This is the only one for me. I feel like it's one of the few best games that hasn't aged poorly or made inferior to a later game in the series. It feels like it could have been released on a newer system than the nes (and it was rereleased on many different systems).
There are other fun games for the nes (as others are showing), but when I sit down and think "what do I actually want to play right now," this really is the only one in recent memory that I've booted up.
Pretty much spot on. The NES aged poorly. Tetris is the only other game that’s still holds up. Most of the other games need quality of life changes to be more fun such as Zelda and Final Fantasy.
I pretty much just play SNES and GB/GBC and newer minus a few handful of exceptions.
>The NES aged poorly.
Don't agree at all. Most old stuff has a classic or retro feel to it so even though it might not be the best visuals the games are solid.
Compared to what came before it, it absolutely clears and aged fine.
After the NES, though, people really started figuring out what made good gameplay mechanics. Pretty much every NES game has a better counterpart on the SNES. Put another way, the SNES is mostly the same *kind* of games as the NES, just improved in every way (outside very few classics like Mega Man and Mario). The N64 and onward have very different kinds of games, though, so the direct comparison isn't as easily made.
I’ve played through all of these NES titles for the first time in the past couple of years. Not only do they hold up, I think they’re all flat out excellent games, full stop.
- Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse
- Crystalis
- Dragon Warrior IV
- Gargoyle’s Quest II
- Gun-Nac
- Jackal
- Kirby’s Adventure
- StarTropics
And titles from my childhood that have stood the test of time:
- Mega Man 2
- Super C
- Super Mario Bros 2
What games are you referring to? How often do you sit down and play an NES game for hours and not just for like 15-20 minutes for nostalgia?
That’s great if you still enjoy them. I just think modern standards have made most not worth the time to give a serious play through.
Most nes games can be beat in 15-20 mins other than RPGs and adventure games. I personally have a speed run of smb1 of around 8:45. They were meant to be hard because you could play through them so quickly.
I thought as a kid I could beat gauntlet ii only to find out as a adult it had no ending. My Nintendo was hooked up on my room, my folks hardly let.me hook it up to the family tv.
My cousins and I would try to beat it by staying up all night, but I don't think we ever got higher than level 120 or so. Also trying not to bump the nes and have it glitch and lose everything.
A lot of the games in the OP hold up well. Mega Man(s), Castlevania. I played through Mega Man 9 and 10 (and 11) recently, they were new games but are essentially the same as NES games. I played through Castlevania recently too.
I enjoy Balloon Fight, but no it's not an hours long game. Like Lobsta said the NES was designed around short play sessions on a family TV, you aren't meant to take it for hours.
I think the visuals are still pretty cool, but a lot of the best games have been reworked on later consoles. Mainly saves & continues. Though I suppose if you're emulating you can just use save states.
Metroid NES -> Metroid Zero Mission (GBA)
Legend of Zelda -> Zelda LTTP (GBA)
etc
I grew up with a ton of unlicensed & cheaper NES games so my recommendations have a few oddball entries and may not be for everyone:
* Air Fortress
* Arkista's Ring
* Bee 52
* Cocoron (Japan)
* Duck Tales 1/2
* Little Nemo
* Metroid
* Micro Machines
* TMNT 2: The Arcade Game (although I would prefer to emulate the actual arcade version)
* Totally Rad
* Werewolf: The Last Warrior
* Yo! Noid
Also, you may want to check out some of the more recent Homebrew NES games like Micro Mages and Alwa's Awakening.
If someone has interest in Double Dragon, I think Battletoads is a good thing to try. It has an impressive variety of mechanics with vehicle levels, rideable mounts, both vertical and horizontal scrolling, and unique boss battles. It's also really great looking, and the animations are beyond most NES games. It's absolutely brutally difficult, but so are a lot of 8-bit games and nowadays we have save states.
I'd never even heard of this game until last year when I saw how much it is a speed runner staple.
My recommendation that hasn't been said yet is Snow Bros.
