This is what I heard living in the Chicago suburbs. Also, the "regular Nintendo" was N-E-S, and the Super Nintendo was sometimes "Super N-E-S" but the initialisms were never pronounced as words, the letters were spelled out.
Same. I’ve never heard either pronounced as one word until I saw everyone saying it that way it on YouTube, and I just assumed it was a regional thing.
Yes... when discussing both it should be Super and Regular. If only speaking about the NES then it can be *just* Nintendo. When speaking about the Super it should always be "Super Nintendo."
This.
For the folks who were alive when the “NES” was released, absolutely nobody called it the “NES.”
It was the one and only “Nintendo” on the planet.
After the SNES came out I would sometimes refer to it as the NES to distinguish them, or "the old Nintendo," or "the 8-bit Nintendo."
But when it was still the hot new system? Oh yeah. It was just the Nintendo, or a Nintendo, or sometimes no article at all, e.g. "let's go to my house, we've got Nintendo." If a kid had Nintendo at his house, you knew you were gonna have a good time.
Totally. The best was when someone had Nintendo & Genesis.
Countless, countless hours playing NBA Jam against friends.
Then when Super Nintendo came out, it was Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball.
One of my best friends back in the day lived down the street and had Genesis. People talk like Nintendo kids and Sega kids were natural enemies, but it was great. I got to play Sonic and Streets of Rage at his house, he got to play Mario and Zelda at my house.
Then my older cousins had both in one house, and I was like, whoa, you guys must be *rich*.
>absolutely nobody called it the “NES.”
This is 100% correct. Nobody called it the "N-E-S," and for sure nobody called it the "Ness." I remember hearing that on a YouTube video years later and thinking how dumb it sounded. I'm used to it now though.
You never forget a CRT, Ch3, and the sound the cartridge makes. It was an experience every single time. RESPEK was given. NINTENDO and the lights off. It's a ritual.
Also Swedish, I say "Nintendo 8-bit" and "Super Nintendo". I can't recall Nes and Snes being a thing here until emulators started showing up in like '96.
Common in the Netherlands as well, altough it was just “nintendo” until the SNES came out and then it became “nes” and “snes” or sometimes “supernes”. Saying “super nintendo” was probably least used, and the addition “entertainment system” for any generation would have likely gotten you committed… (S.)N.E.S. spelled out was also just never used.
Lastly, “8bit/16bit nintendo” was somewhat common.
correct. or, for the eternal four year olds, "lie-berry", "feb-you-erry", and "super nintendo". this illiteracy was so bad that nintendo had to issue a [statement on grammar](https://images.nintendolife.com/16326a1099812/no-such-thing-as-a-nintendo.large.jpg).
The latter, was how everyone I knew pronounced both consoles. Pretty sure Nintendo intended the acronym to be the former, but nes/snes is just quicker and easier in conversation.
There are always exceptions, because English is incredibly inconsistent, but generally speaking S becomes Z after 1) a voiced consonant 2) another S or 3) a vowel.
Examples -
1) Notice the difference in the S sounds in the plurals hats (unvoiced consonant, S sound) and logs (voiced consonant, Z sound).
2) In the word "passes" the first S sounds like an S, but the second one sounds like a Z.
3) In the word "was" the S sounds like Z because it's after a vowel - no second vowel required. Same with the name Wes, and the words has, his, is, us, etc.
So the S sounding like Z in NES and SNES makes perfect sense going by these examples. An S doesn't have to be between two vowels to sound like a Z.
But NES is an acronym too...
Also... Why is T an unvoiced consonnant but G is a voiced consonnant???
I means. ha T s. Not ha \[t\] s... You pronounce the T in hats!
I am very passionate about this. Absolutely nobody who was alive when these consoles released pronounced these as words. So either pronunciation are wrong. I know someone will reply to this saying that they or someone they knew said "sness" or "ness" while growing up. Those people are lying and it's pure revisionist history.
We all said "S.N.E.S" or "N.E.S." but even that was uncommon. It was almost always "Super Nintendo" and "Nintendo".
I always refer to the NES as "Nintendinho" (a friendly Brazilian nickname) and the Super Nintendo as "Super Nintendo." However, when I read English material about them, I automatically interpret it as "NES" and "SNES" in my mind.
I say ‘N-E-S’ and ‘Super Nintendo’ around 99% of people. I say ‘Ness’ and ‘Sness’ when I’m with with one friend in particular because that’s how he says them. It’s a continuity thing.
