Nintendo has ended a debate that has raged on for more than three decades, revealing that NES, the common abbreviation used to refer to the Nintendo Entertainment System, should be pronounced “NESS.”
First released across Japan as the Family Computer, or Famicom, in July 1983, it went on to release in North America, Europe and Australia as the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Many have called the console, on which many iconic series began life whether that be Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania or Final Fantasy, the “Ness,” “Nez” or “Enn Eee Ess.”
Now, in WarioWare Gold on Nintendo 3DS, you can unlock a virtual Nintendo museum that lets you look back at the products that the company has released throughout its 128-year-old history.
Naturally, one of those is the Nintendo Entertainment System, and, in writing Furigana above the NES abbreviation, has seen Nintendo reveal that it should be pronounced “Nesu” – or “Ness,” to us.
So, there’s your answer. Have you been pronouncing it correctly all these years, or do you disagree with what Nintendo says?
In the museum section of the Japanese version of Wario Ware Gold, you can unlock some slides showcasing the Famicom. Also included is a picture of the NES. Within the description, Nintendo themselves says that “NES” is pronounced “Ness”. pic.twitter.com/Vg5JjXgJgy
— Kyle McLain (@FarmboyinJapan) August 3, 2018
