Gaming History You Should Know – The NES Loading Seam October 15, 2017

If you’re like me, you grew up playing the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and it’s incredible library of games.  My favorite game to play on that system was Super Mario Bros 3, a phenomenal side scroller with easy to learn controls and challenging levels.

However, if you play Super Mario Bros 3 on a modern TV, you may notice a weird glitched frame on the side of the screen. The first time I saw it I was concerned my tv or my game console was broken, but I quickly learned it was actually an integral part of the game, and eventually I learned to ignore it.

I’m sure many of you are curious what this seam is, and why it appears in a game like SMB3. Well, the great guys over at Retro Game Mechanics Explained did a great video about the phenomenon, and explain in great detail what this seam is and why it is appears in so many NES games.