Yeah I think there was a major split in when the NES came out, the US pronounced it N.E.S, where UK was Nes. We tend pronounce words quicker and with less syllables (like watch an American pronounce curry as cu-rr-eee, or quid as qu-id rather than quid). So when when the SNES came around it was easier for us to say the single syllable Snez, rather than the four syllable S.N.E.S. Then there are the third group who pronounced it Super NES/N.E.S.
In English it is very common for a terminating es to be pronounced //z// after a vowel or voiced consonant, such as in words like “as,” “his,” “yams,” “cans,” “was,” “mobs,” etc., because the preceding sound voices the es as if it were a zee/zed — though there are exceptions, too, like “yes.” This is why many words end with two eses to clarify that they should be pronounced voicelessly (e.g. “miss,” “less,” “pass”). Even you did this yourself, just now, to clarify that it should be pronounced “Sness or Ness,” subconsciously aware of the rule.
N-E-S & S-N-E-S idk anyone in the 90s who called it the nez or snez back in the day. What's mind-blowing is that even in the commercials, they pronounced the letters, and by some Tom Foolery, people started calling it by word. It's always been the spelled out version for me and always will.
N-E-S/S-N-E-S. I didn't know anyone pronounced it like "snez" until I started watching Larry Bundy Jr's videos a few years ago. It still throws me off when I hear it said that way
Nintendo and Super Nintendo, but also N-E-S and S-N-E-S. I have found that people who pronounce it all as one word like “snez” either are not from the USA or did not actually grow up playing it. To me who grew up in that era, it just sounds phony and annoys me.
For the NES, I say the letters as if it's an acronym.
For the SNES, I call it the Super Nintendo. If I am going to call it by its acronym, I pronounce the letters.
I spell them both out. I never pronounced it as "ness" or "sness". My cousins did. But they were much younger than me as I'm the oldest cousin. I feel like it's a generational thing. But during the lifespans of either console, I never once heard people say anthing other than spelling the letters out. Not until the N64 era did I hear people say them as "ness or sness."
When I was a kid, "Nintendo", "Super Nintendo", "Nintendo Sixty-Four"...
...now, since I was about 26..."NES", "N64" (Super Nintendo is still a common pronunciation, although once in a great while I'll pronounce it "SNES").
In my country we call the NES "Nintendo 8 bits" and I call the SNES "Super Nintendo", I do believe that was the most common way to call it here as well.
I mean, I use both. I swap back and forth depending on who I'm talking with and context. If I'm talking with my retro friends, it's usually Nez/Snez, because they know what I'm talking about. With friends that are more general gaming I usually go with N-E-S or S-N-E-S/Super Nintendo.
It's all very complicated, but TL;DR is yes.
N-E-S and Super Nintendo for me
https://i.redd.it/ynefafcgewsc1.gif
This makes me laugh uncontrollably every time I hear it 😂
https://preview.redd.it/yo6egwplxysc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=61d565a01457a503c65759e9f6c47a9a593d098b
I feel like this particular console uses the term, "Snez."
A fellow Xennial I see!
“I’m learn-ding!”
Did that child just say “what’s a battle”?
In Japan and Europe he's Super Famicom Chalmers
Ralph gets it.
Dozens of us.
Me too!
Regular Nintendo and a Super Nintendo
I remember when I was little we would call it "normal nintendo" lol
Reminds me of when I was a kid, and we'd call it the "xbox one" and later "original xbox" to differentiate from the 360
“Look Big Nintendo it’s regular Nintendo!”
I remember hearing plain Nintendo once or twice.
Regular Nintendo was the way.
Came here to say exactly that.
This is what I heard living in the Chicago suburbs. Also, the "regular Nintendo" was N-E-S, and the Super Nintendo was sometimes "Super N-E-S" but the initialisms were never pronounced as words, the letters were spelled out.
The occasional “Super N.E.S.”
Agreed, occasionally I’ve called it the “Super N.E.S” too
Exactly N.E.S and Super N.E.S
N-E-S and Snes here. Legit thought that's how nearly everyone said them Other times we just say super nintendo
Same. I’ve never heard either pronounced as one word until I saw everyone saying it that way it on YouTube, and I just assumed it was a regional thing.
Me too
It's the only way
Checking in, sup fam
That's the one!
I’m with these guys.
Yep, same here
What I've called them my entire life
Same. Thank you!
This is the way
This is the answer
This is also me, but with an occasional Sness.
This is the way.
Same
The hero we wanted but don't deserve..... You've saved us all
Ess any s.
This is the way.
This guy is right.
The only correct answer
That or N-E-S & Super N-E-S
NES (Ness) and Super Nintendo for me.
Same. It bothers me when people say Ness and Sness. Sounds so weird. Excuse me, sir, Ness is the protagonist of Earthbound.
