I was from a poor family, I got this nes in 1996. And for me it was only system to play games. Untill my father brought home ps1 in 2000. Got through some generation leaps in gaming in my life.
I was poorer than you. My family cut out a picture of the NES on a newspaper. We also didn't have a TV, so we cut out a picture of a PC too and I pretended to play video games on it. Our daily meals were scavanged from the local trashcan. :)
My mother also got us consoles for Christmas, AFTER they were heavily discounted on clearance. Only current console I had was a Dreamcast on 9-9-99, because I saved up for it myself.
@@rwdplz1 Yep the Dreamcast is the first console I ever bought with my own money too. It was so cool right up until a couple years later when Sega exited console making.
My next-door neighbor had this model after their original one died. I do remember his dad sent it out to get the A/V upgrade. I didn't understand any of that at my young age but recall his dad telling us about it.
It's pretty baffling that Nintendo never gave it Composite/AV compatibility. Heck, even the AV Famicom had it, and it was 19-frikkin-93...They were most likely just trying to save a buck or two by eliminating AV and the blinking red light, and didn't put in the extra effort because they knew nearly every game was focused on the two new players in town, aka, the SNES & Genesis. And as many have said countless times before, the Top Loader controller is ruined for numerous types of games that require you to hold down B to run & tap A to jump since they're placed diagonally and spread too far apart. What were they thinking!? :P The best way to experience the NES, would be to use the TopLoader with a composite cable mod, with the original NES Controller, or with 8BitDo's 'N30' 2.4 GHZ Wireless controller, ON something like a 27" Sony WEGA Trintiron CRT(2005) with low hours. :P
@@jamin63 Not for long. There is a retro gaming bubble right now, just 2 years ago a top loaded sold on ebay and in local shops for like 20$ or less, there are MILLIONS and millions of them out there they arent rare, that bubbles gonna burst eventually this cant keep up. Same goes for all older consoles, xbox's, saturns etc all this stuff is abubble.
This is a revision of the AV Famicom version, which ironically had composite link cable as an option that resembled the super nintendo. I have the AV version and also used to have the NES 2. The NES 2 was limited and there were clear image quality issues compared to normal RF on NES 1. By the way, the NES 2 was intentionally designed to keep the Game Genie out, although with a bit of force.. you could get it in!
I usually left my game genie in all the time even if I wasn't entering any codes and just swapped out the games on top of it since that was easier than pulling them out of the nes, let alone trying to get the game genie back out.
This is a great console revision. It addressed the main issue of the vcr style NES. That issue being the 72 pin connector and how it connects to the main board. This design and the controller are superior
I got the Japanese version, or AV Famicom. It has all the audio channels (so no mod needed), it has that nintendo AV out, it has very decent composite too. I paired it with a famicom everdrive. Thats all i need. Nes games, famicom games, famicon disk games, translations, rom hacks, all with benefits of a sturdy and stable top loader and better image of composite. Can't recommend it enough guys.
Not gonna lie, I prefer the famicom av to the NES, it just works when you part cart in, and you don't gotta F around with it like the NES to get it just right.
Yeah the new famicom is awesome. And they actually kept the component in the back if I remember correctly which makes it absolutely fantastic and superior to this unfortunately. But of course that's why mods exist.
@@JohnDoe-wq5eu You are correct sir, fun fact Nintendo kept making that model well into the 2000s until the chip manufacturer stopped production. I have one with copyright date of 2000. Also you could even get them along with the FDS repaired until about 2008.
@@chunkyjackson What's crazier still is I've been told numerous times that Nintendo themselves officially would do the modification to the back. I've even heard they did it for free back in the day. Which tells me even they had to acknowledge there was some obvious issues with the top loader. But wow Nintendo was truly committed or at least they were.
I remember having a SNES and when we broke it my dad decided to get a Sega Genesis and saw that there was no eject button and that we were ripping the game out of the console. He quickly returned it and bought another SNES.
I had the NES toploader when I was a kid. That was my introduction to videogames as a whole actually. Nes toploader with MegaMan 6, Kirby's adventure, super Mario bros/duck hunt, Mario bros 2, and Zelda 2. That was what I had as a kid and I have so many fond memories
Loved my top loader NES, it cost quite a bit back when I got it about 8 years ago, about $120 for the system and 2 controllers. Then I got the box, Styrofoam and manual for my birthday for about $70. Once I got it, my toaster NES just stayed in the closet. I had an old CRT that I could hook up older consoles to enjoy. So the picture quality drop really didn't matter. This is definitely the best way to play NES carts.
What a weird stretch of time for Nintendo. Within a few years they released/developed: top loader, Gameboy, SNES, virtual boy, Satellaview and even the Playstation.
@@tarantinoish It was partnetship between Nintendo and Sony until Nintendo decided to go with Phillips instead. Though you are probably correct, Sony likely did all the leg work. I guess my point is that Nintendo was exploring a CD based platform.
I got into gaming with the SNES (late into its lifespan) and this model of the NES was the only NES I remember seeing as a kid. I saw it at Cunningham's Warehouse. They also sold Game & Watch handhelds too.
