Your Top Five NES Games [Archive] - Retrogaming Roundtable

Jagasian

01-27-2005, 01:28 PM

I could make many top 5 lists for the NES, so instead, I will try to list the top 5 games that have yet to be listed in this thread.

Solar Jetman
This game is exploration at its finest. You start with a tiny weak exploration pod, which can be upgraded with better weapons, shields, engines, etc.
Coolest part of the game: upgrading your seemingly weak pod to the point where it is far more powerful than the Golden Warship that you are trying to piece together throughout the entire game.

Final Fantasy
The one that started it all, you get to choose your party from the start of the game and later in the game your characters even grew up into adults! This game had so many sequals for a reason: the first game was awesome!
Coolest part of the game: having the ninja in your party and thinking that he sux, even after he grows up, only to learn that he fights best with his bare hands, then you disarm him and watch him hit his opponent several times each move!

Super Dodgeball
The best multiplayer action, with unrealistic but fun gameplay

Pirates!
Recently a modern 3D remake of this game was made because this game involves treasure hunting, sword fighting, cannon fighting, and even marriage.
Coolest aspect of the game: the game starts with you leading a mutinous crew against the captain via a sword fight!

Elite
This is one of the, if not the only, truely 3D first person shooter for the NES. The gameplay is great too! You are basically a space trader, but you can become a space pirate if you want. Upgrade your ship so that you can trade more efficiently, steal other people's goods, or fight off the bad guys (or good guys if you decide to be a bad guy). This game has a HUGE seemless 3D world for you to explore.
Cool aspect of the game: quickly recharging your ships batteries using newly installed solar panels on your ship by flying close to the sun.

Lady Jaye

01-27-2005, 01:29 PM

In no particular order:

The Legend of Zelda - back in the day, the whole exploration scope of the game was very impressive.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - A classic through and through. And a memorable TV ad as well... (Mario! Mario! Mario!) It showed that sequels can actually improve on a real classic game.

Baseball Stars - League management, team creation, ninja baseball players... what more can you ask for?

Bionic Commando - Or how I learned to love that jump-handicapped warrior who swung like Tarzan and fired like Commando!

Contra - Another wargame well worth mentioning...

Ruudos

01-27-2005, 01:33 PM

Star Tropics
A great Zelda like game with a good unique story, humour and a fantastic ending.

Faxanadu
A great epic adventure game with all kind of weapons and monsters. Great graphic style and music too.

Adventures of Rad Gravity
The NES game nobody knows. An unique game where you control Rad Gravity. Some weird looking dude who must save the universe. You travel from planet to planet to complete multiple and diverse tasks.

Super Mario Bros. 3
No explanation needed.

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Together with its SNES sequel the best boxing game I've ever played, and I don't like the sport.

Kilik Kurosawa

01-27-2005, 01:40 PM

I agree with most of the ones stated so here are the ones i don't see listed:

Urban Champion
Ice Climbers
Pro Wrestling
Renegade
Trojan

classicb

01-27-2005, 01:49 PM

well my number one should be no surprise to most of you. but most people probably won't have Wall Street Kid on their lists. I just love to play that game even today. when I was little my wife use to always leave me because I would never spend any time with her and I'd always buy her the cheap stuff.

1. Tecmo Super Bowl
2. Wall Street Kid
3. Baseball Stars
4. Megaman 2
5. River City Ransom

NESaholic

01-27-2005, 02:08 PM

All the classics are corse cool to play,but at the moment i have some other favourites,changes once in a while.

- Panic restaurant, i find this wicked crazy game one of the best games taito made.
- Ufouria,i mega love this game,the graphics,sounds,gameplay.
- Zoda's Revenge, like part 1 alot so you can't hate part 2.
- Parodius,mega nice shooter,not easy to beat and graphix totally rock.
- Mega Man,one of my first games,every now and then i play it, just played it again today. :D

Kroogah

01-27-2005, 02:18 PM

Baseball Stars. And I don't even really watch baseball.

