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The Nintendo Entertainment System is an iconic piece of gaming history that set its parent company up for global success at a time when the situation in North America's future was anything but assured.
The 1983 video game crash had dented retail and consumer confidence in console gaming, and Nintendo took a big risk trying to resurrect that sector of the market. While its Famicom system had become phenomenally successful in Japan, there was no guarantee it could do the same on the other side of the Pacific.
But as we all know, the bet paid off handsomely; the NES became one of the most famous pieces of '80s consumer technology, and the name 'Nintendo' even became a catch-all term for 'video game' all over the world. This commercial triumph put the Japanese firm towards the top of the global games industry, a position it has held for decades since.
A trio of Nintendo fans – YouTuber Pat Contri, game designer and academic Daniel Greenburg and James of Legend of NES fame – recently tracked down the exact warehouse from where Nintendo plotted its North American domination in 1985.
The building is in Hackensack, New Jersey, and Nintendo used it for its test-market launch. According to Contri, "it’s still standing and looks nearly identical."
The team behind the discovery has pledged to keep the exact location a secret as the building is, of course, private property. However, they want to ensure the site is recognised for its pivotal role in Nintendo's history.
"We’ve reached out to city officials and the local historical society about getting the site officially recognised," adds Contri. "We believe it’s an important landmark in video game history."