$50 back then, equivalent to $100 today, but currently selling for ~$200 on ebay (in decent shape with dogbone controllers) Alot of them being sold with original square controllers. Shawn said alot of people prefer the square, but thats contrary to my observation where most people seem to prefer (and value) the dog bone more as that controller by itself is worth more (and is WAY more comfortable than the original).
I bought one when I was in high school to replace my broken front loader. I still have it today and pull it out occasionally. If you think regular cartridges are hard to remove, try the game genie.
Love my NES top loader. I've got toaster models I haven't touched in years because I'm so happy with it. Sure it's only RF out but it still looks great on a CRT with a good RF cable.
I had one. Loved the controller. Felt it was weird to be RF only. Didn't know that there was an exchange program for an A/V version. Great design overall.
Got this from a neighbor for $5 brand new when I was younger because they thought it wasn't an NES just because it didn't look like the original model. The only good video game find I've ever gotten.
There is a rare version of the NES2 that had the AV Multi-Out but it was only given out if you sent your regular NES2 to Nintendo and complained about the picture quality. Also the Japanese Version of this was the AV Famicom wich ironically added AV jacks since the original Famicom only had RF
I still have my top loader complete in box. When I was a teenager (I'm now in my 40's) my original NES was having the flashing screen issue upon startup more often than not so I did a bunch of chores to earn this one as a replacement. I have since fixed my original NES and this one is on display in my retro gaming setup. An interesting bit of trivia is that early on Nintendo sold two versions, this RF only version as well as an A/V multi out only version. The A/V multi version apparently was dropped by Nintendo fairly quickly in favor of this one. The A/V multi version is one to find for collectors. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one.
Interesting, i have never heard of Nintendo selling the AV versions. I always hear the stories of this model being the AV famicom with the multi av out from the snes though gamecube in japan, an upgrade to the rf only and wired in controller famicom, and the other common story of people buying the units, then sending complaints to Nintendo when the picture was blurry and not as good as the composite shown in stores and magazines so Nintendo would take their system and basically swap the rf for the multi-out composite to shut them up
@@MrTreesSapling you just may be right. I thought that Nintendo initially sold the two versions, but I can’t find evidence of that in a quick search. Would’ve been nice to have the option. Either way, I would love to get my hands on one.
This is my favorite version of the NES even with the jailbars and RF only, it's so reliable and so much more compact than the front loader. Also love being able to see what's in the system. I can't stand the front loader, having to push down after inserting is a horrible design. I have my top loader hooked up through RF to my flat screen in my game room. That's sacrilege to most but I don't have to mess around like a bozo trying to get a game to work. Eventually I'd like to get a hdmi modded top loader but using a quality, shielded coaxial cable and an adapter to rca straight into the console is fine for now. The Nintendo brand RF modulator with the pass through is what introduced static interference.
Just get a small crt tv. The small ones look good with rf, they're not too heavy and don't take up too much space. Having no lag makes the games way more enjoyable
I have one of these top loaders that still works. I bring it out whenever I have new people over to show them the weirdest gaming console I own. Always gets a kick out of people who have never seen one before.
2:40 Honestly I dont see how its hard to hook it up to current TV's. All TV's still come with Coaxial Input due to their continued use by digital Antennas. And, despite Analog TV being a thing of the past, I have yet to see a modern TV that isn't capable of tuning into analog cable signals for use in old, pre-existing setups. That being said even a TV made yesterday would still be able to display the Top Loader NES with no issues over the RF output. Composite on the other hand, has one foot in the grave. Every modern TV I've seen recently that still supports it requires an adapter cable to convert a four prong phono jack into the composite ports.
I have one in my office. AV modded with a multi-out connector and added a power light to it a few years ago. It's my primary testing system for NES development.
I thought you'd mention the AV Famicom, which is the Japanese version of this revision. Unlike the NES Top Loader, the AV FC has a multi output for composite video. Mine is modded with the HDMi kit and the picture quality is just gorgeous.
The video title is inaccurate. Really, the NES-001 itself was the first Nintendo console revision. The Japanese Family Computer HVC-001 came out in 1983 and the NES-001 is a heavy revision of that. Then after that came the TWIN Famicom in partnership with Sharp, and then a revision of that that added turbo fire buttons, and then the obscure Famicom Titler followed finally by the "new Famicom" that those in the retro gaming scene normally refer to as the "AV Famicom". This also ignores the arcade VS and Play-Choice 10 designs. The NES-101 that is shown here only came out after all the versions I mentioned. Calling it the "first" console revision is wildly inaccurate. It's only the first revision of the NES.
I think the toploader looked weird to us, but in other regions that had the smaller cartridges like in Japan I think it looked pretty normal. We just got stuck with those giant oversized cartridges here.
That's the thing we saw it is normal but yeah it made more sense the side loading way like the original. When you saw that big cart sticking up it looks/looked really dumb. But yeah the Japanese one looked exactly right whereas ours just looked off.
I never even knew this was a thing until I saw one at my friend's grandparents' house in the summer of 1997. By that time, I had moved on from the NES, I had a SNES and a N64. This was before I had internet. So it was a surprise when I saw it back then.
