Editing Nintendo VS. System (section)

== Reception ==
Upon release, the VS. System generated excitement in the arcade industry, receiving praise for its easy conversions, affordability, flexibility, and multiplayer capabilities.<ref name="Horowitz"/><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Cognevich |first1=Valerie |title=Nintendo presents new Paks at distributor showing |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=November 15, 1984 |volume=10 |issue=21 |pages=24–5 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-21-november-15th-1984-600DPI/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2021%20-%20November%2015th%201984%20%28Compressed%29/page/24}}</ref> Eddie Adlum of ''RePlay'' magazine said Nintendo had suddenly become "the big guy on the block" in 1984 due to the VS. System, which "not only meant interchangeable games but interaction between players on dual-monitor games".<ref name="Adlum">{{cite magazine |last=Adlum |first=Eddie |title=The Replay Years: Reflections from Eddie Adlum |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=134-175 (168-71) |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/170/mode/2up}}</ref> For ''[[Play Meter]]'' magazine, Roger C. Sharpe called it a "highly attractive and open-ended interchangeable game system featuring excellent graphics and realistic on-screen visuals" in 1984<ref name="Sharpe">{{cite magazine |last=Sharpe |first=Roger C. |title=1984—Every Which Way But Up |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=December 15, 1984 |volume=10 |issue=23 |pages=39, 49–51 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-23-december-15th-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2023%20-%20December%2015th%201984/page/39}}</ref> and Gene Lewin gave the system a rating of 10+ out of 10 in 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Lewin |first1=Gene |title=Gene's Gudgements |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=June 15, 1985 |volume=11 |issue=11 |pages=38–9 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c0/PlayMeter_US_Volume_11_No._11.pdf#page=34}}</ref> Others{{who|date=January 2023}} criticized the system's graphics as technologically weaker than more recent rival arcade systems, and than Nintendo's own powerful ''[[Punch-Out!! (1984 video game)|Punch-Out!!]]'' arcade hardware.<ref name="Horowitz"/>

In Japan, ''[[Tennis (1984 video game)|VS. Tennis]]'' topped Japan's chart for [[table arcade cabinet]]s in April 1984<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=233|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=April 1, 1984|page=27|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840401p.pdf#page=14}}</ref> and May 1984,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=235|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=May 1, 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840501p.pdf#page=15}}</ref> and ''[[Baseball (1983 video game)|VS. Baseball]]'' topped the chart in June<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=237|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=June 1, 1984|page=29|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840601p.pdf#page=15}}</ref> and July 1984.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Hit Games 25|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=239|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=July 1, 1984|page=25|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19840701p.pdf#page=13}}</ref> By 1985, however, the VS. System had declined in Japan, which led to Yamauchi deciding to withdraw Nintendo from the Japanese coin-op industry in late 1985<ref name="Horowitz"/><ref name="gm86">{{cite magazine|title=Coin-Op "Super Mario" Will Shop To Overseas|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=279|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 March 1986|page=24|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860301p.pdf#page=13}}</ref> and Nintendo focusing more on the Famicom.<ref>{{cite magazine|title="Fami-Com" Exceeds 10M. Its Boom Is Continuing|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=307|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 May 1987|page=26|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19870501p.pdf#page=14}}</ref>

[[File:Vs. Super Mario Bros.jpg|thumb|''VS. Super Mario Bros.'' is the highest-selling unit in the series.]]
In North America, by contrast, the VS. System became a major success.<ref name="Horowitz"/> Following the arcade success of [[sports video games]] such as [[Konami]]'s ''[[Track & Field (video game)|Track & Field]]'' (1983), Nintendo capitalized on this trend with sports games ''Punch-Out!!'', ''VS. Tennis'', and ''VS. Baseball'' with great success in the US arcade market; Sharpe considered Nintendo "a force to reckon with" based on this strong performance.<ref name="Sharpe"/> The VS. System was declared an "overwhelming hit" by ''Play Meter'', attributing its success to "good games and low price".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=1984—Even Orwell Couldn't Predict How Bad It Was |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=December 15, 1984 |volume=10 |issue=23 |pages=23–8 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-23-december-15th-1984/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2023%20-%20December%2015th%201984/page/23}}</ref> Between 10,000 and 20,000 [[arcade cabinet]]s were sold in 1984,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games |date=July 30, 2020 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-4176-8 |page=125 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA125 |quote=More than 10,000 VS. System units were sold by the end of 1984 alone (some put the figure as high as 20,000).}}</ref> and individual ''VS.'' games were top earners on arcade charts.<ref name="mashable"/> ''VS. Tennis'' topped the arcade charts for software conversion kits in July 1984 (on the ''RePlay'' charts)<ref>{{cite magazine |title=RePlay: The Players' Choice |magazine=RePlay |date=July 1984}}</ref> and August 1984 (on the ''[[Play Meter]]'' charts),<ref name="August">{{cite magazine |title=National Play Meter |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=August 15, 1984}}</ref> and ''VS. Baseball'' topped the charts from September<ref>{{cite magazine |title=RePlay: The Players' Choice |magazine=RePlay |date=September 1984}}</ref> through November 1984.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=RePlay: The Players' Choice |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1984}}</ref><ref name="November">{{cite magazine |title=National Play Meter |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=November 15, 1984 |volume=10 |issue=21 |pages=28–9 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-21-november-15th-1984-600DPI/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2010%2C%20Number%2021%20-%20November%2015th%201984%20%28Compressed%29/page/28}}</ref> ''[[Hogan's Alley (video game)|Hogan's Alley]]'' and ''[[Duck Hunt]]'' then became even more popular in American arcades, popularizing [[light gun shooter]] video games.<ref name="Adlum"/> By 1985, 50,000 cabinets had been sold, establishing Nintendo as an industry leader in the arcades.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Vs. Challenge |magazine=RePlay |date=December 1985 |volume=11 |issue=3 |page=5 |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-3-december-1985-600dpi/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%203%20-%20December%201985%20%28Compressed%29/page/5}}</ref> In November 1985, five ''VS.'' games were on the US ''RePlay'' top 20 arcade charts, with ''Hogan's Alley'' holding the top spot.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=RePlay: The Players' Choice |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |page=6 |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985%20%28Compressed%29/page/6}}</ref> ''Duck Hunt'' was also popular in arcades at the time.<ref name="Horowitz"/> The VS. System went on to become the highest-grossing [[1985 in video games|arcade platform of 1985]] in the United States,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=AMOA Expo '85: Award Winners |magazine=RePlay |date=December 1985 |volume=11 |issue=3 |page=44 |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-3-december-1985-600dpi/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%203%20-%20December%201985/page/44}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Springsteen Sweeps JB Awards |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=November 23, 1985 |page=39 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1985/CB-1985-11-23.pdf#page=39}}</ref> and ''Hogan's Alley'' and ''[[Excitebike]]'' became the top two highest-grossing arcade system games that year.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=1985 Operator Survey: This Poll Says Go Gettum! |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=91-102 (93-4) |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/93}}</ref>

