Console meets cartridge: Breaking down the architecture of the NES’s unique design
The NES architecture can be divided into three key groups: CPU-related components, PPU-related components, and cartridge-specific components
At its core, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was powered by a custom variation of the 6502 microprocessor, but what truly set it apart was how its components worked together. Unlike other consoles at the time, the NES pushed a different modular design approach. Its hardware components were relatively simple, but its architecture allowed cartridges to become an extension of the system, handling tasks that other consoles hardwired into their motherboards.