The Japanese version did the opposite and actually added Composite with a SNES style multi-out port, since the original Famicom was RF only. It also has a flat top vs rounded on the NA version, which might be because the larger NES carts would stick out too far without support.
The flat top on the Famicom was for the disk reader attachment. The curves on the redesign are supposedly to keep people from sitting drinks on top the system as the original NES had a lot of people spilling their drinks on the NES and then sending them in for repairs.
I was late to the party on NES because I was born in ‘84, and it took until I was almost 9 to convince my parents I could handle having a video game system. My first was actually going back before my generation to Atari 2600. Bought a system and over 50 games at a flea market for $20 the summer of 1993. My dad then picked up a used original NES for me for Christmas 1993. However, he didn’t realize you had to mess around so much with it just to get a game to play. So we just got blank or flashy screens of different colors which made us think the system was broken, but I had 12 games and controllers and no working system. So the day after Christmas he took me to an old department store, Rose’s and bought me for $50 this brand new top loader NES that had just came out and I didn’t even know existed. It was the only NES you could buy in the store at that point. I spent the rest of the 90’s playing catch up, always getting the next system just before they quit making new games for it….until I finally got my N64 with money I saved in February of 1998 just to play WCW vs NWO Worldtour which blew my mind after playing it at my cousin’s house Christmas of ‘97.
This is another reason why I only buy "second editions". Though I did discover a hack for the original console: if you push the cartridge down prematurely, it'll lock itself in and guaranteeingly run. i stopped blowing my carts since then
Sega did a similar thing with the Master System 2, the original had an RGB out and a slot for card games. The revision removed all of those things... And the power LED IIRC.
The biggest problem with the dog bone controller is the AB placement. No one's hand naturally moves like that especially for Mario games. Gameboy made that mistake and they kept transfered it to the dog bone.
I know owning the original NES control deck front loader, I knew there was a top loader, akin to the looks to the North American version of the Super NES control deck. With the newly designed control deck, newly designed controller. The A and B buttons were also set at an angle to mimic the Super NES controller as well as provide better ergonomics, because of its ergonomic shape. There are two known revisions of the New-Style NES; both have redesigned circuit boards that improve video output quality. The first has a Nintendo AV multi-out port (the same used in the Super NES, Nintendo 64, and GameCube) that replaces the RF jack completely. The other looks exactly the same as the rest with the RF video output jack and channel select switch, but with excellent video output quality. These versions were replacements for those who sent their original New-Style NES systems to Nintendo with a poor quality video complaint. I'm still a fan of this NES top loader, since 1993.
Sadly, the HDMI kit for the NES is no longer being produced due to a chip it used being discontinued, so your only option is RGB or to buy an NES already modded with the HDMI kit and the prices are through the roof since they're not being made anymore. But, RGB is virtually identical when paired with a good scaler so there's not a huge loss in the HDMI kit being discontinued.
The japanese version was the Famicom AV, which, as the name implies, did have an AV connection, unlike the original Famicom. I have an AV Famicom with the Hi-Def NES mod and it's just splendid.
I bought mine the day these came out.I brought it home and threw out that POS grey box instantly. I still have it hooked into my CRT for duck hunt and for all of my favorite NES games.
I suppose the only a Nintendo home console without some sort of physical revision is actually the Wii U (NES has the Toploader, SNES has the SNES Jr, N64 has the Hey You Pikachu variant, the GameCube has the Panasonic Q variant, the Wii has the Family Edition and Wii Mini, and the Switch has the Switch Lite and OLED models).
I remember the day I got my top loader. Was at toys r us with my Dad looking to get some VHS tapes (Jungle Book and something else) but as we passed by the display with the new top loaders I begged my dad to get that instead of the two vhs tapes. I loved our NES but even by 1993 ours was showing all the telltale symptoms of bad pin connectors and the like. Knowing how finicky our home system was my dad agreed to get me the top loader which blew my mind because I didn't expect him to be so easily swayed. For the first few months I would rebox the system when I was done with it because I finally had an NES that wasnt pulling some janky bs.
A friend of mine down the street had this console and it worked pretty good. There has to be a way to get composite audio and video out of this machine.
Having just RF is just weird, especially because the Famicom AV (the same thing in Japan, same design etc.) Had AV. the same av cable as the snes/super Famicom which makes it even weirder that the NES top loader doesn't have it.
My cousins had one of these. I was tripping out the first time I saw it. I wanted one, but never got it. They're pricey now, but I'd still get it if it was in good condition and included the dog bone controller.
I picked up one of these little buggers at a used game store in 2003 and was absolutely thrilled-until I brought it home, turned it on and saw the faint vertical lines imbedded in the image. Not knowing this was an inherent issue with the console, I returned it immediately. Sadly, they wouldn’t give me my money back, only store credit-the bastards-so I ended up trading it for a couple Gamecube games, one of which was Metroid Prime, so not a total loss.
I have a Top Loader with the HiDefNES HDMImod, and it is SUCH a great mod! I also have the UltraHDMI mod on my N64, and honestly... I find the NES HDMI mod to be _more valuable_ and _more impressive_ than the N64 version! If you can find it, SNAG IT! It's beyond worth the upgrade!
