Bottom 20 Nintendo NES games

[Kroogah]

Yes, here's a list for excessively negative people! What are the WORST NES GAMES EVER? I know we can do better than Seanbaby's list.

(Note: This is for U.S.-released games only. If this included Famicom stuff, then it'd be a list of 20 Sachen games. ^_^)

UPDATED

Action 52
AD&D Heroes of the Lance
Bad Street Brawler
Captain Comic
Cheetahmen 2
Cliffhanger
Color a Dinosaur
Deadly Towers
Deathbots
Dynowarz
Fox's Peter Pan & The Pirates
Menace Beach/Sunday Funday
Mission: Cobra
Raid on Bungeling Bay
Robowarrior
Taboo: The Sixth Sense
Tag Team Pro Wrestling
Total Recall
X-Men
Wally Bear and the No! Gang

Honorable Mentions: Low G Man, Dr. Jekyll, Conan.

@CrazyImpMon: It's not a Top 20. It's a Bottom 20. ^_^

[Sniderman]

Dammit, as a Gilligan's Island fan and collector - really - I'm sick and tired of GI for NES constantly making the list. I play it. I like it. So stop it.

Nyahhh.

Sniderman
"Your Little Buddy...."

[Arcade Antics]

First thoughts:

ADD:
Taboo: The Sixth Sense
Cliffhanger

DROP:
DK Jr. Math
Athena (or, since Sinderman mentioned it, GI. either one is better than *shudder* Cliffhanger...Ugh.)

[mattpfeil]

I would vote for Low G man and Shadow of the ninja to be on the list too
too bad i cant afford to know what cheetamen 2 is like:P

[Tempest]

I'd drop Friday the 13th and add Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde.

Am I the only one who LIKES Friday the 13th?

Tempest

[buttasuperb]

Shadow of the Ninja is badass. definately not one of the worst 20 nes games.

i agree with adding that taboo game. that game sucked monkey balls infested with gonorrea.

[ashbourn]

AD&D and xmen was not that bad

[Captain Wrong]

What? Taboo rocks! I use it daily to make all my importaint decisions.

:P

[Sylentwulf]

I'm with ya tempest! I liked friday the 13th.

I also kinda liked demon tower (If it's the one I'm thinking of, picture of the cheesy guy with the multi-edged sword on the cover?)

[sniperCCJVQ]

What about Circus Caper ?

[Raccoon Lad]

Conan and Fox's Peter Pan and the Pirates both suck VERY hard!

and I'm with Sniderman, Gilligan's Island isn't that bad of a game.
Here's proof I like Gilligan on the NES http://raccoonlad.topcities.com/secrets.html#gilligan

[johnny arcade]

Dynowarz: The Destruction of Spondylus MUST be on that list! Without a doubt the worst game I've ever played. If you're talkin' shit, it truly deserves the big piece of corn.

@Sylentwulf - You've got to be thinking Demon Sword. Never played it, but being affiliated with Legend of Kage, it can't suck as bad a Deadly Towers.

[CrazyImpmon]

Why do we need yet another top 20?!? Beside I like this top 20 worst NES games (and quite funny too):
http://www.digitpress.com/seanbaby/w20-1.htm

[simonbelmont7]

Hey, Friday the 13th rocks. When i was a kid, it was the first game i ever bought with my own saved money, so it also has special place on my shelf... =) and besides that fact, and i think its a good game!
mark

[Kess]

Can anyone say Dino-Riki?!

What about Beetlejuice..

Festers Quest?

-shudder-

[CrazyImpmon]

How about Color A Dinosaur? It sure looks like a poor attempt at making money off a high school project :P :P

[wberdan]

are you people nuts??? try out about 90% of the sports games for nes... the top 20 list of most piss poor nes games ever would be like all sports games...
who the hell wants to play nes play action football??? id MUCH rather play cheetahmen 2 or color a dinosaur...
at least those 2 games are fun to play under the influence of drugs!!!!!!
i cant find enough crack in the US to make me want to play tecmo baseball or rbi baseball 3 !!!!!!!!!!

willie

[Goblin]

I agree with Snider, Gilligan's Island is an allright game. I'm still looking for a copy myself, but I remember renting it as a kid and not being totally disappointed. I think that Star Voyager needs to be included on the list, this game is just awful.

