper, more conventional cartridgebased game console as he felt that features such
`as keyboards and disks were intimidating to nontechnophiles. A test model was
`constructed in October 1982 to verify the functionality of the hardware, after which
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`work began on programming tools. Because 65xx CPUs had not been manufactured
`or sold in Japan up to that time, no crossdevelopment software was available and it
`had to be produced from scratch. Early Famicom games were written on a system that
`ran on an NEC PC8001 computer and LEDs on a grid were used with a digitizer to
`design graphics as no software design tools for this purpose existed at that time.
`
`The code name for the project was "GameCom", but Masayuki Uemura's wife
`proposed the name "Famicom", arguing that "In Japan, 'pasokon' is used to mean a
`personal computer, but it is neither a home or personal computer. Perhaps we could
`say it is a family computer." Meanwhile, Hiroshi Yamauchi decided that the console
`should use a red and white theme after seeing a billboard for DX Antenna which used
`those colors.
`
`Original plans called for the Famicom's cartridges to be the size of a cassette tape, but
`ultimately they ended up being twice as big. Careful design attention was paid to the
`cartridge connectors since loose and faulty connections often plagued arcade
`machines. As it necessitated taking 60 connection lines for the memory and
`expansion, Nintendo decided to produce their own connectors inhouse rather than use
`ones from an outside supplier.
`
`The game pad controllers were moreorless copied directly from the Game & Watch
`machines, although the Famicom design team originally wanted to use arcadestyle
`joysticks, even taking apart ones from American game consoles to see how they
`worked. However, it was eventually decided that children might step on joysticks left
`on the floor and their durability was also questioned. Katsuyah Nakawaka attached a
`Game & Watch Dpad to the Famicom prototype and found that it was easy to use and
`had no discomfort. Ultimately though, they did install a 15pin expansion port on the
`front of the console so that an arcadestyle joystick could be used optionally. The
`controllers were hardwired to the console with no connectors for cost reasons.
`
`Uemura added an eject lever to the cartridge slot which was not really necessary, but
`he felt that children could be entertained by pressing it. He also added a microphone
`to the second controller with the idea that it could be used to make players' voices
`sound through the TV speaker.[15]
`Release
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`The console was released on July 15, 1983 as the Family Computer (or Famicom for
`short) for ¥14,800 alongside three ports of Nintendo's successful arcade games
`Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Popeye. The Famicom was slow to gather
`momentum; a bad chip set caused the initial release of the system to crash. Following
`a product recall and a reissue with a new motherboard, the Famicom’s popularity
`soared, becoming the bestselling game console in Japan by the end of 1984.[16]
`
`Encouraged by these successes, Nintendo soon turned its attention to the North
`American market. Nintendo entered into negotiations with Atari to release the
`Famicom under Atari’s name as the name Nintendo Advanced Video Gaming System.
`The deal was set to be finalized and signed at the Summer Consumer Electronics
`Show in June 1983. However, Atari discovered at that show that its competitor Coleco
`was illegally demonstrating its Coleco Adam computer with Nintendo's Donkey Kong
`game. This violation of Atari's exclusive license with Nintendo to publish the game
`for its own computer systems delayed the implementation of Nintendo's game console
`marketing contract with Atari. Atari's CEO Ray Kassar was fired the next month, so
`the deal went nowhere, and Nintendo decided to market its system on its own.[17]g[›]
`
`Subsequent plans to market a Famicom console in
`North America featuring a keyboard, cassette data
`recorder, wireless joystick controller and a special
`BASIC cartridge under the name "Nintendo
`Advanced Video System" likewise never
`materialized.[18] By the beginning of 1985, the
`Famicom had sold more than 2.5 million units in
`Japan and Nintendo soon announced plans to release
`it in North America as the Advanced Video
`Entertainment System (AVS) that same year. The
`American video game press was skeptical that the console could have any success in
`the region, with the March 1985 issue of Electronic Games magazine stating that "the
`videogame market in America has virtually disappeared" and that "this could be a
`miscalculation on Nintendo's part."[19]
`
`The proposed Advanced
`Video System bundle,
`including cassette drive and
`wireless accessories.
