Friends, we’re using this week’s show to celebrate an important milestone in the history of modern video gaming: the 30th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System releasing in North America!  To celebrate, we interviewed some really smart people to discuss the NES, its history, and some interesting information you might not have known about the machine itself.

• Jeff Ryan, author of Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America, (which is available for purchase here), discussed the legacy of the NES and Super Mario Bros.
• Blake J. Harris, author of the book Console Wars, (which is available for purchase here), spoke with us about Nintendo of America and the people involved with helping to bring the console to North American homes in 1985.
• Nathan Altice, author of I AM ERROR, (which is available for purchase here), shed some light about the actual hardware of the NES, and what went in to making it work.

Dennis’ Nickname:

The man who wonders who died and put the librarians of the Chicago Public Library in charge of replacing the traditional anniversary gifts.

Blast From The Past

• Tetris 2 (NES / October 1993)
• Dr. Mario (NES / October 1990)
• Super Mario Bros. (NES / ??? 1985)

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