Nintendo Entertainment System
1985 NintendoGeneration 3
The Nintendo Entertainment System revolutionized home gaming and saved the video game industry after the 1983 crash. With its iconic rectangular controller and legendary game library, the NES became a cultural phenomenon that defined gaming for a generation.
714
Total Games
1985
Release Year
Want to play NES games on a handheld?
We compared NES emulation across 11 handhelds with published testing. 11 of them handle it, and the page lists them cheapest first with a source on every rating.
Which handheld runs NES?Technical Specifications
Processor
Ricoh 2A03 (MOS 6502 variant) at 1.79 MHz
Memory
2 KB main RAM, 2 KB video RAM
Media
Game cartridges
Graphics
Picture Processing Unit (PPU) - 256x240 resolution
Audio
5-channel audio synthesis
NES games
10 titles catalogued. Games with their own page are the ones published emulation testing names directly.
| Title | Year | Developer | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. | 1985 | Nintendo | Platformer |
| The Legend of Zelda | 1986 | Nintendo | Action, Adventure |
| Metroid | 1986 | Nintendo R&D1 | Action, Adventure, Platformer |
| Mega Man 2 | 1988 | Capcom | Action, Platformer |
| Contra | 1987 | Konami | Action, Shooter |
| Duck Hunt | 1984 | Nintendo | Light Gun, Shooter |
| Final Fantasy | 1987 | Square | RPG |
| Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! | 1987 | Nintendo | Sports, Fighting |
| Castlevania | 1986 | Konami | Action, Platformer |
| Donkey Kong | 1981 | Nintendo | Arcade, Platformer |
Questions about the NES
- When was the Nintendo Entertainment System released?
- The Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985 by Nintendo. It is a generation 3 console with a library of roughly 714 titles.
- What are the NES specifications?
- Processor: Ricoh 2A03 (MOS 6502 variant) at 1.79 MHz. Memory: 2 KB main RAM, 2 KB video RAM. Graphics: Picture Processing Unit (PPU) - 256x240 resolution. Audio: 5-channel audio synthesis. Media: Game cartridges.
- Can you emulate NES games on a retro handheld?
- 11 of 11 handhelds with published testing run NES well enough to play. The cheapest is the Miyoo Flip at around $60. Every rating traces to testing by someone who had the hardware.
- Which NES games are covered here?
- 10 titles: Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Mega Man 2, Contra, Duck Hunt, Final Fantasy, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Castlevania, Donkey Kong.
Fun Facts & Trivia
- • Originally called the Famicom in Japan
- • The NES Zapper light gun worked by detecting white flashes on CRT TVs
- • Super Mario Bros. was included with most NES systems
- • The NES had lockout chips to prevent unlicensed games