[GENESISNES]

Festers Quest?

-shudder

DUDE!!! Festers Quest is awesome. my friend and I ALWAYS(well, not really anymore)play that game.

[leonk]

wberdan:

Yes.. you are correct that most sports games suck on the NES (compared to what's out there today) and really do feel that the NES does still have some really nice games.. but they have to be of that style.. (e.g. PacMan, tetris, etc).

But at the same time there are some REALLY good sports games too.. For example, 1/2 the golf games (like Mario Golf) is really good! I'm yet to find a good football game, but there are a few AMAZING baseball games that let you make up teams, play with them, and backup to battery!

Also, not to count Blades of steel that's always cool!

:)

LK

[GoldMember]

Shadow of the Ninja is one of the best NES games...

[MankeyMan]

Rocky and bullwinkle was an awful game.
Why am i saying was? It still is.

[sniperCCJVQ]

wberdan:

Also, not to count Blades of steel that's always cool!



Yeah......Komani's rules with this one ! Remember that "voice-enhanced guy" in Blades of Steel ?...........

"schink!!.....blades of steel.....hit the puck!.......aaaaaagh!....penalty shot!"

and BOS have fight :wink:

[motley6]

10 Yard Fight, Baseball, and Conan are three of the worst games that I have ever played in my life.

[XxMe2NiKxX]

I think I'm the only person in this world who likes Action 52... well, the Genesis one at least...

[classicb]

Win Loose Or Draw

...wait goes over to collection and puts in Win Loose Or Draw yup it still sucks go ahead and add it.

[NESaholic]

Indeed most sports games suck on Nes, i got a few to add to the list,Defender of the Crown,Shockwave,Silent Service.

[cracked8ball]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned these shit piles?

Hydlide
Amagon
Raid 2020
WURM
Super Pitfall
DayDreamin' Davey

[Ed Oscuro]

What's so wrong with those three games? :o

Hmm, just read Willie's old post, here's a Tecmo Baseball staring up at me. I must admit I've never played it.

[Sinteres]

I love Robowarrior and blew many a day in my childhood on it. Why is it hated on so much?

[Icarus Moonsight]

Where's the lack of love for King's Knight? LOL
Bought it 'cause it was a Square title... OMG does that game suck!
You live, you learn. Then you vomit.

[boatofcar]

I've played very few sports games on the NES that I've hated, I don't know why everyone despises them that much, especially the basketball game in the Flintstones. :D There are some games I've hated though.

1. Bases Loaded 3. The controls on the D-pad are opposite on this one, so when you press down and throw your player throws to second.

2. Roger Clemens MVP Baseball. Ugh.

3. Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum- Why has no one mentioned this piece of trash?

4. I second Fox's Peter Pan and the Pirates. Worst. Sidescrolling platformer. Ever.

[Chainsaw_Charlie]

hydelide people

[rbudrick]

Some of the game mentioned are just misunderstood. Deadly Towers gets a horrible rap because people don't give it a chance or figure out exactly what they are supposed to do.

Deadly Towers: Everyone who says this game sucks never got anywhere in the game or didn't "get" it. The game is really good once you start getting to the towers. Man, does it start off slow, but the game starts to get really good once you start kicking some ass. Great Music.

Dynowarz- A bit repetitive, but not a bad game at all. I thought it was pretty good. Easy game...beat it in a couple hours, I think.

King's Knight-Tough game....using a Game Genie, I found this game pretty enjoyable...wouldn't want to try to beat it otherwise though!

Hydlide-I hated this game at first, but once I got the hang of it and figured it out, it wasn't a bad game at all. Give this game an hour or two and you'll dig it.

