The NES is great engineering all around, proven by how longlasting it was and what games it allowed, despite the custom video hardware having some quirks and bugs.
Never knew who was the chief designer until now, rip.
Both the NES and SNES almost feel inevitable now, but both designs were very unique and interesting. By no means did they have to turn out the way they did. The way the 6502 on the NES was teamed up with very capable sound and PPU hardware for the time was actually a perfect choice. The NES still has a very distinct feel to its sound and graphics. The SNES with its custom sound chip and PPU, with its 8 different graphic modes. (While the Genesis Mega Drive opted for a more standard 68K for the CPU). They're all very unique choices that made these consoles distinct and memorable. I really respect the engineering choices that were made back then.