|
|
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Type | Video game console |
| Retail availability | October 15, 1993 - March, 1994 (Nintendo recalled the system) |
| Media | ROM cartridge ("Game Pak") |
| CPU | Ricoh 2A03 8-bit processor |
| Controller input | NES-102 "Dogbone" Controller, 2 Controller Ports |
| Predecessor | Nintendo Entertainment System NES-001 |
| Successor | Super Nintendo Entertainment System |
The NES-101 model of the Nintendo Entertainment System (informally known as the NES 2, the "top loading" model, or simply the "top loader") is a compact, top-loading redesign of the original Nintendo Entertainment System video game console from Nintendo.
Nintendo marketed the NES-101 model as the Nintendo Entertainment System, exactly the same as the original NES-001 model (only with a "new design" logo on the packaging). It was released in North America in 1993 and retailed for $49.99 (equivalent to US$75 today).[1] The NES-101 model is stylistically similar to the HVC-101 model of the Family Computer, which was released in Japan at roughly the same time, but differs in a number of its specifications.
Contents |
Changes
The internal hardware of the unit remained essentially unchanged from the NES-001 model, with the exception of the removal of RCA composite video output jacks (a significant difference from the AV Famicom), and the removal of the 10NES authentication chip. The external appearance, on the other hand, was greatly overhauled, restyled to align its looks to the North American Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and to address a number of commonly cited ergonomic problems of the original NES-001 model. The case design was by Lance Barr, who also designed the NES-001 as well as the SNES case.
The first and most obvious change was the removal of the ZIF cartridge-loading system that caused no end of trouble in maintenance and game-swapping when using the NES-001 model. In that system, the user had to first open the lid of the case, slide in the cartridge, then press it down, compressing a spring and locking it against the contacts. Dust was the first problem with this: the large space inside allowed plenty of room for dust to settle, and the contact heads were almost impossible to access and clean without unscrewing the case or using the official cleaning kit. Wear and tear was the other problem: with continued use, the precision of the mechanism deteriorated and the user would have to poke and nudge at the cartridge to move it to a position that would be read correctly. The NES-101 returned to the standard top-loading method, used by almost all cartridge systems before and since for its ease and reliability. The power and reset buttons, while never a problem with the original design, now matched the curvature of the new look. The NES-101 does not have an LED power light to indicate the unit is on, as the original NES and SNES included.
The second change was in the design of the game controllers, which were packaged with the system (although they were also sold separately). Like the console itself, the new controllers, officially known as NES-102 model controllers, were restyled to resemble the SNES controller, with rounded edges that caused less stress on the hands than the old rectangular design (Thus, the NES-102 model controller doesn't fit in R.O.B.'s controller slot). The A and B buttons were also set at an angle to mimic the SNES controller as well as provide better ergonomics. The original NES-004 controllers and the NES-102 design are interchangeable between the original NES-001 model and the NES-101 model.
A flaw with the redesigned NES is the appearance of faint vertical lines static across the game screen. This is believed to be the result of the RCA composite video output jacks being removed. The AV Famicom rectifies this problem.
Family Computer (Model HVC-101)
The HVC-101 model of the Family Computer was a redesign of the original Family Computer video game console released by Nintendo in Japan in the early 1980s. Nintendo itself marketed simply as the Family Computer, exactly the same as the original, but users called it AV Famicom or New Famicom to distinguish from the original. It was released in Japan on December 1 1993 and retailed for ¥6800[2]. Like the original model, it is commonly referred to by the nickname "Famicom”. It was stylistically similar to the NES-101 model released in North America at roughly the same time.
The HVC-101 model was designed to address two major design flaws of the original HVC-001 model. The original HVC-001 featured hardwired game controllers; users who wished to add additional, specialized controllers were forced to make use of the deck's single expansion port. In bringing NES-style removable controllers to the HVC-101 model, Nintendo removed the microphone which had been originally included on the second controller in place of the "start" and "select" buttons. The microphone was originally intended to introduce extra functionality for certain games, but, in practice, very few games had ever made use of it.
Secondly, the HVC-001 model featured audio/video output via RF modulator only. By the early 1990s, many Japanese television sets featured composite input jacks. The HVC-101 replaced the HVC-001's RF output switch with composite AV cables, hence the name AV Famicom. This represented the biggest difference between the Japanese HVC-101 and the North America NES-101, which included only RF modulator output functionality (even though the original NES had composite as well as RF modulator outputs).
The HVC-101 also featured a slightly different case design to the NES-101 in order to allow compatibility with the Family Computer Disk System. The area around the cartridge slot of the HVC-101 is flat rather than convex. This allows users to insert the large RAM Adaptor Cartridge required to use the Disk System accessory.
NES "Top Loader" (1994 Revision)
This version of the original 1993 released NES "Top Loader" revision has an AV Multi-Out port, like the one on the Super NES, Nintendo 64, and GameCube. The AV Multi-Out port replaces the RF Jack on this version of the NES.
See also
References
- ^ www.nintendocosmos.com/nes_info.htm
- ^ "SNS-101". http://maru-chang.com/hard/hvc/english.htm#HVC-101. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
