From 1985 all the way through to the 90s, a number of devices and peripherals were built for the NES. Some of them were useful, others necessary, and some just plain silly.
Please note that this list only covers devices created for the NES. Famicom exclusives are not included.
This list is currently in need of a lot of information regarding unknown numbers. Anyone with more information is encouraged to email the webmaster with more details.
Products made by other companies (in alphabetical order.)
The original incarnation of the NES, and certainly the most iconic. Two big things which set it apart from the Famicom (its Japanese Counterpart) are the 10NES lockout chip, designed to inhibit the loading of unlicensed games, and the Zero-Insertion-Force (ZIF) device, built to facilitate loading game carts sideways, like on a VCR. Additionally, unlike the Famicom, the controllers can be completely unplugged from the console, and replaced with various other peripherals (to do this on a Famicom, one has to use the expansion port.)
The NES's main power cord - a class 2 power supply, with a 120V input, and a 9V output. It can easily be substituted for any of a number of third-party AC adapters, but always make sure the output is rated at 9 volts, or you could potentially damage your system.
The primary TV connection, for most households. This gray box has three ends - one runs to the NES, another to the TV's antenna port, and a third takes the antenna cable (or whatever else was previously plugged into the TV) in its place. This way, signal can be instantly switched back and forth from the NES, depending on whether or not it is on. By default, the signal will override channel 3, but a switch on the back of the NES allows for channel 4 to be overridden instead.
The standard NES controller. It consists of a D-pad, select, start, A, and B. To most gamers, this is enough - even accepting its non-ergonomical design, the rectangular shape is extremely durable. It is said that in a moment of frustration where the controller may be thrown, it is more likely one could damage the wall than the controller itself.
P-tang, p-tang! Even when not plugged in, this light gun has a very distinct ringing sound when the trigger is pulled. When used with compatible games, pulling the trigger will cause the whole screen to flash black, except for a few spots that sequentially flash white - one per frame. During this split second, an optical sensor in the barrel will scan for one of these - if one is detected, then the target of that frame will be registered as, well, "shot". The Zapper had its color changed from gray to orange in 1989, in accordance with the previous year's US Federal Toy Gun Law, in order to more easily distinguish it from a real weapon.
The RF switch assumes that one's antenna uses a threaded jack, rather than hooks that have to be screwed into place. However, for those older antennas that aren't so lucky, there's an accessory for that.
Similarly to the previous adapter, this device connects the RF switch to a television designed to have its antenna cables screwed into place. Older model TVs like this were likely a major intimidating factor in trying to set an NES up.
Anyone lucky enough to have a television with distinct audio/video ports can bypass the woes of an analogue signal entirely, and just directly plug these into the right-hand side of their NES. This represents, for its time, the NES's more "advanced" TV connection. Nowadays, since the product did not naturally come with these cables and few were able to use them, many gamers prefer to use the RF switch instead.
At this time, NES-009 and NES-010 are totally unknown. However, it is possible that one of these numbers represents the original five-screw NES game cartridge. This is only hypothesis, as a game would be an essential NES component. If so, the other may be for the dust sleeve.
ROB is exactly what the name says: When used with the games Gyromite and Stack-Up, its optical sensors will respond to the screen's flashing lights and perform different tasks, relating to picking up objects and setting them down. Ultimately, while a cool idea, ROB was more of a gimmick, intended to help sell the NES as a "toy" to a very skeptical market. Most of the things ROB does could be done far more easily and efficiently by a human being. However, it is a highly sought-after collector's item, especially if one can also obtain its other various components.
(Components 16-20 were confirmed via the NES's Instruction Manual and a Nintendo sales rep order form dated 1988. However, these two sources provide conflicting information as to the other components - namely where Stack-Up is concerned. There is also ROB's battery cover, which seems to take a spot all its own.)
In what is quite possibly the most convoluted way to press buttons on the second controller, a pair of Gyros (read: tops, not greek wraps) are used to hold down buttons, which are in turn used to hold down other buttons There's really not much more that can be said about this without going into the other accessories, but at least the tops look nice.
Essentially another piece of plastic attached to ROB for it to keep the gyros in when they are not spinning. The entire process of ROB pressing a single button in this method of parts can be likened to a Rube-Goldberg type device, where several events occur in order to make something happen that could be achieved much more practically. Bear in mind, None of this is actually required to play Gyromite, not even ROB. Just get a friend to hold down buttons on controller 2.
A convoluted contraption designed purely to hold down buttons on the second controller, which is nested neatly at the business end of the tray. The idea is that once the gyros have reached maximum spin, ROB will then pick them up and deposit them on one of two platforms on this tray, corresponding to either A or B on controller 2. The Gyros will then keep those buttons held down until they run out of spin (thus the player needs to command ROB to pick them back up, or else they'll fall off)
Using a single D battery, the Gyro Spinner senses when ROB has placed a Gyro on it, and then starts spinning it - rather fast, actually. Fast enough that the gyros come with labels warning of personal injury if they are touched at this time. Essentially, this is the next step in the process after ROB has removed the Gyros from the holder, with the tray above making up the third step.