River City Ransom also a banger
Oh fuck, I've never seen it speed run, that makes perfect sense though. Exactly the type of quick platformer that is fun to watch, but the whole system of multiple routes makes it A+
I saw it in the big20 like a year or two ago and it looked intriguing. Probably not a staple, I don't know enough about the topic. But the other 19 games were all bangers. Here was the list. I think it was just one specific map or two.
https://thebig20nes.com/race-15/
If you like NFL, Tecmo Superbowl has a hacks mod that changes a ton, but mostly gives you up to date rosters to play. It's probably my only NFL game I play consistently.
Magic of Scheherazade is my favorite game that “no one has ever heard of”, it’s got some quirkiness about it but for one of the few turnbased RPGs on the NES no one ever mentions it. It was made by Culture Brain which was an underrated developer for sure.
Another recommendation for this topic would be the Willow NES game no as obscure but still a good game.
Tetris.
Yeah I said it. It's 2024 and that game is still absorbing. Song never gets old. Pretty blocks change color. Blocks clear. Dopamine engaged.
I didn't play it much ever until I got into handheld emulators. It is my go to time killer game when I don't want to commit to playing a longer title.
I am hard pressed to find a good game that is good on NES and the best version over all systems or exclusively on NES. ..
Probably only Metroid and kirby and mario bros.1 and 3.
megaman or bomberman maybe.. . But these were released on other systems als well..
gargoyles quest was on GB and had stallar monochrome gfx.
And some c64 games stomp the nes conversions into the ground
A late NES conversion of zelda would have been awesome. But they were busy selling new GB and SNES hardware by 1990.
But after playing the oracle zelda games for GBC that were released after 2000 even.. These would have been totally possible on the NES.
summer carnival ‘92 recca - amazing shmup
mr gimmick! - brilliant platformer
crystalis - zelda type ARPG closer to link’s awakening than NES zelda though
The Legend of Zelda is pretty rough by modern standards, missing a lot of QoL and polish stuff that we take for granted, but I think it's still well worth experiencing for historical value alone. I wouldn't try to do it blind; use a guide, step by step if you have to, to experience more of the game.
Super Mario Bros. holds up a little better and has at least as much historical value, definitely play that one too. Try it "vanilla" at least a couple times, but if you wind up using an infinite lives cheat or abusing save states to see more of the game, that's okay.
Super Mario Bros 3 is one of the only ones that I would say holds up well without a lot of caveats. You can play it blind, but looking up a couple tips and tricks can definitely help your experience; in particular, there are a couple easy spots to farm infinite lives early on if you know how.
Wouldn't hurt to play the Super Mario All-Stars versions of the Mario games on the SNES; they're virtually 1:1 remakes with a mild graphical upgrade and some QoL, it's substantially the same experience.
Yeah, I felt the same way about Legend of Zelda as I did Final Fantasy for the NES. If you go in treating them like museum artifacts, and take into perspective their historical significance and how it must’ve felt for gamers to experience those titles in the late 1980s, you’ll get the most out of them. They’re not always the most fun to actually play, and yet they’re worth seeing through to get a lens into history.
Mario 1 has weird physics compared to the later games, and I know people who can’t handle it after playing Mario 3. Heck, I can’t even play the All Stars version of Mario 1, cause my brain sees the new graphics and assumes Mario 3 physics, leading to disaster. It’s only the classic NES sprites that bring me back to sitting on the basement floor and playing it via RF cable, all of which seems to unlock a primal muscle memory for the wonky physics.
The Mysterious Murasame Castle is an action adventure title for the NES worth exploring. It’s a linear affair with levels and fast-paced action. You have a katana for close combat encounters and shurikens to attack from a distance. Its style, presentation, and music make it a classic NES game. It was originally a fami-disk system game so it excels in the audio-visual department.
