How Much Was a Nintendo in 1986? An In-Depth Retro Perspective
As a retro gaming fanatic, I often wonder what it would have been like to experience iconic consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) during their original launch.
In 1986, the NES marked a seismic shift in home entertainment with an MSRP of $199.99 in the United States. Adjusted for inflation, that equates to around $443 in 2024 dollars – a steep price!
In this article, we‘ll analyze whether the NES justified its revolutionary cost at launch and why it was still a smash hit.
A Technical Marvel That Brought Arcades Home
As a gamer, I can appreciate why the NES commanded such a high price when it arrived in 1986. The cutting-edge NES delivered smooth scrolling graphics and responsive controls similar to popular arcade cabinet games – but now playable at home!
Nintendo‘s complex custom Picture Processing Unit (PPU) and 2KB plug-in game cartridges allowed for deeper 8-bit adventures never seen before in consoles. While the competing Sega Master System also provided Sega arcade ports, Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto‘shits like Super Mario Bros demonstrated expertly designed games maximizing the NES‘s hardware.
Many forget that early widespread adoption of color TVs also contributed to the NES‘s appeal for bringing vibrant gritty pixelated worlds to American family rooms for the first time.
In an IGN retrospective, NES chip designer Masayuki Uemura shared that even straightforward-seeming soccer game Soccer wowed visitors to Nintendo‘s Kyoto R&D labs for its smooth graphics.
By harnessing innovative components and game design, Nintendo delivered an unprecedented interactive entertainment experience worthy of the $200 paywall, even just to play single games like Super Mario Bros.
How Did $200 Compare Against 1986 Prices?
We know that $200 now seems like an unbelievable price for a single gaming device.
But how unreasonable was the NES‘s MSRP in the economic context of 1986 America? What did $200 equate to against average incomes or buying power for other goods at that time?
Some context on 1986 income levels in the United States:
- The median household income was $24,897 annually or $2,075 monthly
- Buying the NES at MSRP would cost 9.6% of yearly income
An equivalent cost based on 2022‘s roughly $70k average income would be around $672 today rather than $200.
To compare to other recreational expenses:
| Expense | 1986 Price | 2023 Inflation Adjusted Price |
|---|---|---|
| Movie Ticket | $3.71 | $9.12 |
| Super Bowl Ticket | $60 | $146 |
| VCR Player | $430 | $1,053 |
| Basic Cable | $20/month | $49/month |
So at nearly half the price of a VCR, the NES delivered much more dynamic entertainment pound-for-pound. Dropping one average cinema trip‘s value monthly would save up for Hardware that enabled hundreds of movies‘ worth of addicting interactive content.
However, considered against income figures, $200 was still no small spend for most families in 1986…
Smashing Sales Records Despite High Entry Barrier
Yet even with its cutting edge tech and comparatively high cost, the NES absolutely exploded in popularity upon its full nationwide American release in 1986.
Nintendo sold around 1 million NES consoles across New York and Los Angeles test markets in 1985-1986. But after widening distribution in 1986, a mind-blowing 4 million more NES systems flew off shelves by the end of the year.
The NES single-handedly revitalized the struggling early 1980s North American gaming industry after market crashes. Nintendo couldn‘t keep up with insane demand in this surprise breakout success story.
By the end of its illustrious lifespan until the mid ‘90s, the NES would sell a staggering:
- 61.91 million units worldwide
- Over 500 million cartridge games!
- Of those, Super Mario Bros 3 notably sold 18 million copies alone as the all-time best-selling NES title
The NES laid the commercial groundwork for gaming‘s explosive rise into today‘s $182 billion industry giant.
And yet – this juggernaut started by convincing millions of parents to purchase an unproven new $200 device that sounded pricey even to 1980s Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi.
What made so many individuals take that ambiguous financial leap of faith?
Killer Apps as Trojan Horses – Hiding Educational Value in Enjoyment
While rare technical showcases like initial flagship title Gyromite demonstrated the NES‘s horsepower – mass adoption came from Nintendo‘s masterful Trojan horse tactics disguising learning as fun through games like Super Mario Bros.
Launch stalwart pack-in arcade port Duck Hunt used entertaining light gun gameplay to hone child motor control and eye coordination skills. Excitebike snuck in spatial reasoning practice behind motocross racing thrills.
Behind the cutesy mascot platformer characters, design master Shigeru Miyamoto instilled deeper developmental value through:
- Iterative learning – Gradual skill ramping across Mario level progression
- Spatial reasoning – Navigating 3D-like sidescrolled environments
- Causal relationships – Connecting character action inputs to level reactions
- Risk management – Navigating hazards strategically under pressure
To concerned parents, the NES seemed like a more respectable investment than buying toys when framed as an educational system rather than just a "video game console."
And an entire generation subconsciously reaped cognitive benefits from blasting through seemingly mindless entertainment – ironic considering modern narrow-minded stigma against gaming!
Lasting Value – How NES Success Reverberates Across Generations
While $200 in 1986 seemed astronomical for a gaming device, the NES delivered tremendous lasting experiential value cementing iconic characters, franchises, genres, and childhood memories we still cherish today.
Everything from Nintendo‘s legendary IP to modern controllers owe DNA to the NES revolution. Its legacy persists through:
- Multi-billion dollar franchises – Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy
- Genre archetypes – Platformers, RPGs, Shoot ‘em Ups
- Core game design principles – Mechanics, balancing, difficulty curves
- Developer legends – Miyamoto, Kojima, Sakaguchi
- Peripherals – Gamepad, Zapper gun, R.O.B. robot
And that‘s just measuring tangible gaming influence! We haven‘t covered the nostalgic sentimental value across generations who bonded while blowing into dusty cartridges.
Adjusting for over 30 years of inflation only begins reflecting the NES‘s true earnings. This one $200 games console without online connectivity or DLC still keeps giving through emulation, re-releases, and remakes decades later.
The NES forever changed entertainment history – at a bargain bin price compared to the endless joy sparked for kids back in the 80s all the way through to Switch owners in 2024.
While the inflation adjusted cost seems outrageous now, the NES realistically revolutionized interactive entertainment at an affordable cost compared to subsequent generations.
Modern consoles sell at a $300-$500 loss to hook players into expensive software and services. The NES turned profit directly alongside the diverse games enriching young imaginations.
Few systems have matched the NES‘s magical combo of financial and cultural success!
So in the end – was the NES actually expensive in its heyday? As a devoted retro fan, I‘d argue it was worth every hard-saved penny and far more to start my lifelong gaming hobby!
Let me know your thoughts on Twitter @RetroBlastZone. Until next time, keep on gaming!
