NES Works 1987

Two years later, those naysayers had been silenced as the NES became a dominant force—not just among video games and toys, but at retail in general. NES Works 1987, the third volume of this chronological retrospective series on the console’s history, examines the NES during the most pivotal period of its ascent to the top of the charts (and our hearts!) through the lens of what made that system great: not its marketing; not its advertising; but its games. More than 50 games shipped for NES throughout 1987, more than doubling the console’s library to that point. The best of these games—classics like The Legend of Zelda, Castlevania, Double Dribble, and Metroid—redefined the very concept of what a video game could be. With the 1987 NES lineup, Nintendo and its development partners cemented the future of gaming, laying down the concepts, characters, and franchises that continue to thrive more than three decades later. Adapted from the YouTube series NES Works, this book includes all-new photography of each game’s packaging, direct feed screenshots, extensive retrospective examinations, and new sidebars and supplemental features that explore the context and impact of this medium-changing software in both the U.S. and Japan. The NES would rule at retail and in the living room well into the 1990s, and the design and technical innovations introduced by these 50-plus games played a critical role in its popularity.