Old School: The Nintendo Entertainment System

Originally posted on colorwynd.wordpress.com

The Nintendo Entertainment System is 30 years old. My, my, my, am I getting old. In honor of the console’s 30th anniversary, I thought I would talk about my memories with the NES.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was the first game I ever played but the NES was the first console I owned. I wanted one after playing Sonic 2 but our household didn’t have a lot of money. So they got a used console that was already out of date because that’s what they could afford: the NES. I don’t remember the first games I had with the system except for one: Super Mario Bros. 2. To this day, I have two pictures of me playing that game when I was six. My TV was a small 7” TV that looked like it was manufactured in the 1970s, complete with wood grain paneling and rabbit ear antennae's. In the picture, the TV was on my chest dresser with the NES next to it and I was standing in front of it, controller in hand, playing it. However, because the chest dresser was so tall, I’m standing on a small plastic chair so I could be eye level with the screen.

I have some memories of going over a babysitter’s house and playing games like Duck Hunt, Paperboy, Excitebike, but most of my memories of the NES came years later when I learned about emulation. I didn’t have the NES for very long as my parents chipped in to get me a 16-bit console and I sold the NES to help pay for it (I don’t remember if it was a SNES or a Genesis I got first. I eventually would pawn them again and again to play a certain game). I only had the NES for several months. However, when I did get into it via emulation, that’s when I got into the Legend of Zelda series (the first game), the Metroid series (again, the first game), and Dragon Warrior (once again, the first game). I also played games like Batman, Ninja Gaiden, Castlevania, and more. Most of my NES knowledge is due to emulation.

I now currently have an NES that’s in okay condition (it needs new pin connectors and perhaps a new power supply) and I have a few games. I would really like increase my NES collection when I have more disposable income as it’s a lot of fun and there is just something pure about playing NES games with the original hardware on an old TV. So what are your NES memories? I’m sure a lot of you have more extensive memories and stories than I do. Tell me them in the comment section. Peace and Love, Gamers and Players! Colorwind out.