Nintendo Entertainment System
An 8-bit console released in Japan on July 15, 1983 as the Famicom and sold in the United States from 1985.
Masayuki Uemura designed the 8-bit Famicom after Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi asked for a simple, cheap console that could run arcade games from cartridges. It went on sale in Japan on July 15, 1983.
Nintendo sold the NES in United States test markets on October 18, 1985, and nationwide on September 27, 1986. It sold 61.91 million consoles. Nintendo stopped making the NES on August 14, 1995.
Why it matters
The NES helped revive the American video game industry after the 1983 crash. It also made the licensing of third-party game makers a standard business model.
Key facts
- Famicom released in Japan on July 15, 1983.
- United States test markets from October 18, 1985.
- Nationwide United States launch on September 27, 1986.
- 61.91 million consoles sold.
- Designed by Masayuki Uemura.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Nintendo Entertainment System", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System, accessed October 14, 2026.
- Wikipedia, "Nintendo", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.