Nintendo Entertainment System
Hardware specs
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | Ricoh 2A03 (8-bit, MOS 6502-derived, NMI + IRQ, BCD disabled) |
| PPU | Ricoh 2C02 (NTSC) – Pattern Tables, Nametables, Sprite Engine |
| System RAM | 2 KB internal Work RAM |
| Video RAM | 2 KB for Nametables |
| Audio | 5-channel APU (2 Pulse, 1 Triangle, 1 Noise, 1 DPCM) |
| Storage | ROM Cartridge (with optional mappers MMC1, MMC3, UxROM, CNROM) |
| Video Output | RF / Composite |
| Audio Output | Mono |
| Architecture | 8-bit |
My Story with NES
I received the NES by sheer luck. It was the winter of 1992, and at the time I owned only one console, the one that had introduced me to the world of video games: the Gameboy. Fortunately, I had a cousin who was also passionate about video games, but at some point she decided to "get rid" of her NES.
My parents agreed to buy it, and from that moment until the Playstation, the NES was my main home console.
I spent days playing Super Mario Bros 3, Faxanadu,
Mario and Yoshi, and Track & Field In Barcelona.
I wore out one of the two controllers I had so much that, in the end, one tore. I still own it, patched up with electrical tape to hold it together.
It remains, however, a memory of a wonderful period, when my passion for computing started to emerge, thanks in part to the NES.
Trivia & Fun Facts
- The NES was intentionally designed to look like a VCR rather than a video game console. This was a strategic move by Nintendo to avoid the stigma associated with video games at the time, especially after the video game crash of 1983.
- The NES was released in Japan as the Famicom (Family Computer) in 1983, and it has been supported until 2003, making it one of the longest-supported consoles in history.
- The entire library of over 700 licensed NES games is roughly 237 MBs, smaller than a single, high-definition YouTube video. It could easily fit on a modern USB stick.