Yoshi's Cookie, great multiplayer here too.

Maniac Mansion. A childhood favorite.

Ice Hockey. Never watched a hockey game in my life, but this is one of the best 2-player games on the system.

Legend of Zelda, of course.

Goodwill Hunter

01-27-2005, 04:20 PM

NESVIDIOT

01-27-2005, 05:10 PM

Super Mario Bro's
Super Mario Bro's 2
Super Mario Bro's 3
Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Swords and Serpents
and I could keep going and going.....
too much NES goodness or goodnes :D

josekortez

01-27-2005, 05:23 PM

Since I recently acquired a bunch of loose carts, I'll say these:

Ms. Pac-Man
Karate Kid
Ninja Gaiden
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
Yoshi's Cookie

Karate Kid, Ninja Gaiden, and TMNT II are games I enjoyed as a kid. Ms. Pac-Man and Yoshi's Cookie are the only ones I've been able to play repeatedly over the last few months.

8-bitNesMan

01-27-2005, 05:56 PM

In no order, because I love them all too much :( (Ahh, nostalgia)

1) Metroid - I can't believe this has been mentioned yet. Years ahead of its time and still a fine experience.

2) Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! - I know this has already been said a few times but it's a great game that I never get bored with.

3) The Legend of Zelda - Pure gaming bliss and the perfect mix of action and RPG elements. (Even for folks like me who aren't into RPG's)

4) Super Spike V'Ball - To my knowledge, one of the first home console four-player games and a BLAST to play with a group of buddies!

5) Super Mario Brothers - The granddaddy of platformers that brought the gaming industry back from the brink of complete failure! I played this game for hours upon hours on a 13" B & W T.V. and loved every last minute of it!

Sotenga

01-27-2005, 06:16 PM

Oh boy... crap...

...

Hurmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... in no set order here...

1. Castlevania
2. Contra
3. Bionic Commando
4. Ninja Gaiden
5. Castlevania III

Daaaaaaaaamn... that list is liable to alteration in the future.

xaer0knight

01-27-2005, 06:34 PM

5. Star Tropics- very fun and a good Zelda type clone.
4. Double Dragon 3- great moves, flashy, and weapons, best in the series IMO.
3. Ninja Gaiden- Ninjas, swords, huge enemies, great music, and great cutscences.
2. Rygar- awesome graphics and unforgetable music for the time, and i only beat the game about 2 years ago, addictive.
1. River City Ransom- Beat-em, button mashing, callouses on thumb, and humorus body language. Best 2 player action!

Qixmaster

01-27-2005, 07:42 PM

1. AD&D: Pool of Radiance - I remember being sad when this game ended, even videotaped the final battle and ending screens. Helped me transition from D&D nerd to Video Game geek.

2. Galaga - I remember thinking, "I'll never have to play this in the arcade again, I've got it at home!"

3. Fire N Ice - I'm a sucker for good puzzlers.

4. Arkanoid - Hooked on this game even though I stink at it.

4. Tetris (Tengen) Another arcade experience at home.

Happy Anniversary NES!,
Rich

Hey Rich, good thing i saved that picture of space hulk when i had it... no one would have believed me eh ;)

If i remember correctly i sold it for $23.00 on ebay. Too bad i didn't have it still. I might be abel to dig up the guys name on my paypal if you want to email and bug him.

So...back on topic!

Five favorites of all time are (in no particular order)
Super Mario 3
Stunt Kids
Qix (although it is NOTHING compared to the 5200 version, it is still a good version)
Mega man 3 - because i grew up on this particular mega man
Zelda II: Adventures of Link - The FIRST NES game that kept me coming back for more and more.

-Josh

Chunky

01-27-2005, 09:16 PM

baseball stars - 2 other guys and i started teams and started a long league. we to the stat cheats to get awesome pichers. we did our games against the computer and we played out the ones we needed to do. we all split the time between the game. it was great.