Fester's Quest-This game will piss you off if you die....the game pretty much has to be beaten on one life. Either way, this game is probably in the top 50 NES games...hardly bottom 20.

Amagon-Ok, yeah, this game sucks. This game is IMPOSSIBLE. I know of some people that said it was too easy, others can't get past stage 2. I'm the latter. Either you completely rock at this game or you suck. There is no in between. It's too bad, because if it wasn't so impossible it could have been a really good game.


Now for shitty games, how about

Magmax
Seicross
Raid on Bungeling Bay
Total Recall
Any Sesame St game (meant for kids, I know, but most kids didn't like em either.)
Pyramid

Well, my brain hurts thinking of more.... LOL
-Rob

[Avatard]

Hylide was total crap. I've beat it. I liked Friday the 13th though. I also liked Super Pitfall, but probably because it was the 2nd NES game I had ever played, I woudln't go back and play it now.

Fighting Golf is horribly bad.
Time Lord is insanely annoying.
Rambo is just plain sad.

Those are my 4 most hated.

[Chainsaw_Charlie]

I also have to add Faria

They say it's a zelda clone but it plays like hydlide

[eightbitonline]

can anyone say overlord?

[Cmosfm]

I don't really think you can classify Color A Dinosaur a BAD game, you have to look at what it's for...coloring dinosaurs....kids dig it, my little brother dug it....it's only a bad game if it's actually a BAD game. You can't judge a game based on the topic of it.

[jerkov]

I've always had an extreme hatred of Infiltrator. Concept is good, but the execution of the idea is horrid.

How about Bad Street Brawler, Pesterminator, Platoon, Baseball, and Days of Thunder?

I actually like Silent Service. Faria seems like a decent RPG, although I haven't played it much (I don't really see the resemblance to Hydlide, which truly is one of the worst games ever). Defender of the Crown also has some interesting elements, but the overall confusion involved with the game does get tiresome.

[Avatard]

I liked Silent Service in its time. Its well done as a simulator. I just don't like it much now. Also I still can't fiure out why my torpedos go all over the stinking place. Its like shooting a torpedo shotgun at ships a mile away sometimes.

[kainemaxwell]

Add Where's Waldo and Total Recall to the list.

[Avatard]

I'm a real weirdo then, I remember enjoying that one when I was younger too. LOL

I'm curious, did ANYONE enjoy Time Lord....

[Aswald]

Toilet Kids and Star Voyager were pretty awful.

[TheRedEye]

I'm curious, did ANYONE enjoy Time Lord....

Is that the game where you travel through time to find orbs? I didn't think it was too bad, certainly nowhere near a bottom 20 list.

[The Manimal]

I don't mind Time Lord...


It's alright, though I've never beat it. Furthest I get is WWII level, I THINK...

[shopkins]

I don't really think you can classify Color A Dinosaur a BAD game, you have to look at what it's for...coloring dinosaurs....kids dig it, my little brother dug it....it's only a bad game if it's actually a BAD game. You can't judge a game based on the topic of it.

For similar reasons, I don't understand why Taboo always comes up on worst of lists. It works pretty much as it's designed, giving you a Tarot reading and lucky number. It get bashed for not having gameplay elements, but it's not a game.

I hated Infiltrator, too. If the gamemakers had been honest enough to tell me it's basically impossible to land the helicopter, I wouldn't have wasted so much time trying. The foot missions were better, though. I beat all of those by guessing the four letter stage select password, BOMB, after reading the mission descriptions in the manual.

[CartCollector]

I can't bash games if I haven't played them. (Tip for you, FPS/GTA haters.) However, I have played AVE's Pyramid (dev. by Sachen). For those who haven't played it, it's this Tetris clone. It's OK until you get this diamond-like thing with 1/4 of it missing. Hard to explain. It really makes an easy game impossibly hard. There was a Pyramid II developed that didn't have it... ON THE FIRST LEVEL. So I'd assume Pyramid II is also really bad.

[Famidrive-16]

I'm curious, did ANYONE enjoy Time Lord....

