NES:NES Model Differences

Some page content & researching collaboratively taken from io55.net's NES page with permission.

There are two NES models, and three minor/internal revisions for both of the models. For the Famicom there are four main models, with several revisions between them.

Models + Revisions

Models are arranged chronologically. Revisions are underneath their respective model.

HVC-001 (1983-1993)

Released on July 15, 1983, the Family Computer was Nintendo's first programmable game system, which quickly took the nascent Japanese video game market by storm. It is a rather small console with a white and red color scheme (though the white portion tends to turn yellow) and has two hardwired gamepads which are stored in integrated holsters on each side of the console. On the top is the cartridge slot which is covered by a flip-top flap, power switch, reset button, and a large spring-loaded lever which can eject an inserted cartridge. At the front is a 15-pin expansion port, typically used for external controllers. The RF out, DC input, channel and TV/game select switches are located in the rear. This basic design remained largely unchanged for a decade, though Nintendo made multiple revisions of the original Famicom throughout its life.

Older Famicom consoles can be easily discerned by their different controllers, which use square-shaped rubber B and A buttons, and are often known as "square button" Famicoms because of this. These consoles also tend to have smooth plastic for the bottom shell and cartridge flap, and sometimes have gray-colored controller cables instead of black. During 1984, the Famicom was subject to a recall over a buggy CPU, which had been used in all Famicoms up to that point. At the same time, Nintendo changed the controller design to use round B and A buttons made of hard plastic, which offered an improved feel and did not get stuck down, which the original square buttons tended to do.

HVC-CPU-01 (1983)

This is the original revision of the Famicom and is perhaps the rarest of all Famicom revisions.

HVC-CPU-06 (1984)

The last board revision to feature the original buggy CPU, and makes use of surface mount chips for both the CPU RAM and PPU RAM.

HVC-CPU-08 (1984)

A very rare variant of the CPU-07 board that has surface mount RAM chips instead of through-hole chips. It is otherwise identical to the CPU-07.

HVC-CPU-GPM-01 (1988-1989)

During 1988, Nintendo made the first major internal revision to the Famicom in order to meet VCCI (Japanese Voluntary Control Council for Interference) standards. Instead of being connected by a thin ribbon cable, the RF/power board was now directly soldered onto the motherboard and more extensive shielding was added, including a metal shroud over the cartridge connector.

HVC-CPU-GPM-02 (1989-1993)

Mostly the same as the GPM-01, but has an added ceramic capacitor (C36) near the PPU and another added in between the two controller buffer chips. This was the final revision of the original Famicom and was produced all the way into 1993, when it was finally replaced by the AV Famicom.

NES-001 "Front-Loader" (1985-1993)

The distinctive and iconic original version of the NES, with its instantly recognizable grey and black color scheme, and square controller. Often called the “toaster”. Loads cartridges from the front, using a mechanism that is quite prone to failure. Video output is through either a composite or RF port, resulting in superior quality (when using composite). On the bottom is an unused expansion port. Region locked and bootleg game locked without workarounds (within console or cartridge). Has a channel 3/4 switch above the RF out port. CPU, PPU, and RAM variants may impact game compatibility.

NES-001 (PCB rev. -01 to -04) (1985-1986)

May have video quality that is poorer than expected for the NES-001. Some of these, especially the early ones, may be prone to frequent errors and unreliable behavior.

NES-001 (PCB rev. -05 to -09) (1986-1989?/??)

Both the video quality and behavior issues from the first revision have been removed.

NES-001 (PCB rev. -10 and -11) (1987-1993)

While the video quality and reliability issues have not returned, these consoles have more safeguards included against cartridges attempting to circumvent the lockout chip.

Twin Famicom (1986-1990)

Released by electronics company Sharp on July 1, 1986, the Twin Famicom is a combination of a Famicom console and Famicom Disk System add-on. It sold relatively well despite its initially high price of 32,000 yen, and was also the first Famicom console to feature AV output.

The Twin Famicom is considerably larger than the Famicom with both the cartridge and disk portions being laid out horizontally, and has a switch on the top which switches between the two modes. Cartridges cannot be inserted while the disk mode is active. At the front are the disk drive, power and reset buttons, and a large eject lever between the two buttons. On the right-hand side are two expansion ports labeled "A" and "B"; A is the 15-pin expansion port for external controllers and B is a proprietary expansion port also found on the standalone Disk System's RAM Adapter. On the rear are the DC input, AV out and an 8-pin DIN connector used to connect an external RF modulator. Like the standalone Famicom, the controllers are hardwired to the unit and are stored in holsters at the back of the console.

Because the disk drive used in the Twin Famicom is the exact same one used in the standalone Disk System, unserviced consoles will need to have the drive belt replaced as it disintegrates with age and prevents the disk drive from operating.

Two major variations of the Twin Famicom were released, both of which were available with two colorways.

