NES Reviews

Welcome to the NES Reviews page. Here you will find The ‘Tude Dude’s Retro Review directory for the Nintendo Entertainment System as well as a brief introduction to the console and its accessories.

(Click on any link below in the “Quick Links” section or on any in the “NES Review Links” section to jump to that page)
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Quick Links

Game Rating
Castlevania 5 out of 5
The Legend Of Zelda 5 out of 5
NARC 4 out of 5
Super Mario Bros. 3 5 out of 5
Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link  5 out of 5

About The NES

Released in the United States in 1985, the Nintendo Entertainment System (known in Japan as the Family Computer or Famicom) achieved perhaps the greatest zenith ever in video game history evidenced by its mass-market appeal combined with an overabundance of leisurely joy, making it the MUST-HAVE console for its time and the one that literally EVERYBODY I knew seemed to own in unison. Before the 16-bit generation came along and set video game’s proverbial “Mason-Dixon line” down the middle in terms of mainstream preference, it was Nintendo’s 8-bit powerhouse that not only plucked user-friendly virtual recreation from the clutches of economic disaster (refer to the “the video game crash of 1983” for context), but propelled it to new levels of evolutionary depth with innovations and titles that were far beyond the collective’s imagination at the time. Now your playing with POWER indeed!

Release Date (USA) October 18, 1985
# Of Licensed Releases 716
Default Cartridge Design (USA)
Popular Exclusive’s Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend Of Zelda, Contra, Mega Man 2, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

Console Variants (USA)


  • The original “toaster” design of the NES Control Deck initially wanted to hide its game cartridges while inserted in order to make it blend in with the other electronic devices that populated around your television though unforeseen issues horizontally contacting the system’s pins caused far too many blinking power lights and kids to mistakenly blow into their titles with futility.


  • Redesigned in 1993 following the release of the SNES, the Nintendo Entertainment System “top loader” (otherwise known by its NES-101 model designation) matched its 16-bit big brother with a vertically-oriented cartridge slot and curvier controllers that felt more comfortable to players prone to longer sessions. 

Controllers (USA)


  • The Nintendo Entertainment System’s “old faithful”, this rectangle controller features multiple button sets dedicated to in-game (B and A) and logistical duties (start and select) in addition to its capable d-pad.


  • With giant “fire” buttons, turbo/slow-motion features and a perfectly balanced joystick reminiscent of all the great stand-up cabinets in the arcade, the NES Advantage offered players just that – an ADVANTAGE to fight back against many of its toughest challenges.
     

  • Showcasing an easier-to-grip “wing-style” encasement than the original’s uninspired shape, turbo buttons similar to the Advantage and a unique “cycloid” rotational d-pad, the NES Max was an absolute BEAST and yet another performance enhancer to add to Nintendo’s conglomerate of efficient controllers. 


  • Released with the newly-minted “top loader” during the latter-days of the NES’ life, this dogbone-shaped controller is similar in motif to the Super Nintendo’s default clicker highlighting rounded ends for a more comfortable appropriation and diagonally-proportioned buttons for maximum efficiency. 


  • Sparking imaginations into the beyond-compelling virtual reality realm during its infancy, the concept of the Power Glove is FAR beyond its actual execution providing players with “so bad” controls that are only worth re-visiting for academic purposes.

Popular Accessories (USA)


  • Easily the most common accessory associated with the system overall, the NES Zapper turns your CRT tv into a virtual shooting-gallery similar to the light-gun games popular in the arcades at the time.


  • Considerable in either this or the “controllers” category, the aerobic mat-inspired Power Pad is made out of a texture-pleasing flexible plastic that is more fun to squish on with your feet than it is to actually play any of the games designed for it.


  • The vanguard to unlocking magical multiplayer titles, the NES Four Score doubles the amount of controller inputs on the console allowing up to 4-way simultaneous play in all games that support it.


  • “The Ultimate Video Game Enhancer”, Game Genie essentially is a cheating peripheral allowing for all sorts of codes to be programmed into particular titles that wouldn’t normally contain them.


  • Headlining Nintendo’s initial North America marketing campaign, R.O.B. The Robot’s efforts at assimilating the attention of kids in the ‘tude era FAILED thanks mostly to boring mechanics and little-to-no support from its parent company causing this “Robotic Operating Buddy” to spend more time forgotten about in the back of closets than anything else.

NES Review Links

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This website/blog is dedicated primarily to video games and their preservation in history. Additional stalwarts include (but are not limited to) the following-

action movies, sports, music, comedy, t.v. shows, cool magazines, hot chicks, Sega, comic books, explosions, fast cars, Jean-Claude Van Damme, tanks, cowboys shootin’ stuff, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, light-speed space travel, 2Pac, sunglasses, ninjas, Babe Ruth, machine guns, monster trucks, Lawrence Taylor, chainsaws, The Terminator, fighter jets, Chuck Norris and whatever else brings the ‘TUDE in spades!

Special Thanks

First and foremost, my wife Teri for always encouraging me to pursue my dreams and roundhouse kick ALL opposition in my path! To publications such as Nintendo Power, GamePro, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Diehard GameFan, Game Players and so many others for cultivating my unbridled love for video game print-media at a young age. To websites such as Giant Bomb, Moby Games, RetroAchievements, The Spriters Resource, IGN, Retromags, KHInsider, GameFAQs, Cover Century and more for steadfastly evolving the gaming culture to new plateaus by providing amazing reference points, communities for broader connection, outstanding news coverage and so much beyond our wildest dreams. And to content-creators like Pat Contri (Pat The NES Punk), James Rolfe & Mike Matei (The Angry Video Game Nerd), Joe Redifer (Game Sack), Billy Chaser & Jay Hatfield (The Game Chasers), Johnny Millenium (HappyConsoleGamer), Norman Caruso (The Gaming Historian), Jason Lindsey (MetalJesusRocks) and many others for providing inspiration to a California kid with a ‘tude obsession who didn’t know what to do with it… until now!

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The ‘Tude Dude and his content are NOT authorized by Nintendo, Sega or any other video game company, sports affiliate or any other in any way. ALL screenshots, game art, logos, musical tracks, movie posters and other various reproductions are copyright to their respective publishers. Any reproduced material known to be previously trademarked by The ‘Tude Dude is used strictly under the FAIR USE transformative expression practice with no intention of infringement of original properties beyond academic value. All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without express permission from The ‘Tude Dude.

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