WELCOME -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi! Welcome to The Legend of NES web site, a resource for collectors. If you're anything like me you loved the NES growing up, foolishly thought it would be fun to try to collect one of each game, and quickly got overwhelmed by the sheer volume of games and variants that exist. In my quest to complete my collection my simple little hobby evolved into full-blown archaeology (as we hardcore NES people like to say), and this site is the result. My hope is that this can become a place where collectors can find information that is easy to understand and will be useful for everyone, from beginner to expert.
THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF THE NES EVER WRITTEN -----------------------------------------------------
A little background for anyone just starting out...
NES stands for Nintendo Entertainment System which is a video game console featuring 8-bit graphics and sound that was designed specifically for release in the United States by the Nintendo Corporation of Japan. In 1983 Nintendo launched its very successful Family Computer, or "Famicom", video game system in Japan and wanted to replicate that success in the US. At that time the video game market in the US had suffered a massive collapse due an overload of low-quality home-console games being released, and a rise in popularity of games made to be played on a personal computer (PC). Because of this the NES was marketed as an "Entertainment System" that used "Game Paks" in conjunction with cutting-edge peripherals such as the Zapper Light Gun and R.O.B. the Robotic Operating Buddy. The NES was first released in the New York City market in October 1985 along with 17 of the original 30 black box games. In February 1986 it was released in Los Angeles, and by 1988 it was available for sale in most parts of the world. The NES became arguably the most popular video game system in history, and at one point it was estimated that one-in-three households in the United States owned an NES console. New games were released for the NES all the way up to 1995, even though its successor, the Super Nintendo, had been launched in the USA in August 1991. In 1993 a redesigned top-loading console was introduced for the NES and Famicom systems, but even so by 1995 it was all over. In addition to the Super Nintendo, other 16-bit systems like the Sega Genesis had become the new standard, and the NES went out of production.
Super Mario Bros.
Black Box Packaging
R.O.B.
----------------------------------------------
Clockwise from top left: NES Top-Loader Console, NES Action Set, NES Power Set, NES Deluxe Set
SCOPE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This site has a very specific scope: The original NES game cartridges manufactured from 1985-1995. Anything else video game-related, Nintendo or other brand, past or prior, including Homebrew NES games that were released later, or prototypes of retail games, will not be found here. Nothing against any of that stuff, but this site is original NES only. I will likely add some basic info on other NES items at some point (manuals, boxes, consoles, controllers, etc.), but the plan is to start with the game cartridges and build from there. Everything on this site refers to the USA versions of the games unless otherwise specified.
​
​
​
GOAL -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This site is meant to serve as a quick-reference guide for NES cartridge collectors. There is a whole world out there of amazing deep-dive content created by a very talented and passionate NES community that I recommend you seek out. This site is the Cliff's Notes. Looking for info on a specific title, or checking a variant? You'll probably find it here faster than searching online or even combing though your own collection database spreadsheet.
The other goal here is to crowd-source as much information as possible. If you're a collector and have something to contribute I would love to hear from you, my email address is at the bottom of the page. One of the amazing things about the NES is that even now, decades later, new information is uncovered all the time.
​
​
​
SITE CONTENTS & DISCLAIMER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing here is intended to be a definitive last-word on anything about the NES. Everyone has their own opinions about what should or should not be included in an NES collection and how the games & variants should be categorized. My stance on this is that your collection is your collection, and you should do whatever makes you happy. My intention is to provide as much information as possible on all the games that I can, period. If this is your first time here I recommend reading through the pages in the order they appear in the site menu, there is a method to the madness.
While some of the information within is based on my own findings, by no means am I claiming to be the original source of all this data. A lot of it I have simply collected, compared, vetted out, and organized to be useful for NES game cart collectors specifically. Some generally accepted truths about NES games and their history aren't necessarily facts by definition, so if you have evidence that any content here needs to be updated please let me know.
​
This site is 100% free to the public. There is no membership fee, no account required, no ask for donations, no ads, and nothing for sale here. Lastly, there are over 1,000 pictures on this site, 99% of which I took myself of my own NES collection. Unfortunately I don't have everything yet, so I had to borrow a few. In the event that I used a picture that belongs to you and you would like me to remove it, please just email me and I will find a replacement.
​
​
​
THANKS! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you found this site, chances are that you're an NES collector too and you have some questions. I hope I can help you find what you’re looking for. Enjoy!
- Legend
That's me, competing in the Nintendo World Championships.
Philadelphia, PA
April 1990