Your memories of the Nintendo Entertainment System (25 years old!!!)

[Moviefan2k4]

No need for high quality. Just get a composite to HDMI adapter. Around $15.

From the research I've done, the best analog video signal from the retro era is component, not composite, and my TV only has the latter. So if I bought a cheap 1-to-1 converter, I wouldn't even be starting with the best source, and the result might be like trying to get a 1080p image from a postage stamp.

 

[Rincewiend]

I really prefer the games I grew up with, which would now be classified as "retro". I still have some the cartridges and a working NES that I fixed, but to use it I'd need a high-quality upscaler, and those can get expensive very quickly. I don't have anough space in my room to add a CRT TV next to the HD set, so emulation is my only option for the moment.

Try checking the Hyperkin RetroN consoles...

 

[BillJ]

From the research I've done, the best analog video signal from the retro era is component, not composite, and my TV only has the latter. So if I bought a cheap 1-to-1 converter, I wouldn't even be starting with the best source, and the result might be like trying to get a 1080p image from a postage stamp.

I’ve found that they work well enough, if you’re really wanting to play video games. I love them and couldn’t imagine not being able to play.

 

[BillJ]

Try checking the Hyperkin RetroN consoles...

I have the Retron 3, compatibility can be hit or miss.

 

[The Lensman]

NES is 39 years old, not 25. I never owned an NES as I was more into Infocom text games on the computer and as I was a teenager at that time, looked at Nintendo as the video game equivalent of Disney I.e. the maker of kiddie stuff. I was later given a Super Nintendo as a gift, but outside of the three Star Wars games, I can’t remember what, if anything, else I owned. I thought that system was pretty cool though.

 

[Moviefan2k4]

NES is 39 years old, not 25. I never owned an NES as I was more into Infocom text games on the computer and as I was a teenager at that time, looked at Nintendo as the video game equivalent of Disney I.e. the maker of kiddie stuff. I was later given a Super Nintendo as a gift, but outside of the three Star Wars games, I can’t remember what, if anything, else I owned. I thought that system was pretty cool though.

I still remember the first time I got a Super NES of my own. The system itself came out when I was 11, but my Mom couldn't afford one so I was constantly visiting other kids' houses for several years. Finally, on Christmas of 1997, we were unwrapping gifts like usual, and Mom directed me to a large one in the back with my name on it. At first I was genuinely puzzled, completely in the dark about the situation. But when I tore away some of the gift-wrap and saw the system's logo, you could've heard my excited scream of "No way!" from a ten-mile radius. Mom said the whole family had pitched in to make that possible, and I was truly grateful. I played it to death almost every day for at least five years, then sporadically once I got a Gamecube with some spare college money. But I still kept it for a while, and finally gave it to my younger sister when one of her other systems stopped working.

 

[Dukhat]

The NES came out when I was 5, but I don't recall getting one of my own until I was 9 - my Mom simply couldn't afford it. But I had played a few games at friends' houses and such, so by the time I actually owned the system I was already hooked. My main passion at the time was the original "Super Mario Bros." (which took me a very long time to beat), along with "The Legend of Zelda", "Double Dragon", "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!", "Tetris", "Metroid", and several others. I was an introvert from a very early age, but playing video games helped me unlock my imagination and explore my creative side. I'd still be doing now, but the prices for systems and games have skyrocketed beyond belief.

Holy 14 year thread revive, Batman!

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Your memories of the Nintendo Entertainment System Thread (14 years old!!!)

 

[BillJ]

So many of those old systems were simply awesome.

 

[Stoo]

I have the mini-NES that came out a few years ago. Good selection of games on there. It's not the same as the Real Thing I'm sure but close enough.

A lot of brits my age are more attached to 80s microcomputers like the Commodore 64. I was always a Nintendo fan though.

 

[urrutiap]

1986 or 1987 was my first experience with the NES and a few games like Friday the 13th, Goonies II. then later on in the 1990s when I was a teen, I got to have fun playing Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Robocop 2, Terminator 2 and Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3.

 

[Moviefan2k4]

So many of those old systems were simply awesome.

They had to be, because there was no other option. Those who designed the games had to work like crazy at delivering the best results imaginable with very limited technology, and most of their initial efforts have stood up very well. There's kids today who are still discovering the original Mario or Zelda games for the first time, so obviously the programmers from 40 years ago did something right. Sadly, the reverse is often true now; a lot of games are more about style than substance, and customers are thankfully getting a little smarter.

 

[BillJ]

They had to be, because there was no other option. Those who designed the games had to work like crazy at delivering the best results imaginable with very limited technology, and most of their initial efforts have stood up very well. There's kids today who are still discovering the original Mario or Zelda games for the first time, so obviously the programmers from 40 years ago did something right. Sadly, the reverse is often true now; a lot of games are more about style than substance, and customers are thankfully getting a little smarter.

We can look back, fondly, without denigrating a whole generation of people who currently bust their asses, basically living at a studio to get a game out the door.

So many folks act like right now is the absolute worst time to be a fan of whatever they are a fan of. Having been around since the Atari 2600-era, I've definitely appreciated each generation for what it brings to the table.

 

[CaptainCalvinCat]

The good, old NES. My first gaming-console. I remember playing Super Mario 3 - the final levels - and beating them in one night. And of course I played Star Trek - The 25th anniversary - on this console. And Tetris. TMNT II. Knight Rider - one of the more frustrating gaming experiences.

 

[Moviefan2k4]

We can look back, fondly, without denigrating a whole generation of people who currently bust their asses, basically living at a studio to get a game out the door.

So many folks act like right now is the absolute worst time to be a fan of whatever they are a fan of. Having been around since the Atari 2600-era, I've definitely appreciated each generation for what it brings to the table.

My intent was not to denigrate anyone, just pointing out a fact. Unless its related to a long-standing popular franchise, there doesn't seem to be many new games which are embraced at large by the public. Its become very much like the film world, where the highest earnings come from sequels and/or remakes.