Best unlicensed NES games

[celerystalker]

The NES has one of the most prolific unlicensed libraries ever. Not including pirates or repros, what are your favorite unlicensed NES games? My top 10, not entirely sure of order:

Spiritual Warfare
Bible Adventures
RBI Baseball 3
Operation Secret Storm (it makes me laugh, and Saddam's wearing a tag that says "DICKtator")
Quattro Adventure
Ultimate Stuntman
Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy
Exodus
Super Sprint
Vindicators

I didn't include Gauntlet because it had a licensed re-release, as did the first RBI.

[megasdkirby]

The NES has one of the most prolific unlicensed libraries ever. Not including pirates or repros, what are your favorite unlicensed NES games? My top 10, not entirely sure of order:

Spiritual Warfare
Bible Adventures
RBI Baseball 3
Operation Secret Storm (it makes me laugh, and Saddam's wearing a tag that says "DICKtator")
Quattro Adventure
Ultimate Stuntman
Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy
Exodus
Super Sprint
Vindicators

I didn't include Gauntlet because it had a licensed re-release, as did the first RBI.

Linus Spacehead

[Tanooki]

I've got over 10, but I'd throw the support nearly completely to Tengen, though Codemasters did wonders with Micro Machines as that's just very well done.

Tengen -- Tetris, Road Runner, Indiana Jones, Rolling Thunder, Gauntlet, Klax, Super Sprint, Fantasy Zone, Afterburner, Pac-Mania, Ms Pac-Man, Shinobi, Alien Syndrome

[Guntz]

I didn't include Gauntlet because it had a licensed re-release, as did the first RBI.

I thought those licensed Tengen carts were made before Tengen started publishing their own unlicensed cartridges.

[celerystalker]

I thought those licensed Tengen carts were made before Tengen started publishing their own unlicensed cartridges.

Nope. Other way around.

[Cmosfm]

Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy is probably my favorite.

[Guntz]

Well, Dizzy the Adventurer is one of my favorites, the one Aladdin Deck Enhancer exclusive. I always wanted to own that quirky little unlicensed "platform", but I guess an Everdrive is just as good (and cheaper all things considered).

I'd also like to try out the other Codemasters and Wisdom Tree games.

[Daria]

Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy is probably my favorite.

Holy fuck man. I just did a double take to see if this thread was necro-bumped. Welcome back!

[celerystalker]

I do actually like Pesterminator okay as well. It's not great, but it's not horrid like Raid 2020 or Captain Comic.

Codemasters games probably had some of the most distinctive music. Much like Capcom and Konami games for the NES, there are a lot of sound effects and beats throughout their games that when you hear a song from one, even if you're not familiar with it, you just know it's a Codemasters game.

[SparTonberry]

Nope. Other way around.

Tengen first published licensed (gray cart) versions of Pac-Man, Gauntlet and RBI Baseball in 1987-1988.
Then they published the unlicensed black carts around 1990 or so.
(and then Namco re-released Pac-Man in 1993, which of course is the only version Nintendo considers an "official" release now)

However, though Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was published licensed by a different company as well as unlicensed by Tengen, those I'm not sure which came first.

Interesting that some Tengen games got licensed releases in Japan. From what I can think of is Alien Syndrome (Sunsoft), Super Sprint (Altron) and Klax (Hudson). From I read it's thought that Tengen's NES Afterburner and Sunsoft's FC Afterburner are related but not sure which.
No sense counting Pac-Man or Rolling Thunder since those were Namco originals.

[goldenband]

I do actually like Pesterminator okay as well. It's not great, but it's not horrid like Raid 2020 or Captain Comic.

Hey, I like Captain Comic. That, Firehawk, and Skull & Crossbones are probably my three favorite unlicensed NES games.

[celerystalker]

Hey, I like Captain Comic. That, Firehawk, and Skull & Crossbones are probably my three favorite unlicensed NES games.

Heheh, sorry. Not a fan, but I like plenty of goofy stuff myself, so more power to you.

[Cmosfm]

Holy fuck man. I just did a double take to see if this thread was necro-bumped. Welcome back!

Hey thanks! I was just passing through, I realized I haven't been here in forever. I should really visit more often.

[kainemaxwell]

I've got over 10, but I'd throw the support nearly completely to Tengen, though Codemasters did wonders with Micro Machines as that's just very well done.

Tengen -- Tetris, Road Runner, Indiana Jones, Rolling Thunder, Gauntlet, Klax, Super Sprint, Fantasy Zone, Afterburner, Pac-Mania, Ms Pac-Man, Shinobi, Alien Syndrome

This x2. And not just because I have all the unlicensed games cib.

[Tanooki]

Well it couldn't hurt either. But realistically speaking Tengen had for a time been doing licensed games so they were quality wise up to par with the NES stuff and in many cases the quality really did exceed quite a few other turds after they bailed. When you figure you got some decent Master System conversions, the Namco Pac-Man/Rolling Thunder arcade stuff, and various other decent games (mind you some aren't that good, just ok) that's why I basically just listed them. I've tried the color dreams, ave, and other stuff and they're universally pretty much various shades of awful. There would be the occasional ok title, but nothing people would even remember if it wasn't unlicensed and worth something now. Camerica was the only other who put up some decent games but for the life of me I've never been able to enjoy Dizzy much, too much collecting and general lack of direction on the platformers but they do play well.

[kainemaxwell]

However, though Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was published licensed by a different company as well as unlicensed by Tengen, those I'm not sure which came first.


That was Mindscape, right?

And Micro Machines was great!

[Gameguy]

So many games listed but nobody mentioned MiG-29: Soviet Fighter yet, one of the best Camerica games out there. Nothing can top Micro Machines though, that's easily their best game.