Since the console was first released more than three decades ago, fans have constantly been arguing about the correct pronunciation of NES, the acronym for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It looks like this mystery has finally been solved, because Nintendo themselves have now finally confirmed the correct pronunciation, and it’s probably not what you expected.
Twitter user Kyle McLain pointed out that in the museum section of the recently released WarioWare Gold on the 3DS, the player can unlock images of a Famicom system, with the description reading that NES is actually pronounced ‘Ness’.
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
So, contrary to popular belief, the word actually ends with a longer ‘s’ sound made by placing the tongue closer to your front teeth, as opposed to the hard ‘z’ sound we’ve been making for all these years. Ness is also the name of the protagonist from the first two EarthBound games, so EarthBound fans probably have a lot to smile about right now.
Despite this shocking revelation, most fans are probably going to stick with saying ‘Nez’ for the foreseeable future, because they grew up saying it like that, and old habits die hard. Either way, we’re just glad that one of life’s great mysteries has finally been solved. Now, if only Nintendo would reveal Mario’s last name.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
