logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
57m 34s

How the Nintendo Entertainment System Ch...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

For the holidays in 1986 (and ’87) (and ’88) the most stupendous, most wanted, most amazing thing any kid could possibly get – outside of a pony, *maybe* – was the NES. That year, video games came back from the dead and changed forever.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
Short Stuff: Hisashi Ouchi
Japanese nuclear worker Hisashi Ouchi is often called on the internet “the world’s most radioactive man.” That’s not exactly true, but it gets the point across about how severe the fatal dose of radiation he received was.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
12m 12s
Yesterday
Terry Fox: Greatest Canadian Hero
It is to the great nation of Canada’s lasting credit that it has prized Terry Fox as one of the most beloved and admired citizens for nearly 50 years now. It’s difficult to get across how much he means to Canada. Lucky for us, his story speaks for itself.See omnystudio.com/listen ... Show More
46m 47s
Aug 29
Selects: Flagpole Sitting: A Real Fad
The 1920s were just absolutely nuts. People got into weird fads really intensely and one of the strangest of all was flagpole sitting. It’s just what it sounds like – sitting on top of a flagpole for as long as you can. One man sat above them all. Learn all about him and many of ... Show More
50m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2025
When Nintendo (and Mario) Rescued Video Games
September 27, 1986. You’re a kid in the mid-80s. You get home from school, flip on the TV, and see something strange: a commercial where a giant egg hatches behind a family’s console, revealing a toy robot. His name is R.O.B. — the Robotic Operating Buddy — but he's just an acces ... Show More
27m 15s
Nov 2021
Why is Super Mario so popular?
We talk about a famous video game character from the 80s. 
6m 18s
Apr 2023
Nintendo: The Console Wars
In the 1980’s Nintendo was on top of the world, with the NES achieving over 90% market share of home video games globally. So how did they fall ALL the way down to ~10% in just a few short console generations? And how did they then build themselves back up (and down and up again) ... Show More
3h 10m
Jun 2024
Ridiculous Video Game Tie-ins, Part One: The Rise of Cool Spot -- and Fall of the Noid
Cast your memories back to the strange days of the 1980s and 1990s -- boy howdy, things were weird. At some point, marketing executives the world round realized that video games could be a new, powerful field of advertising. In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, ... Show More
38m 18s
Mar 2025
Elementary | Playing Wii
<p>When Nintendo came out with this game console a few years ago, video games got a breath of fresh air. People of all walks of life started playing - swinging those little white sticks left and right, jumping up and down, turning the wheels of imaginary race cars... Join Chinese ... Show More
18m 36s
Nov 2022
Video Games!
Episode 73: Ralph Baer fled Nazi Germany and settled in America where he eventually created the first home video game console, known as the Magnavox Odyssey. Not long after Ralph's creation, Jerry Lawson, a Black computer engineer, built on that idea and lead the team that create ... Show More
31m 19s
Feb 2020
Nintendo vs Sony - Stabbed in the Back | 1
Once a symbol of 80s teenage nerdom, video games are now as common as television sets in American households. Can you imagine a world where the Sony PlayStation didn’t come out? That’s what almost happened. Originally conceived as a joint venture between Nintendo and Sony, the SN ... Show More
29m 34s
Apr 2025
Game Boy: Game Changer
Costing just 12,500 yen, Nintendo's revolutionary handheld console, the Game Boy, was released in Japan on 21st April, 1989, quickly selling out its initial stock of 300,000 units. With its compact size, cartridge-based games, and impressive battery life, the Game Boy went on to ... Show More
11m 26s
Aug 2021
Nintendo vs Sony | Un coup de poignard dans le dos | 1
Autrefois emblème des adolescents geeks des années 80, les jeux vidéos sont aujourd’hui aussi répandus dans nos foyers que les télévisions. Peut-on imaginer un monde où la PlayStation de Sony ne serait jamais sortie ? C’est pourtant ce qui a bien failli arriver. Conçue à l’origin ... Show More
31 m