Ultimately, Nintendo released this redesigned NES console, released an NES 2 console in 1993, that's commonly and mainly known as the "top loader." Its main feature? A top ladoing slot. It was more like the original Famicom, using a slot that held up better to abuse. Similary, the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) and the N64 (Nintendo 64) were top loaders.
Back in the 90s people were so unaware of composite connections it was an issue when the 32X came out because it didn’t have an RF connection. I remember working at Babbages having to coach people on the phone on how to hook the thing up. I remember one guy getting super pissed when I said “Well if your TV doesn’t have the connector, almost every VCR does” and he yelled back “Oh I need to spend MORE MONEY! I bet you sell VCRs there too!” We didn’t and this was the mid 90s so the idea of being mad you needed a VCR was kinda silly. They were super cheap then
Here are my initial thoughts as a kid of this era... because I do remember this. "Why are they making new regular nintendo models when the super nintendo is out now"
I think the controller that came with this one is actually a much better design than the original one. The top loading design of the actual console looks silly with the big NES carts in my opinion. The front loading design of the original is just really cool to me to this day.
What Nintendo did here was similar to what Atari did a few years before when they released the 2600jr as a less expensive option to their 7800 system or the NES. And much as the case here it already had a well established game library and was around the same $50 price point.
this exact version was my first console!!! i got it in 95 when i was 4 years old! as young as I was, I thought this was the first video game system ever so my mind was blown learning about the original "VCR" model (and atari). i had always preferred the rounded bone to the sharp edges of the original boxed controller. so many good times after school playing Mario 1 or Contra with my cousin. then i got my uncle's snes after a few years, then the 64, GC, and the rest is history 😌
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I was from a poor family, I got this nes in 1996. And for me it was only system to play games. Untill my father brought home ps1 in 2000. Got through some generation leaps in gaming in my life.
I was poorer than you. My family cut out a picture of the NES on a newspaper. We also didn't have a TV, so we cut out a picture of a PC too and I pretended to play video games on it. Our daily meals were scavanged from the local trashcan. :)
My mother also got us consoles for Christmas, AFTER they were heavily discounted on clearance. Only current console I had was a Dreamcast on 9-9-99, because I saved up for it myself.
@@rwdplz1
Yep the Dreamcast is the first console I ever bought with my own money too. It was so cool right up until a couple years later when Sega exited console making.
@@schadenfreude6274 Is it a competition or something? Would you like an award for being most poor?
I was poor and still am, but I got my 1st home console in 1997 it was a SNES
My next-door neighbor had this model after their original one died. I do remember his dad sent it out to get the A/V upgrade. I didn't understand any of that at my young age but recall his dad telling us about it.
It's pretty baffling that Nintendo never gave it Composite/AV compatibility. Heck, even the AV Famicom had it, and it was 19-frikkin-93...They were most likely just trying to save a buck or two by eliminating AV and the blinking red light, and didn't put in the extra effort because they knew nearly every game was focused on the two new players in town, aka, the SNES & Genesis.
And as many have said countless times before, the Top Loader controller is ruined for numerous types of games that require you to hold down B to run & tap A to jump since they're placed diagonally and spread too far apart. What were they thinking!? :P The best way to experience the NES, would be to use the TopLoader with a composite cable mod, with the original NES Controller, or with 8BitDo's 'N30' 2.4 GHZ Wireless controller, ON something like a 27" Sony WEGA Trintiron CRT(2005) with low hours. :P
I remember owning the original NES, never knew there was a top loader model till I saw AVGN review games with one.
Same.
I never saw one in person besides in the glass case at Toys r Us. There are millions and millions of them out there and yet who knows where they are.
Yeah I never knew anyone with one.
same here
I don't think I ever seen one in person.
That dog bone controller was super cool
After my old NES died, I bought a Top Loader NES in 1996, and it still works to this day.
I think some people bought these because they had built up a NES library but their original NES stopped working because of the 72 pin connector.
It came out because it fixed the 72 pin connector issue of the original vcr style machine
i owned one, alotta good memories with it. 50$ in 93 was around 100$ today
Now worth a lot more
@@jamin63 Not for long. There is a retro gaming bubble right now, just 2 years ago a top loaded sold on ebay and in local shops for like 20$ or less, there are MILLIONS and millions of them out there they arent rare, that bubbles gonna burst eventually this cant keep up. Same goes for all older consoles, xbox's, saturns etc all this stuff is abubble.
Got one when the original stopped working (fixed it later). I thought it was just great to have a working Nintendo again. Lol. Still have them both.
I also have one with a bunch of games. Sunsoft Batman anyone?
@@nitramartin I have played that game, it is indeed a good one.
This is a revision of the AV Famicom version, which ironically had composite link cable as an option that resembled the super nintendo. I have the AV version and also used to have the NES 2. The NES 2 was limited and there were clear image quality issues compared to normal RF on NES 1. By the way, the NES 2 was intentionally designed to keep the Game Genie out, although with a bit of force.. you could get it in!