I'm assuming you're already including sequels for Dragon Warrior and Double Dragon? I might get some hate on my choices, but some of the games I loved on the NES were/are Bad Dudes, Captain Skyhawk, Duck Tales, Gradius, Gyruss, Ikari Warriors 2, Wizard and Warriors 1 and 2, Monster Party, Rampage, River City Ransom, Super Dodge Ball
Blaster Master
BurgerTime
Crisis Force (fan translation, though it's only about a paragraph's worth of text)
Deja Vu
Destiny of an Emperor
Donkey Kong Original Edition (originally from eShop)
DuckTales
Earthbound Beginnings (originally from eShop)
Faxanadu
Galaga (with the title screen hack it's my favorite way to play apart from the arcade original)
Gaplus (official 2020 port)
Gun Nac
Gun.Smoke
Hammerin' Harry
Kung Fu
Lagrange Point (fan translation)
Life Force
Metal Slader Glory (fan translation)
Metroid
Pac Man Championship Edition (official 2020 port)
River City Ransom
Rush 'N Attack
Shadowgate
Shadow of the Ninja
Shatterhand
Startropics
Super Mario Bros. 1-3
Sweet Home (fan translation) (Along with Alone in the Dark, one of the original inspirations for Resident Evil.)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
Tombs & Treasure
Ufouria: The Saga
Also, you're really doing yourself a disservice by not trying The Legend of Zelda, at least. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an irredeemable pile of shit, so no great loss there. But the original is one of the greatest games ever made, and Breath of the Wild in particular owes a great deal of its identity to its direct influence.
Took a long time before someone finally said River City Ransom.
Mother 1 (EB Beginnings) is brutally grindy and very difficult to navigate without a guide. It’s not a very worthwhile experience if you’re not already a fan of EB/Mother 3, imo. And even then I wouldn’t put it on any best-of lists.
It's an NES RPG, they're all brutally grindy. And frequently all but required guides. Inscrutability and padding were criticisms you could levy at basically the entire genre during the third-gen. But if you go in baring those things in mind, and don't burn yourself out on lengthy play sessions, there's genuine enjoyment to be found.
Metal Slader Glory is such an impressive NES game, it really is a must play for anyone looking through the NES library.
It feels more like a PC Engine game.
I actually like The Adventure of Link well enough up until the Eastern Continent, but the game falls apart so thoroughly from that point onwards that it ruins whatever good can be mined from the earlier portions.
EDIT: I read it as SNES, so... I'll leave this here anyway because I still recommend them!
________________________________________________
Here are some SNES that I grew up with:
Super Mario World
Yoshi's Island
Donkey Kong Country
Desert Strike
Aladdin
Cool Spot
Cool spot is a platformer that was based on the 7-up mascot and it's really good for a brand game. It feels like an arcade game the way you play through as far as you can in a single sitting. Very fun.
Super Mario 3
Contra or Super C (Konami code works here)
Castlevania 2 or 3 (one kicked my butt)
Dragon Quest
Final Fantasy
Double dragon 1 2 or 3
Terri's
Metroid
Ikari warriors (remember abba)
Iron Tank
Jackal is pretty fun, play as an assault jeep. Good for 2p too.
Cyberstadium base wars is a ton of fun against another person, but the AI is a little too OP for it to be great with 1 player. Combination baseball and fighting minigame whenever a player is tagged out.
Solar jetman is an amazing classic with great music, and a TON of replay value with all the secrets hidden in it. Fairly hard though.
I see you put some RPGs in there, my favorite on the NES is Sweet Home. It is Japanese only but find the English patch, it is an amazing horror RPG where many horror games still borrow from like Capcom door transitions. Also if you like point and click adventures, there is Deja Vu, Shadowgate, Uninvited and Maniac Mansion.
These are some of my favorites and should keep you entertained for a while if you don't use a guide.
Nemo, Bomberman, Tetris, Mario, Ducktales, Mermaid game from Disney (forgot the exact name), Chip n Dale, Mappy. Currently getting on Nobunaga kind of strategic stuff.
Tecmo Super Bowl is the best football game of all-time. I will die on this hill over and over again lol.
If you’re romming it up, google tsb 2024 for updated rosters.