`
`At June 1985's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Nintendo unveiled the American
`version of its Famicom. This is the system which would eventually be officially
`deployed as the Nintendo Entertainment System, or the colloquial "NES". Nintendo
`seeded these first systems to limited American test markets starting in New York City
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`on October 18, 1985, following up with a fullfledged North American release of the
`console in February of the following year.[20] Nintendo released 17 launch titles: 10
`Yard Fight, Baseball, Clu Clu Land, Duck Hunt, Excitebike, Golf, Gyromite, Hogan’s
`Alley, Ice Climber, Kung Fu, Pinball, Soccer, StackUp, Tennis, Wild Gunman,
`Wrecking Crew, and Super Mario Bros.[21]h[›] Some varieties of these launch games
`contained Famicom chips with an adapter inside the cartridge so they would play on
`North American consoles, which is why the title screen of Gyromite has the Famicom
`title "Robot Gyro" and the title screen of StackUp has the Famicom title "Robot
`Block".[22]
`
`The system was originally targeted for release in the
`spring of 1985, but the release date was pushed back.
`After testmarketing in the New York City area in late
`fall, retailers had reportedly stated the system "failed
`miserably".[23] Nintendo tried a second time; the
`system was testmarketed further beginning in
`February 1986, with the nationwide release occurring
`in September 1986.
`
`For more details on this topic, see History of the
`Nintendo Entertainment System § North America.
`
`The system's launch represented not only a new
`product, but also a reframing of the severely damaged
`home video game market segment as a whole. The
`video game market crash of 1983 had occurred in
`significant part due to a lack of consumer and retailer
`confidence in video games, which had in turn been
`due partially to confusion and misrepresentation in
`the marketing of video games. Prior to the NES, the
`packaging of many video games presented bombastic
`artwork which exaggerated the graphics of the actual
`game. In terms of product identity, a single game such
`as PacMan would appear in many versions on many different game consoles and
`computers, with large variations in graphics, sound, and general quality between the
`
`R.O.B. (Robotic Operating
`Buddy), an accessory for the
`NES's 1985 launch. Although
`it ended up having a short
`product lifespan, R.O.B. was
`initially used to market the
`NES as novel and
`sophisticated compared to
`previous game consoles.
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`versions. By stark contrast, Nintendo's marketing strategy aimed to regain consumer
`and retailer confidence, by delivering a singular platform whose technology was not
`in need of heavy exaggeration and whose qualities were clearly defined.
`
`To differentiate Nintendo's new home platform from the early 1980s' common
`perception of a beleaguered and frivolous video game market, the company freshened
`its product nomenclature and positioning, and it established a rigorous product
`approval and licensing policy. The overall system was referred to as an
`"Entertainment System" instead of a "video game system", which was centered upon a
`machine called a "Control Deck" instead of a "console", and which featured software
`cartridges called "Game Paks" instead of "video games". The 10NES lockout chip
`system acted as a lockandkey coupling of each Game Pak and Control Deck,
`deterring the copying or production of NES games which had not first achieved
`Nintendo's licensed approval. The packaging of the launch lineup of NES games bore
`pictures of a very close representation of the actual onscreen graphics of the game,
`which were of sufficiently recognizable quality on their own. Symbols on the launch
`games' packaging clearly indicated the genre of the game, in order to reduce consumer
`confusion. A 'seal of quality' was printed on all appropriately licensed game and
`accessory packaging. The initial seal stated, "This seal is your assurance that Nintendo
`has approved and guaranteed the quality of this product". This text was later changed
`to "Official Nintendo Seal of Quality".
`
`For more details on this topic, see Nintendo Entertainment System § Thirdparty
`licensing.