AN-500 (1986-1987)

The original and most common version of the Twin Famicom. It was available in two different color schemes, red with a black trim piece on the top (AN-500R), and black with a red trim piece (AN-500B). The cartridge port area is raised above the top shell in a half-oval shape, with the text "Famicom" molded into its front perimeter.

AN-505 "Turbo Twin" (1987-1990)

A black Turbo Twin Famicom

During 1987, Sharp revised the Twin Famicom by making some cosmetic tweaks and adding rapid fire switches and longer cables to both controllers. Because of the rapid fire switches, this variant is sometimes colloquially known as the "Turbo Twin" or "Twin Famicom Turbo". The top shell was altered with the raised cartridge port area extending to the entire width of the console, and the text "Twin Famicom" is molded on the top. A red power LED was also integrated into the power button. Aside from these changes, it is essentially identical to the original model.

As with the original, two color schemes were available; black with green and gray trim (AN-505-BK), and orange with beige and gray trim (AN-505-RD). The orange variant was seemingly only produced for a short time and often commands higher prices than the black & green variant. The black variant was produced until at least 1990 , and later consoles feature the "FF" Famicom Family logo on the top trim piece showing that it was officially licensed by Nintendo.

Famicom Titler (1989)

Released during 1989 by Sharp, the Famicom Titler is one of the most unusual and rarest Famicom variants to exist, and is a combination of a Famicom console and a video subtitler (hence the name). The large top case features various controls for overlaying subtitles and various graphics onto video, and has a small touchpad located below the Famicom section that can be used to input handwritten graphics with a stylus. The rear of the console also has composite and S-video inputs to connect a VCR or camcorder. The Titler has hardwired controllers similar in style to the Twin Famicom and are stored in holsters hanging from the sides.

What makes the Titler especially interesting for playing Famicom games is that it features S-video output, making it the only official standalone Famicom or NES variant to have anything better than composite video. This is made possible by the use of an RGB PPU, which was otherwise only used in arcade hardware. RGB output is encoded to S-video and is not otherwise available, but the Titler can be easily modified for it. However, the RGB PPU has a considerably different color palette than the standard composite PPU and some games are incompatible with it due to how the RGB PPU handles color emphasis.

NES-101 (New-Style; top-loader) (1993-1995)

Much smaller than the 001, with a primarily white and rounded scheme + dog bone controller. Cartridges are loaded from the top, using a much more reliable mechanism. Video output has been reduced to only RF out, resulting in significantly worse quality and higher levels of interference (this can be modded out). The expansion port seems to be removed. The lockout chip is removed, making this console region free and easier with bootlegs. Less compatible with certain cheat cartridges and very few official games. No power LED, unlike the 001. Somewhat rarer than the 001, but still relatively cheap.

NES-101 (NESN-101 PCB) (1993-1994)

The typical feature set for the NES-101, with the poor RF out and such.

NES-101 (NESN-CPU-JIO-01 PCB) (1994-1995?)

This rare revision improves the video circuitry, which largely eliminates the “jail bars” vertical interference typically seen on the NES-101. It may also generally improve output quality in ways that are not as distinctive as the vertical lines. These were only available as a replacement console from Nintendo, for people who complained about the normal NES-101’s video quality.

NES-101 (NESN-CPU-AV-01 PCB) (1995?)

In effect the ultimate NES-101 revision, the RF port has been completely axed, having been replaced by a normal composite AV out using the same multiout connector as the SNES. This revision is extremely rare, with only a handful of examples popping up over the years. It is alleged that these were sold in some stores such as Radio Shack, though not much evidence has been found of this.

HVC-101 "AV Famicom" (1993-2003)

Better known as the "AV Famicom", the HVC-101 was the final major variant of the Famicom hardware and was released in December 1993. Its design is largely based on the NES-101, but has a flat cartridge area in order to accommodate the Famicom Disk System RAM Adapter. It is considerably more sought after than the original Famicom as it features AV out (using the same multiout connector as the Super Famicom) and has detachable controllers using NES controller ports. The 15-pin expansion port was also retained and is on the right-hand side of the console. While it came bundled with two "dogbone" controllers, the console itself did not include an AV cable or AC adapter, which could be either purchased separately or shared with a Super Famicom setup. Nintendo continued to sell the AV Famicom well into the 21st century, though production ultimately ended during 2003, 20 years after the Famicom's original debut.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New-Style_NES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ7hKoh9MCo (video quality, front vs. top)

https://retrogamebuyer.com/original-nes-vs-top-loader/

https://forums.nesdev.org/viewtopic.php?p=196688#p196688

https://gametrog.com/nintendo-entertainment-system-nes-information-specs/

http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2017/06/official-variations-of-nintendo-8-bit.html

http://offgao.blog112.fc2.com/blog-category-4.html