The Famicom Disk System plugged into the cartridge slot. The side port was for a Zapper light gun or a third controller...
@@Justin-Hill-1987 Sorry about that, corrected.
I usually left my game genie in all the time even if I wasn't entering any codes and just swapped out the games on top of it since that was easier than pulling them out of the nes, let alone trying to get the game genie back out.
This is a great console revision. It addressed the main issue of the vcr style NES. That issue being the 72 pin connector and how it connects to the main board. This design and the controller are superior
I got the Japanese version, or AV Famicom.
It has all the audio channels (so no mod needed), it has that nintendo AV out, it has very decent composite too.
I paired it with a famicom everdrive. Thats all i need. Nes games, famicom games, famicon disk games, translations, rom hacks, all with benefits of a sturdy and stable top loader and better image of composite.
Can't recommend it enough guys.
I love the AV Famicom. I bought one and modded it with a Hi-def NES kit. Made it the ultimate NES, especially with the Everdrive N8 pro
Not gonna lie, I prefer the famicom av to the NES, it just works when you part cart in, and you don't gotta F around with it like the NES to get it just right.
Agree. I got one a while back, but I went a step further and RGB modded it, as well as modded it to support the NES zapper. Best NES console by far.
That top loader design was something else
nuh uh
Older D-Pads were better because they were the main control method
RGT reviews the NES Control Deck, now Spawnwave reviews the NES Top Loader
So......who's gonna follow this up and review the Super NES?
This is actually my favorite version of the NES although I prefer the "New Famicom" version of this more.
Yeah the new famicom is awesome.
And they actually kept the component in the back if I remember correctly which makes it absolutely fantastic and superior to this unfortunately. But of course that's why mods exist.
@@JohnDoe-wq5eu You are correct sir, fun fact Nintendo kept making that model well into the 2000s until the chip manufacturer stopped production. I have one with copyright date of 2000. Also you could even get them along with the FDS repaired until about 2008.
@@chunkyjackson
What's crazier still is I've been told numerous times that Nintendo themselves officially would do the modification to the back. I've even heard they did it for free back in the day. Which tells me even they had to acknowledge there was some obvious issues with the top loader.
But wow Nintendo was truly committed or at least they were.
I remember having a SNES and when we broke it my dad decided to get a Sega Genesis and saw that there was no eject button and that we were ripping the game out of the console. He quickly returned it and bought another SNES.
Kids were always rough on consoles.
The fact so many survived is a true testament to how well built things used to be.
You managed to break a SNES? You and your siblings must have been brutal! =D
@@will9357
Seriously though those things were overbuilt to a ridiculous extent.
To render one unable to read cartridges is a true feat.
@@will9357 We used to play a game of who can launch the cartridge the highest by slamming the eject as hard as we can.
@@mleeneg Wow! It never even occurred to me to do that... and it totally seems like the sort of thing I would have done too!
Funny how you and RGT are both checking out NES systems today, cool stuff 👍
I had the NES toploader when I was a kid. That was my introduction to videogames as a whole actually. Nes toploader with MegaMan 6, Kirby's adventure, super Mario bros/duck hunt, Mario bros 2, and Zelda 2.
That was what I had as a kid and I have so many fond memories
My coworker and I were just talking about this model the other day. It was a better design but that rf input ruins this for me.
Loved my top loader NES, it cost quite a bit back when I got it about 8 years ago, about $120 for the system and 2 controllers. Then I got the box, Styrofoam and manual for my birthday for about $70. Once I got it, my toaster NES just stayed in the closet. I had an old CRT that I could hook up older consoles to enjoy. So the picture quality drop really didn't matter. This is definitely the best way to play NES carts.
What a weird stretch of time for Nintendo. Within a few years they released/developed: top loader, Gameboy, SNES, virtual boy, Satellaview and even the Playstation.
Nintendo didn’t develop the PlayStation. Sony developed it for Nintendo and then they just didn’t want it.
@@tarantinoish It was partnetship between Nintendo and Sony until Nintendo decided to go with Phillips instead. Though you are probably correct, Sony likely did all the leg work. I guess my point is that Nintendo was exploring a CD based platform.
I got into gaming with the SNES (late into its lifespan) and this model of the NES was the only NES I remember seeing as a kid. I saw it at Cunningham's Warehouse. They also sold Game & Watch handhelds too.
In Australia & New Zealand, it came bundled with a 3-in-1 cart that includes Super Mario Bros, Tetris & Nintendo World Cup.
The quality of everything was better in the past, especially, before "planned obsolescence".
The NSE top loader was my first ever video game console. I still have it to this day
The Game Boy Player for Gamecube was the best invention for Carts.
$50 back then, equivalent to $100 today, but currently selling for ~$200 on ebay (in decent shape with dogbone controllers) Alot of them being sold with original square controllers.
Shawn said alot of people prefer the square, but thats contrary to my observation where most people seem to prefer (and value) the dog bone more as that controller by itself is worth more (and is WAY more comfortable than the original).
I have no idea why they angled the A and B button upward. It was so much hard to play Mario games with this controller.
