NESismo

NESismo refers to a specific genre or style of video game music heavily inspired by the audio capabilities of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). This sound is characterized by its use of the NES's distinctive sound chip, the Ricoh 2A03, which produced limited waveforms such as pulse waves, triangle waves, and noise. Music in the NESismo style often features simple melodies, chiptune arpeggios, and percussive elements generated by the noise channel.

The aesthetic of NESismo is deeply tied to the era of 8-bit gaming. Developers and composers working within this style aim to evoke the nostalgic feeling of playing games on the original NES. This often involves adhering to the technical limitations of the hardware, creating a sound that is both familiar and intentionally lo-fi. While it originated from the NES's sound limitations, NESismo has evolved into a broader musical movement with modern composers creating new music in this style using both original NES hardware and emulators or software synthesizers that replicate its sound. It is a popular genre in the chiptune and demoscene communities.