The NES Showcase

My personal collection of NES games and hardware

I am a video game collector. I've held onto almost all of my old consoles and games through the years, despite tempting trade-in offers from Video Game Exchange, GameStop, and other companies that specialize in second-hand games and systems. I'm glad I did, because I've found games for older consoles at flea markets, thrift stores, and even game stores from time to time, usually at a fraction of their original cost. Only four of the games below were purchased new.

Read on to browse through my personal NES collection. Hundreds of games were made, but these were the ones I currently own. There were a few titles that I owned but traded in years ago (either I finished the games, or they were just too hard). Since the advent of Ebay, classic cartridges are becoming very hard to find locally. Hollywood Video's Game Crazy stores are clearancing all their old games - anything older than last-generation is being sold for cheap. Hang onto any old NES games you have - they're quickly becoming collectors' items.

At the end of the article, I'll showcase a few interesting peripherals that I didn't personally own, but are still a fascinating part of the NES's history.

Before anyone asks, no I am not selling anything here. If you see something cool here, you can always look for it on Ebay or do what I did, scope out the flea markets and thrift stores. All photos and text below are copyright TR Rose. These images may only be used elsewhere if they include a link back to TRsRockin.com.

Hardware/Equipment

NES Control Deck w/ NES Controllers
The NES console wasn't the best piece of hardware ever invented. Inserting games could be a time-consuming endeavor, as the connectors had to be aligned just right. Otherwise, you'd fight with a gray screen, a blinking on/off screen, or garbled pixels. Although the manuals expressly forbade blowing into the cartridge, everyone did - that seemed to make the games work. Tapping the cartridge on the sides sometimes worked too. Once you got a game to work, you didn't rapid-fire switch your games out - that would mean another 10 minutes of finangling to get the game playable.

On the other hand, the NES carts have proved very durable over the years. The internal save battery in The Legend of Zelda cartridges was only supposed to last for five years, yet many still work (we're going on 20+ years at this point). The carts could take a serious beating and still remain playable, thanks to the bulky plastic exterior. Even with the plastic chipped on some cartridges, the internal connectors are just fine. There is a reason that you still see NES cartridges at flea markets - not only were they the ubiquitous game media of the late 80s/early 90s, but they've also held up fairly well.

The NES controller design has become iconic at this point - you can see its design on everything from T-shirts to keychains to belt buckles. Unlike the Atari controllers before it, the NES controller didn't feature a joystick - instead it used a directional pad for its games. The blocky, boxy controller's basic feel is replicated to a degree on the Wii remote - turn the remote sideways and you essentially have an old-school NES controller in your hands.

[image coming soon]
NES Zapper Light Gun
The Zapper came packaged with the Nintendo Power Set (which is what I received for Christmas many years ago), designed for play with the game Duck Hunt. Like many "weapon" peripherals, it only worked with a handful of games. Apparently its orange color had originally been gray, but parents had complained that it looked too much like a real gun. The Zapper was a key plot device in the cartoon series Captain N: The Game Master as Kevin's primary mode of attack.

Game Genie by Galoob
The first of the "game enhancement devices" (like Game Shark and Action Replay) , the Game Genie allowed a player to create various effects by inputting up to three 6- or 8-character codes. A codebook was included, along with instructions on creating your own codes. This device plugged directly into the NES, and you plugged a game cartridge into the other end of the Game Genie. Nintendo unsuccessfully tried to sue Galoob for making and selling an unlicensed device. The flagship Nintendo title, Super Mario Bros, seems to be especially compatible with Game Genie codes, leading to many unexpected effects. A subscription service was offered that included quarterly revisions to existing codes (pointing out that certain codes froze the game, some didn't work at all, others required extra code inputs), as well as codes for newly-released titles. I have all the updates through volume 2, issue 3.

Naki Eliminator
This NES cleaning kit included cleaning solution, several angled cleaning swabs (for cleaning dirt out of game cartridges), and a neon pink "cartridge" with a long handle designed to clean the NES itself. I might as well show it here since I've held on to it. Although the cleaning kit did help get some games started, it didn't completely eliminate all the NES startup problems. You still needed to jimmy the cartridges around to get them started.

Posters/Literature

Now You're Playing With Power! Poster
Showcasing the biggest titles of the day grouped by category, this poster came packaged with new NES titles. Many of the titles shown are first-party games, but some are licensed. The following games are listed on the poster: Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!, Kung Fu, Rad Racer, NES Play Action Football, Golf, R.C. Pro-Am, Excitebike, Ice Hockey, Anticipation, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros. 2, Faxanadu, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Dragon Warrior, Barker Bill's Trick Shooting, To The Earth, Hogan's Alley, Short Order/Eggsplode, Super Team Games, Dance Aerobics, Cobra Triangle, Pinball, Metroid, Donkey Kong Classics.

NES Control Deck Manual and NES Zapper Manual
I can't believe I've held onto these for almost 20 years. These are the original manuals that came packaged with my NES - one for the control deck and one for the Zapper light gun. These are dated 1988, and the Control Deck manual is marked Rev-3 (I'm assuming for third revision). Interesting to note that the Control Deck offers setup instructions for both A/V input and RF switch connections.