I bought one when I was in high school to replace my broken front loader. I still have it today and pull it out occasionally. If you think regular cartridges are hard to remove, try the game genie.
Love my NES top loader. I've got toaster models I haven't touched in years because I'm so happy with it. Sure it's only RF out but it still looks great on a CRT with a good RF cable.
I had one. Loved the controller. Felt it was weird to be RF only. Didn't know that there was an exchange program for an A/V version. Great design overall.
I would love to see a video series where you make a customized NES designed the way YOU would like to have it. Like with the eject button.
Got this from a neighbor for $5 brand new when I was younger because they thought it wasn't an NES just because it didn't look like the original model. The only good video game find I've ever gotten.
There is a rare version of the NES2 that had the AV Multi-Out but it was only given out if you sent your regular NES2 to Nintendo and complained about the picture quality.
Also the Japanese Version of this was the AV Famicom wich ironically added AV jacks since the original Famicom only had RF
Ahhh man that commercial! Startropics 2
Iirc this is a gimped version of the Japanese AV Famicom, which as you can probably guess by the name, indeed had composite AV outputs.
I still have my top loader complete in box. When I was a teenager (I'm now in my 40's) my original NES was having the flashing screen issue upon startup more often than not so I did a bunch of chores to earn this one as a replacement. I have since fixed my original NES and this one is on display in my retro gaming setup.
An interesting bit of trivia is that early on Nintendo sold two versions, this RF only version as well as an A/V multi out only version. The A/V multi version apparently was dropped by Nintendo fairly quickly in favor of this one. The A/V multi version is one to find for collectors. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one.
Interesting, i have never heard of Nintendo selling the AV versions. I always hear the stories of this model being the AV famicom with the multi av out from the snes though gamecube in japan, an upgrade to the rf only and wired in controller famicom, and the other common story of people buying the units, then sending complaints to Nintendo when the picture was blurry and not as good as the composite shown in stores and magazines so Nintendo would take their system and basically swap the rf for the multi-out composite to shut them up
@@MrTreesSapling you just may be right. I thought that Nintendo initially sold the two versions, but I can’t find evidence of that in a quick search. Would’ve been nice to have the option. Either way, I would love to get my hands on one.
I have one of these that I've modded to have RGB out with a SNES style multi-out port. Those upgrades make owning this version of the NES quite nice.
In Japan, it came with SNES style AV out. It was actually released as the AV Famicom. In theory you could import one and get an NES to Famicom adapter
I saw a documentary here on YB about the NES/Famicom system. There was a limited edition of the top loader with an AV output instead of the RF.
This is my favorite version of the NES even with the jailbars and RF only, it's so reliable and so much more compact than the front loader. Also love being able to see what's in the system. I can't stand the front loader, having to push down after inserting is a horrible design. I have my top loader hooked up through RF to my flat screen in my game room. That's sacrilege to most but I don't have to mess around like a bozo trying to get a game to work. Eventually I'd like to get a hdmi modded top loader but using a quality, shielded coaxial cable and an adapter to rca straight into the console is fine for now. The Nintendo brand RF modulator with the pass through is what introduced static interference.
Just get a small crt tv. The small ones look good with rf, they're not too heavy and don't take up too much space. Having no lag makes the games way more enjoyable
@@JBird401 I don't notice any lag with my tv set to game mode, but I do need to get a small crt
@@josephpiedmonte RF only CRTs are pretty cheap, some can actually display decent picture even with RF.
@@josephpiedmonte LOL! You will if you like Duck Hunt.
@@will9357, i think I might buy the Wii version on Wii U before the eshop is shut down
God I miss my top-loading NES.
I have one of these top loaders that still works. I bring it out whenever I have new people over to show them the weirdest gaming console I own. Always gets a kick out of people who have never seen one before.
I remember seeing these in the store, but I was already a few years into the snes. I remember thinking to myself “that looks cool, but why?”
Because it's an excellent console revision, don't knock it until you try it.
2:40
Honestly I dont see how its hard to hook it up to current TV's.
All TV's still come with Coaxial Input due to their continued use by digital Antennas. And, despite Analog TV being a thing of the past, I have yet to see a modern TV that isn't capable of tuning into analog cable signals for use in old, pre-existing setups. That being said even a TV made yesterday would still be able to display the Top Loader NES with no issues over the RF output.
Composite on the other hand, has one foot in the grave. Every modern TV I've seen recently that still supports it requires an adapter cable to convert a four prong phono jack into the composite ports.
I have one in my office. AV modded with a multi-out connector and added a power light to it a few years ago. It's my primary testing system for NES development.
I thought you'd mention the AV Famicom, which is the Japanese version of this revision. Unlike the NES Top Loader, the AV FC has a multi output for composite video. Mine is modded with the HDMi kit and the picture quality is just gorgeous.
The video title is inaccurate. Really, the NES-001 itself was the first Nintendo console revision. The Japanese Family Computer HVC-001 came out in 1983 and the NES-001 is a heavy revision of that. Then after that came the TWIN Famicom in partnership with Sharp, and then a revision of that that added turbo fire buttons, and then the obscure Famicom Titler followed finally by the "new Famicom" that those in the retro gaming scene normally refer to as the "AV Famicom". This also ignores the arcade VS and Play-Choice 10 designs.
