The Nintendo Entertainment System has been credited with saving the video game industry after the infamous video game crash of the mid-1980s. It was the console that inspired people to say they were "playing Nintendo" rather than "playing video games". With over 700 titles in its library, our editors were given the task of narrowing the list down to the ten must-have games. After much debate, numerous black eyes, and one arrest, GamingWorld X is proud to present the Top Ten NES games of all time.
Since we know you're bound to disagree with us, send your lists to our mailbag feature, X-Communication, and try to keep the insults to a minimum. Thanks.
10. Double Dragon John Luedtke
So many games during this era set the pace and blazed the trail for years to come. Double Dragon was such a game, inspiring countless clones and practically inventing the side-scrolling beat-'em-up. Appearing on numerous consoles before and after, the 1988 release of Double Dragon for the NES was met with extraordinary critical and commercial success.
The plot revolves around a pair of twin brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, on a quest to save Billy's girlfriend, Marian, from the Black Warriors gang. The brothers fight their way through back alleys, construction yards, and forest hideouts, serving knuckle sandwiches to everyone that gets in their way. Containing a whopping 12+ moves to their arsenal of attacks and multiple weapons used to bloody up the opposition, Double Dragon provided peerless arcade action on Nintendo's little 8-bit box.
Also included in the package was a simple one-on-one fighting game allowing gamers to play as any character in the game. While a nice bonus, it certainly didn't make up for the lack of two-player cooperative play featured in the Sega Master System version. Regardless of this oversight, Double Dragon to this day remains one of the most beloved games on the NES.
9. Castlevania Adam Matlock
One of the most annoying (of few) things about the Nintendo Entertainment System was the multitude of platform games; many were movie licensed, most were bad, and almost all were similar. Thankfully, Konami, in one of the many innovations they've done in their career, released one of the most influential titles of all time, Castlevania, and the story that it has told of the Belmonts, a clan of vampire hunters and whatever allies they can find, as they go up against the un-dying evil of Dracula.
Tying in with the darker theme, the game featured many gothic environments that helped make the game feel atmospheric and unique. The castle itself was well designed, the enemies were more or less frightening, and the sheer idea of running around a castle fighting the undead with a whip was inventive enough as it was. Add to that the great, horror-movie inspired bosses (the vampire bat still rules), and a difficulty level that kept you from beating the game within a few hours, and it’s clear that there’s no way to deny Castlevania the status of greatness it deserves.
Although the series went on to far greater heights on the Nintendo and many other systems, the first time was definitely the charm, introducing a great theme, a fantastic soundtrack and some gameplay elements that would be honed down to an art in later titles. Its influence on games cannot be contested, and simply put, it’s a classic.
8. Double Dragon 2 Joe Mackie
The beat ‘em up genre isn’t very well represented on today’s platforms. Modern attempts, such as The Bouncer, just can’t manage to live up to the classics. It’s a shame, really, as there are few gaming experiences more enjoyable than teaming up with a buddy and simply beating up some bad guys.
Double Dragon 2 is a perfect example of this. It featured more than a dozen moves, nice graphics, a rocking soundtrack and solid control. Double Dragon 2 even featured an experience system; defeating more bad guys resulted in the learning of new techniques. The highlight of the package is the simultaneous cooperative two player mode, which is some of the best fun that can be had on the NES.
Future Double Dragon efforts just haven’t managed to live up to the NES classics. The SNES games just weren’t the same. Who knows, though? In this age of remakes, perhaps we’ll see a brand new Double Dragon in the near future. I know I’ll be first in line for it.
7. Punch Out Phil Haymes
Originally called Mike Tysons' Punch Out!, this game was pulled from the shelves and renamed due to legal reasons and had any reference to Mike Tyson removed. Despite that, this game is really a true classic and one of the best boxing games ever made – only succeeded by it's sequel Super Punch Out for Super Nintendo.