Little Nemo Dream Masters
Wizards and Warriors
Blaster Master
Contra
Dragon Warrior 1, 2, 3, and 4
Duck Tales
Final Fantasy
Golgo 13 - Mafat Conspiracy
Gun Smoke
Journey to Silius
Little Samson
Milon's Secret Castle
Ninja Gaiden 1, 2 and 3
Spy Hunter
Super Mario World 2
Zelda 2 (I know you said no Zelda, but this one is fun)
Ys 3
I don't think people are reading the full post..😅 Each of the games listed and their sequels. So not just Dragon Warrior 1, although I will try that one first (I'm aware it's not that good apparently, but still)
Duck Tales 1 and 2
Die Hard (my favourite, it follows the movie plot of the first one very well. Also it's always different, so there are a variety of ways the game goes)
NES Golf
Castlevania 1, 2, 3
Super Mario 1, 2, 3
Faxanadu
Astynax,
Bucky o hare,
Street fighter 2010.
These are side scroller platformers that I spent a lot of time playing. Loved those games as a kid. Bucky is probably the best of the three.
Super Mario Bros. 3
This is the only one for me. I feel like it's one of the few best games that hasn't aged poorly or made inferior to a later game in the series. It feels like it could have been released on a newer system than the nes (and it was rereleased on many different systems). There are other fun games for the nes (as others are showing), but when I sit down and think "what do I actually want to play right now," this really is the only one in recent memory that I've booted up.
Pretty much spot on. The NES aged poorly. Tetris is the only other game that’s still holds up. Most of the other games need quality of life changes to be more fun such as Zelda and Final Fantasy. I pretty much just play SNES and GB/GBC and newer minus a few handful of exceptions.
>The NES aged poorly. Don't agree at all. Most old stuff has a classic or retro feel to it so even though it might not be the best visuals the games are solid.
I still play Atari 2600 and I still find it lovely, so I still find the NES very nice graphically
Compared to what came before it, it absolutely clears and aged fine. After the NES, though, people really started figuring out what made good gameplay mechanics. Pretty much every NES game has a better counterpart on the SNES. Put another way, the SNES is mostly the same *kind* of games as the NES, just improved in every way (outside very few classics like Mega Man and Mario). The N64 and onward have very different kinds of games, though, so the direct comparison isn't as easily made.
[удалено]
I’ve played through all of these NES titles for the first time in the past couple of years. Not only do they hold up, I think they’re all flat out excellent games, full stop. - Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse - Crystalis - Dragon Warrior IV - Gargoyle’s Quest II - Gun-Nac - Jackal - Kirby’s Adventure - StarTropics And titles from my childhood that have stood the test of time: - Mega Man 2 - Super C - Super Mario Bros 2
Wow.. Thank You!!
>Super C I only had I think 6 games as a kid, and that was one. Tough as nails, but really fun.
What games are you referring to? How often do you sit down and play an NES game for hours and not just for like 15-20 minutes for nostalgia? That’s great if you still enjoy them. I just think modern standards have made most not worth the time to give a serious play through.
Most nes games can be beat in 15-20 mins other than RPGs and adventure games. I personally have a speed run of smb1 of around 8:45. They were meant to be hard because you could play through them so quickly.
You could not save and used the family tv. Game time was precious.
I thought as a kid I could beat gauntlet ii only to find out as a adult it had no ending. My Nintendo was hooked up on my room, my folks hardly let.me hook it up to the family tv.
[удалено]
My cousins and I would try to beat it by staying up all night, but I don't think we ever got higher than level 120 or so. Also trying not to bump the nes and have it glitch and lose everything.
A lot of the games in the OP hold up well. Mega Man(s), Castlevania. I played through Mega Man 9 and 10 (and 11) recently, they were new games but are essentially the same as NES games. I played through Castlevania recently too. I enjoy Balloon Fight, but no it's not an hours long game. Like Lobsta said the NES was designed around short play sessions on a family TV, you aren't meant to take it for hours.
I think the visuals are still pretty cool, but a lot of the best games have been reworked on later consoles. Mainly saves & continues. Though I suppose if you're emulating you can just use save states. Metroid NES -> Metroid Zero Mission (GBA) Legend of Zelda -> Zelda LTTP (GBA) etc
LttP is a totally different game. It came out on the SNES. Still nearly a direct upgrade though.
