The Nintendo Entertainment System was Nintendo's first foray into the console market, releasing in Japan on July 15, 1983 as the Family Computer (now more commonly known in the west as the shorter Famicom). It would take a few years for the console to make its way to the west, finally launching in North America on October 18, 1985.
Some of this delay could be attributed to some initial issues with the Famicom — early hardware was often faulty, and very few titles were available at launch. However, said titles also included a port of Donkey Kong, an iconic arcade release from Nintendo that would eventually go on to spawn its most recognised mascot, Mario.
The western release in the form of the Nintendo Entertainment System was designed differently from the Famicom, which even extended to making the game cartridges larger to have them seem more premium. This design philosophy did not continue with future Nintendo consoles (outside of specific color schemes for the SNES), but did help the NES succeed in the once-failing American gaming market.