Why are we so fond of the NES?

[NintendoLegend]

Is it just because the NES was popular and lots of people bought it and thus eventually liked it?

Or does it have some sort of intrinsic value that even multiple-console gamers can recognize?

Do we just like it because it's what we played a lot of, or is there something really "special" about this 8-bit system?

[flailthroughs]

I think the NES hits a sweet spot in terms of complexity on just about every level- in graphics and audio terms it's sophisticated enough to represent things in a more detailed and appealing way than the Atari 2600's beeps and squares but still abstract enough to be simple and instantly recognizeable.

Controlwise, I think restricting things to only the use of your thumbs grants more focus than the joysticks of earlier systems or the shoulder-button laden gamepads of later machines. (Truthfully, it's only with the current generation of consoles that I can hold shoulder buttons comfortably- earlier machines cramped my hands something fierce, and I've yet to find a model of DS or PSP where I could use shoulder buttons comfortably either.)

[metatron]

The best thing about the NES, in my opinion, is the fact that there is non-game leverage available in every single game. Fighting 8 bit programming means that there will always be a way to sort of "break" the game, usually with glitches, but with other things too, like the number of objects onscreen that the system can handle at once. NES games will always have limits, and these limits can be pushed to great advantage. By comparison, the 2600 and its 4 bits either causes games that are too easy to break (Asteroids for example) and games that cannot be broken at all (Atlantis)

[mt]

I agree with the above posts ;D

something about the simplicity of the games combined with enough precision of control just made for a really satisfying experience. the graphics are recognizable but still require some imagination and have some magic and mystery to them.

I always had a big imagination as a kid, and i would sit there and become engulfed in the games and almost let them overwhelm me. I just don't know if the games on the current gen systems would do the same. there's none of that imagination and mystery in call of duty. I remember seeing Kary on Final Fantasy 1 and just trying to figure out wtf it was and wondering how it was going to attack and what I could do to stop him/it!

games today can't and shouldn't really have that kind of ambiguity, but it still kind of makes me feel like kids today are missing out on something special. It might just be me, but I'm glad I grew up in the generation I did

[thevalerie]

Smart people.

Nowadays it feels like so much has been done. It's getting to be like the movie industry where it's easy to find the same basic premise redone over & over, without really adding anything new to the mix. NES doesn't feel like it has that problem. Things were fresh.

[NintendoLegend]

I have a lot to say about this subject (perhaps that should be obvious), and will keep mum for a while before I one day publish my NES manifesto, but for now... it sounds like you guys might really enjoy this blog post/article, if you have not read it already:

www.artfulgamer.com/2010/07/09/the-changing-nature-of-gaming-interfaces/

To sum it up for those who don't feel like reading it: Basically (and this is just *one* of the good points the piece brings up), the writing poses the argument that playing games with a controller is more immersive than playing games with a touchscreen, motion control, or other more "modern" devices. This is a remarkably intriguing idea, and one that holds important merit for holding the position of the perpetual importance of the NES.

[metatron]

Interaction with the controller is one of the major points about the NES that sets it apart. People tend to think that there is just one way to play. Left thumb on D pad, right thumb on buttons. But there are hundreds of methods for playing NES. There is an overhand tapping method that's helpful for some shooter games. There's a two or more finger tapping method that can help for rapid shots. There is the button flick for short jumps and different ways of holding the D pad for movement depending on the game. Want to see amazing control of controls? Look up a video on Youtube of Don Hayes playing track & field. He's a friggin' wizard, and so creative.

[theichibun]

The NES had to be good or video games wouldn't have survived nearly as well as they have.

I think that NES games have a perfect balance between graphics and having to make the game good. Developers couldn't rely on having an amazing looking game because that just wasn't really possible. But they sure could make an ugly one.