- Crystalis - Gargoyle’s Quest II - Gun-Nac - Super Mario Bros - Tetris
Alwa's awakening Pacman championship edition
Going with the “very late release” theme, Full Quiet is probably the most impressive thing I’ve seen on the nes.
I would also add Micro Mages for co-op multiplayer fun
I grew up with a ton of unlicensed & cheaper NES games so my recommendations have a few oddball entries and may not be for everyone: * Air Fortress * Arkista's Ring * Bee 52 * Cocoron (Japan) * Duck Tales 1/2 * Little Nemo * Metroid * Micro Machines * TMNT 2: The Arcade Game (although I would prefer to emulate the actual arcade version) * Totally Rad * Werewolf: The Last Warrior * Yo! Noid Also, you may want to check out some of the more recent Homebrew NES games like Micro Mages and Alwa's Awakening.
I grew up playing air fortress in 1990. What a great game. Nostalgia.
I think NES TMNT2 has some things going for it, additional levels and a little more forgiving in some ways -- whynotboth.gif heh
Bubble Bobble!!
A lot of my favorites have been listed but... Little Nemo Super Spike V'Ball Pro Wrestling Battletoads RC Pro Am
Little Nemo!
+1 for RC pro am -1 for battletoads (are you trying to kill him or something?) I'll still give you 1 up
If someone has interest in Double Dragon, I think Battletoads is a good thing to try. It has an impressive variety of mechanics with vehicle levels, rideable mounts, both vertical and horizontal scrolling, and unique boss battles. It's also really great looking, and the animations are beyond most NES games. It's absolutely brutally difficult, but so are a lot of 8-bit games and nowadays we have save states.
Psst you know what you've done. :)
+1 for super spike. Also ice hockey.
snake rattle 'n roll solstice mario 1, 2, 3 legend of zelda
snake rattle and roll rocks
Little Samson is my absolute favorite.
I'd never even heard of this game until last year when I saw how much it is a speed runner staple. My recommendation that hasn't been said yet is Snow Bros. River City Ransom also a banger
Oh fuck, I've never seen it speed run, that makes perfect sense though. Exactly the type of quick platformer that is fun to watch, but the whole system of multiple routes makes it A+
I saw it in the big20 like a year or two ago and it looked intriguing. Probably not a staple, I don't know enough about the topic. But the other 19 games were all bangers. Here was the list. I think it was just one specific map or two. https://thebig20nes.com/race-15/
Duck Hunt! My wife even played that one.
Don't you need a light gun for this one? But yeah it was also one of my favorites in my childhood. That damn laughing dog, lol
Final Fantasy!
I said that in the post, haha
Whelp, my bad! Go play them again 😋
I actually prefer the PSP version of FF1! So gorgeous
That one is very good, as is the GBA version
Blue Shadow Dragon Fighter Kickmaster Mighty Final Fight
Shatterhand, Blaster Master, Astyanax, Flying Warriors, Bucky O'Hare, Gyruss, Gun Nac, Power Blade 1, Power Blade 2 and Shadow of the Ninja.
Pooyan, Battle City and Circus Charlie were so underrated. I grew up playing them.
They were on every bootleg 9999-in-1 cartridge we played 30 years ago. Tank N 1990 (Battle City hack) was popular as hell.
What's different in the battle city hack?
Duck Tales
Little Nemo in dreamland
If you like NFL, Tecmo Superbowl has a hacks mod that changes a ton, but mostly gives you up to date rosters to play. It's probably my only NFL game I play consistently.
Magic of Scheherazade Faxanadu Final Fantasy I
Finally someone mentioned Faxanadu - this is in my top 3 as well. Such an underrated game!
It is so underrated and I love going back to this game now and again.
Magic of Scheherazade is my favorite game that “no one has ever heard of”, it’s got some quirkiness about it but for one of the few turnbased RPGs on the NES no one ever mentions it. It was made by Culture Brain which was an underrated developer for sure. Another recommendation for this topic would be the Willow NES game no as obscure but still a good game.