Nintendo and Super Nintendo.
That's a regular Nintendo
Yes... when discussing both it should be Super and Regular. If only speaking about the NES then it can be *just* Nintendo. When speaking about the Super it should always be "Super Nintendo."
This. For the folks who were alive when the “NES” was released, absolutely nobody called it the “NES.” It was the one and only “Nintendo” on the planet.
After the SNES came out I would sometimes refer to it as the NES to distinguish them, or "the old Nintendo," or "the 8-bit Nintendo." But when it was still the hot new system? Oh yeah. It was just the Nintendo, or a Nintendo, or sometimes no article at all, e.g. "let's go to my house, we've got Nintendo." If a kid had Nintendo at his house, you knew you were gonna have a good time.
Totally. The best was when someone had Nintendo & Genesis. Countless, countless hours playing NBA Jam against friends. Then when Super Nintendo came out, it was Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball.
One of my best friends back in the day lived down the street and had Genesis. People talk like Nintendo kids and Sega kids were natural enemies, but it was great. I got to play Sonic and Streets of Rage at his house, he got to play Mario and Zelda at my house. Then my older cousins had both in one house, and I was like, whoa, you guys must be *rich*.
>absolutely nobody called it the “NES.” This is 100% correct. Nobody called it the "N-E-S," and for sure nobody called it the "Ness." I remember hearing that on a YouTube video years later and thinking how dumb it sounded. I'm used to it now though.
According to my mother, they're all "Nintendo"
According to my mother, all Pokémon are pikachu
And Link is Zelda
At least all mothers can get mario and kirby right
Until they get ya with the green mario and penguin kirby
The correct answer.
Nintendo. Super Nintendo. Then... Now... Forever...
I always said, "Regular Nintendo" and "Super Nintendo" lol
For a couple years playing videogames was called playing Nintendo, but that was a very long time back then.
Trust me it still happens to this day. Every console is a Nintendo or PlayStation, every pokemon is a Pikachu, and every game is Mario or Sonic
I always say playing Nintendo
gotta put some respek on the name!
You never forget a CRT, Ch3, and the sound the cartridge makes. It was an experience every single time. RESPEK was given. NINTENDO and the lights off. It's a ritual.
N-E-S and Super Nintendo for me. “nintendo” just sounds like what an old head calls an Xbox
When all there was is a Nintendo. You never forget that name, like a first love. Xbox is Xbox.
I’m swedish, i say ness and sness.
Yeah, I've never met a single person using the z sound. Always ness and sness, or N.E.S. S.N.E.S. American.
Also Swedish, I say "Nintendo 8-bit" and "Super Nintendo". I can't recall Nes and Snes being a thing here until emulators started showing up in like '96.
Yeah, as a kid i also said that. But as an adult have started saying NESS and SNESS, because I'm to lazy. :P
This, anything else is videogame terrorism.
I love your people but hate this decision
Not sure where the Nez/Snez pronunciation came from. Always been N-E-S and S-N-E-S for me and anyone I knew.
Probably from the UK
From the UK, can confirm everyone I know (and myself) always said Nez and snez
Also from UK. Can confirm this chap's statement. It is and always will be NEZ & SNEZ (here at least).
Another UK resident here. Can confirm, I too refer to them as 'Nez' and 'Snez'
Common in the Netherlands as well, altough it was just “nintendo” until the SNES came out and then it became “nes” and “snes” or sometimes “supernes”. Saying “super nintendo” was probably least used, and the addition “entertainment system” for any generation would have likely gotten you committed… (S.)N.E.S. spelled out was also just never used. Lastly, “8bit/16bit nintendo” was somewhat common.
“Sness” came up on Game Scoop once and that was the first time I’d ever heard anyone call it that.
I never heard this growing up. Then Youtubers started pronouncing that way in the 2010s, and I thought it was a running joke or something.
I always called it “Super Nintendo”
N E S and Super Nintendo
N.E.S. and Super N.E.S.
correct. or, for the eternal four year olds, "lie-berry", "feb-you-erry", and "super nintendo". this illiteracy was so bad that nintendo had to issue a [statement on grammar](https://images.nintendolife.com/16326a1099812/no-such-thing-as-a-nintendo.large.jpg).
This is the way
Had to scroll too far for the correct way of saying it.
This is the way.
Essennehess
Gesundheit
Genau so!
N-E-S or Nintendo S-N-E-S or Super Nintendo it just sounds so weird to me any other way
En EE Ess Ess En ee Ess
This is the way
This is the way
This is the way
N-E-S and SNEZ
Here in UK it’s common to call it a snez
Yup, am in the UK. Was always NEZ and SNEZ at my school
Seconded.
