{{Short description|Australian video game distribution company}} {{About|an Australian video game distributor|an American video game publisher|Human Engineered Software}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}} {{multiple issues| {{more citations needed|date=March 2009}} {{update|date=January 2023}} }} {{Infobox company | name = Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty. Ltd. | logo = Home Entertainment Suppliers logo.jpg | logo_size = 130px | type = Privately held | company_slogan = | foundation = 1984 | location = Riverwood, Sydney, Australia | key_people = | num_employees = | industry = Video games | revenue = | homepage = http://www.hes.net/ | products = | subsid = Tru Blu Entertainment }} '''Home Entertainment Suppliers''' Pty. Ltd. (or '''HES''') is an Australian company that distributes computer games and gaming equipment. HES' offices are based in Riverwood, Sydney. HES's founder and managing director is Sebastian Giompaolo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Giompaolo |first=Sebastian |date=29 February 2024 |title=Managing Director |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-giompaolo-5891b9b7/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-giompaolo-5891b9b7 |archive-date=29 February 2024 |access-date=29 February 2024 |website=LinkedIn}}</ref>
They began distributing Commodore 64 titles such as ''Pitfall! made'' in 1982 and ''Kung-Fu Master'' in 1984 and Atari 2600 titles nearing the end of the 1980s under the name Activision.
HES still remains a dominant distributor within Australia, despite not being well known. HES currently is the distributor for Mad Catz,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/08/rock-band-4-is-insanely-expensive-in-australia/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150805003116/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/08/rock-band-4-is-insanely-expensive-in-australia/|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 August 2015|title=Rock Band 4 Is Insanely Expensive In Australia|date=2015-08-04|website=Kotaku Australia|language=en|access-date=2020-03-14}}</ref> Saitek, and Gamester joysticks, cables, memory cards, and other peripherals. HES also remains the official Australian distributor for Action Replay.
Quite a large number of software titles are currently also being distributed by HES for Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance by publishers ZOO Digital Publishing, Tru Blu Entertainment and Phantagram.
In the past, HES had gained a reputation for developing and distributing some interesting peripherals such as their auto fire controllers, Game Boy power adaptors, Master System converters for the Mega Drive and adapters for NES games such as the HES Unidaptor and HES Unidaptor MKII.
In 1999, the company created the publishing arm Tru Blu Entertainment for software titles created by the company, including the hit NRL Rugby League and AFL Live titles.
==Nintendo Entertainment System== ===Unlicensed=== {{unreferencedsect|date=December 2022}} [[File:Hes-sticker-of-approval.jpg|thumb|130px|right|HES seal to mimic the Nintendo Seal of Quality.]] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, HES ported games from American Game Cartridges, American Video Entertainment (AVE), Bit Corp, Color Dreams, Epyx, Thin Chen Enterprise (Sachen, Joy Van, etc.) and Tengen onto the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) as unlicensed titles, although they did not release games by Camerica or Active Enterprises. Most games were released in plastic cases like a video box with printed instructions on the inside, however sometimes the AVE titles were released in their original AVE boxes with a HES sticker simply stuck over AVE's original one. HES at the time became widely known for their unlicensed distribution of NES games at budget prices. Nintendo tried to fight against all unlicensed companies by introducing a Nintendo Seal of Quality on all their products which signified that titles adorning the symbol are guaranteed to operate on their NES hardware. To combat this, HES introduced their own seal that mimicked Nintendo’s seal, possibly in the hope of confusing buyers.
In order to circumvent other methods that Nintendo created to stop unlicensed developers (10NES), HES developed the 'Piggy Back' or 'Dongle' games, where one could insert an official NES cart into the HES game and it operated the country code of the official title instead of HES'. This was so successful that HES also used the same technology to build a device to entirely bypass the 10NES security protocol which was released as the ''HES Unidaptor''. The adapter allowed NTSC 72-pin NES and 60-pin Famicom games to be played on a PAL NES.
