During the late 1980s, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) experienced a variant distribution strategy in certain European territories. While Nintendo directly handled distribution in North America and later regions, a partnership with Mattel saw the console released under the “Mattel NES” branding in the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand.
Functionally, there were negligible differences between the Mattel NES and the standard NES. Both were manufactured by Nintendo and played compatible game cartridges. The sole distinction resided in the branding and regional compatibility. The Mattel NES was a PAL A version, optimized for the European television standard and games designed for that region. By the early 1990s, Nintendo had assumed direct control of European distribution, and the “NES Version” became the standard branding throughout the continent.
When I received this NES it was faulty, when it was turned on, the power light would flash and nothing would be displayed on the screen. The cartridge also felt loose when it was inserted. These faults all point to a worn 72 pin connector, as when the console does not detect a game it will display a blinking LED. The console was not detecting the game as the connector wasn’t making a good enough contact with the cartridge. I fixed this issue, which you can read about it here. After contacting the store that sold it, I was given a partial refund of £25 which brought the price of this bundle down further.
 | Loose |
 Name/Variant | Nintendo Entertainment System – Mattel Version |
 Accessories | 2x Controllers |
 Mods | None |
 Price | £30.59 (After Refund And Selling Duplicates) |
 Notes | No Power Cable |