Flashback Friday: Nintendo 8-bit

Seeing as how we’re enjoying all the things that have been going on with E3 I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate Nintendo on this Flashback Friday. This console was what got me really into gaming so let’s take a little trip back.

We all know that the Nintendo Company was around before the consoles however 1983 was the year that they got their hit product the Famicom on the market in Japan. 2 years down the line in 1985 Famicom production went world wide, only under the name of Nintendo Entertainment System or NES as it’s affectionately known as. The design of the system also changed to suit a more global market and thus my addiction to gaming would truly start.

I’ll be honest here; I was a Super Mario Bros. junkie. I would spend an eternity mastering the nuances of all the levels in Super Mario Bros. I still recall sitting for hours in stage 4 hopping on the turtle on the stairs at the end of the level for pretty much unlimited lives. Mario 2 soon followed, as did many other games.

I even recall the movie specifically made to plug Super Mario Bros. 3 called “The Wizard”. The movie starred Fred Savage, known for the kid in “The Wonder Years” and “The Princess Bride” among other things. I still watch that movie from time to time just because it makes me smile.

There were some great games that my buddies and I would play till the end of time. Let’s see, Castlevania, Contra, Double Dragon, Double Dribble, Excite Bike, Final Fantasy, Ice Hockey, Metal Gear, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, The Legend of Zelda, RC Pro Am, and so many others. Remember the Konami code? Yeah that’s right, I brought it up…UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B, A, START.

The Nintendo really started it all for me as well as many others, I’m sure. It’s good to remember your roots, especially when you see the freakishly real graphics that are available on the next gen consoles. It really does make you appreciate where you have been and where we’re going, especially when you see the pixilated images of Link saving Princess Zelda.

Recall some of the Nintendo past with these links of NES related goodies:

Game Genie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Genie
NES Advantage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NES_Advantage
NES Max http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NES_Max
Power Pad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Pad
Power Glove http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_glove
R.O.B http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.O.B.

….And don’t forget to blow on the cartridge.