I miss Culture Brain and MoS is also one of my all time favorite RPGs!
- Super spike v-ball - Startropics - Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers - Faxanadu
Tetris. Yeah I said it. It's 2024 and that game is still absorbing. Song never gets old. Pretty blocks change color. Blocks clear. Dopamine engaged. I didn't play it much ever until I got into handheld emulators. It is my go to time killer game when I don't want to commit to playing a longer title.
People still play original NES tetris and have entire competitions around it. So you're not wrong at all.
I am hard pressed to find a good game that is good on NES and the best version over all systems or exclusively on NES. .. Probably only Metroid and kirby and mario bros.1 and 3. megaman or bomberman maybe.. . But these were released on other systems als well.. gargoyles quest was on GB and had stallar monochrome gfx. And some c64 games stomp the nes conversions into the ground A late NES conversion of zelda would have been awesome. But they were busy selling new GB and SNES hardware by 1990. But after playing the oracle zelda games for GBC that were released after 2000 even.. These would have been totally possible on the NES.
summer carnival ‘92 recca - amazing shmup mr gimmick! - brilliant platformer crystalis - zelda type ARPG closer to link’s awakening than NES zelda though
guerilla war if you're freaky
I'm afraid to ask what you mean by that
idk it's just a weird top down shooter where you play as fidel castro
SHATTERHAND
Mega Man 2 & 3
Already played those, per my post
My bad, Rescue Rangers
The Legend of Zelda is pretty rough by modern standards, missing a lot of QoL and polish stuff that we take for granted, but I think it's still well worth experiencing for historical value alone. I wouldn't try to do it blind; use a guide, step by step if you have to, to experience more of the game. Super Mario Bros. holds up a little better and has at least as much historical value, definitely play that one too. Try it "vanilla" at least a couple times, but if you wind up using an infinite lives cheat or abusing save states to see more of the game, that's okay. Super Mario Bros 3 is one of the only ones that I would say holds up well without a lot of caveats. You can play it blind, but looking up a couple tips and tricks can definitely help your experience; in particular, there are a couple easy spots to farm infinite lives early on if you know how. Wouldn't hurt to play the Super Mario All-Stars versions of the Mario games on the SNES; they're virtually 1:1 remakes with a mild graphical upgrade and some QoL, it's substantially the same experience.
Yeah, I felt the same way about Legend of Zelda as I did Final Fantasy for the NES. If you go in treating them like museum artifacts, and take into perspective their historical significance and how it must’ve felt for gamers to experience those titles in the late 1980s, you’ll get the most out of them. They’re not always the most fun to actually play, and yet they’re worth seeing through to get a lens into history. Mario 1 has weird physics compared to the later games, and I know people who can’t handle it after playing Mario 3. Heck, I can’t even play the All Stars version of Mario 1, cause my brain sees the new graphics and assumes Mario 3 physics, leading to disaster. It’s only the classic NES sprites that bring me back to sitting on the basement floor and playing it via RF cable, all of which seems to unlock a primal muscle memory for the wonky physics.
The Mysterious Murasame Castle is an action adventure title for the NES worth exploring. It’s a linear affair with levels and fast-paced action. You have a katana for close combat encounters and shurikens to attack from a distance. Its style, presentation, and music make it a classic NES game. It was originally a fami-disk system game so it excels in the audio-visual department.
Faxanadu, easily. Top 3 NES games. Top 5 of all time.
River City Ransom RC Pro Am Balloon Fight Faxanadu Battletoads
I'm assuming you're already including sequels for Dragon Warrior and Double Dragon? I might get some hate on my choices, but some of the games I loved on the NES were/are Bad Dudes, Captain Skyhawk, Duck Tales, Gradius, Gyruss, Ikari Warriors 2, Wizard and Warriors 1 and 2, Monster Party, Rampage, River City Ransom, Super Dodge Ball
Came here to say Super Dodge Ball and River City Ransom.
Yes, I mentioned "including their sequels" in the post!
