Nintendo Entertainment System Action Set (Blue Box)

This Action Set Blue Box listing is the Nintendo Entertainment System Action Set in the blue box design. Nintendo introduced the Action Set in 1988 as its main NES bundle. Check the listing photos to see exactly which parts come with this set.

About the NES Action Set Blue Box

The NES Action Set replaced the earlier Deluxe Set in 1988. As sold by Nintendo, it included the Control Deck, two controllers, the NES Zapper light gun, and a dual Game Pak with Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on one cartridge.

The Nintendo Entertainment System first went on sale in a New York City test market on October 18, 1985. It launched across North America on September 27, 1986. Nintendo of America designers Lance Barr and Don James shaped the console for Western buyers, with a front-loading cartridge slot modeled on a VCR.

Nintendo sold 61.91 million NES consoles worldwide. It discontinued the system in North America on August 14, 1995.

Action Set Details

• System: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
• Maker: Nintendo
• Set introduced: 1988
• Original contents: Control Deck, two controllers, Zapper, Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt Game Pak
• Box: Blue box design, as named in this listing
• What you get: The set shown in the listing photos. Check the listing photos for the exact item and everything included.

Setting Up an Original NES Today

The original front-loading NES has RF output and composite video through RCA connectors. Composite is the simpler choice on a TV that still has RCA inputs. The Zapper only works on CRT televisions, so Duck Hunt needs an older tube TV. The NES uses a 72-pin cartridge connector that can collect dust, and blowing into cartridges speeds up tarnish on the contacts.

Related NES Consoles and Games

See all our NES consoles. We also have the same bundle in a different box: the NES Action Set (Black Box). The pack-in game is sold on its own as Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt. Read more about the Nintendo Entertainment System on Wikipedia.

Action Set Blue Box: FAQs

What came in the NES Action Set?
Nintendo sold it with the Control Deck, two controllers, the Zapper and a Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt Game Pak. Check the photos for what this listing includes.

When did the Action Set come out?
Nintendo introduced it in 1988, when it replaced the Deluxe Set.

Is this the same as the black box Action Set?
Both listings are the Nintendo Action Set. The names refer to the box design. Compare the photos of each listing.

Will the Zapper work on my flat-screen TV?
No. The Zapper only works on CRT televisions.

Ordering and Shipping

Orders are dispatched within 2 business days. Standard US shipping is $4.99, and orders over $50 ship free. Every order is covered by our 30-day return policy.