Is that the game where you travel through time to find orbs? I didn't think it was too bad, certainly nowhere near a bottom 20 list.

Yeah, it's glitchy in parts but it's alright.

I'm adding Chubby Cherub and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (I couldn't even beat it with a GG)

[GarrettCRW]

I'm yet to find a good football game

Two words: Tecmo Bowl.

Three more words: Tecmo Super Bowl.

[Dr. Morbis]

I disagree with most of that list. Especially:

Captain Comic
Color a Dinosaur
Deadly Towers
Robowarrior
Taboo: The Sixth Sense

In place of the above, I would insert:

Days of Thunder
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Nes Play Action Football
Hydlide

And to whoever said RBI 3 sucks... that must be all the crack talking. RBI 3 has the best play mechanics of any Baseball game on NES. Yes, Baseball Stars has way better options and features, but the actual play mechanics of Baseball Stars are flawed in too many ways.

I guess a bottom 20 is as tough to agree on as a Top 20 for the NES. I personally can tolerate over half the games on that list at the time of this posting.

[classicb]

I'm yet to find a good football game

Two words: Tecmo Bowl.

Three more words: Tecmo Super Bowl.

hmmm maybe he's not a fan but he's deffinetly aware of it since he made me my new Tecmo Super Bowl.... maybe he ment soccer.

[FlufflePuff]

Hydlide was definately one of the worst games for the NES. Follow that with Target: Renegade, Power Punch II (quite possibly the worst sequel ever), and Demon Sword (couldn't find any reason to like this one). I actually liked Super Pitfall and Overlord, but Hydlide has to be on any 20 worst games list.

[GarrettCRW]

Some of my nominees include:

Jordan vs. Bird: One-on-One-Absolutely awful controls.
10-Yard Fight-The worst football game I've ever played. Well, except for Atari 2600 Football.
Dragon Power-If Bandai had de-licensed the rest of their DB games, they'd all be here. Ugh.
Rambo-Just plain yucky.
Back to the Future-Dear lord. *vomits*
X-Men-Probably the classic example of Acclaim/LJN's ineptitude.
Predator-Tedious and unending, with some seriously garish graphics in the secondary stages (the one where your character takes up a huge portion of the screen).
Bad Street Brawler-Mattel + video games = pain and suffering (the Intellivision apparently being the exception).

[briguy578]

someone needs to add the horror that is Dr. Chaos to this list.

Worst. Game. Ever.

[Chainsaw_Charlie]

I liked and still do like Dr.chaos

[Arqueologia_Digital]

Captain Comic
NOOOOOOOOOOO, HOW YOU COULD SAY THAT!!!!!! :angry: , NOW I´M FURIOUS!!!!!...joke...but it´s not one of the worst games for this system...c´mon!!!

Matías

[Ernster]

Action 54 has to be the worst, out of 52 games the only one I marginally liked was Cheetahmen, and still that game sucked.

Also Chiller is a horrible light gun game. O_O

[Arqueologia_Digital]

Sorry for the last post, but i disagree a lot with Yashiro with his choice...

I´ll add...

Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Master Chu and the drunkhard Hu

[Ed Oscuro]

Captain Comic
NOOOOOOOOOOO, HOW YOU COULD SAY THAT!!!!!! :angry: , NOW I´M FURIOUS!!!!!...joke...but it´s not one of the worst games for this system...c´mon!!!
If it's anything like the EGA/VGA PC game, yeah, it's not that bad.

Also, Demon Sword being one of a person's least favorite games I can understand as the pace is very fast...but it helps to know how to play the game. No seriously! You need to collect all manner of powerups so that those cheap instakills raining out of the sky don't actually kill you off - there's an item that lets you respawn a limited number of times right where you left off; you can collect a ton of them so you won't have to worry for a while.

The graphics in this game kick ass (even better for the Japanese version which hasn't been hacked graphically). In my view, this is much better than the original Legend of Kage once you get the hang of it.

