Console Debate #24 NES/FAMICOM

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

16 hours ago, Hammerfestus said:

This thing is a tank.

Yeah, after 30+ yrs mine works better than my Switch. No d-pad drift and I have to re-insert my carts just as much, if not more, on my Switch.

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

I voted 9/10 originally, but in hindsight, I'm not sure what system I like more. It may actually be my 10/10.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,011]

11 minutes ago, Kguillemette said:

I voted 9/10 originally, but in hindsight, I'm not sure what system I like more. It may actually be my 10/10.

This is how I came to the conclusion of 10/10. I can see how other people can rate other consoles over it, but for me the NES is several forms of perfection. 

[elprincipe | 142]

10.

Simply the best. No other system has the volume of good and genuinely great games. I put around 300-400 in the U.S. library in those categories, and of course that doesn't include all the Famicom games, etc. that never made it over here. Especially noteworthy are the truly great games. Here is where most people played out-and-out classic series like Castlevania, Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, Contra, Zelda, and so many, many others for the first time. It's no coincidence people who got into games years or decades later know those names. So bottom line: the best library of games of any system, by some distance too, and the best ratio of good-to-crap games for any system with a library of its size.

The hardware could have been better in terms of wearing of the connectors, but otherwise is incredibly reliable. Given the design was influenced by the necessity to convince stores to stock a game system (i.e., that it needed to not look like a game system) that was understandable. The controllers are precise and introduced to home systems the standard D-pad, quite an important innovation and one that's stood the test of time. I actually like the dogbone controllers even more. And of course I've always loved the distinctive carts, boxes and manuals, which are immediately recognizable while allowing for some really awesome art!

I'm only sad when thinking that it's very hard to collect for NES these days due to the insane expense. It's truly a shame that younger players/collectors will not be able to have that experience like I and many others did, because it was a blast through and through.

[fox | 1,665]

The hardware itself is its own worst enemy.  Just getting games to work can sometimes be a hassle.  Be it dirty contacts, or the springs not quite connecting the pins, you end up shoving a chess piece in there to press that b1tch down after drowning your carts in alcohol.  The toploader seems to do the trick a lot better, but it lacks the a/v out and you get jail bars.

The library of games has many classics, hidden gems, and weird experimental stuff to discover.  There are also lots of not so spectacular sports titles, licensed property jank, and downright frustrating titles.  But the creme rises to the top.

[Inzoreno | 102]

I gave it an 8. It's an absolutely fantastic system with a great library of games where we saw a significant move from the simple games we saw on earlier consoles like the Atari 2600 towards more in-depth experiences with things like Final Fantasy, Metroid, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. It made Nintendo the juggernaut that we know it is today and it really set the trend for how the industry operates today, where you no longer can just dump whatever game you want on the system, you instead have to gain a license from the console manufacturer. 

With all that said, there are two reasons why I don't rank it higher. First, as good as the NES is, I personally place the SNES and the PS2 higher. Second, the physical design of the NES does have a significant flaw that required most consoles to be repaired with new connector pins, to the point that it is rare for me to see a used NES that doesn't need them.  

[Sumez | 2,933]

Argh, please don't replace the connector pin in your NES The aftermarket ones you can get are pretty horrible in my experience. It's better to fix the original one if you can (clean it, tighten it, boil it). At least, if you do replace it, don't ever throw the old one out.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Sumez

[docile tapeworm | 4,196]

how are rollerblade racer and palamedes so cheap comparitavly

[Dr. Morbis | 2,088]

4 hours ago, Sumez said:

Argh, please don't replace the connector pin in your NES The aftermarket ones you can get are pretty horrible in my experience. It's better to fix the original one if you can (clean it, tighten it, boil it). At least, if you do replace it, don't ever throw the old one out.

This.  I've got my original pins in my original NES from 1987.  Clean your NES pins once a month (takes 30 seconds) and clean every game when you get it before you ever put it into your NES, and you will never ever have a problem.  99% of my games work on the first try, every try.

As for the poll, I couldn't find the inftinity out of 10 option, so I had to default to a regular old 10/10...

[Tanooki | 4,930]

Thirded in this recent run of warnings -- Get a NES cleaning kit, violate their pathetic taboo and soak that bitch in 91% isopropyl alcohol and have at it.  If you can't get one, a thin smooth glasses wipe over a credit/library/grocery rewards card and do the trick that way.  Good popped open firm cleaning in the same stuff of any game board before it enters your system and you're solid 99% of the time.  I do agree the ZIF can be a pain in the ass, but it's manageable.  I've got an Action Set boxed up that pitches no fits, but it is stored.  Before it was, it got the cleaning kit+boiling trick applied and it's as tight and playable as an original unit from decades ago because it really works.  I'd still be using it, but I have the HD kit in a top loader, hard to pass that up.

[docile tapeworm | 4,196]

[OptOut | 8,881]

On 4/18/2021 at 11:50 PM, Andy_Bogomil said:

Yeah, after 30+ yrs mine works better than my Switch. No d-pad drift and I have to re-insert my carts just as much, if not more, on my Switch.

Oh yeah, I have noticed that too!!! Switch needs one of those BLOW ME t-shirts made for it like they have for the NES ones, lol!

[Estil | 1,261]

On 4/17/2021 at 6:09 PM, Hammerfestus said:

This thing is a tank.

Hopefully this is true for all the other cartridge based consoles back then too: