1992
- January
- In Las Vegas, Nevada, the Winter Consumer Electronics Show is held. Nintendo announces that a CD-ROM drive for the Super NES will be introduced in January 1993. [639.70] [1134.112]
- January 9
- Nintendo of America lowers the suggested retail price of the Super Nintendo from US$199.95 to US$179.95. Price of the Game Boy is lowered from US$89.95 to US$79.95. [207.D4]
- January
- Capcom releases the Mega Man IV game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [420.68]
- (month unknown)
- Novalogic begins work on Super Mario's Wacky Worlds for the CD-i. (The project is cancelled in June 1993.) [786.60]
- February
- Konami releases The Legend of the Mystical Ninja video game for the Super NES in the US. [422.74] [1194.84]
- Capcom releases the Mega Man II video game for the Game Boy in the US. [420.71]
- February 20
- Nintendo asks a United States trade representative to cite Taiwan for failing to stop piracy of video game cartridges, wohich would lead to Taiwan being assessed punitive duties to their exports to the US. [195.D3]
- March
- Nintendo releases the Dragon Warrior III video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. The game had been previously released in Japan for the Famicom as Dragon Quest III. [298.48]
- March 31
- Unit sales of Nintendo Game Boy game systems over the past twelve months: about 10.5 million. [271.D4]
- April 1
- Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past video game for the Super NES in the US. [304.152] [401] [406.33] [452.9] [453.42] [591.96] [608.101] [637.9] [1159.88] [1161.79] (August [451.9])
- April
- Konami releases the Contra III: The Alien Wars game for the Super NES in the US. [304.142] [1159.94]
- T&E Soft releases the True Golf Classics: Pebble Beach video game for the Super NES in the USA. [1159.101]
- May 1
- In the lawsuit of Atari versus Nintendo, a jury in a San Francisco courtroom finds that Nintendo's licensing program had not hurt Atari. The jury concludes that Nintendo did not try to monopolize the video game market. However, the jury is deadlocked on the issues of illegal maintenance of a monopoly and unfair restraint of trade. [124.417] [197.42] [1094.28]
- Nintendo announces a reduction of the price of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [124.418]
- May 14
- Federal District Court Judge Fern Smith drops the remaining charges by Atari against Nintendo, based on the jury's finding that Atari did not suffer from Nintendo's licensing practices, and that it was not proven that Nintendo intended to monopolize the video game market. [124.417] [198.40]
- May
- The US Court of Appeals upholds the July 1991 decision in favor of Lewis Galoob Toys against Nintendo over the alleged infringement of the Game Genie on Nintendo copyrights. [201.D3]
- Production begins on a Super Mario feature film, starring Bob Hoskins (Mario) and Dennis Hopper (King Koopa). [124.193]
- Absolute releases the Race America video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [514.28]
- Atlus releases the Wacky Races video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [514.28]
- Mindscape releases the Roundball: 2 on 2 Challenge video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [514.28]
- May 28
- The Summer Consumer Electronics Show is held in Chicago, Illinois, over four days. Nintendo has a 76,000 square foot booth, the largest in the history of the trade show. Nintendo announces it will sell the Super Nintendo system with one controller for US$99 in the US. [710.58] [711.13.24]
- June
- Konami releases the King's Quest V video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [719.92]
- Nintendo announces it will release a CD-ROM drive for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993. [124.383]
- (month unknown)
- Midway releases the Super Spy Hunter video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. [397.59]
- LJN / Flying Edge releases the Spider-Man / X-Men in Arcade's Revenge video game for the Super NES and Game Boy in the US. [626.93]
- Capcom releases the Darkwing Duck video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93]
- Capcom releases the Gargoyle's Quest II video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93]
- Capcom releases the G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93]
- Capcom releases the Gold Medal Challenge video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93]
- Capcom releases the Mega Man 4 video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [715.93]
- Capcom releases the Snow Bros. Jr. video game for the Game Boy in the US. [715.93]
- Capcom releases the Magic Sword video game for the Super NES in the US. [715.93]
- Capcom releases the Super Buster Bros. video game for the Super NES in the US. [715.93]
- July 2
- Atari withdraws its appeal of the verdict in the antitrust case against Nintendo. Nintendo agrees not to persue legal costs from Atari. [200.D3]
- July 7
- Federal District Court Judge Fern Smith awards Lewis Galoob Toys US$15 million against Nintendo regarding the Game Genie Video Game Enhancer. [201.D3]
- July
- Nintendo cuts the price of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US to US$99, but no longer includes a game cartridge. [334.34]