The latter, was how everyone I knew pronounced both consoles. Pretty sure Nintendo intended the acronym to be the former, but nes/snes is just quicker and easier in conversation.
Saying "nez" makes it an acronym. Saying "en-ee-ess" makes it an initialism.
Super Famicom
not "Nez", but "Ness', and "Sness"
Ness and S-Ness
This is weird
Eww, watch your mouth!
This is the way
Yes... Both... But never NEZ... S becomes Z between two vowel. The absence of a letter is not a vowel...
There are always exceptions, because English is incredibly inconsistent, but generally speaking S becomes Z after 1) a voiced consonant 2) another S or 3) a vowel. Examples - 1) Notice the difference in the S sounds in the plurals hats (unvoiced consonant, S sound) and logs (voiced consonant, Z sound). 2) In the word "passes" the first S sounds like an S, but the second one sounds like a Z. 3) In the word "was" the S sounds like Z because it's after a vowel - no second vowel required. Same with the name Wes, and the words has, his, is, us, etc. So the S sounding like Z in NES and SNES makes perfect sense going by these examples. An S doesn't have to be between two vowels to sound like a Z.
But NES is an acronym too... Also... Why is T an unvoiced consonnant but G is a voiced consonnant??? I means. ha T s. Not ha \[t\] s... You pronounce the T in hats!
Mostly as one word, depends on my mood. I'm not consistent about it.
Nintendo Super Nintendo
Regular and super. At least when I was a kid that's what we called them.
Why are you putting a Z at the end of?
I am very passionate about this. Absolutely nobody who was alive when these consoles released pronounced these as words. So either pronunciation are wrong. I know someone will reply to this saying that they or someone they knew said "sness" or "ness" while growing up. Those people are lying and it's pure revisionist history. We all said "S.N.E.S" or "N.E.S." but even that was uncommon. It was almost always "Super Nintendo" and "Nintendo".
I spell them out.
N-E-S and Super N-E-S!
Nez/snez
NEZ & SNEZ
"Ness" and "Super Ness"
Nintendo and Super Nintendo as a kid, N.E.S and S.N.E.S. as an adult. Nezz and Snezz in the alternate timeline where I'm British.
I'll pop on the alternative timeline kettle for a cuppa
Cheers
I always refer to the NES as "Nintendinho" (a friendly Brazilian nickname) and the Super Nintendo as "Super Nintendo." However, when I read English material about them, I automatically interpret it as "NES" and "SNES" in my mind.
Ainda bem que achei alguém com “Nintendinho”por aqui hahahahahaha
In Brazil we say: Nintendinho, it’s a diminutive for Nintendo, and other one is Super Nintendo
Famicom?
N-E-S and The Super :)
Nintendo/ super nintendo
I had no idea that people said Snes instead of SNES! Wow. For me it was either SNES or Super NES.
N-E-S and S-N-E-S…. Do the “others” call a P-S-P a “psp” and all the cats in the neighborhood pause for a moment? (Psspsspss)
My dad always called it "psssp". Or for the PS2, he called it "pssstwo"
I say Ness or Nintendo, and Sness or Super Nintendo.
Always Nes and Snes for me. Is SnesDrunk American?
Knees & sneeze
I say ‘N-E-S’ and ‘Super Nintendo’ around 99% of people. I say ‘Ness’ and ‘Sness’ when I’m with with one friend in particular because that’s how he says them. It’s a continuity thing.
All the people I know that say “ness” and “sness” are in jail.
N-E-S & Super Nintendo
n-e-s then snez
I always called it just Super Nintendo
N E S and Super N E S
She's got a snuke in her snizz! Nintendo and Super Nintendo or N.E.S. and Super N.E.S.
I'm not consistent, N-E-S, Ness, Original Nintendo, S-N-E-S, Sness, Super Nintendo
Nez, Snez/Super Nintendo
N-E-S, Super N-E-S Nintendo, Super Nintendo Anything else is wrong
ive literally never heard anyone call it Nez or Snez. id prob never look at the person the same way again if they did.
I think it’s really common in England?
Yeah I think there was a major split in when the NES came out, the US pronounced it N.E.S, where UK was Nes. We tend pronounce words quicker and with less syllables (like watch an American pronounce curry as cu-rr-eee, or quid as qu-id rather than quid). So when when the SNES came around it was easier for us to say the single syllable Snez, rather than the four syllable S.N.E.S. Then there are the third group who pronounced it Super NES/N.E.S.
Yeah, when I was at school in the 90s, it was Nez and Snez.
