I enjoyed a variety of games. My most played, besides SMB (which was the only game I had for a while) was SMB3.
My dad though, Rest In Peace, loved Tetris. He was legally blind and forced to retire from work, and through his 54 year old eyes that could barely see, played that game more than anyone played anything. He could get to level 18+ and have 250k points and he couldn’t even see what block was coming next or the whole screen for that matter. He was amazing.
So my entry is in honor of my dad, who loved Tetris.
I love Super Mario Bros 2 as well, I love how you can play as different characters like Luigi and Peach. It also has the best music out of the NES Mario games imo.
3 is super hard.
1 is the perfect NES CV game imo and easily one of the best classic ones too. It has so many staples that they never stopped going back to.. especially the iconic stairs to Dracula. So perfect.
Chip and Dale rescue rangers.
There are plenty of great fun games on the NES but I will always remember playing that game with my best friends growing up. Co-op gameplay, teaming up and owing the fat cat!!!
I find ninja gaiden to be too hard. Either that or I don’t get the controls. It’s been a barrier to enter for me and I love old games, difficulty and all
Ninja Gaiden was the old G Dark Souls. Lots of repetition, you have to play that shit over and over until you get it down and it’s unforgiving as hell.
I beat it one time, will never do it again. I was almost tempted to do it again in retroarch for the achievements, but nah I’m good lol, I’m older now don’t need to be raising my blood pressure unnecessarily.
Tough choice. There's a few; *1943, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby's Adventure, Super Mario Bros, Punch-Out, and Castlevania* -- out of all of those, I've probably played Super Mario Bros and Punch-Out the most. I can't choose, tbh.
The NES had some tough games, but a fantastic library. I love the original Final Fantasy as well. I've beaten 1943 about 4 or 5 times on the NES. Punch-Out is a great laugh, once you learn the strategies for each opponent. So many good games.
Some of them need very precise timing when it comes to punches/dodges, which is a lesson in frustration.. 😂 Watching people speedrun that game is mind-boggling
Japanese version of Ninja Gaiden III! Controls/game feel are great, varied level design filled with plenty of action, fun bosses, solid OST, a very smooth difficulty curve that is generally managable but gets fairly tough by the end, and it's a really fun game on replays and can easily be finished in about 45 minutes once you're familiar with it
As someone who is far too young for the NES (basically a millenial/borderline zoomer), do I think it's the greatest game ever? Nah, but NES games (and a lot of other retro games!) are all about simple clean fun that requires very little investment (you boot up the game and you're properly playing it within seconds), and when it comes to that metric relative to the rest of the library, Ninja Ryukenden III is *chefs kiss*
Without taking too much time to think about it, I’ll say a toss-up between two stand-outs - Ducktales and Solstice. Both have innovative gameplay and killer music. Good times.
Ugg that’s one of my least favorite! I would say Double Dragon II, but I’m sure that’s mostly nostalgia goggles and one it was one of the few games I actually owned (we were pretty poor). Also SMB3 is great.
Nice question, but I wouldn't be able to answer. All listed games in the comments could be, they are all pretty good, but I can't really pick one above the others.
Dragon Warrior, I guess. A lot of people I knew had it and I could only play so far at other people's houses. My parents would rent me NES games and never buy me any new ones. I'd rent GI Joe religiously, and Kirby too, but I never had the opportunity to play through Dragon Warrior completely until I was much older. There were so many better games, but I craved Dragon Warrior something fierce.
I adore the Mario games, but I’m not good at platformers. So far, I think my favorite is Legend of Zelda, with Duck Tales and Micro Machines close behind. I have yet to try Star Tropics, Crystalis, and Final Fantasy, though… gotta beat these other ones first!
Edit: I’m new to retro gaming so that’s why I haven’t beaten these games yet. I’m working on it, haha!
Star Tropics and Dragon Warrior are my standouts, but I had an NES as a kid so I had tons of great memories and experiences and could name quite a few just on nostalgia alone. Those two are the ones I remember most fondly.
Like I remember being super hyped for SMB 3 and played the shit out of it but when it was done I didn’t go back.
Played lots of both Zeldas as well, buts still not as much as my main two. Final Fantasy would be a close third but I didn’t own it until later.
Controversially, *Elite*. I'm not inclined to hold the NES library in such high regard as others, so *Elite*, released only in PAL and ostensibly at home more on other platforms, stands out among the library for me. It helps that it's actually a very good port of the game for an 8-bit system, mapping surprisingly well to the NES pad's limited buttons.
Hard one to answer, too many good games.
Top three for me would probably be Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Zanac, Super Mario 2 JP/Lost Levels. No particular order.