`
`Unlike with the Famicom, Nintendo of America marketed the console primarily to
`children, instituting a rather strict policy of censoring profanity, sexual, religious, or
`political content in games. The most famous case of this was Lucasfilm's attempts to
`port Maniac Mansion (a game with a considerable amount of material Nintendo had
`issues with) to the NES. NOA continued their censorship policy until 1994 with the
`advent of the Entertainment Software Rating Board system.
`
`The optional Robotic Operating Buddy, or R.O.B., was part of a marketing plan to
`portray the NES's technology as being novel and sophisticated when compared to
`previous game consoles, and to portray its position as being within reach of the better
`established toy market. While at first, the American public exhibited limited
`excitement for the console itself, peripherals such as the light gun and R.O.B. also
`attracted extensive attention.[24]
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`In Europe and Australia, the system was released to two separate marketing regions.
`One region consisted of most of mainland Europe (excluding Italy), and distribution
`there was handled by a number of different companies, with Nintendo responsible for
`most cartridge releases. Most of this region saw a 1986 release. Mattel handled
`distribution for the other region, consisting of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada,
`Italy, Australia and New Zealand, starting the following year. Not until the 1990s did
`Nintendo's newly created European branch direct distribution throughout Europe.[25]
`
`The Nintendo Entertainment
`System's Control Deck
`
`For its complete North American release, the
`Nintendo Entertainment System was progressively
`released over the ensuing years in four different
`bundles: the Deluxe Set, the Control Deck, the Action
`Set and the Power Set. The Deluxe Set, retailing at
`US$199.99 (equivalent to $474 in 2015), included
`R.O.B., a light gun called the NES Zapper, two
`controllers, and two Game Paks: Gyromite, and Duck
`Hunt. The Basic Set, retailing at US$89.99 with no
`game, and US$99.99 bundled with "Super Mario Bros." The Action Set, retailing in
`1988 for US$149.99, came with the Control Deck, two game controllers, an NES
`Zapper, and a dual Game Pak containing both Super Mario Bros. and Duck
`Hunt.[2][26] In 1989, the Power Set included the console, two game controllers, a NES
`Zapper, a Power Pad, and a triple Game Pak containing Super Mario Bros, Duck
`Hunt, and World Class Track Meet. In 1990, a Sports Set bundle was released,
`including the console, an NES Satellite infrared wireless multitap adapter, four game
`controllers, and a dual Game Pak containing Super Spike V'Ball and Nintendo World
`Cup.[27] Two more bundle packages were later released using the original model NES
`console. The Challenge Set of 1992 included the console, two controllers, and a Super
`Mario Bros. 3 Game Pak for a retail price of US$89.99. The Basic Set, first released
`in 1987, was repackaged for a retail US$89.99. It included only the console and two
`controllers, and no longer was bundled with a cartridge.[27] Instead, it contained a
`book called the Official Nintendo Player's Guide, which contained detailed
`information for every NES game made up to that point.
`
`Finally, the console was redesigned for both the North American and Japanese
`markets as part of the final Nintendoreleased bundle package. The package included
`the new style NES101 console, and one redesigned "dogbone" game controller.
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`Released in October 1993 in North America, this final bundle retailed for US$49.99
`and remained in production until the discontinuation of the NES in 1995.[2]
`Reception
`
`By 1988 industry observers stated that the NES's popularity had grown so quickly that
`the market for Nintendo cartridges was larger than that for all home computer
`software.[28][29] Compute! reported in 1989 that Nintendo had sold seven million NES
`systems in 1988, almost as many as the number of Commodore 64s sold in its first
`five years.[30] "Computer game makers [are] scared stiff", the magazine said, stating
`that Nintendo's popularity caused most to have poor sales during the previous
`Christmas and resulting in serious financial problems for some.[31] By 1990 30% of
`American households owned the NES, compared to 23% for all personal
`computers.[32]
`
`Despite the system’s lackluster performance outside Japan and North America, by
`1990 the NES had outsold all previously released consoles worldwide.[33] The slogan
`for this brand was It can't be beaten.[34] In Europe and South America, however, the
`NES was outsold by Sega's Master System,[35][36] while the Nintendo Entertainment
`System was not available in the Soviet Union.