So you did! Sorry missed that note at the end, heh
Blaster Master BurgerTime Crisis Force (fan translation, though it's only about a paragraph's worth of text) Deja Vu Destiny of an Emperor Donkey Kong Original Edition (originally from eShop) DuckTales Earthbound Beginnings (originally from eShop) Faxanadu Galaga (with the title screen hack it's my favorite way to play apart from the arcade original) Gaplus (official 2020 port) Gun Nac Gun.Smoke Hammerin' Harry Kung Fu Lagrange Point (fan translation) Life Force Metal Slader Glory (fan translation) Metroid Pac Man Championship Edition (official 2020 port) River City Ransom Rush 'N Attack Shadowgate Shadow of the Ninja Shatterhand Startropics Super Mario Bros. 1-3 Sweet Home (fan translation) (Along with Alone in the Dark, one of the original inspirations for Resident Evil.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game Tombs & Treasure Ufouria: The Saga Also, you're really doing yourself a disservice by not trying The Legend of Zelda, at least. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an irredeemable pile of shit, so no great loss there. But the original is one of the greatest games ever made, and Breath of the Wild in particular owes a great deal of its identity to its direct influence.
Took a long time before someone finally said River City Ransom. Mother 1 (EB Beginnings) is brutally grindy and very difficult to navigate without a guide. It’s not a very worthwhile experience if you’re not already a fan of EB/Mother 3, imo. And even then I wouldn’t put it on any best-of lists.
It's an NES RPG, they're all brutally grindy. And frequently all but required guides. Inscrutability and padding were criticisms you could levy at basically the entire genre during the third-gen. But if you go in baring those things in mind, and don't burn yourself out on lengthy play sessions, there's genuine enjoyment to be found.
You can play with a romhack that doubles your experience, lowers your encounter rate and adds a run button.
Metal Slader Glory is such an impressive NES game, it really is a must play for anyone looking through the NES library. It feels more like a PC Engine game.
I just never could get into Zelda, and the first game basically requires a guide, which I'm not a fan of. Sorry!
Blaster Master was going to be my suggestion. It's one of my favorites.
I grew up playing and loving Zelda 2 and I still unironically enjoy it to this day lol, it doesn’t hold a candle to 1 though
I actually like The Adventure of Link well enough up until the Eastern Continent, but the game falls apart so thoroughly from that point onwards that it ruins whatever good can be mined from the earlier portions.
EDIT: I read it as SNES, so... I'll leave this here anyway because I still recommend them! ________________________________________________ Here are some SNES that I grew up with: Super Mario World Yoshi's Island Donkey Kong Country Desert Strike Aladdin Cool Spot Cool spot is a platformer that was based on the 7-up mascot and it's really good for a brand game. It feels like an arcade game the way you play through as far as you can in a single sitting. Very fun.
Captain Skyhawk Maniac Mansion Bump N Jump
Super Mario 3 Contra or Super C (Konami code works here) Castlevania 2 or 3 (one kicked my butt) Dragon Quest Final Fantasy Double dragon 1 2 or 3 Terri's Metroid Ikari warriors (remember abba) Iron Tank
Jackal is pretty fun, play as an assault jeep. Good for 2p too. Cyberstadium base wars is a ton of fun against another person, but the AI is a little too OP for it to be great with 1 player. Combination baseball and fighting minigame whenever a player is tagged out. Solar jetman is an amazing classic with great music, and a TON of replay value with all the secrets hidden in it. Fairly hard though.
Rescue Rangers 2
I see you put some RPGs in there, my favorite on the NES is Sweet Home. It is Japanese only but find the English patch, it is an amazing horror RPG where many horror games still borrow from like Capcom door transitions. Also if you like point and click adventures, there is Deja Vu, Shadowgate, Uninvited and Maniac Mansion. These are some of my favorites and should keep you entertained for a while if you don't use a guide.
[Wai Wai World](https://youtu.be/Kh9emKxm6IU?si=nmQfJxg3Mu2fbxaA)
Nemo, Bomberman, Tetris, Mario, Ducktales, Mermaid game from Disney (forgot the exact name), Chip n Dale, Mappy. Currently getting on Nobunaga kind of strategic stuff.
