So What Was The NES Select Button For?

Note from racketboy: You can definitely tell when Fastbilly1 is passionate about a topic…. This time he shares his thoughts and research of an oft-overlooked component of the Nintendo Entertainment Systems, the Select Button.

Often it is shoved to the side, disregarded, or the target of outright hatred. Many gamers do not believe it is useful and many more have never cared to think about it. That little button, often right in the middle of the controller, called select always gets a “bad rap.” Well being that I am currently on a NES kick I decided I would attempt to dispel some of the misguided hate toward this controller oddity. The following is a list of games in which I have found that the select button is used (be it in the Menu or in the game). It is not a complete list but I think it is enough to finally put to rest the statement that the button is completely useless. Whether or not it still need’s to be on controllers apart from the NES is a whole other topic altogether.

I would like to remind everyone that this is not a definitive list and may possibly have factually inaccuracies. If you have any comments or wish to add or correct, please comment. This is mostly US NES games, if you have information for Japanese or European only releases I would love to hear them. A large chunk of the information was obtained from the files hosted by the good folks at ReproductionDocs.com. If you ever need an old manual, they are the best source for them in the world.

In-Game Use:

A Boy and His Blob – Change Jelly Bean Types (Jelly Beans are used to transform the blob)

A Nightmare on Elm Street – Change between Dreamwarriors (as the teenagers it is not used)

Adventures of Lolo 1-3 – Used to start room over

Airwolf – Decrease your speed

Alien 3 – Select Weapon

Alpha Mission – Select Weapon

Amagon – To transform into Megagon (if you have the Mega-Key)

Metroid – Selects missiles

Batman -Pause (start cycles weapons)

Captain American and the Avengers – Pause (start cycles through characters)

Captain Comic – Allows you to teleport (only if you have the Magic Wand)

Captain Skyhawk – Used in conjunction with left or right to barrel roll

Castlevania II: Simons Quest – Hard pause (start brings up your inventory)

Castlevania III – Menu use and to transform into a Spirit

Caveman Games – Restarts event (only when already paused)

Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers – Display stats

Cobra Command – Display Subscreen

Cobra Triangle – Activates flashing powerup

Crystalis – Display Subscreen

Cybernoid – Weapon select

Darkwing Duck – Select Special Gas

Days of Thunder – Pauses game (start button is unused)

Dick Tracy – Get out of car and cycle weapons

Double Dragon III – Change Weapons/Fighters

Dr Chaos – Cycle Weapons while in the Warp Zones and Hallways

Dragons Lair – Used on Menu and to pause

Dynowarz – Satellite Attack (screen clearer)

Elite – Activate Powerup

Family Feud – Buzzes In

Faxanadu – Displays the Item Screen

Final Fantasy – Displays the Character Order screen

Flight of the Intruder – When in the map, will allow you to skip waypoints

Flying Dragon – Skip dialogue

Friday the 13th – Select option while exploring

Gauntlet II – Pauses the game (Start also pauses)

Home Alone 2 – Select weapon

Jack Nicklaus Greatest 18 holes – To check the money chart in a skins game

Jurassic Park – Change Dart Types

Kart Fighter – Switches buttons from punches to kicks (and vice versa)

Kickle Cubicle – Kills stuck character and Menu Use

Kid Icarus – Switch weapons

Kings Knight – Used in conjunction with the reset button to enable Continue mode

Kirby’s Adventure – Exhale enemy ability

Legacy of the Wizard – Item select

Maniac Mansion – Every thing

Metal Gear – Brings up the Mode Selection menu and Menu Use

Metroid – Activate missiles

Mike Tyson’s Punchout/Punchout – Faster shoulder rub (recover health between rounds)

Monopoly – Bring up Main Menu (start pauses)

M.U.L.E. – Pauses Game

NFL Football – Scrolls down lists

Nightshade – Brings up Icon Menu

Operation Wolf – Speed of cursor (in controller mode)

PinBot – Bumps the cabinet to the right

Puzzle – Toggles Music and Helpfile

Pyramid – Toggles Music

Rygar – Pauses Game (start brings up menu)

Shadowgate – Displays hints

Shingen the Ruler – Change parameters for the condition of the territory

Solstice – Brings up select menu

Strider – Changes “tricks”

Super Glove Ball – Hold Down to clear a wall. Hit to fire bullets

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Switch weapons

Tetris (Nintendo) – Hides next block

The Addams Family – To control Thing

The Black Bass – Take the fish off the hook

The Blue Marlin – To see Menu

The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout – Pauses the game (start also pauses)

The Flintstones – Use special items

The Goonies II – Pauses the game (start switches to the auxiliary scene)

The Legend of Zelda – Menu use and hard pause (start brought up the item screen)

The Mafat Conspiracy – Menu use and to skip dialogues

The Punisher – Select functions

The Simpsons: Bart vs the Space Mutants – Switch items

The Simpsons: Bart vs the World – Exit Minigame

Wayne Gretzky Hockey – Menu use and to change players

Wizard and Warriors – Use items or magic

Wolverine – Extend Claws and/or Call Havoc

Wrath of the Black Manta – Display Ninpo attacks

Zen Intergalactic Ninja – Use health item

Menu Use: