NES Action Set

The Nintendo Entertainment System (commonly abbreviated as NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was conceived in Japan as the Family Computer, commonly known by the portmanteau abbreviation Famicom or FC, launched there on July 15, 1983, and rebranded as the NES for release outside of Japan. The NES was launched in the New York City and Los Angeles test markets in 1985, and fully throughout the US in 1986. The NES was launched in Europe during 1986 and 1987, and Australia in 1987. Brazil saw only unlicensed clones until the official local release in 1993. In South Korea, it was packaged as the Hyundai Comboy and distributed by SK Hynix which then was known as Hyundai Electronics.

The best-selling gaming console of its time, the NES helped revitalize the US video game industry following the North American video game crash of 1983. With the NES, Nintendo introduced a now-standard business model of licensing third-party developers, authorizing them to produce and distribute titles for Nintendo’s platform. It had been preceded by Nintendo’s first home video game console, the Color TV-Game, and was succeeded by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

CIB – PAL – HOL