`
`As the 1990s dawned, gamers predicted that competition from technologically
`superior systems such as the 16bit Sega Mega Drive/Genesis would mean the
`immediate end of the NES’s dominance. Instead, during the first year of Nintendo's
`successor console the Super Famicom (named the Super Nintendo outside Japan), the
`Famicom remained the second highestselling video game console in Japan, outselling
`the newer and more powerful NEC PC Engine and Sega Mega Drive by a wide
`margin.[37] The console remained popular in Japan and North America until late 1993,
`when the demand for new NES software abruptly plummeted.[37] The last game
`released in Japan was Takahashi Meijin no Bōken Jima IV (Adventure Island IV),
`while in North America, Wario's Woods was the last licensed game.[38] In the wake of
`ever decreasing sales and the lack of new software titles, Nintendo of America
`officially discontinued the NES by 1995.[2][39] Despite this, Nintendo of Japan kept
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`
`producing new Nintendo Famicom units until September 25, 2003,[40] and continued
`to repair Famicom consoles until October 31, 2007, attributing the decision to
`discontinue support to insufficient supplies of parts.[41][42]
`Legacy
`
`The NES was released after the "video game crash" of the early 1980s, whereupon
`many retailers and adults had regarded electronic games as being merely a passing
`fad,[43] and many believed at first that the NES was another fad.[31] Before the
`NES/Famicom, Nintendo was known as a moderately successful Japanese toy and
`playing card manufacturer, and the popularity of the NES/Famicom helped the
`company grow into an internationally recognized name almost synonymous with
`video games as Atari had been during the 2600 era[44] and set the stage for Japanese
`dominance of the video game industry.[45] With the NES, Nintendo also changed the
`relationship of console manufacturers and thirdparty software developers by
`restricting developers from publishing and distributing software without licensed
`approval. This led to higher quality software titles, which helped to change the
`attitude of a public that had grown weary from poorly produced titles for other game
`systems of the day.[46]
`
`The NES hardware was also very influential. Nintendo chose the name "Nintendo
`Entertainment System" for the US market and redesigned the system so it would not
`give the appearance of a child's toy. The frontloading cartridge input allowed it to be
`used more easily in a TV stand with other entertainment devices, such as a video
`cassette player.[47][48][49]
`
`There were many prominent game franchises that originated on the NES. The system's
`hardware limitations led to game design similarities that still influence video game
`design and culture. Some of the more important franchises that debuted on the NES
`were Nintendo's own Super Mario Bros.,[50] The Legend of Zelda[51] and Metroid,[52]
`Capcom's Mega Man[53] franchise, Konami's Castlevania[54] franchise, Square's Final
`Fantasy[55] and Enix's Dragon Quest[56] franchises. All of these still exist today.
`
`NES imagery, especially its controller, has become a popular motif for a variety of
`products,[57][58][59] including Nintendo's own Game Boy Advance.[60] Clothing,
`accessories, and food items adorned with NESthemed imagery are still produced and
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`sold in stores. Such items include hats, shirts, underwear, wallets, wristbands, belt
`buckles, tins containing mint candy, and energy drinks.
`Discontinuation
`
`1995
`
`On August 14, 1995, Nintendo discontinued the Nintendo Entertainment System in
`both North America and Europe.[61]
`
`Japan
`
`The Famicom was originally discontinued on September 2003. However, Nintendo
`would repair parts of the console after its discontinuation in 2003. It was not until
`until 2007 that Nintendo announced they would stop repairing parts.[61]
`Games
`
`See also: List of Nintendo Entertainment System games, List of Family Computer
`games and List of Family Computer Disk System games
`
`The Nintendo Entertainment System offered a number of groundbreaking titles. Super
`Mario Bros. pioneered sidescrollers while The Legend of Zelda helped popularize
`batterybacked save functionality.
