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How do you say it? (NES and SNES)


0xDEAFC0DE

How do you say it? (NES and SNES)  

42 members have voted

  1. 1. Nintendo Entertainment System

  2. 2. Super Nintendo Entertainment System



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I voted for Nintendo and Super Nintendo, as that's simply what they were called by everyone when I was a kid, eons ago, when they came out.  However, those grew interchangeable with N-E-S and S-N-E-S as we got older and Nintendo introduced more systems into the mix.  A friend I've lost touch with popped out with "NESS" and "SNESS" one day, after having known him for 10-15 years, and I was left momentarily speechless.  We technically grew up in the same city, but attended different schools since he lived 5-10 miles away, almost, but not quite in the county.  For me, having only called the things "Nintendo" and "Super Nintendo" with the folks I grew up around (and even aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc., who lived far away) the shock was akin to the proverbial guy who thinks his wife is a virgin on their wedding night finding out she'd "dated" the whole football team, lol.

I think the "NESS"/"SNESS" and (puking in my mouth) "NEZ"/"SNEZ" kids are usually the ones who didn't grow up when the systems came out, and likely didn't have older siblings, friends, etc., around to "correct" them.  I hadn't ever heard those terms with my own ears or referred to in print anywhere until well into the YouTube age, making me believe that it was a new thing...right up until my friend turned around and told me that he and the kids he went to school with (all only children, of the ones I knew/knew of) used those terms.

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Growing up in the UK we always said nes and snes as acronyms, like nez and snez sounds. It was very common if not ubiquitous.

Alternatively, people also said Nintendo and Super Nintendo, although after the latter came out people would specify the NES by saying something like "regular" Nintendo or "normal" Nintendo, lol! 🤣

These days I may say nes like I always did (nez), or I might say N-E-S because that's how most Americans seem to say it, and so I hear that all the time on YouTube and what-not.

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N-E-S and Super N-E-S. Super Nintendo is a close second. S-N-E-S was always awkward to say for me.

Calling an NES a Nintendo was common up until the Super NES came out. Then N-E-S started to become vogue, but it wasn't a sudden transition. Nintendo was still common. Probably after the N64 (or Nintendo 64 at first) did Nintendo only refer to the company itself.

I NEVER heard anyone call the NES  or SNES a Ness/Nez, or Sness/Snez. Where I'm from, that would have gotten your ass kicked.

 

Interestingly, Atari consoles were always Ataris, regardless of which one. 2600, 5200, 7800 were all later.

 

Edited by Tulpa
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19 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I voted Ness and Sness, before realizing that's a lie.  It's N-E-S and Sness.

So, I'm the same way which is why I started this thread. I was curious how people mixed and matched the different pronunciations. Looking from an outside perspective, I find it a bit strange that I spell out N-E-S, but acronymize Sness. But saying out S-N-E-S just sounds like one too many letters for me and Ness just sounds wrong. I'm also young enough that I didn't grow up with these consoles hence why I never used Nintendo / Super Nintendo.

I quickly looked at the combinations thus far and although N-E-S by itself is already very popular, I'm surprised at the diversity in the combinations. N-E-S and S-N-E-S is the most popular with 4 people, but no other combination has more than two people.

N-E-S and S-N-E-S: a3quit4s, TDIRunner, Strange, ZeldaFreak
N-E-S and Sness: 0xDEAFC0DE, Reed Rothchild
N-E-S and Snez: guitarzombie
N-E-S and Super Nintendo: Richardhead
N-E-S and Super S-N-E-S: Tulpa
Ness and Super Nintendo: G-type
Nez and Snez: OptOut
Nintendo and Super Nintendo: darkchylde28, Link

Edited by 0xDEAFC0DE
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it was always "Nintendo" (later: "regular Nintendo") and "Super Nintendo" when i was growing up, so i still use that alot, but the prevalence of typing it so often has led me to start using "N-E-S" more regularly. "Super Nintendo" remains because i talk about that much less. 

i'm in the same boat as @darkchylde28, never heard "nes" and "snes" EVER growing up. I think acronyming it was more popular overseas, and due to YouTube, it caught on with kids just getting into the hobby years later. I have yet to see an American over the age of 30-35ish  pronouncing it "nezz" or "snezz", and i hope to keep that streak alive.

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Always Nintendo and Super Nintendo. But it never shocked me when people say the acronym. I remember seeing a British tv show about video games on Youtube way back when I started collecting that said it that way I can never remember the name of the show though. Had a boy and girl host. The girl had shor/buzzcut-ish blonde hair

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Social Team · Posted

When talking to people familiar with retro gaming I'll say N-E-S but then say Super Nintendo.  I think the issue is Nintendo by it self is too vague an easy to misinterpret because I also say Nintendo when referring to the latest console.  Probably stems from saying Playstation and inferring to the latest console.  

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It was always Nintendo and Super Nintendo when I was a kid. We had all the time in the world and no need to abbreviate. It wasn't until I was an adult and video game podcasts became a thing that I heard Ness and Sness. It must be a regional thing, but I can't abide by those weird abbreviations.

Also, if I think it's unclear, I say Original Nintendo. This is especially useful for non-gamers who have no clue what NES or Ness mean.

Edited by DoctorEncore
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1 hour ago, DefaultGen said:

Super NES isn't even shorter than saying "Super Nintendo". Super NES people, explain yourselves.

I'll be honest, that surprised me as well. When I made the poll options, I initially left it off until I did a quick search to see if there were any other pronunciations I missed. Super N-E-S came up and blew my mind. It seems like the worst of both worlds.

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Events Team · Posted

It's a Nintendo. It will always be Nintendo.  Same for Super Nintendo.

No one even refers to Nintendo for all subsequent consoles.  Gameboy, Virtual Boy, 64, GBA, Dreamcube, DS, 3DS, Wii, WiiU, Switch.  Sure, they're all made by Nintendo.  But none of them are a Nintendo.

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