The NES-101 that is shown here only came out after all the versions I mentioned. Calling it the "first" console revision is wildly inaccurate. It's only the first revision of the NES.
I think the toploader looked weird to us, but in other regions that had the smaller cartridges like in Japan I think it looked pretty normal. We just got stuck with those giant oversized cartridges here.
That's the thing we saw it is normal but yeah it made more sense the side loading way like the original. When you saw that big cart sticking up it looks/looked really dumb.
But yeah the Japanese one looked exactly right whereas ours just looked off.
What is a paradox, is that the same model on Japan was called FAMICOM AV because they added composite video that the original Famicom didn't have 😅
I never even knew this was a thing until I saw one at my friend's grandparents' house in the summer of 1997. By that time, I had moved on from the NES, I had a SNES and a N64. This was before I had internet. So it was a surprise when I saw it back then.
Even weirder: the Japanese revision (The AV Famicom) lookes similar to this, but they ADDED composite-out compared to the original RF-only Famicom.
The Japanese version did the opposite and actually added Composite with a SNES style multi-out port, since the original Famicom was RF only. It also has a flat top vs rounded on the NA version, which might be because the larger NES carts would stick out too far without support.
The flat top on the Famicom was for the disk reader attachment. The curves on the redesign are supposedly to keep people from sitting drinks on top the system as the original NES had a lot of people spilling their drinks on the NES and then sending them in for repairs.
When the Wii Mini came around, it reminded me so much of this model of the NES.
Got one in for my birthday in 95. Now it's my moms and she plays Tetris and Dr. Mario everyday on it.
I was late to the party on NES because I was born in ‘84, and it took until I was almost 9 to convince my parents I could handle having a video game system. My first was actually going back before my generation to Atari 2600. Bought a system and over 50 games at a flea market for $20 the summer of 1993. My dad then picked up a used original NES for me for Christmas 1993. However, he didn’t realize you had to mess around so much with it just to get a game to play. So we just got blank or flashy screens of different colors which made us think the system was broken, but I had 12 games and controllers and no working system. So the day after Christmas he took me to an old department store, Rose’s and bought me for $50 this brand new top loader NES that had just came out and I didn’t even know existed. It was the only NES you could buy in the store at that point. I spent the rest of the 90’s playing catch up, always getting the next system just before they quit making new games for it….until I finally got my N64 with money I saved in February of 1998 just to play WCW vs NWO Worldtour which blew my mind after playing it at my cousin’s house Christmas of ‘97.
This is another reason why I only buy "second editions". Though I did discover a hack for the original console: if you push the cartridge down prematurely, it'll lock itself in and guaranteeingly run. i stopped blowing my carts since then
Great little system. Definitely needed an eject button.
I am reminded of The Gaming Historian's video about this model. This one seems to specifically talk about the harware.
Sega did a similar thing with the Master System 2, the original had an RGB out and a slot for card games. The revision removed all of those things... And the power LED IIRC.
I was so jealous of my best friend's top loader growing up. I'm still jealous when I visit him as adults. That thing is a tank.
The biggest problem with the dog bone controller is the AB placement. No one's hand naturally moves like that especially for Mario games. Gameboy made that mistake and they kept transfered it to the dog bone.
I had one for a couple years. Needed a piece of paper to make the pins make contact correctly.
I know owning the original NES control deck front loader, I knew there was a top loader, akin to the looks to the North American version of the Super NES control deck. With the newly designed control deck, newly designed controller. The A and B buttons were also set at an angle to mimic the Super NES controller as well as provide better ergonomics, because of its ergonomic shape. There are two known revisions of the New-Style NES; both have redesigned circuit boards that improve video output quality. The first has a Nintendo AV multi-out port (the same used in the Super NES, Nintendo 64, and GameCube) that replaces the RF jack completely. The other looks exactly the same as the rest with the RF video output jack and channel select switch, but with excellent video output quality. These versions were replacements for those who sent their original New-Style NES systems to Nintendo with a poor quality video complaint. I'm still a fan of this NES top loader, since 1993.
Sadly, the HDMI kit for the NES is no longer being produced due to a chip it used being discontinued, so your only option is RGB or to buy an NES already modded with the HDMI kit and the prices are through the roof since they're not being made anymore. But, RGB is virtually identical when paired with a good scaler so there's not a huge loss in the HDMI kit being discontinued.
The japanese version was the Famicom AV, which, as the name implies, did have an AV connection, unlike the original Famicom. I have an AV Famicom with the Hi-Def NES mod and it's just splendid.
The Japanese version on the NES-101 had the SNES-style multi-out, which was an upgrade over the original Famicom (which was RF-only).
I bought mine the day these came out.I brought it home and threw out that POS grey box instantly. I still have it hooked into my CRT for duck hunt and for all of my favorite NES games.
I got one of these and I had it RGB modded and it is now probably the best way to Play NES games on original hardware
The interesting thing, is that the NES toploader is the same chasis as the AV famicom but only has RF.