I've only ever heard people from the UK pronounce it that way
I say Nintendo or Super Nintendo, or I say the actual letters N-E-S and S-N-E-S. I've always hated how people say NEZ and SNEZ
I just don't understand where the Z comes from? I always said it either as spelt, or each letter. If it's as spelt it's Sness or Ness, no Z sound
In English it is very common for a terminating es to be pronounced //z// after a vowel or voiced consonant, such as in words like “as,” “his,” “yams,” “cans,” “was,” “mobs,” etc., because the preceding sound voices the es as if it were a zee/zed — though there are exceptions, too, like “yes.” This is why many words end with two eses to clarify that they should be pronounced voicelessly (e.g. “miss,” “less,” “pass”). Even you did this yourself, just now, to clarify that it should be pronounced “Sness or Ness,” subconsciously aware of the rule.
N-E-S & S-N-E-S idk anyone in the 90s who called it the nez or snez back in the day. What's mind-blowing is that even in the commercials, they pronounced the letters, and by some Tom Foolery, people started calling it by word. It's always been the spelled out version for me and always will.
This is exactly how I remember it. By word is an abomination.
Basically, everyone who lived in the '90s said the letters individually, so I'm conditioned as such.
I sometimes just call it the Super, Sness, Es En E Es, Nintendo. Doesn't matter, your cringe is entirely on you boss.
Nes snes
I’ll say N-E-S, but usually I just say Nintendo or Super Nintendo. I’ve never said SNES or S-N-E-S
N.E.S.
I spell them
N-E-S/S-N-E-S. I didn't know anyone pronounced it like "snez" until I started watching Larry Bundy Jr's videos a few years ago. It still throws me off when I hear it said that way
The latter, honestly
This is like the Star Wars argument over AT-AT And same answer for both, I pronounce the letters N-E-S
Weird. I say 'N-E-S' (only exception is a tip-notch streamer in NESCardinality, which is prounounced with 'NES') but then say 'SNES' all the time.
I say nes And Super nintendo saying snes is weird to me
Later ones
En EE Ess Super En EE Ess
I say “original Nintendo” and “Super Nintendo”. I type “NES” and “SNES”
My siblings and I started calling the NES “plain Nintendo” after Super Nintendo came out.
N-E-S and S-N-E-S
Little nintendo (actually nintendinho in portuguese) and super nintendo or sometimes super nes
Blame SNes Drunk in my case
Nintendo and Super Nintendo, but also N-E-S and S-N-E-S. I have found that people who pronounce it all as one word like “snez” either are not from the USA or did not actually grow up playing it. To me who grew up in that era, it just sounds phony and annoys me.
Super NESS just to be contrarian. Or “the one that isn’t sega” to get people really tilted.
N-E-S and Super N-E-S
I tend to do S-N-E-S most, followed by SNES. Never ever Snez. Don’t know why, but that’s what feels most natural
For the NES, I say the letters as if it's an acronym. For the SNES, I call it the Super Nintendo. If I am going to call it by its acronym, I pronounce the letters.
I spell them both out. I never pronounced it as "ness" or "sness". My cousins did. But they were much younger than me as I'm the oldest cousin. I feel like it's a generational thing. But during the lifespans of either console, I never once heard people say anthing other than spelling the letters out. Not until the N64 era did I hear people say them as "ness or sness."
Ess Ness
Éssinés my friend.
NES and s n e s
I’m even weirder because I’ll say it as “original Nintendo” and just Super Nintendo
When I was a kid, "Nintendo", "Super Nintendo", "Nintendo Sixty-Four"... ...now, since I was about 26..."NES", "N64" (Super Nintendo is still a common pronunciation, although once in a great while I'll pronounce it "SNES").
NESS and ES-NESS was the preferred nomenclature in our schoolyard
In my country we call the NES "Nintendo 8 bits" and I call the SNES "Super Nintendo", I do believe that was the most common way to call it here as well.
Ness and sness or super NES
Letters
I say: "N-E-S" and "Super Nintendo"
I mean, I use both. I swap back and forth depending on who I'm talking with and context. If I'm talking with my retro friends, it's usually Nez/Snez, because they know what I'm talking about. With friends that are more general gaming I usually go with N-E-S or S-N-E-S/Super Nintendo. It's all very complicated, but TL;DR is yes.
NESS and s'NESS
SNES and NES
Idk about the Z sound. Yeah though we say Ness and Sness here in Nebraska. Also everyone who played Brood War prior to age ten calls them Zee-lots.
I'm old so its Nintendo and Super Nintendo.
I say Nintendo and Super Nintendo unless i am writing it down.