[Blues]

Watch It! I like Fester's Quest!! :angry:

[Snapple]

Where's the lack of love for King's Knight? LOL
Bought it 'cause it was a Square title... OMG does that game suck!
You live, you learn. Then you vomit.


I really, REALLY wanted to like King's Knight. I had read all the bad reviews, but the concept still sounded fantastic to me. I like Square. I like shmups, especially ones that try to be *different*.

However, it was just terrible execution. The controls were way too sluggish, the game was way too hard, the entire screen was nothing but obstacles, firing was way too slow, and rotating characters in the final chapter was about twenty times more difficult than it should have been.

Square's other pre-Final Fantasy game that I've played, World Runner, is pretty great, even if it is a Space Harrier ripoff. King's Knight, even though it's a much more original game, I would absolutely consider one of the 20 worst games for the NES. At least from the ones I've played.

Color a Dinosaur was also a waste of cartridge. There are much better games to play when under the influence. Try some Monkey Ball.

[Gamemaster_ca_2003]

Take out Raid on Bungling Bay
Put in the NES version of Dragon's Lair

@ GarrettCRW I thought BTTF was ok, but BTTF 2/3 Sucked so bad.

also Hydlide is Halfway Decent

[Aussie2B]

Deadly Towers totally shouldn't be on the list. Don't be influence by Seanbaby, he's a moron.

Where the hell is Magmax? O_O You CAN'T have a top 20 worst NES game list without Magmax. The only excuse that someone could have is that they haven't played it because it's as wretched as a shooter could possibly get.

Other stinkers:

Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Rollerblade Racer... worth buying just for the cart art, though
Knight Rider
Captain Planet and the Planeteers... almost as bad of a shooter as Magmax
Star Voyager
Back to the Future......ugh....
Bad Dudes... an appropriately titled game in more ways than one
Most arcade-to-NES SNK ports

[NESaholic]

Huh?!?! How come Robowarrior is in that list, it's amega cool game? O_O

[tony_good]

Hello? M.U.S.C.L.E., anyone?

[The Manimal]

I would vote for Low G man and Shadow of the ninja to be on the list too
too bad i cant afford to know what cheetamen 2 is like:P

Shadow of the Ninja is good :)

[The Manimal]

i cant find enough crack in the US to make me want to play tecmo baseball or rbi baseball 3 !!!!!!!!!!

willie


X_x I have played RBI for MANY hours and it never got boring. I thought it was the best baseball game for the NES. Yes, better than Baseball Stars.

[The Manimal]

I'm a real weirdo then, I remember enjoying that one when I was younger too. LOL

I'm curious, did ANYONE enjoy Time Lord....

I did. LOL

[kainemaxwell]

Don't forget to add Where's Waldo to that list.

[daynum]

I'm disappointed to see Low G Man made it anywhere near that list. It's a good game once you get into it.

I'd say 50 or so of the worst NES games appear on Action 52. Not counting that I'd pick Where's Waldo for falling into the "what were they thinking" category.

[Ruudos]

I agree. Low G Man shouldn't be anywhere on this list, same goes for Shadow of the Ninja.

[Jumpman Jr.]

Never posted in this thread before... figured I'd throw a vote in.
I'm a fan of BurgerTime, but I cannot stand this game on the NES. It literally agrivates me just as much as the controls on Action 52 games.

[vintagegamecrazy]

C'mon guys Gilligan's Island, Shadow of the Ninja, Fester's Quest, even Friday the 13th. Heck I wouldn't even put Dr Jekyll on there.

Those are all not terrible games, I will ask why F15 City War isn't on there. Are we fogetting Defenders of Dynatron City, Dash Galaxy, and Red October? All three are absolute tripe.

[googlefest1]

man how could someone think overlord is the worst nes game -- i think its one of the best - up there with bionic comando

cant say i know the worst gaem becasue i havent played them all -- but a few games have caused me some agrivation ( the likes of which where i want to smash the cart ) in the past - friday the 13th, jaws, infiltrator

[Icarus Moonsight]

I'll second Jaws... total and utter crap. X_X