`Game Pak
`
`Main article: Nintendo Entertainment System Game Pak
`
`The NES uses a 72pin design, as compared with 60 pins on the Famicom. To reduce
`costs and inventory, some early games released in North America were simply
`Famicom cartridges attached to an adapter to fit inside the NES hardware.[22]
`Originally, NES cartridges were held together with five small slotted screws. Games
`released after 1987 were redesigned slightly to incorporate two plastic clips molded
`into the plastic itself, removing the need for the top two screws.[62]
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`The back of the cartridge bears a label with instructions on handling. Production and
`software revision codes were imprinted as stamps on the back label to correspond
`with the software version and producer. With the exception of The Legend of Zelda
`and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, manufactured in goldplastic carts, all licensed
`NTSC and PAL cartridges are a standard shade of gray plastic. Unlicensed carts were
`produced in black, robin egg blue, and gold, and are all slightly different shapes than
`standard NES cartridges. Nintendo also produced yellowplastic carts for internal use
`at Nintendo Service Centers, although these "test carts" were never made available for
`purchase. All licensed US cartridges were made by
`Nintendo, Konami and Acclaim. For promotion of
`DuckTales: Remastered, Capcom sent 150 limitededition
`gold NES cartridges with the original game, featuring the
`Remastered art as the sticker, to different gaming news
`agencies. The instruction label on the back included the
`opening lyric from the show's theme song, "Life is like a
`hurricane".[63]
`
`Japanese (Famicom) cartridges are shaped slightly
`differently. While the NES used a 72pin interface, the
`Famicom system used a 60pin design. Unlike NES games,
`official Famicom cartridges were produced in many colors
`of plastic. Adapters, similar in design to the popular
`accessory Game Genie, are available that allow Famicom
`games to be played on an NES. In Japan, several companies
`manufactured the cartridges for the Famicom.[64] This allowed these companies to
`develop their own customized chips designed for specific purposes, such as chips that
`increased the quality of sound in their games.
`Thirdparty licensing
`
`North American and
`PAL NES cartridges
`(or "Game Paks") are
`significantly larger
`than Japanese
`Famicom cartridges.
`
`Nintendo's near monopoly on the home video game market left it with a degree of
`influence over the industry. Unlike Atari, which never actively courted thirdparty
`developers (and even went to court in an attempt to force Activision to cease
`production of Atari 2600 games), Nintendo had anticipated and encouraged the
`involvement of thirdparty software developers; strictly, however, on Nintendo's
`terms.[65] Some of the Nintendo platformcontrol measures were adopted by later
`console manufacturers such as Sega, Sony, and Microsoft, although not as stringent.
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`To this end, a 10NES authentication chip was placed
`in every console and another was placed in every
`officially licensed cartridge. If the console's chip
`could not detect a counterpart chip inside the
`cartridge, the game would not load.[66] Nintendo
`portrayed these measures as intended to protect the
`public against poorquality games,[67] and placed a
`golden seal of approval on all licensed games released
`for the system.
`
`The Famicom Family mark
`appeared in games and
`peripherals released from
`1988 and onward that were
`considered by Nintendo to be
`compatible with most
`Famicom consoles and
`official derivatives.
`
`Nintendo was not as restrictive as Sega, which did not
`permit thirdparty publishing until Mediagenic in late
`summer 1988.[68] Nintendo's intention, however, was
`to reserve a large part of NES game revenue for itself.