Certainly one of the best NES games that money can buy, Punch Out! Is a game that simply oozes quality and excellent design. The player takes control of Little Mac, a young novice boxer who is determined to become the best boxer in the world and take on Mr. Dream the undefeated world champion. The game itself was very simple yet highly playable. However, the clever aspect was the exaggerated cartoon style of the boxers. This made for a much more interesting game and allowed Nintendo to make each opponent different, with extreme tactics needed to defeat them. Looking for a characters weak spot or attack was a fundamental part of this game and each weakness was so well thought up that each character was fresh and new. The boxers themselves were full of character, some of my favorites being King Hippo, Don Flamenco, Super Macho Man, Piston Honda and obviously Glass Joe. Also, Mario made a guest appearance in this game as the referee. With its exaggerated physics, cool style and awesome characters, this game will remain a classic for generations to come.
6. Tetris Eric Braden
There aren’t many people that can call themselves gamers without having had the experience of playing Tetris at least once in their life. This classic game created by Russian Alexey Pajitnov during the Cold War era revolutionized gaming, with its simplistic, yet inarguably addictive, gameplay. The game, for those of the non-Tetris loving minority, is a puzzle game- the puzzle game that all others are measured against. Controlling and spinning a shape, the player must fit it into the blocks at the bottom of the screen, in an attempt at filling in rows with blocks, so that the row disappears. When the blocks don’t make a complete row, they pile up, until they reach the top, and the player loses.
Many a gamer has spent hours upon hours with Tetris, myself included. Part of its appeal is the fact that everyone can enjoy it, from beginners to experts. This is because Tetris starts out easy, and only gets harder if you can hang in there long enough. Another aspect of Tetris is that everyone- moms, girlfriends, little siblings; even grandparents- can partake in a Tetris marathon, and with equally gleeful results. Some students turned a building into a giant Tetris game. Tetris, according to some studies, can even be used as a tool in dream research. That’s just how powerful Tetris is. Tetris is addictive, Tetris is straightforward, but most of all Tetris is timeless.
5. The Legend of Zelda Joe Mackie
The Legend of Zelda… what a game! This was actually the very first video game I owned, and it is still one of my very favorite games. It is clearly a favorite of many, as it ranks #5 in our feature. The Legend of Zelda was truly revolutionary. While the story wasn’t entirely special, and hasn’t really changed throughout the entire Zelda series, it certainly did the job. The evil Ganon is trying to rule the fantasy world of Hyrule, so it’s up to Link to stop him.
On the technical side of things, Zelda was revolutionary in the way it allowed the player to save his progress. It
was one of the first, if not the very first console games to allow saving. Most NES games had to be played from start to finish in just one sitting, so this was a welcome addition, especially with such an epic quest.
Zelda was also one of the very first console games to feature an overworld. The player wasn’t instantly transported from level to level; a large part of the game was actually discovering the hidden entrances to the many dungeons. By today’s standards, The Legend of Zelda would be considered nothing more than a simple hack and slasher with a few puzzle elements, but at the time, it was a brand new concept. Not only that, it featured an entirely new quest once the game had been completed. This essentially doubled the replay value on an already lengthy quest.
4. Metroid Ben Sinnett
Ranking in at number four on our countdown, 'Metroid' really was "the action game to rule them all"(or something like that) back in it's heyday. Released in 1986, players took on the role of Samus Aran, a space-age bounty hunter, whom had set out to hamper the evil Mother Brain's plans of unleashing her genetically-engineered super-beings, the 'Metroid', unto a ravaged earth. Aside from Mother Brain, Samus was also to deal with a large gathering of space pirates, and the mysterious Kraid and Ridley. It really was gripping stuff, but enough about the story.
The actual game itself is hard to categorize, being a blend of action, exploration, and gunplay with odd RPG elements. Quite often you will be making the best of your arm-cannon by blasting enemies, while on other occasions you're bound to find yourself traipsing around to locate one of the many secret passages coded into the game by Nintendo. There was so much depth located within Metroid, something relatively unheard of for a video game back then. Some would argue that it is still unheard of today.
The vast variety in the action, collectable power ups, some noteworthy visual and audio effects and rock solid difficulty levels all rolled into one, Metroid deserves the fourth place it has been handed in our feature.
3. Super Mario Bros. Phil Haymes
Super Mario Bros was one of the biggest steps in videogame design ever taken and has a place in millions of gamers hearts as one of the best games ever created. You were playing as either Mario or Luigi in the strange Mushroom Kingdom in an attempt to save Princess Toadstool from the clutches of Bowser the evil King of the Koopa Tribe.
