NES Satellite: 1HN Wireless Non-Necessity

Pop quiz: Was it possible for four players to play one game at the same time on the NES?

The answer: It depends on if you owned the NES Satellite (and if you owned a compatible game).

The Satellite was a wireless peripheral that was released for the NES in 1989. It allowed for both wireless play and for up to four players to play an NES game. All you needed was a boatload of C batteries, up to four NES controllers, and a game that accommodated four players and you were set. Or, if you wanted to play a non-four-player game alone wirelessly, you could do that, too.

Most of this information can be gained from Wikipedia or with a cursory Internet search, so I will share my personal experience with the Satellite. Now, the funny thing about my owning the Satellite was that I was an only child. Of course, I'm STILL an only child, but I often dreamed of having three buddies over to play NES. Outside of one or two occasions, this didn't happen. Also, because my NES and TV were, like, six feet from my bedroom wall and door, playing wirelessly was never really that beneficial.

So, why did I ask for the Satellite for Christmas one year? Because it was cool and, yes, I did dream of a day when I would have a bunch of friends over to play NES Play Action Football or Kings of the Beach. I remember one time when I did have some neighborhood kids over and we played Kings of the Beach, which is a two-on-two beach volleyball simulation. I don't remember how the game went (except that everybody besides me played terribly, mostly because I was the only one with any experience with the game), but I recall the elation of plugging in extra controllers into the third- and fourth-player ports of the Satellite. I think there was also another time when Ed and Tim were over and we played NES Play Action Football... Maybe.

Anyway, the Satellite was pointless for me to own, but was reflective of that childhood desire to play games with other people. This feeling wasn't confined to video games as I was a semi-avid collector of board games. Sadly, as with video games, I rarely had opponents against whom I could play. Ironically, when I did have a friend over, I rarely played the board games because I hated losing. How sad!

In retrospect, if I had made it more of a point to challenge people, I would have played more board games, as well as used the Satellite more often. Nowadays, I have my sons (and my wife, if she's in a gaming mood) against whom I can play games. I don't mind losing to them; and, I've gotten over the hang-up of losing to anyone because I have embraced the mere joy of understanding the dynamics of any game and engaging in the finer points of gameplay. By this, I am much more willing to play games. If I ever get my NES Control Deck working, maybe I'll bring out the Satellite. Unlike my only child days, I have three opponents in my own home.