Happy Birthday to the Beloved Childhood Friend of Millions: The Nintendo NES Game Console

TThe Nintendo Entertainment System made its debut in the United States on October 18, 1985—about a year after my arrival, marking 40 years today. It’s almost as if the company sensed there were individuals ready to drop significant sums on plastic contraptions and electronic games. Truly, the entire company seemed to anticipate that a new generation of enthusiasts like me was about to enter the scene. That was indeed the moment to launch. With birthdays and Christmas gifts in hand, we were primed to spend every dollar, even when my dad urged us to keep certain things from my mom. (Perhaps I was the only one uttering that last sentiment.)

Although I’m not much younger than the NES, it felt as though that console had always been part of my life, only now am I confronting its complexities as I type this out. My childhood memories are a blur, focused on mastering the coordination of my hands and eyes, but “Nintendo” was always synonymous with gaming in my world. If a friend inquired whether there’s a Nintendo in the house, it was akin to asking if there was Coca-Cola in the fridge—no additional articles needed.

My sister and I relentlessly pleaded with our parents for two years to get us an NES. While my mom and dad weren’t overly concerned about the potential pitfalls of gaming—those would emerge later in titles like Doom, Mortal Kombat, and even Stardew Valley—they were wary of investing in pricey toys that required even pricier accessories to function. The Nintendo Entertainment System was touted as cutting-edge technology in the U.S., despite noticeably echoing the design of the VHS cassette player, which ultimately everyone understood it was meant to be. Played. Touching my dad’s home theater triggered quite a reaction, but this was finally a gadget we kids could enjoy.

It’s also important to note that I am part of the first generation to entirely miss the Atari home video game craze of the early ’80s. The Atari system still existed during my childhood, but kids my age recounted it with a historical lens similar to discussing World War II. Just looking at Atari felt like peering into a relic of the past that none of us could fully grasp and cherish. Watching my neighbor turn on an Atari was nothing short of eye-opening. In basketball, a square was practically represented as the ball. No, thank you. I need a moment to recuperate.

But the NES—oh, the NES!—actually showcased graphics reminiscent of arcade games. Was it flawless? Certainly not! Some visuals appear quite rough by today’s standards. Yet, even at five years old, a somewhat blurred version of Pac-Man still felt like Pac-Man. My parents never let me engage in shooting games at carnivals (the reasoning remains a mystery), but duck hunting was the next best thing. No, it was even better! We quickly discovered that all we needed to do was press that silly plastic gun right to the screen and hit the target every single time. It’s a close-range approach you only learn from four-decade-old video games or by becoming a mafia hitman.

NES games also felt much more expansive. Super Mario Bros. seems unusual at present, but do you recall the first moment the plumber stepped through that pipe? My heart melted into something finer and purer. It was a game featuring a vibrant world brimming with surprises and mysteries. While secrets had been part of games before, it felt as though they were there to be discovered. They were not frustration meant to poke fun at developers but instead aid your exploration. We were traversing a fictional kingdom, something akin to a living cartoon, soaring around in quest of a hidden, unobtrusive “?” box.

Let’s also remember that the NES introduced us to the Mario we so fondly recognize today. Yes, he began as a construction worker confronting Donkey Kong. Luckily, he transitioned to a plumber, becoming the face that adorned every folder, backpack, lunchbox, flask, and bedsheet of mine and most of my friends’. Long before every gaming reference became a viral internet meme, it was part of Nintendo’s internal dialogue. We often quoted the line from the original Legend of Zelda: “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this with you!”

Each generation encounters its own cultural landmarks. Yet, the Nintendo Entertainment System played a pivotal role in solidifying gaming culture, particularly in America, where the ZX Spectrum and various home computers didn’t capture the same popularity as they did in Europe. It became a shared language, a toy allowing us to unleash our imaginations, and surely a way for my parents to take a momentary break from their children. I still possess the NES they gifted me, and regardless of what the Man says, you still need to blow into the cartridge to make it work.