Even with everything else that goes into getting a gyro to spin on top of a fixture designed to push buttons on a controller, there is still one more necessary component in order to play Gyromite with ROB: the special hands ROB uses in order to actually pick up the Gyros. There's nothing special or fancy about them - basically just plastic that attaches to ROB's arms.
NES-021: ???
NES-022: ???
NES-023: RF Switch Aerial Extension Cable (PAL Regions only, unconfirmed)
NES-024: RF Aerial Switch Box (PAL Regions only, unconfirmed)
Possibly released in response to a growing market of third-party controllers, the NES Advantage is a fairly large arcade-style joystick featuring adjustable turbo settings, and even a "slow" (turbo start) button. The blinking turbo lights and the general NES-inspired aesthetic make this a very fun controller to use. It does unfortunately take up both controller ports (player 2 can be swapped in by flipping a switch at the top, but co-op games like Contra or Life Force are out of the question.), and the metal bottom isn't particularly well-grounded (don't put this in your lap unless you enjoy a slight stinging sensation, especially with shorts on) but the controller otherwise does live up to its name. It gives you a huge advantage over those tough games, and its just cool to look at.
The smaller, more affordable alternative to the NES Advantage. While it is definitely Nintendo's "bargain" turbo controller, let it be said that they still tried to innovate. The D-pad has been replaced entirely with a sliding pad, for a slightly more ergonomic feel, and the overall look of the controller somewhat resembles that of a Sega Genesis.
This is effectively a large, electronic exercise mat made of soft plastic or vinyl. By simply stepping on the buttons (or kneeling down and slamming one's palms on them), input is read. About six games were released in North America for this device - Dance Aerobics, World Class Track Meet, Short Order/Eggsplode!, Super Team Games, Street Cop, and Athletic World.
This product was originally a third-party item by Bandai in Japan. Nintendo would later rebrand it for North America themselves in 1988.
At the height of the NES's popularity, a special controller was built to cater to people who had limited or no use of their hands. Instead, players could use their chin to move a modified joystick, while sucking and blowing through a plastic straw to register A and B button presses.
It should be noted that this product was never made available for retail - it had to be special-ordered. As such, it is one of the rarest and most valuable NES products out there.
As early as 1989, people were beginning to have problems with their NES games glitching up or crashing. Though this was mostly due to design flaws, Nintendo marketed a product to help clean the connectors in both the console and the games. The end result was effectively an overglorified version of using rubbing alcohol and cotton swab, although Nintendo insisted on only using this product to get the job done.
The cartridge counterpart to NES-030, designed to rub a suspiciously alcohol-scented solution (despite Nintendo insisting you never clean with such a thing) back and forth along the connectors, removing dust and dirt.
A rather impressive wireless device, allowing for up to four controllers to be plugged in. In addition to a dedicated Zapper switch, there are also two turbo toggles, which affect every controller plugged in.
The product use six C-cell batteries to wirelessly transmit signal to the NES.
The Satellite's vital NES-side counterpart. It plugs directly into both controller ports and receives data wirelessly from the Satellite. Fun fact: The Satellite can transmit through closed windows. If your parents tell you to go play outside, just turn on the Nintendo and TV in your room, and take the satellite outside with you. You won't be able to hear the game, but you can otherwise play it just fine.
Effectively a wired version of the Satellite, the Four Score has the same turbo switches, and little else besides a switch between two-player and four-player modes. The main draw of it was to play special four-player games, like Super Spike V-Ball.
This is a bit of a messy case: In PAL regions, the NES and its cartridges were manufactured by Mattel, up until 1990 when Nintendo took over production and began manufacturing it personally. In a bizarre compatibility conflict, Mattel-made cartridges did not work on Nintendo's NES. Rather, Nintendo manufactured a whole different type of game cart specifically for their own version of it. For a period of time throughout Europe in particular, this led to a great deal of confusion and frustration, as consumers had to buy the "right" version of a game for the "right" version of the console.
Both versions look totally identical (a typical gray cart), aside from Mattel's logo on the label. It's not immediately clear if this refers to Nintendo's game carts (which came later), or Mattel's, as this number allegedly appears on the inside of carts with a Mattel logo.
Also referred to by some as "The Dogbone Controller". Basically, after the SNES had been out a few years, Nintendo decided to rerelease its predecessor with a massive redesign, free of the need to disguise it as anything but a videogame console. As part of this facelift, the NES Controller was redesigned to more closely resemble a Super Nintendo controller, thus making it a bit more ergonomical.
Sometimes referred to as "The Toploader", or "The NES-2", this version of the NES actually differs in more than just looks - Besides the obvious lack of a ZIF device, the lockout chip is a bit different on this model, rendering unlicensed equipment ineffective without adapters of some sort. Supposedly, it also has trouble playing some advanced cartridges like Castlevania 3. These are rare nowadays, compared to the original model, and at least one unlicensed product (The Aladdin Deck Enhancer) can actually damage or destroy it. Anything without the Nintendo seal should be used at your own risk.