`Nintendo required that they be the sole manufacturer
`of all cartridges, and that the publisher had to pay in
`full before the cartridges for that game be produced. Cartridges could not be returned
`to Nintendo, so publishers assumed all the risk. As a result, some publishers lost more
`money due to distress sales of remaining inventory at the end of the NES era than they
`ever earned in profits from sales of the games. Because Nintendo controlled the
`production of all cartridges, it was able to enforce strict rules on its thirdparty
`developers, which were required to sign a contract by Nintendo that would obligate
`these parties to develop exclusively for the system, order at least 10,000 cartridges,
`and only make five games per year.[69] A 1988 shortage of DRAM and ROM chips
`also reportedly caused Nintendo to only permit 25% of publishers' requests for
`cartridges. This was an average figure, with some publishers receiving much higher
`amounts and others almost none.[67] GameSpy noted that Nintendo's "ironclad terms"
`made the company many enemies during the 1980s. Some developers tried to
`circumvent the five game limit by creating additional company brands like Konami's
`Ultra Games label; others tried circumventing the 10NES chip.[65]
`
`Further information: § Unlicensed games
`
`Nintendo was accused of antitrust behavior because of the strict licensing
`requirements.[70] The United States Department of Justice and several states began
`probing Nintendo's business practices, leading to the involvement of Congress and the
`Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC conducted an extensive investigation
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`which included interviewing hundreds of retailers. During the FTC probe, Nintendo
`changed the terms of its publisher licensing agreements to eliminate the twoyear rule
`and other restrictive terms. Nintendo and the FTC settled the case in April 1991, with
`Nintendo required to send vouchers giving a $5 discount off to a new game, to every
`person that had purchased a NES title between June 1988 and December 1990.
`GameSpy remarked that Nintendo's punishment was particularly weak giving the
`case's findings, although it has been speculated that the FTC did not want to damage
`the video game industry in the United States.[65]
`
`In the longer run, however, with the NES near its end of its life many thirdparty
`publishers such as Electronic Arts supported upstart competing consoles with less
`onerous licensing terms such as the Sega Genesis and then the PlayStation, which
`eroded and then took over Nintendo's dominance in the home console market,
`respectively. Consoles from Nintendo's rivals in the postSNES era had always
`enjoyed much stronger thirdparty support than Nintendo, which relied more heavily
`on firstparty games.
`
`Unlicensed games
`
`Several companies, refusing to pay the licensing fee or having been rejected by
`Nintendo, found ways to circumvent the console's authentication system. Most of
`these companies created circuits that used a voltage spike to temporarily disable the
`10NES chip in the NES.[71] A few unlicensed games released in Europe and Australia
`came in the form of a dongle that would be connected to a licensed game, in order to
`use the licensed game's 10NES chip for authentication. In order to combat unlicensed
`games, Nintendo of America threatened retailers who sold them with losing their
`supply of licensed titles. In addition, multiple revisions were made to the NES PCBs
`to prevent these games from working.
`
`Atari Games created a line of NES products under the name Tengen and took a
`different approach. The company attempted to reverse engineer the lockout chip to
`develop its own "Rabbit" chip. However, Tengen also obtained a description of the
`lockout chip from the United States Patent and Trademark Office by falsely claiming
`that it was required to defend against present infringement claims in a legal case.
`Nintendo sued Tengen for copyright infringement, which Tengen lost as it could not
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`prove that the legally obtained patent documents had not been used by the reverse
`engineering team. Tengen's antitrust claims against Nintendo were never finally
`decided.[70]
`
`Color Dreams produced Christian video games under the subsidiary name Wisdom
`Tree. They were never sued by Nintendo as the company probably feared a public
`relations backlash.[72]
`Emulation
`
`Further information: List of video game emulators § Nintendo Entertainment
`System
`
`The NES can be emulated on many other systems, most notably the PC. The first
`emulator was the Japaneseonly Pasofami. It was soon followed by iNES, which was
`available in English and was crossplatform, in 1996. It was described as being the
`first NES emulation software that could be used by a nonexpert.[73] NESticle, a
`popular MSDOS emulator, was released on April 3, 1997. There have since been
`many other emulators. The Virtual Console for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U also
`offers emulation of many NES games.
`Game rentals
`
`As the Nintendo Entertainment System grew in popularity and entered millions of
`American homes, some small video rental shops began buying their own copies of
`NES games, and renting them out to customers for around the same price as a video
`cassette rental for a few days. Nintendo rec