Nintendo Entertainment System

The Famicom launched on 15 July 1983 — the exact same day as Sega's SG-1000, a collision that tells you everything about how fast that market was moving. The western version, rebadged NES, reached Europe in 1986 with a redesigned "toaster" shell, a 72-pin connector instead of 60, and a CIC lockout chip that modders spent years defeating. PAL cartridges ran at 50Hz, losing roughly 17% of speed compared to their Japanese counterparts — something you feel instantly in platformers. Serious collectors distinguish cartridges by screw count (5 screws = earlier production, 3 screws = later) and hunt for the "round seal" label variant on Nintendo first-party titles. The 72-pin connector oxidises with age: most western NES units need cleaning or connector replacement to run reliably today.