NES

[Benny B]

If you're a male between 35 & 50 years old, that three-letter acronym is likely burned into your brain somewhere.

Over the past two weeks, I've come across three different articles online that make reference to either the subject or author receiving a letter from Nintendo of America back in the 80s.  Which I find interesting, because I myself received a letter from NOA sometime in the late 80s.  I don't remember on what I was writing to Nintendo (knowing me, I was probably trying to get an edge on when/where a particular game might be in stock or released near me) nor do I remember the content of their response, but I distinctly remember the envelope with the silverish Nintendo logo emblazoned across the space usually reserved for the return address, and the type-written, hand-signed letter inside.  Even pre-teen me was able to ascertain that this wasn't some a form letter and someone actually took the time to type and sign the letter (though it might have been an autopen).

Does anyone else recall ever writing a letter to Nintendo?  Did you get a response?

Who still has their NES? (I do... it's not hooked up, but it's in the bottom drawer under the TV).


BTW - Speaking of getting an edge, one of my greatest childhood achievements was raising up my arms in joy while, holding my very own copy of SMB3, on the day it was released to the public... exactly 25 years and 2 weeks ago, my mom had called the Woolworth's on Friday afternoon when their shipment came in to inquire if they had received any, and I overheard her asking the manager to put one aside for her.  She wouldn't tell me if they did.  I rode my bike to the store on Sunday morning (they were closed on Sundays), looked through the outside window into the locked display case that was just on the other side of the window, and there I saw three SMB3's hanging on the hook in the upper-right corner, ready for retail on Monday morning.  When my mom came home from work on Monday afternoon, she had a Woolworth's bag and handed it to me with a reserved smile.  I took it out, screamed, and raised my arms.  Then my mom reminded me that I was grounded from my NES for the next two weeks and proceeded to take it back.  Despite my wallowing and begging, I wasn't able to open that box for two weeks.  Nobody at school believed I had it because my mom wouldn't even let me take the box to school.  What's worse, she put it in the curio cabinet, which was locked, so that I could see it every day when we sat down for meals.  But the simple thought that it was behind a locked plate of glass in my home vs. a locked plate of glass at Woolworth's was enough consolation to get me to go on with my life.

Two weeks later, I got the game.  Three days later, I beat it.  Five days later I was playing something else.

[RushmoreAcademy]

I never wrote to Nintendo, but I do still have my NES in the back of the closet somewhere.  The last system I got was a Wii back when I still had time to play video games, and downloading a bunch of my old favorites was probably the most fun I had playing it.

[Blue Horseshoe]

I love the NES. it has some of the most notoriously difficult and frustrating games ever. The graphics may not hold up, but the music is absolutely classic.

For anyone looking for great youtube videos about classic games on numerous platforms, I'd highly recommend a few.

Classic Game Room
https://www.youtube.com/user/InecomCompany/featured

Cinemassacre
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0M0rxSz3IF0CsSour1iWmw

Retroware
https://www.youtube.com/user/RetrowareTV/featured

[Jay Bee]

I'll beat anyone at:

Baseball Stars
Blades of Steel
Double Dribble

...on NES.

Also, I run things on Megamania and Adventure on Atari.

I bought an XBOX One the week it came out.. finally opened it a few months ago. Haven't played much, but need to try more sports games (have NBA 2k15, Madden, FIFA 15, NHL 15..)

Might also buy a PS4 and get The Show 15. Probably will never play it, but what the heck.

[Skitch]

I will play and beat anyone that is foolish enough to challenge me to Blades of Steel or RBI baseball.

Not NES, but about a year ago I bought a Sega Genesis and about 30 games on Ebay for $80.  Might be the best money I ever spent.  Friends come over on the weekend and we marathon Super Tecmo Bowl, Madden 95, Evander Holyfield boxing and WWF Wrestling. 

[chapman]

Not NES, but about a year ago I bought a Sega Genesis and about 30 games on Ebay for $80.  Might be the best money I ever spent.  Friends come over on the weekend and we marathon Super Tecmo Bowl, Madden 95, Evander Holyfield boxing and WWF Wrestling. 

Run your quarterback to the back of the end zone and throw the 120 yard bomb for the touchdown.

[RushmoreAcademy]

RBI Baseball could possibly be my favorite sports game ever.  No baseball game has come close in terms of pure fun.
Sega- NFL quarterback club, the original NHL Hockey and Toe Jam and Earl.

[D'Lo Brown]

I will play and beat anyone that is foolish enough to challenge me to Blades of Steel or RBI baseball.

Not NES, but about a year ago I bought a Sega Genesis and about 30 games on Ebay for $80.  Might be the best money I ever spent.  Friends come over on the weekend and we marathon Super Tecmo Bowl, Madden 95, Evander Holyfield boxing and WWF Wrestling. 

