Today marks the 40th anniversary of Nintendo’s Family Computer (Famicom) system.

The Famicom released on July 15, 1983 in Japan (we know we’re publishing this on July 14 but it’s July 15 in Japan, learn time zones) and is better known as the predecessor to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) abroad.

The success of the Famicom is credited by some for reinvigorating the home video game market, which compared to accessible and trendy arcades were seen as more for niche hobbyists.

Part of the reason for the console’s success was it’s easy to use controller which relied on a D-Pad instead of the joysticks which were popular at the time.

The success of the Famicom (and NES) helped launch Nintendo into the gaming powerhouse they are today and kickstarted franchises such as Super Mario Bros., Kirby, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and much more.