The NES is pretty ancient for a video game console these days, and as a result, there are some pretty cool features that don’t even exist anymore. Technology is always evolving and innovating in exciting ways. It’s kind of amazing to look at where the video game industry began and see how far we’ve come in well under 100 years. Graphics are incredibly realistic, the things you can do are immersive and impressive, and the features present on a gaming console far exceed what anyone could’ve imagined decades ago. Not only can you play games, but you can watch movies straight from the internet? What a revolutionary idea!
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Back in the 1980s, video game consoles were for one thing and one thing only: playing a game. There weren’t really any other fancy features, it was all limited to the cartridges you owned. As time went on, companies like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo grew in their ambition and added things like online play, streaming, and more novel ideas like achievements. However, one pretty awesome feature that wasn’t necessarily exclusive to any particular console, but the Nintendo ecosystem as a whole and it’s no longer available at all.
Nintendo Power Line Is A Unique Piece of Gaming History
In 1987, during the NES era, Nintendo launched a hotline known as the Nintendo Power Line. If you were stuck on a game, you could call a phone number and be connected with some unseen gaming wizard who worked on behalf of Nintendo. They could tell you exactly what to do to progress to the next level or get you out of a bind. It was a magical resource, one that fans idolized. To many, the people on the other end of that line were heroes. Not only did they solve all of their problems, but they also got to literally play video games all day long. To a kid, this was the dream. Play video games, talk about video games, and help others with games, all while being paid.
The experts on the phone were known as gameplay counselors and they didn’t necessarily have to be gamers prior to the job, but they’d sure as heck become one once they started. Nintendo would rigorously train potential hires, teaching them all about specific games and the areas that people may get stuck on. They’d then be tested on what they learned, ensuring that they could indeed be a reliable expert if someone called for help. Typically, it was easy for these counselors to get pretty good at answering questions, as they typically pertained to a small handful of new and relevant games and a lot of the callers repeated the same questions.
However, you can only be so prepared. As reported in a Game Informer story about Nintendo Power Line, Nintendo provided counselors with a big green binder that had notes and maps of levels, allowing them to have as much information as they could possibly need. They also had access to a library of just about every Nintendo game ever released, all of which could be played at their desk while taking calls.
The call center received hundreds of calls a day, with major spikes around the holiday season. For a number of people who worked at the call center, Nintendo Power Line even launched their careers in the gaming industry. Some went to work on the GameCube, others went to work at major companies like Xbox, EA, and Meta. It was a special place that not only helped gamers trying to beat a level in a Zelda game, but also the people picking up the phones.
The Nintendo call center was eventually phased out in 2005 ahead of the Wii. Video game walkthroughs were easily accessible not just through the internet, but also through things like physical guidebooks. Calling someone to walk you through a level eventually became more complicated than just looking it up on your computer. Even today, walkthroughs are becoming a bit antiquated as things like AI are relied on by some players. Still, it’s a cool piece of gaming history and a fascinating piece of the past.
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Image Courtesy of Bandai Namco Pictures/Studio Bones
