First released into the American market in 1985, the Nintendo Entertainment System was the era’s must-own gaming console, and remains perhaps the most popular and beloved video game system of all time.

At the time of the Nintendo Entertainment System’s release, it boasted some impressive technology. The console’s eight-bit processor was able to deliver graphics at a resolution of 256 pixels by 240 pixels, with a palette of 48 colors and six shades of gray. This allowed developers to create more vibrant game worlds than the previous generation of gaming machines had been capable of, and, coupled with the console’s five-channel audio, it helped give home games an arcade-like feel.

Titles for the console were delivered on 72-pin plastic cartridges known as “Game Paks,” which were loaded into a cartridge slot on the front of the machine. The Nintendo Entertainment System could accommodate two controllers that plugged into ports on the front of the console; controllers featured a four-way directional pad, two action buttons labeled “A” and “B,” and “start” and “select” buttons that were most often used for navigating in-game menus. On the console itself, a “reset” button offered players the ability to restart a game in progress without turning the machine off.

Take a look here to learn more: The History of Nintendo