Yeah I have a few of the more "collectible" SNES games and man they have shot up in value. IMO they will hold their value better than even money will, so I'll probably be dead before I get rid of any of them. Besides, like you said, they're still a blast to play.

I was surprised to see that you had not mentioned NBA Jam on your list, that game was so much better for the Genesis!

[Eldon]

Yeah I have a few of the more "collectible" SNES games and man they have shot up in value. IMO they will hold their value better than even money will, so I'll probably be dead before I get rid of any of them. Besides, like you said, they're still a blast to play.

I was surprised to see that you had not mentioned NBA Jam on your list, that game was so much better for the Genesis!

Emulators, bro.  Emulators.

[D'Lo Brown]

Emulators, bro.  Emulators.

Yeah I know, even though emulators have been around for a long time, you would think that the recent preponderance of web-based emulators would have hurt the vintage game market... But I think that people still have the desire to relive their childhood memories and play the old-school way. For example I have a copy of EarthBound, which you can readily emulate just like most any other older game. That (fortunately) hasn't stopped it from still being worth nearly $200.

[77ncaachamps]

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/02/05/108400272/will-hunter-pences-rediscovered-treasure-trove-of-nes-games-help-him-on-the-field-this-season?partnerId=as_mlb_20150205_39969967&adbid=563207825803866112&adbpl=tw&adbpr=544620720

[Benny B]

I'll beat anyone at:

Baseball Stars
Blades of Steel
Double Dribble

...on NES.

Also, I run things on Megamania and Adventure on Atari.

I bought an XBOX One the week it came out.. finally opened it a few months ago. Haven't played much, but need to try more sports games (have NBA 2k15, Madden, FIFA 15, NHL 15..)

Might also buy a PS4 and get The Show 15. Probably will never play it, but what the heck.

Any team except the Dreams, and you got yourself a Baseball Stars contest.  Better yet, I'll let you be the Dreams if you let me play my team.
I'll also take the Double Dribble challenge provided a single ground-rule... no banking in threes from the corners.



My kids are familiarizing themselves with the Wii... I busted out the original Ice Hockey on virtual console the other day.  They were mesmerized and especially liked the triple-zamboni sequence.

[MU B2002]

If you're a male between 35 & 50 years old, that three-letter acronym is likely burned into your brain somewhere.

Over the past two weeks, I've come across three different articles online that make reference to either the subject or author receiving a letter from Nintendo of America back in the 80s.  Which I find interesting, because I myself received a letter from NOA sometime in the late 80s.  I don't remember on what I was writing to Nintendo (knowing me, I was probably trying to get an edge on when/where a particular game might be in stock or released near me) nor do I remember the content of their response, but I distinctly remember the envelope with the silverish Nintendo logo emblazoned across the space usually reserved for the return address, and the type-written, hand-signed letter inside.  Even pre-teen me was able to ascertain that this wasn't some a form letter and someone actually took the time to type and sign the letter (though it might have been an autopen).

Does anyone else recall ever writing a letter to Nintendo?  Did you get a response?

Who still has their NES? (I do... it's not hooked up, but it's in the bottom drawer under the TV).


BTW - Speaking of getting an edge, one of my greatest childhood achievements was raising up my arms in joy while, holding my very own copy of SMB3, on the day it was released to the public... exactly 25 years and 2 weeks ago, my mom had called the Woolworth's on Friday afternoon when their shipment came in to inquire if they had received any, and I overheard her asking the manager to put one aside for her.  She wouldn't tell me if they did.  I rode my bike to the store on Sunday morning (they were closed on Sundays), looked through the outside window into the locked display case that was just on the other side of the window, and there I saw three SMB3's hanging on the hook in the upper-right corner, ready for retail on Monday morning.  When my mom came home from work on Monday afternoon, she had a Woolworth's bag and handed it to me with a reserved smile.  I took it out, screamed, and raised my arms.  Then my mom reminded me that I was grounded from my NES for the next two weeks and proceeded to take it back.  Despite my wallowing and begging, I wasn't able to open that box for two weeks.  Nobody at school believed I had it because my mom wouldn't even let me take the box to school.  What's worse, she put it in the curio cabinet, which was locked, so that I could see it every day when we sat down for meals.  But the simple thought that it was behind a locked plate of glass in my home vs. a locked plate of glass at Woolworth's was enough consolation to get me to go on with my life.

Two weeks later, I got the game.  Three days later, I beat it.  Five days later I was playing something else.

I remember writing a letter when I beat Super Mario 3.  Wanted to get my picture in Nintendo Power.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

I'll beat anyone at:

Baseball Stars
Blades of Steel
Double Dribble

I can find the "sweet spot" (shoe marks behind the 3-pt line) and make in rain in Double Dribble. So, bring it on.