Name - Nintendo Family Computer
Alternative name(s) - Nintendo Entertainment System

When you ask a video game fan what word pops into their mind when they think about video games, chances are that the first word will be "Nintendo". I mean, think about it. Nintendo has made an impact so big, an individual would have to wonder what would video games be like today if it wasn't for Nintendo. Nintendo has done a task that rarely occurs in the video game world: make an impact that would change the gaming world forever.

Well, the Nintendo Family Computer/Famicom or for many of you, the Nintendo Entertainment System, was my first system and I'd have to say that it was the first system of many people. Boy, it was good. Really good.

The Famicom was first released in 1983. At the time, it seemed like the video game world was about to be dead. Then, out of nowhere, Nintendo shows up and introduces us the Famicom. The Famicom would later be released outside of Japan in 1985.

Well, I got mine around the time it came to the States. It came with a 2-in-1 cart of "Super Mario Brothers" and "Duck Hunt". I also got a Light Gun. That was pretty cool. Others would get the games I mentioned and "World Class Track Meet" with a Power Pad.

There were many lessons about this system that I never learned when I was growing up. The American "Super Mario Brothers II" was totally different from the one in Japan. The one in Japan was the harder version of the first one, while the one I got was actually "Doki Doki Panic"/"Dream Factory" with Mario's crew. The Famicom had a disc system as well.

Let's see. You would get a free game when you bought the system. You would get a nice extra as well. What's not to like about the Famicom?

"The presentations in the games don't look good."

This is not a Play Station you know! We're talking about a system released in 1983! If you want eye candy, go play "Soul Calibur II"!

"The audio isn't that great."

Again, this is a 1983 system. It's not that bad now, is it? At least I can tolerate the audio.

"The equipment is not all that."

Actually, to some degree, that's true. There were times I got frustrated that a game would not work. I would always have to blow the end of the cartridges that is on the opposite side of the flat top to see if there were any dust or some other particles that were not needed. (Gee. I'm sure you did the same.) If the problem did not lie in the game, then it did lie in the system. I never got the disc system, which is why I can't explain much about it.

Still, that is the only part I hate about the Famicom. The light gun was a spiffy addition. The controller was simple, yet fitting. The console was a small rectangular box that looked cool.

"The console is too kiddy."

Well, it depends on what a person is looking for in a system. Each person has different demands. Some people may not like each other's demands, but not everyone can be the same.

I'm actually glad that this is a kiddy system. I was just a kid back then. So, it did make sense for me to have a kiddy system. I can go on and on with these problems, but I don't want to.

Fun - 10

I can say so many reasons why this system will always been fun. To begin this part, I have three words to say: "Super Mario Brothers". If it wasn't for this game, then the video game world wouldn't be what it is today. You wouldn't have your "Final Fantasy" games, your "Street Fighter" games, your "Rockman" games, your "King of Fighters" games, your "Pocket Monsters" games or any other popular series you can think of. This is the pinnacle of video games. As a 6 year-old kid, I would have never thought that this would start something big. Well, it did and it did the task very well. Now, I reflect back on the game and see how much the video game world changed over the years in front of my own eyes.

Oh, the system is more than just about Mario. Nintendo has given us the birth of many wonderful characters besides Mario and the rest of the crew like Zelda, Link, Donkey Kong, and Samus! To this day, I can't think of any other company that started off with as many memorable characters as Nintendo did.

Of course, this review would be funny if I didn't mention the library itself. The library is so diverse and I had a blast. You can grab that fire flower and shoot a fireball at that Goomba in "Super Mario Brothers I" & "III" as well as the Japanese "II". You can zap those darn ghouls in the "Zelda" games. You can make your own track on "Excitebike". You can guide the Blue Bomber to stop Dr. Wily in the "Rockman" games. You can do tasks like these and more and have fun doing them!

Regardless if the system was to be for kids or not, the games did and still do provide a challenge. It doesn't matter if this sytem was made for kids or not. What matters is that the system was and will always be fun.

Life - 10

The only part I regret about getting this system was letting it die. Oh well. At least it gave me wonderful memories.

Equipment - 9

The system may not be the most durable in the world, but at least it does give you a good amount of years of fun. It may not look like much now, but back in the old days, style wasn't much of a factor.

The controller felt pretty comfortable to me, despite what some people say. It may only have two trigger buttons, but the system only need two buttons. Four direction buttons may not seem much, but it wasn't that big of a bother to me. The two buttons, Start and Select, are positioned correctly and it didn't bring up any problems. If I wanted to pause the game, I wouldn't have any trouble to push that Start button.

The other parts to the system were fine, even though not many games used them. Yeah, you used the Light Gun for "Duck Hunt". Okay. I am not afraid to admit what I am about to say here. I did cheat in this game several times as I did place the gun close to the television and in some cases, on top of the television screen. =P

Audio - 9

Remember the song in the first level of "Super Mario Brothers"? Remember the theme song of "Zelda"? The Famicom did produce some of the best songs ever in their games.

Sure, the audio seems outdated now, but hey! I had no problems with the audio for the most part. At least I was able to hear music and sound effects. Of course, not many games, if not, any, had voice acting, but that wasn't really a big priority.

Art - 9

Well, like I said, this is a 1983 system. There are some games that were unbearable to look at like as I won't bother listing any, but then, there are games that made you say, "This is a game that can not be on an 8-bit system."

A very fine example of a game that pushed the system's limits is "Super Mario Brothers III". The moment I popped this game into my Famicom was the moment I felt blown away. I looked at the amazingly bright colors and the structure of the game. It was and to this day, it still is a game of art.

Overall - 10

Arigat gozaimasu Nintendo! You have done so much in the video game world with your Famicom. That's for sure.

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The Famicom revived the gaming world. The Famicom brought us the game that changed the gaming world forever in Super Mario Brothers. The Famicom gave me a lot of fun as kid and it still does now, which backs up the amount of success it got. I think the paragraph says a lot, ne?

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Blowing to fix the games or any other task to fix the system became and still can be a fat chore. That's it.

Date of creation - 7/21/03

Last update - 8/11/04

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