Fourth generation of video game consoles
Nintendo executives were initially reluctant to design a new system, but as the market transitioned to the newer hardware, Nintendo saw the erosion of the commanding market share it had built up with the Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo's fourth-generation console, the Super Famicom, was released in Japan on November 21, 1990; Nintendo's initial shipment of 300,000 units sold out within hours. The machine reached North America as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System on August 23, 1991, and Europe and Australia in April 1992.
Nintendo Entertainment System (Model NES-101)
Nintendo marketed the NES-101 model as the NES Control Deck, exactly the same as the original NES-001 model, only with a "new design" mark on the packaging. It retailed in North America for $49.99 USD (equivalent to $ in ). This was at a significantly lower price than the already released Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES-101 control deck came packaged with a redesigned version of the standard NES controller (model number NES-039) shaped very similarly to the Super NES controller.