The NES is one of the most iconic video game systems of all time and is often credited with saving the American video game industry in the early '80s when it looked likely to collapse. The NES Encyclopedia is a complete reference guide to every game released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo's first industry-defining video game system. As well as covering all 714 officially licensed NES games, the book also includes more than 160 unlicensed games released during the system's lifespan, giving for the first time a definitive history of this important console's full library. The NES continues to enjoy a strong cult following among Nintendo fans and gamers in general, with games like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Metroid remaining well-loved to this day: both for older fans who remember them the first time around, and younger gamers discovering the system for the first time through Nintendo's regular re-releases of its older games. Nintendo's most recent console, the Switch, is the fastest selling video game console of all time in the United States and Japan. With Nintendo recently launching an ever-growing library of classic NES games for download on the Switch, a new audience of gamers is discovering the NES for the first time.
