It’s easy to forget just how important the Nintendo Entertainment System was in the late ’80s.
Soon after the NES had its proper North American release in 1986, it quickly shifted from an after-school hobby to a pop-cultural mainline. By 1989, it was at the absolute peak of its global dominance, controlling up to 90% of the entire home console market. It was easily one of the three most important things plugged into our TV sets.
Why This Pre-Teen Road Movie Still Holds Up:
- Pure Nostalgia Power: Stars Fred Savage, Christian Slater, and Jenny Lewis embarking on a cross-country trek to the ultimate video game championship, Video Armageddon.
- Iconic Tech Highlights: Features legendary moments like the debut of the elusive Power Glove (“It’s so bad!”) and the first-ever public glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3.
- A Love Letter to Gamers: More than just a road trip, it validated the countless hours spent on living room carpets playing video games—proof that we weren’t just playing, we were training.
If you were raised on after-school cartoons, you already knew those syndicated shows were designed to move plastic toys. Critics calling The Wizard a 90-minute Nintendo commercial wasn’t going to dissuade anyone under 16 from loving it.
Growing up in the ’80s meant sales pitches were baked into our daily entertainment, and knowing was half the battle. It was essentially a live-action Nintendo Power magazine brought to life, and that was more than alright with us.
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