Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom
ID: NES-FAMICOM
RELEASED 1983
PRICE
DISCONTINUED 2003
UNITS SOLD 62 Million
I/O PORTS
Controller x2Expansion
System Analysis
The console that saved gaming. After the 1983 crash, Nintendo rebuilt the industry. Still has an active demoscene.
Processor
1.79 MHz (NTSC)Ricoh 2A03
6502 core with disabled BCD mode and built-in APU.
Audio Subsystem
5 ChannelsRP2A03 APU
2 Pulse + Triangle + Noise + DPCM. Iconic 8-bit sound.
Memory
SRAM2 KB RAM + 2 KB VRAM
Expandable to 8 KB (mapper RAM)
Storage
4 MB max (with mappers)Cartridge
Graphics Architecture
PPU (2C02)
Palette: 25 Colors on screen (54 total)
- 256x240
Hardware Tricks
- ▹ Hardware sprites (64)
- ▹ Sprite 0 hit
- ▹ Mapper tricks
Did You Know?
- ? Super Mario Bros. came bundled and changed everything.
- ? The Famicom Disk System added rewritable storage in Japan.
- ? Incredible demos are still being released today.