- Capcom releases the Street Fighter II: The World Warrior video game for the Super NES in the USA. Price is US$70. (1.5 million copies are sold in the first six months.) [234.D6] [328.56] [458.29] [664.48] [715.93] [1159.94]
- Capcom releases the Street Fighter II video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the USA. [334.34]
- (month unknown)
- Interplay releases the Mario Teaches Typing software for MS-DOS personal computers. It includes Nintendo characters Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool. [523.139] [530.29]
- August 1
- Nintendo releases the Mario Paint video game and mouse controller for the Super NES in the USA. [401] [1159.92] [1161.79] (May [871.38])
- August
- Tecmo releases the Tecmo Bowl video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the USA. [1159.92]
- Nintendo releases the Kirby's Dream Land video game for the Game Boy in the USA. [1161.79]
- Konami releases the TMNT IV: Turtles in Time for the Super NES in the USA. [1159.99]
- September 1
- Nintendo releases the Super Mario Kart game for the Super NES in the US. [304.142] [401] [458.41] [871.38] [1159.92]
- September 13
- A US Court of Appeals rules that reverse engineering is a legitimate business practice. The ruling comes in the Nintendo versus Atari copyright infringement case. The court rules, however, that Atari had infringed Nintendo copyrights for other reasons. [203.D3]
- September
- Tengen loses its appeal against Nintendo, and has to recall its game cartridges for the Nintendo Entertainment System. [124.259]
- Nintendo loses an appeal against the decision allowing Lewis Galoob Toys to manufacture and sell the Game Genie. [124.288]
- Konami releases the Axelay video game for the Super NES in the US. [972.94]
- Nintendo releases The Super Scope light gun controller for the Super NES in the USA. [1161.79]
- Namco releases the Wings 2: Aces High video game for the Super NES in the USA. [1135.116]
- September 21
- In Tokyo, Japan, Jeff Hansen of the US defeats Yuichi Suyama of Japan to become the World Nintendo Champion. [714.7]
- September 27
- Enix releases the Dragon Quest V game for the Super Famicom in Japan. (2.8 million copies are sold over its lifetime.) [298.48,51]
- October 1
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A character is playing a handheld video game strongly resembling a Nintendo Game Boy. [774]
- October 5
- Nintendo releases the Final Fantasy Mystic Quest for the Super NES in the US. [869.19]
- October 10
- Nintendo releases the Metroid II: The Return of Samus video game for the Game Boy. [779.25] (1991 [359.134])
- October 13
- Nintendo and Sony reach an agreement on a standard for CD-ROM players for a new video game system that can play Super NES cartridges and CD-ROMs. Nintendo will license all game software, and Sony will license, through Nintendo, all other software types. [124.387] [204.D14] [325.88]
- October
- Nintendo releases the Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the USA. [1159.92] [1161.79]
- Enix releases the Dragon Warrior IV video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super NES in the US. The game had been previously released in Japan for the Famicom as Dragon Quest IV. [296.106] [298.48] [715.93] [1159.99]
- Nintendo announces that it plans to unveil a 32-bit CD-based video game player in August 1993. [325.88]
- November
- Hudson Soft releases the Felix the Cat video game for the NES in the USA. [1135.116]
- Interplay releases the Out of this World video game for the Super NES in the USA. [972.94]
- Nintendo releases the Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins video game for the Game Boy in the USA. (Total sales: 11.09 million.) [412.24] [453.42] [1161.79]
- December 2
- The US Federal Trade Commission announces it is closing the case of its two-year investigation of Nintendo, with no further action being warranted. [124.420] [205.D4]
- December
- Square releases the Final Fantasy V video game for the Super Famicom in Japan. (Total sales over its lifetime: 2.5 million.) [556.99]
- Capcom releases The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse video game for the Super NES in the USA. [712.8] [715.93] [1159.99]
- Capcom releases the Mega Man V video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. [420.69]
- Capcom releases the Mega Man III video game for the Game Boy in the US. [420.71]
- December 31
- Unit sales of Nintendo Game Boy game systems worldwide to date: 32.2 million. [124.340,419]
- Unit sales of Nintendo Entertainment Systems worldwide to date: 64.2 million. [124.416]
- Unit sales of Super Nintendo Entertainment System game systems worldwide to date: 17.8 million. [124.419]
- Year
- Unit sales of Nintendo Game Boy systems in Europe during the year: 6 million. [124.416]
- Unit sales of Nintendo Entertainment Systems in Europe during the year: 3.5 million. [124.416]
- During the year, 170 million game cartridges for the Nintendo Entertainment System are sold, worth about US$7 billion. [124.7]
- Unit sales of The Legend of Zelda video game during the year: 1 million. [332.28]
- Market share of US video game industry: Nintendo 52%, Sega 38%. [349.35]
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