By 1983, people had grown tired of playing the same arcade games over and over. Companies were creating new ones as quickly as possible, but little time or thought was put into them. As a result, many games just weren’t fun: Some barely worked, and others were too challenging.
Meanwhile, America was going through a recession. People had little money for extras like video games, and game companies began to fail. By 1985, video games seemed to be doomed.
But then the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) came out. This new gaming console was fast, easy to use, and powerful. You could play Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and other new and better games on it.
And best of all, you could play them without ever leaving your home!