Super Mario Bros was revolutionary for its' time containing bucket loads of hidden secrets and extras whilst providing an addictive gameplay experience that anyone could enjoy. Not only did the game feature outstanding graphics for its time but it also delivered an unrivalled experience in controlling a games character. For the first time the hero could collect power-ups to become Super Mario, or to shoot fireballs as well as the
usual running and jumping and ducking. The level design was really good in this game and I think that is why it was so playable. Whilst there were the usual chasms and enemies to avoid, this game introduced blocks that could be destroyed, moving platforms, platforms shaped like mushrooms, lava pits, warp pipes and the crumbling bridges to add variety to the way the game plays. The enemies were extremely varied in both look and abilities. Goombas were simple mushrooms you could jump on, Koopa Troopa's were turtles whose shell you could jump on and shoot off! Then there were enemies such as Lakitu who threw down Spiney's from it's cloud above, Pirhana Plants and the Hammer Bros – Koopas who could throw hammers at Mario. The underwater levels also saw some great additions to the bad guy roster with Bloopers being the most irritating (and genius) of them. This game married good level design with good controls and excellent character design. Super Mario Bros was definitely an indication of Miyamoto's absolute genius and easily one of the best games ever made for any system ever.
2. Super Mario Brothers 3 Adam Matlock
They say variety is the spice of life - the Mario franchise has, at the very least, stayed 'spicy,' with racing games, party games, fighting games and of course, the great old platformers that started everything. Even between games in the Super Mario Bros. series, there has been a great deal of variety - but never in one title, in my opinion, has there been such a wide variety of options; combine that with super-polished gameplay and for-the-time great graphics (that were borderline surreal to a young mind), and you've easily got one of the best titles on the NES.
Although the series had not yet introduced gamers to Yoshi, the ability to fly with the raccoon suit was one of the most exhilarating yet - it allowed for larger levels with secrets that could be accessed, and a new offensive style (that didn't involve throwing radishes or other smiling vegetables at opponents.) Moreover, the
other styles of suits (among them the Frog suit) added many different levels of gameplay to the existing formula.
Additionally, mini-games played with Toad in certain parts of each world gave you extra help in the game. And if that weren't enough, the variation between each world is almost mind blowing, showing off the latter-day Nintendo's graphical ability while creating a game with substance - a feat that seems so hard to accomplish on next-gen consoles. Super Mario Brothers 3 is simple proof that you need to look no further then the past to find the greatest accomplishments, in whatever medium.
1. Contra John Luedtke
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, (Select), Start. The game was released 14 years ago and the famous "Konami Code" is still etched in my memory. Contra is a bona fide classic, and often considered to be the best game of all time; and with good reason. It's the kind of game that gets us all misty-eyed and nostalgic when it's mentioned. Featuring fast-paced, arcade action that still stands up today, Contra was a quarter-muncher in the arcades, and without the code, proved to be quite the challenge at home as well.
The plot is roughly this: A bunch of aliens, led by the nefarious Red Falcon, crash land in the jungles of South America and are intent on taking over Earth. Dressed like Rambo rejects with the names "Scorpion" and "Mad Dog", and toting upgradeable weapons, you and a friend set off to thwart to their diabolical scheme. What's not to like?
Most of the game's action took place in a standard, side-scrolling manner, but two of the levels featured a sweet, psuedo-3D look that blew the minds of little wannabe commando gamers. Jumping from platform to platform, blasting aliens and stationary guns while dodging booby-traps and spikes kept gamers on their toes for months and even years. And the bosses, oh baby, the screen-filling, ass-cap-popping, jaw-dropping bosses. Nothing was more satisfying than blowing a hole through the giant, alien bosses that populated the Red Falcon HQ. In the end, whether you used the code or not, Contra was a game that played like a meal.
After numerous sequels, including the two infamous Playstation games, the original Contra is still the one that stands out in most gamers' minds as the game that best represents the series. However, that perception may change this November when the latest edition to the franchise, Contra: Shattered Soldier heads to the PS2. Until then, fire up your little gray box with our favorite NES game.
Feature by John Luedtke, Joe Mackie, Phil Haymes, Eric Braden, and Adam Matlock
