The NES at 40: Employees reveal there were plans for a woodgrain veneer model to rival the Atari 2600

To celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the U.S., the Video Game History Foundation hosted a discussion with three of the key executives behind the big 1985 launch in the U.S. Among the interesting stories told, we were tickled to hear that, in some alternate future reality, the NES might have ended up looking like an Atari 2600 — complete with a wood veneer finish and top switches.