In the early to mid-1980's, the North American video game market began to severely decline. Too many companies tried to make a quick buck with their own video game systems, like the Fairchild Channel F, and the Bally Astrocade. Also, the software companies began to just put out basically shit to keep up, for example, Atari's E. T. The Extra Terrestrial. After this, the market plummeted sharply and completely crashed in 1983. The North American video game market would not recover from this crash for 2 years.

  Then, in 1985, a small, unknown Japanese company called Nintendo, decided to bring their Family Computer (also called the Famicom for short), video game system to our shores. The system was re-branded and re-tooled as the Nintendo Entertainment System. Because the original run of the system came with the R. O. B. (Robotic Operating Buddy), the system was seen as, not just another video game system, but a robot gaming system, as the robot was used to play games with you. Also, the system was also a video shooting gallery, as 2 of the set variations came with the game Duck Hunt. The graphics and sound of the system were unparalleled for the time, and the games on the Atari systems gave way to games that could actually be completed, such as the Super Mario series, Mega Man, and Contra, just to name a few. Because of these things, the system was an instant success, and the North American video game market was going strong once more.

  This system was also the first to have different sets of systems with different included accessories. The ones made were the Deluxe Set, Action Set, Challenge Set, Control Deck, Sports Set, and Power Set, and finally, the Control Deck, with the NES 2.
Here are the different sets, by year of release

NES Set Variations
Deluxe Set-1985-System, hookups, 2 controllers, R. O. B., Zapper, Duck Hunt, Gyromite

Control Deck-1985-System, hookups, 2 controllers, Super Mario Bros.

Basic Set-1987-System, hookups, 2 controllers, The Official Nintendo Player's Guide (does not include game pak.)

Action Set-1988-System, hookups, 2 controllers, Zapper, Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt

Power Set-1988-System, hookups, 2 controllers, Zapper, Power Pad, Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet

Sports Set-1990-System, hookups, NES Satellite, 4 controllers, Super Spike V' Ball/Nintendo World Cup

Challenge Set-1990-System, hookups, 2 controllers, Super Mario Bros. 3

Control Deck-1993-NES 2 System, hookups, 2 "Dogbone" controllers. (does not come with game pak).

  As the years went on, the NES began to be rivaled by newer, more powerful systems, such as the Sega Genesis in 1989. Still, the system continued to thrive, all the way into the 16-bit wars. The final set was the control deck, consisting of the top loader, and 2 dogbone controllers, and the final game, Wario's Woods, was released in 1994, and was the only NES game to have an ESRB rating.

  After all was said and done, the Nintendo Entertainment System sold close to 62 million units, with the best selling games being Super Mario Bros. (40 million units sold), and SMB3 (18 million units sold).  For many gamers in the 1980s, this was their first and possibly their favorite system of all time. Although I did not grow up in the 1980s, I own an NES, and would not give it up for the world. This one also gets a 10/10.

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