HES introduced games to Australia that were not released elsewhere in the western world, and these have become very sought after classics. However, HES also chose to release their multigame cartridges and a few of their single game titles in very limited numbers. Such titles are extremely scarce and thus nearly impossible to find.
===NES titles=== * ''Arctic Adventure: Penguin & Seal'' * ''Chiller'' * ''Death Race '' * ''Duck Maze'' * ''F-15 City War'' * ''Impossible Mission 2'' * ''International Ultimate League Soccer'' * ''Jackpot'' * ''Little Red Hood'' * ''Othello'' * ''Pac-Man'' * ''Pipemania'' * ''Raid 2020'' * ''Pyramid'' * ''R.B.I. Baseball'' * ''Sidewinder'' * ''Super Sprint'' * ''Toobin''' * ''Twin Eagle'' * ''Vindicators''
====Multi-game cartridges====
*''2 Pack Special'' (''International Ultimate Soccer League (Magexa Soccer)'', ''Super Sprint'')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vgdb.com.br/nes-nintendo-entertainment-system/jogos/2-pack-special-soccer-super-sprint/|title=2 Pack Special: Soccer + Super Sprint - VGDB - Vídeo Game Data Base}}</ref> *''4 in 1 Fun Blaster Pak'' (''Pipemania'', ''Twin Eagle'', ''Joyvan Kid'', and ''Little Red Hood'')3 *''4 in 1 Total Funpak'' (''Pac-Man'', ''Sidewinder'', ''Duck Maze'', and ''Othello'') *''4 in 1 Mind Blower Pak'' (''Math Quiz'', ''Jackpot'', ''Arctic Adventure'', and ''Incantation'') *''Maxi 15 (2 Variants, Red Cart which had Game Number 3 as "Death Race" and Game Number 6 as "Double Strike" and a more rarer Green Cart which has Game Number 3 as "Pyramid" and Game Number 6 as "Black Jack"'' * ''Real Players Pack 6-Pak'' (has the same unique games as ''Caltron 6 in 1''/''Myriad 6 in 1'')
==Other== ===''4 Pak All Action''=== ''4 Pak All Action'' was a 1995 unlicensed video game for the Master System that was released exclusively in Australia. This game is only compatible with the Master System 2 console. It includes four games: ''Power Block'', ''Adventure Kid'', ''Twin Mouse'', and ''Cave Dude''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100830010725/http://cheats.ign.com/objects/829/829112.html 4 Pak All Action entry at IGN]</ref>
===Atari 2600 titles=== HES released quite a few titles and multi game packs for the Atari 2600 Video Computer System. The cartridges are virtually identical to the Activision cartridges, but the Activision logo on the underside is blacked out. * 2 Pak Special<ref>{{Cite web |title=2 Pak Special: Dungeon Master / Creature Strike |url=https://www.ign.com/games/bundle-dungeon-master-creature-strike |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>(Dungeon Master, Creature Strike) * ''Smash Hit Pak'' (5-in-1 cartridge: Frogger, Stampede, Seaquest, Boxing, Skiing) * ''Super Hit Pak'' (5-in-1 cartridge: River Raid, Grand Prix, Fishing Derby, Sky Jinks, Checkers)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.hes.net}} *[http://www.nesworld.com/hes.php NESWORLD] *[http://www.nintendoage.com/ NintendoAge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501035148/http://nintendoage.com/ |date=1 May 2012 }} *[http://www.atariage.com/company_page.html?SystemID=2600&CompanyID=69 AtariAge - Companies - HES] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502225116/http://www.atariage.com/company_page.html?SystemID=2600&CompanyID=69 |date=2 May 2008 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20051107084329/http://www.zoodigitalpublishing.com/ ZOO Digital Publishing website]
Category:Video game companies of Australia Category:Video game companies established in 1984 Category:Australian companies established in 1984 Category:Companies based in Sydney Category:Video game publishers