Games (in alphabetical order)

The Bard's Tale

Battle of Olympus

A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia

Bubble Bobble

Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers

Donkey Kong Classics
* Now on Wii's Virtual Console!

Dragon Warrior

Dr. Mario

Final Fantasy

Hudson's Adventure Island

Kickle Cubicle

Kid Icarus
* Now on Wii's Virtual Console!

Kirby's Adventure
* Now on Wii's Virtual Console!

Legacy of the Wizard

The Legend of Zelda
* Now on Wii's Virtual Console!

Maniac Mansion

(The Original!) Mario Bros.
* Now on Wii's Virtual Console!

M.C. Kids

Metroid

Ninja Gaiden

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Pinball
* Now on Wii's Virtual Console!

Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom

RoboWarrior

Spot the Video Game

Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt
* Now on Wii's Virtual Console!

Super Mario Bros. 2

Super Mario Bros. 3

StarTropics

Tetris

Vegas Dream

Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?

Wrecking Crew

Yoshi's Cookie

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Other Hardware & Peripherals (that I don't own)

(Image courtesy of jodynmike78)
ROB - Robot Operated Buddy
ROB was the robot peripheral for the NES who was supposed to be a big deal. I never had one, and the only game I ever played that required him was Gyromite (which was also playable without him). ROB appeared on the packages of the official Nintendo sticker collection and on several promotional posters. ROB has made cameo appearances in some recent games, including Mario Kart DS.

(Image courtesy of www.planetnintendo.com)
NES Advantage
This was the super-controller that featured turbo and slow-motion controls, a joystick rather than the D-pad, and extra buttons. It was designed to give your console more of an arcade feel.

(Image courtesy of brentw07)
NES Satellite
This was Nintendo's first 4-player option, a device that allowed up to four people to game simultaneously. However, not many games supported 4-player simultaneous gaming.

(Image courtesy of www.planetnintendo.com)
Power Pad
Decades before Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo had an interactive gaming mat that you were supposed to use for more aerobic gameplay. There were only a handful of games released for it, and none of them really caught on in a big way. A NES set was released that included both the Zapper and the Power Pad, as well as a 3-in-1 Game Pak with Super Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet.

(Images courtesy of www.directionalpad.com and igargoyle.com)
Power Glove
"I love the Power Glove. It's so bad," was the infamous line from the feature length commercial movie The Wizard. Almost 20 years before the Wii launched a successful motion-sensing controller, the Power Glove was designed to let the player control the action without a standard controller style. The obvious game tie-in was Punch Out!! but I believe it worked with other titles as well. By moving your arm and bending your fingers, the advert above reads, you can accomplish moves that would ordinarily be impossible with a standard joystick or controller. In reality, the Power Glove was not the must-have accessory that The Wizard made it out to be.

(Image courtesy of Press Start)
NES Toploader Console
At the very end of the NES's lifespan (after the SNES had come out), Nintendo introduced an updated version of the NES that featured a top-loading design. The console resembled the curved lines of the new SNES and I believe it was launched at a lower price to get a few more people to buy a system. The controllers were also redesigned to mimic the SNES controller layout and grip.

Retro Gaming Today

At Hollywood Video's "Game Crazy" store, I noticed a display of machines that looked like ultra-thin NES consoles called Generation NEX. I can't see how these things can be completely legal, and I wonder how long until Nintendo sues the maker, Messiah Entertainment, into oblivion for copyright infringement (that is, unless the copyright for the NES hardware has expired). These things were selling for $69.99. There is also a new console available online that plays both NES and SNES games using a top-loading design. I suppose if you've got a bunch of old NES games lying around that you want to play again, it's an alternative to picking up a NES on Ebay. On the other hand, as these aren't made by Nintendo, there are no guarantees on the quality of the hardware. Some games may have compatibility issues or glitches. They might even damage your cartridges.

There are a number of bootleg "multi-game systems" that have some old NES games built in (no cartridges or discs needed). These often take their shape from older consoles or controllers: I've seen things that look like the SNES and PS1 consoles and controllers that resemble the N64 "claw" (but many of the buttons are non-functional) . The games may be loaded into a console look-alike, or inside the controller itself. These will usually promise some insane number of titles but only give you a few unique games.

Along these same lines, there are bootleg multi-game cartridges that offer "10,000 in 1" or some other ridiculous promise of titles in one cartridge. Like the bootleg consoles, these are not only illegal, but they often include dozens of repeats of the same titles. Don't expect to get more than 30 or so unique games in one cartridge or console/controller. You will usually see only a few well-known NES games such as Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., and they're usually all very primitive NES titles (often with the title graphics altered or removed). There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to which titles are included in these multi-carts and bootleg systems, as rarer games do appear in the lineups from time to time. Sometimes you'll even see brand-new hacks of existing games, like the "Super Shrek Bros." hack of Super Mario Bros., and the "Pokemon" hack of "Nuts & Milk" (both of which I've personally seen). You can read more about bootleg games and consoles on the Bootleg Pokemon page.

If you're looking for a completely legal alternative to acquiring some of these old games, the Wii's Virtual Console allows you to purchase and download classic titles from many older systems for play on the Wii. Most of these will be first-party titles, though, and the games are being released slowly.

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