Got my Game Genie stuck in that thing
I had the original NES and this fascinated me and always wanted one - I bought one a few years back
I suppose the only a Nintendo home console without some sort of physical revision is actually the Wii U (NES has the Toploader, SNES has the SNES Jr, N64 has the Hey You Pikachu variant, the GameCube has the Panasonic Q variant, the Wii has the Family Edition and Wii Mini, and the Switch has the Switch Lite and OLED models).
I remember seeing these at KB Toys at my local mall. They had an abundance and a bunch of games for it.
I remember the day I got my top loader. Was at toys r us with my Dad looking to get some VHS tapes (Jungle Book and something else) but as we passed by the display with the new top loaders I begged my dad to get that instead of the two vhs tapes. I loved our NES but even by 1993 ours was showing all the telltale symptoms of bad pin connectors and the like. Knowing how finicky our home system was my dad agreed to get me the top loader which blew my mind because I didn't expect him to be so easily swayed. For the first few months I would rebox the system when I was done with it because I finally had an NES that wasnt pulling some janky bs.
The top loader was definitely weird, but it outperforms the classic box by a mile.
A friend of mine down the street had this console and it worked pretty good.
There has to be a way to get composite audio and video out of this machine.
I like the fact that the decals do not get destroyed, since the og nes u had to barely put the cartridge in, and scrape the label up real bad.
This was the early 90s. Everything had this weird kind of atheistic. This NES revision reminds me of the dashboard on a 93 grand prix.
Having just RF is just weird, especially because the Famicom AV (the same thing in Japan, same design etc.) Had AV. the same av cable as the snes/super Famicom which makes it even weirder that the NES top loader doesn't have it.
My cousins had one of these. I was tripping out the first time I saw it. I wanted one, but never got it. They're pricey now, but I'd still get it if it was in good condition and included the dog bone controller.
I picked up one of these little buggers at a used game store in 2003 and was absolutely thrilled-until I brought it home, turned it on and saw the faint vertical lines imbedded in the image. Not knowing this was an inherent issue with the console, I returned it immediately. Sadly, they wouldn’t give me my money back, only store credit-the bastards-so I ended up trading it for a couple Gamecube games, one of which was Metroid Prime, so not a total loss.
HDMI out and AND suction cups at the bottom would make a badass mod!
I have a Top Loader with the HiDefNES HDMImod, and it is SUCH a great mod! I also have the UltraHDMI mod on my N64, and honestly... I find the NES HDMI mod to be _more valuable_ and _more impressive_ than the N64 version! If you can find it, SNAG IT! It's beyond worth the upgrade!
I've always been interested in this NES version, but didn't know anything about it. I appreciate the video, thank you.
The main reason they made this model was to cut costs with a secondary consideration of making sure you can't use the Game Genie.
Ultimately, Nintendo released this redesigned NES console, released an NES 2 console in 1993, that's commonly and mainly known as the "top loader." Its main feature? A top ladoing slot. It was more like the original Famicom, using a slot that held up better to abuse. Similary, the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) and the N64 (Nintendo 64) were top loaders.
I adore the dog bone controller and the original Wii Classic Controller. The SNES controller is still the slickest form factor.
Jon looking Jacked! Keep up the great work man. 👍👍
Back in the 90s people were so unaware of composite connections it was an issue when the 32X came out because it didn’t have an RF connection. I remember working at Babbages having to coach people on the phone on how to hook the thing up. I remember one guy getting super pissed when I said “Well if your TV doesn’t have the connector, almost every VCR does” and he yelled back “Oh I need to spend MORE MONEY! I bet you sell VCRs there too!” We didn’t and this was the mid 90s so the idea of being mad you needed a VCR was kinda silly. They were super cheap then
After dealing with my brother stomping around, purposely trying to get the game to lock up on the original nes, I loved my top loader when I got it.
Was ahead of its time!!!
I remember having one of those, remember loving not having to deal with that springy loader on the base model.
I had a used video game store in the early 90's. I gave away 2 of these for our Grand Opening
Man I’d love to see that hdmi mod video, great stuff man thanks!
Here are my initial thoughts as a kid of this era... because I do remember this. "Why are they making new regular nintendo models when the super nintendo is out now"
I think the controller that came with this one is actually a much better design than the original one. The top loading design of the actual console looks silly with the big NES carts in my opinion. The front loading design of the original is just really cool to me to this day.
I remember buying Super Mario Bros 3 from Montgomery Wards in 1993, it was $50. Full price.
What Nintendo did here was similar to what Atari did a few years before when they released the 2600jr as a less expensive option to their 7800 system or the NES. And much as the case here it already had a well established game library and was around the same $50 price point.
In Japan, the model made a lot of sense, as it ADDED composite video output. But the western revision REMOVED it instead. Go figura.
this exact version was my first console!!! i got it in 95 when i was 4 years old! as young as I was, I thought this was the first video game system ever so my mind was blown learning about the original "VCR" model (and atari). i had always preferred the rounded bone to the sharp edges of the original boxed controller. so many good times after school playing Mario 1 or Contra with my cousin.
then i got my uncle's snes after a few years, then the 64, GC, and the rest is history 😌