NES PAL Region Free, a Console Without Borders

Con el’avvento delle console di nuova generazione che si sono avvicendate nel corso dei decenni, il ritorno a un modo di giocare più arcade, che oggi volgarmente chiameremmo retro, è diventato sempre più impellente: today as then, ai tempi del NES e della sua cavalcata indomabile tra gli scaffali dei negozi, the issue of region free inflames forums and social media, contributing every year to generating discussions and exchanging theories, as well as advice.

This article does not in any way intend to praise the implementation of modifications on hardware of others’ intellectual property, let that be clear, but will limit itself to recounting some anecdotes related to a matter that, from a strictly video game and historical point of view, carries a certain weight, for several reasons.

In simple terms, inside the console there was a regional lockout that was set on a chip called “CIC” that was part of an internal protection system, I can’t describe it any other way, whose function was twofold: on the one hand to block any attempt to run counterfeit cartridges, just as it would have blocked the execution of any title not belonging to that specific region. To better understand this process, I usually resort to the customs metaphor: the NES, thanks to this lockout, inspects every cartridge coming in, examining it from top to bottom and approving its entry, that is, its execution, only if it meets the appropriate regional parameter and proves, needless to say, to be original. If that is not the case, the title simply does not work and goodbye fun.

Sul back of video game packaging, and I’m not referring only to the NES, you have surely all read at least once the word PAL, right? This is because, if you are in Italy and you bought the console in one of our country’s stores, it indicates the reference region (NTSC, for example, is associated with the U.S. standard, but not only that) and the same game will not work on French, Canadian, etc. consoles.

These are the basics for anyone who approaches this subject, if we want to call it that: over the years, there have been modifications and interventions aimed at making the NES region free, the preserve of collectors and latecomers to the hobby (below is an interesting video that discusses the topic).

With the advent of modern consoles, the issue has faded away, also because the standardization of formats has almost killed region free: videogames are very different today from the days of the NES; we speak of globalization, of internationality if you will, and the barriers that once were the prerogative and safeguard of the major game companies have been torn down.

Nowadays, thanks to Nintendo’s revival of timeless classics and titles that had never been released in Europe with its Switch, or the collections invading stores and shops, the era when opening a console and uncovering its secrets was akin to discovering the Triforce seems truly very far away, Zelda teaches us.