Nintendo is one of the largest video game companies in the world, not only in terms of sales but sheer recognition and reputation. Speaking personally, it's also the best of the big three console manufacturers and video game publishers on the market today. And while Nintendo has been around for well over a century starting with making Hanafuda cards and going through numerous ventures throughout the years before settling on toys, Oct. 18 marks a major milestone in the company's history: the 1985 launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America.

The video game crash of 1983

It's easy to forget (at least for someone my age), but the video game console market was already well established when Nintendo made its big splash with the NES in 1985. In North America, companies like Atari had a major presence with the Atari VCS (often called the Atari 2600). But by 1983, consumer trust in video game consoles had been significantly worn down. There are multiple reasons linked to this decline, including many hardware manufacturers and consoles flooding the market at a time when console makers had exclusive publishing control over the software on their systems. Plus, as things began to change and third-party publishers became a thing, the market became full of games trying to capitalize on the success of other games by simply copying their formulas.

On top of that, in 1982, Atari had published two games that garnered a very negative reputation. The console port of Pac-Man as well as the exclusive licensed game E.T. the Extra Terrestrial had generated a lot of excitement leading up to their launch, but lackluster graphics and other problems led to mass returns and a general loss of trust in video game products. The problems were exacerbated by misleading promotional materials, such as box art, often painting experiences as far more exciting than the actual products were.

How the NES tried to be different

Having launched the Family Computer (or Famicom) in Japan in 1983, Nintendo intended to enter the North American market through a partnership with Atari that eventually fell through. Unlike what we see today, where consoles are essentially the same in every market, the Famicom would undergo a complete redesign for its North American debut, while also featuring a new name, the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The North American design featured a front-loader design, meaning cartridges were inserted horizontally, similar to a VHS tape, a product category that was very popular at that time. This also distinguished it from top-loader designs that most consoles (including the Japanese Famicom) had gone for up until then. Nintendo carefully crafted its marketing to avoid association with the waning video game market. The main NES unit was referred to as the Control Deck, and the games themselves were referred to as Game Paks, forgoing any mention of consoles or video games. This helped Nintendo sell the console in toy stores.

On top of that, Nintendo also tried to draw consumer attention by offering unique experiences from what a typical video game controller had. Alongside the NES, we got the Robotic Operating Buddy, or R.O.B, an accessory that made the console feel more like a toy, and the NES Zapper, a light gun accessory used for the popular Duck Hunt, which were two of the most popular peripherals for the console, though many others also existed, such as the Power Pad.

Something else Nintendo did in the early years of the NES was launch games that featured much more transparent box art when it comes to representing the product. Game packaging used a standard "black box" template with sprites taken from the game and plastered on the box without much in the way of changes. While it was undoubtedly less flashy than Atari's box art of the past, it made sure customers knew what they were getting.

The NES is home to some of the most iconic games ever

Of course, at the end of the day, the NES was still a video game system, and while Nintendo's marketing tried to paint it as something different, games are still what it's mostly known for. Of course, the most iconic of all is Super Mario Bros., which gave Mario the starring role in a full-fledged adventure for the first time. It wasn't Mari's first game, but it's definitely seen as the birth of the Mario series as we know it, and it's one of the most well-known games ever. The NES would eventually receive Super Mario Bros. 3 as well, which is regarded by many as the best 2D Mario game.

My personal favorite video game series, The Legend of Zelda was also born on the NES a few months later, starring a hero named Link in an attempt to rescue Princess Zelda from the hands of Ganon. The game also received a sequel, Zelda II: Adventure of Link, though this one featured a radically different gameplay style that has largely gone unused in the years since.

Beyond the most obvious picks, many more franchises made their debut here. Metroid, Kid Icarus, and Punch-Out!! were all born on the NES, and though they have received little support since, they're still beloved by many Nintendo fans. And that's not to mention games that didn't launch in North America, like Fire Emblem and Mother (part of the Earthbound series). Plus, third-party developers like Square (now Square Enix) published Final Fantasy while Enix (which merged with Square) launched Dragon Quest (originally known as Dragon Warrior in the United States).

When all was said and done, the NES and Famicom sold 61.91 million units around the world, making it by far the most successful video game console at the time, doubling the sales of the Atari VCS/2600 before it. More than 500 million games were sold for the console, something Nintendo wouldn't be able to replicate with another home console until the Wii. It's no wonder it's one of the most recognizable names in gaming, and it's created a huge legacy for the industry and for Nintendo itself. Many of the best Nintendo Switch games still hail from franchises that started on the NES.