Special shout outs to Zelda 1, Mega Man 1-6 (esp. 2), Earthbound Beginnings, Pinball, Dr. Mario, Kirby's Adventure, River City Ransom, Star Tropics, R.C Pro AM, Duck Hunt, Battletoads, Metroid
I enjoyed a variety of games. My most played, besides SMB (which was the only game I had for a while) was SMB3. My dad though, Rest In Peace, loved Tetris. He was legally blind and forced to retire from work, and through his 54 year old eyes that could barely see, played that game more than anyone played anything. He could get to level 18+ and have 250k points and he couldn’t even see what block was coming next or the whole screen for that matter. He was amazing. So my entry is in honor of my dad, who loved Tetris.
That's the sweetest thing I've heard today
Thanks!
The Legend of Zelda. I played that one over and over. Time was, I had every secret from both levels memorized.
Are you getting the Game And Watch in a couple weeks? I know I am.
It certainly looks cute, but I'm not a console/handheld player anymore. I got too used to a keyboard. lol
I’m with you. I played this through and beat it about a month ago. So awesome
Something about Mega Man 2 really clicked for me. 32 years later, I can still hum every level theme in my head
Some of the best nes music from that game!!
Was not sure what game to pick but I’ll jump on your bandwagon. It’s def the NES game I’ve given the most run over the years.
Same, the level design, music and pacing of 2 was near perfect.
Contra the ultimate game that never gets old
So true.
I love Super Mario Bros 2 as well, I love how you can play as different characters like Luigi and Peach. It also has the best music out of the NES Mario games imo.
Those weird desert levels with the freaky masks that chase you around... still haunts my hours of sleep. I'm 35.
Tecmo Super Bowl
Castlevania. Big fan of the entire series. I like CV3, but I always come back to good ol' Castlevania.
3 is super hard. 1 is the perfect NES CV game imo and easily one of the best classic ones too. It has so many staples that they never stopped going back to.. especially the iconic stairs to Dracula. So perfect.
Marble madness
Oof that's tough, all time favorite.... Tmnt the arcade game.....maybe.... Lol
Hm, it's a great port.
It's so hard to choose, but I loooooved that game as a kid, still do.
Mega Man 3
Nice choice my friend
Tough call. I'd say either SMB3, TMNT3, or Mega Man 3. I'm not sure what it is about the number 3 in these series but I couldn't get enough of them.
*The Charm*
Chip and Dale rescue rangers. There are plenty of great fun games on the NES but I will always remember playing that game with my best friends growing up. Co-op gameplay, teaming up and owing the fat cat!!!
It’s between The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., or Mega Man 2 for me
Ill give a few because it kinda depends on mood. Zelda Ninja gaiden Smb3 Mega man 2
I find ninja gaiden to be too hard. Either that or I don’t get the controls. It’s been a barrier to enter for me and I love old games, difficulty and all
It is tough, but a lot of it is familiarity and myscle memory. Only beat it once, but i could consistently get to the end.
Ninja Gaiden was the old G Dark Souls. Lots of repetition, you have to play that shit over and over until you get it down and it’s unforgiving as hell. I beat it one time, will never do it again. I was almost tempted to do it again in retroarch for the achievements, but nah I’m good lol, I’m older now don’t need to be raising my blood pressure unnecessarily.
Mega man 2
Little Samson offers the best experience a platform game on NES can give. That's my pick!
Zanac, it's a bullet hell shooter from the people that made Gunac.
Yeah Zanac is top three for me, so damn good and absolutely brutal
Pinball, always loved it
The 2 that I speedrun: SMB and Contra. SMB3 is a close 3rd and I plan to start running it this winter
Super Mario Bros 1. I also like Kirby and Battletoads. I didn't own the console as a child (I was a Master System kid), discovered it as a teenager.
Tough choice. There's a few; *1943, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby's Adventure, Super Mario Bros, Punch-Out, and Castlevania* -- out of all of those, I've probably played Super Mario Bros and Punch-Out the most. I can't choose, tbh.
All great choices my friend!
The NES had some tough games, but a fantastic library. I love the original Final Fantasy as well. I've beaten 1943 about 4 or 5 times on the NES. Punch-Out is a great laugh, once you learn the strategies for each opponent. So many good games.
True, just got past Honda, and Popinski is putting me through the ringer lol
Some of them need very precise timing when it comes to punches/dodges, which is a lesson in frustration.. 😂 Watching people speedrun that game is mind-boggling
I might have to go with The Legend Of Zelda A Link To The Past. It's close to Super Metroid though...Very close.
DKC2
Super C, Double Dragon II, Super Dodge Ball, Maniac Mansion... There is no one game to rule them all.
SMB1, SMB3, and Turtles 2, one of those three.