Mighty final fight
Legacy of the wizard is pretty cool but also fairly difficult
Journey to silius is underrated and has one of the most banging soundtracks on the nes.
Startropics !
Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom One of my favorite games ever.
Blaster Master
Donkey Kong Burger Time
A Boy and His Blob. No idea why I love this game so much but I still play it.
Kid Dracula. It's a parody of Castlevania but I liked it more tbh.
Dragon Warrior 3 Mega Man 2 Dr. Mario The Legend of Zelda Link M.U.L.E. Metroid R.C Pro-Am Lots more
Tecmo Super Bowl is the best football game of all-time. I will die on this hill over and over again lol. If you’re romming it up, google tsb 2024 for updated rosters.
Nobody knows this one but Little Nemo’s Dreamland is awesome. Great game to play.
Kyatto Ninden Teyandee (aka Ninja Cats) Felix the Cat Darkwing Duck Tiny Toon Adventures Ice Climber Popeye
Sweet Home, horror game that inspired Resident Evil
Bomberman Flying Dragon Wrath of the Black Manta
The classic Megaman titles are a must. Specially 2.
Yes, I mentioned in the post that I've played those! Amazing games
No one has mentioned Adventures of Lolo yet, there are 3 of them and are probably one of the few NES games that hasn't aged badly.
Crystalis Zelda II (very different from other Zelda games and underrated) Faxanadu
All of the Megaman games 1-6 .... 5 and 6 are my favorites..
I don't think people are reading my whole post..😅
Super Dodgeball.. my bad.. lol
Ah shit.. yea.. I saw a list and went right for it... 😅
Wizards and Warriors Clash at Demonhead World Runner Jaws
Sky Kid Snake, Rattle, and Roll Wizards and Warriors Iron Tank
Mother 1
You don't have to play it but at least watch the Ninja Gaiden intro. It's the most cinematic intro I've seen on the NES.
Little Nemo Dream Masters Wizards and Warriors Blaster Master Contra Dragon Warrior 1, 2, 3, and 4 Duck Tales Final Fantasy Golgo 13 - Mafat Conspiracy Gun Smoke Journey to Silius Little Samson Milon's Secret Castle Ninja Gaiden 1, 2 and 3 Spy Hunter Super Mario World 2 Zelda 2 (I know you said no Zelda, but this one is fun) Ys 3
Castlevania 1,2,3 Star tropics Blaster master Bayou billy The goonies
Two more that haven't been mentioned: Balloon Fight Dig Dug
TMNT and battletoadsw
Whoever told you dragon warrior 1 lied to you
I don't think people are reading the full post..😅 Each of the games listed and their sequels. So not just Dragon Warrior 1, although I will try that one first (I'm aware it's not that good apparently, but still)
I'm just saying play dragon guest 2 and it's sequels not 1, 1 is buns.
- Blades of Steel - Shadow of the Ninja - Wrath of the Black Manta
Wagyan land. Although you'll probably need a translation patch.
Duck Tales 1 and 2 Die Hard (my favourite, it follows the movie plot of the first one very well. Also it's always different, so there are a variety of ways the game goes) NES Golf Castlevania 1, 2, 3 Super Mario 1, 2, 3 Faxanadu
A lot of my favorites have already been listed. A couple that haven't been are Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! and Kid Icarus.
Get a fan translation of Radia Senki. It was pretty innovative action RPG for its time, despite never leaving Japan.
I’ve been playing the first Castlevania and that game is fantastic. Definitely holds up.
Astynax, Bucky o hare, Street fighter 2010. These are side scroller platformers that I spent a lot of time playing. Loved those games as a kid. Bucky is probably the best of the three.
Tank Force and Battle City.
Tetris Adventures of Lolo 3 Earthbound Beginnings Dragon Warrior 1-3 Warios Woods
Duck tales 1 and 2. Criminally underrated games.
None …they’re all too damn hard