The success of the VS. System gave Nintendo the confidence to [[History of the Nintendo Entertainment System#Redesign as the Nintendo Entertainment System (1985)|repackage the Famicom for North America]] as the NES. Nintendo's strong positive reputation in the arcades also generated significant interest in the NES. It also gave Nintendo the opportunity to test new games as VS. Paks in the arcades, to determine which games to release for the [[History of the Nintendo Entertainment System#North American launch (1985-1986)|NES launch]]. Nintendo's software strategy was to first release games for the Famicom, then the VS. System, and then for the NES. This allowed Nintendo to build a solid launch line-up for the NES. Many games' North American debut was on the VS. System before being released for the NES, which gave players the impression of being "amazed" at the accuracy of the arcade "ports" for the NES.<ref name="Horowitz" /> At the time, most arcade game hardware was significantly more powerful than home console hardware, and game developers would go through significant effort to try to replicate arcade games on the less powerful home consoles, often with little success.

Within a few months of its 1986 release, 20,000 ''[[VS. Super Mario Bros.]]'' arcade units were sold, becoming the best-selling ''VS.'' release, with each unit consistently earning more than {{US$|200|1986|long=no|round=-1}} per week. Its arcade success helped introduce ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' to many players who did not yet own an NES.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games |date=July 30, 2020 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-4176-8 |page=156 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA156}}</ref> By the time the NES was launched in North America (from late 1985 to 1986), about 100,000 VS. Systems had been sold to American arcades.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games |date=July 30, 2020 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-4176-8 |page=155 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA155}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Rx: Nintendo |magazine=RePlay |date=October 1990 |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=68, 70 |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-16-issue-no.-1-october-1990-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2016%2C%20Issue%20No.%201%20-%20October%201990/page/68}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Positive attitude hit of AMOA show |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=November 15, 1985 |volume=11 |issue=21 |pages=24–43 (27) |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/f/fd/PlayMeter_US_Volume_11_No._21.pdf#page=27}}</ref> According to Ken Horowitz, the VS. System "was perhaps the most vital catalyst in the rise of the NES to the top of the home video game market".<ref name="Horowitz" />

In Europe, the VS. System was also a success in arcades by early 1986, before the launch of the NES there. At London's [[Amusement Trades Exhibition International]] (ATEI) show in January 1986, David Snook of ''[[Play Meter]]'' magazine listed ''VS. Super Mario Bros.'' as one of the top five hits of the show, along with ''[[Space Harrier]]'', ''[[Halley's Comet (video game)|Halley's Comet]]'', ''[[Gauntlet (1985 video game)|Gauntlet]]'' and ''[[Tehkan World Cup]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Snook |first=David |date=February 1986 |title=Corks pop at ATEI |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-12-number-2-february-1986-600dpi/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2012%2C%20Number%202%20-%20February%201986%20%28Compressed%29/page/32/mode/2up |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |pages=32–6 |volume=12 |issue=2}}</ref>

Nintendo of America announced in July 1992 that it would stop making arcade machines. The announcement included the last upcoming titles for the NES-based [[PlayChoice-10]] and the SNES-based [[Nintendo Super System]], but none for the VS. System.<ref name="Cashbox - Arcade discontinuation">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox56unse_1/page/29/mode/1up |title=Nintendo Stops Games Manufacturing; But Will Continue Supplying Software |magazine=Cashbox |date=September 12, 1992 |page=29 |via=the Internet Archive}}</ref>