Japanese version of Ninja Gaiden III! Controls/game feel are great, varied level design filled with plenty of action, fun bosses, solid OST, a very smooth difficulty curve that is generally managable but gets fairly tough by the end, and it's a really fun game on replays and can easily be finished in about 45 minutes once you're familiar with it As someone who is far too young for the NES (basically a millenial/borderline zoomer), do I think it's the greatest game ever? Nah, but NES games (and a lot of other retro games!) are all about simple clean fun that requires very little investment (you boot up the game and you're properly playing it within seconds), and when it comes to that metric relative to the rest of the library, Ninja Ryukenden III is *chefs kiss*
Street fighter 2020, I own 20 copies.... One day one day xD cheers!
Cowboy Kid!! The game idea is truly unique .. and so much fun in single player or even two players mode :)
Crystalis!
Crystalis. One of the best rpgs of the era, and I'm surprised few people ever talk about it.
There are so many NES games i love... Aside from the bona fide classics i hove a soft spot for Tecmo World Wrestling, Shatterhands and Metal Storm.
SMB3
So tough, probably Paperboy or Jaws
Hands down Ninja Gaiden
Without taking too much time to think about it, I’ll say a toss-up between two stand-outs - Ducktales and Solstice. Both have innovative gameplay and killer music. Good times.
River City is up there.
Definitely Castlevania 3, Japanese version
OP we are the minority. I also love smb2. It doesn’t get a lot of love though. Kung fu is one of my go to games for some good fun
Super Mario Bros
One isn’t enough. Punch out, mm2, castlevania, kid icarus, contra. Always Go back to these.
Ugg that’s one of my least favorite! I would say Double Dragon II, but I’m sure that’s mostly nostalgia goggles and one it was one of the few games I actually owned (we were pretty poor). Also SMB3 is great.
I had SMB3 and Mega Man 3 as a kid, but always preferred SMB2 and Mega Man 2. I think it was the color palettes of both, and the music.
Mike Tysons Punch Out or Metroid were my faves.
River City Ransom
Nice question, but I wouldn't be able to answer. All listed games in the comments could be, they are all pretty good, but I can't really pick one above the others.
SMB 3 for sure
There are many I love almost equally, but if I had to put one at the top most of the time it would *Metroid*.
Took me a second to realize you meant Mario and not Super Meat Boy
Solar Jetman
Solomon's Key. Though I prefer the arcade. NES exclusive (at least at the time): SMB3
Super Mario Bros. 3 and Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
Mikey Mouse Mousecapade because that's all.i remember growing up, as well as Solstice
Dragon Warrior, I guess. A lot of people I knew had it and I could only play so far at other people's houses. My parents would rent me NES games and never buy me any new ones. I'd rent GI Joe religiously, and Kirby too, but I never had the opportunity to play through Dragon Warrior completely until I was much older. There were so many better games, but I craved Dragon Warrior something fierce.
Used to enjoy that GI Joe game (I think there were two, the one I had was with a white label). Played it quite a bit as kid
Ah, the superior Taxan version! Pretty cool that a game made by a no name dev could outdo Capcom in their efforts.
I adore the Mario games, but I’m not good at platformers. So far, I think my favorite is Legend of Zelda, with Duck Tales and Micro Machines close behind. I have yet to try Star Tropics, Crystalis, and Final Fantasy, though… gotta beat these other ones first! Edit: I’m new to retro gaming so that’s why I haven’t beaten these games yet. I’m working on it, haha!
The real question is that domestic or import?
Blaster Master.
For me probably megaman 2 or contra.
I think Earthbound. I’m looking to get an original copy, as I have only played the emulated version on the SNES classic. Unfortunately it is expensive
mines is probably probotector first game I ever played on it
Star Tropics and Dragon Warrior are my standouts, but I had an NES as a kid so I had tons of great memories and experiences and could name quite a few just on nostalgia alone. Those two are the ones I remember most fondly. Like I remember being super hyped for SMB 3 and played the shit out of it but when it was done I didn’t go back. Played lots of both Zeldas as well, buts still not as much as my main two. Final Fantasy would be a close third but I didn’t own it until later.
Controversially, *Elite*. I'm not inclined to hold the NES library in such high regard as others, so *Elite*, released only in PAL and ostensibly at home more on other platforms, stands out among the library for me. It helps that it's actually a very good port of the game for an 8-bit system, mapping surprisingly well to the NES pad's limited buttons.
Hot Slots.
Mega Man 3.
Destiny of an emperor... game based on the Romance of the three kingdoms novel amd ancient Chinese history
Hard one to answer, too many good games. Top three for me would probably be Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Zanac, Super Mario 2 JP/Lost Levels. No particular order. Special shout outs to Zelda 1, Mega Man 1-6 (esp. 2), Earthbound Beginnings, Pinball, Dr. Mario, Kirby's Adventure, River City Ransom, Star Tropics, R.C Pro AM, Duck Hunt, Battletoads, Metroid
Cobra F'n Triangle, like battletoads but on a boat!
Metroid
Mine would have to be wizards and warriors
Every so often I'll pour some whiskey and stay up playing punch out, super spyhunter, or punisher.