6502 would give them a dose of reality, but I think teaching people by having them program an 8-bit CISC chip is cruel. There's so many asymmetries that get in the way.
(Also, I don't think anyone actually likes NES games except for nostalgia, but this might just be because square waves make my ears hurt.)
This just isn't true. There are plenty of very good NES games that have great game loops and are a blast to play. Some of the good ones have quirks or unintuitive controls but are still quite enjoyable.
(Also, I don't think anyone actually likes NES games except for nostalgia, but this might just be because square waves make my ears hurt.)