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Why Are NES Games So Big?
Fans of retro gaming are often fascinated by the size of NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) games. In an era where games can be downloaded in seconds and take up minimal space on modern gaming consoles, it’s hard to imagine why NES games are so large in comparison. So, what exactly is the reason behind the size of these classic games?
First and foremost, it’s important to consider the historical context of the NES. When the console was released in the mid-1980s, technology was not as advanced as it is today. As a result, game developers were limited in terms of storage capacity and memory. This meant that they had to be clever and efficient with their game design in order to fit everything onto the physical cartridges.
Another factor to consider is the marketing strategies employed by Nintendo at the time. In the competitive world of gaming, having a larger game size was often seen as a symbol of quality and value. This meant that Nintendo and other game developers would often aim to fill up as much space on a cartridge as possible, in order to impress consumers and stand out from the competition.
Additionally, the hardware of the NES itself played a role in the size of the games. The console featured a custom-designed processor and limited memory, which meant that game developers had to be strategic in how they utilized these resources. As a result, they often needed to use larger file sizes to ensure that the games were functional and enjoyable for players.
Furthermore, some NES games were multi-region, meaning that they had to contain multiple language versions of the game which also contributed to the size of the cartridges.
In the end, it was a combination of technological limitations, marketing strategies, and hardware constraints that led to the larger size of NES games. Today, these games are seen as a charming relic of a bygone era, as modern gaming has evolved to be more efficient and compact. However, the size of NES games remains a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of game developers during a pivotal time in gaming history.
This is definitely not an exhaustive answer as there are a lot of other reasons why Nintendo might have made the cartridges so big… If you have other ideas or sources to share, please do so! I'm very much interested 😀
Makes the game "ergonomic" … yet designs a rectangle controller to dig into your palms
The carts also look cooler, since they had more room for aesthetics
Larger, harder to steal for our 14%
So, as with most stupid decisions, it was to trick superstitious idiots.
Atari didn't fail in America, America failed Atari.
Wow!!! I had No idea 😳
Why so big?
Because size matters, bigger is better.
Clearly. 😃😎
i am going to be getting my own nintendo in a few days to a weeks time, i already bought the zapper and super mario bros + duckhunt
edit: i spelled duckhunt as duckhung
Back then it was all about "stop using paper and cardboard, trees take too long to grow!" and thus you had big plastic use like this, now its all "use paper and cardboard, plastic is toxic to the land!"
i actually prefer the Japanese model, too bad we didnt have that too. Also the NES is more likely to fail, the mechanism and the switch..
funny how switch games are tiny and still have giant boxes
But why did they do the american snes so ugly?
They loved making graphics on games sales box look out of this world 😅 of course you knew there was no way 8 bits would look that way but now of days it is just like those old fancy artworks
What do you mean the Atari was a failed system…
Don’t forget… it’s hard to steal bigger cartridges
And then they scrapped the front loader because of the issues they had and went back to the top loading system with the SNES.
Also protected the game cartridge from its target audience…kids
Lost me at “Failed systems like the Atari”
Any smaller and the mailmagnets might screw up the bits and bytes as it is scanned for weapons and drugs. Ohh those cartrages coulc be used to smuggle drugs to the higher ups. Thats why they were called that, cause they got high probably
that's why i remember opening as kid eager to c all the cool staff inside
Nowadays you gotta pay premium for good packaging
Explains why the tiny switch games are in disc packaging
Are young people just really dumb now?
same question with LAYS bag
The famous failure atari 2600😅
Wait is that why 3DO games (and I think some Saturn and PS1 games) had such big boxes?
I have 6 copies of that gold Zelda my dad bought the day they released.
He wrapped them in garbage bag in a box and then later a Rubbermaid container. Telling no one. We know know because the box was in the container. We found them last year when he died. They are pristine.
We were hoping it was cocaine. Imagine our surprise.
There's something so.. nice about the old NES carts. Loading them and storing them in their sleeves was very satisfying for me as a kid. ❤
Man I’m a little jealous of your Zelda 2 game cartridge!!! I have one but it’s super beat and a lot of the gold is coming off sadly
I mean, they've been doing the box thing for like ever. even with the switch games which come with less in them now…
Large boxes were an anti-theft measure. It was common for smaller items (cassettes, game cartridges etc) to be sold in large packaging to reduce theft. Sometimes the packaging was in-store only and would be removed at time of purchase, often with a custom unlocking device.
I have a whole collection of Atarisoft games in 8×10 (inches – 20×25 cm) boxes, for a cartrisge that is only 4×3 (12×9 cm). and a 4×6 (12x18cm) fly-sheet manual.
no, because some of the boards are large. rube
one of the worst consoles ever made. was good brand new but after time the game wouldn't work. would have to hold the game down with something and clean the cartridge alot
I think modern games are missing out by being sold mostly in plastic cases with a cover image.
Full box art looks so cool.
That's why muricans fell for it 😂 the bigger the better??😅😅😂😂😂😂
Nintendo is coming for you Moistcritical
Well, it worked. The presentation of NES games were definitely enough to get me to spend my childhood fortune on them. Especially the black sleeves. I loved that!
I had chinese boorleg system (dendy, it was sold in all post soviet countries i think) so i've never seen huge catridges. Mine was looking exactly like japanese one but yellow. This is the first time i hear about big ones hah
should have landed in reckless railways ive gotten a gold pistol from there quite often in the vault
The same reason why DVD/Bluray boxes are bigger than CDs.