Zelda - killed my was it 5th or 6th grade grades. i mean wow. never seen anything like it before and it took all my time away.

SMB - was played soo much due to having no money to get any games for awhile, this was another great damn game, what a leap from the 400 that i thought towered over the 2600.

punch out - a game i would play all the time, good enough for a quick game, and lasted long enough to not get bored.

the last would be some kinda toss up of SMB2, FF, DW, Exitebike. all of those took my time away. away to a better place.

Kepone

01-27-2005, 10:24 PM

1.Super Mario Bros 3
2.River City Ransom
3.Metal Gear
4.Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
5.Blades of Steel

I could make a Top 10 but I feel that these 5 are games that I enjoyed the most as a kid.

:)

le geek

01-27-2005, 10:48 PM

Here are my five favorites

Legend of Zelda
Super Spy Hunter
Castlevania II
Punchout
High Speed

Cheers,
Ben

Nesmaster

01-27-2005, 11:39 PM

little samson
smb1
smb3
megaman 2
megaman 4

in no order

ubersaurus

01-27-2005, 11:44 PM

Super Mario Bros. 3: Platforming at it's finest. It's never been done better, before or since.

Zanac: A fantastic shooter. I liked how it got harder the more you fired. Weapon 7 dumbed down the difficulty, but it's still an intense game.

Battletoads & Double Dragon: This beatemup is quite easily one of the most incredibly fun 2 player experiences on the platform.

Deja Vu: Easy once you get it, but I love the atmosphere, and the music

Punch Out: I hate boxing, but this game is too good to hate.

GarrettCRW

01-28-2005, 12:09 AM

The Legend of Zelda-*THE* game for the NES, and one that I never, ever will get tired of. And, even better, it has the Second Quest!

Super Mario Bros. 3-I once spent 12 hours straight playing this game. That's how good it is.

Mega Man 3-Probably the pinnacle of the Mega Man series, what with Proto Man, the return of the One-Eyed Rock Monster, the story, the music, and the cheats. Oh, the cheats.....

Tecmo Super Bowl-The best party game for the system, period. Get a few friends, and start up a season. Wait for head-to-head matches. Fun ensues.

Final Fantasy-Sure, Dragon Warrior came first, and Phantasy Star blew it away, but FF1 is the game that opened the door for RPGs in America.

Dr. Morbis

01-28-2005, 12:15 AM

This was a TOUGH choice:

5-Legend of Zelda

4-Castlevania

3-Contra

2-Super Mario Bros. 3

1-Super Mario Bros. (defined a generation, really)

cracked8ball

01-28-2005, 01:55 AM

1. Blaster Master
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
3. Xexyz
4. Super Mario Bros. 3
5. Super Mario Bros

Xexyz

01-28-2005, 01:15 PM

In order:

Super Mario Bros. 3
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
Xexyz

Yeah, I bet you all knew I would put #5 somewehre on my top 5 list.

ScottK

01-28-2005, 01:58 PM

5) Rollerball- The best pinball game on the NES!
4) Super Mario Bros. 3.- My favorite Mario of all time. (Mario #2 is the only Mario I never liked).
3) Power Blade- The only thing stopping this game from being on the top of my list is because it's too short and way too easy. Other than that, excellent game that I continue to play. Even though I think this game is the bomb, it's sequel is extremely hard and not nearly as fun.
2) Ninja Gaiden 2- By far my favorite Ninja Gaiden game for the NES (I also liked #1, but hated #3)
1) Mega Man 2- Perfect 10 in my book!

rayearthknight

01-28-2005, 03:43 PM

You are cruel!!! Only five?

Okay...here we go:

The Guardian Legend
Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode
Clash at Demonhead
Metal Gear
Final Fantasy

Simply Dave

01-28-2005, 05:17 PM

Tecmo Super Bowl
The Legend of Zelda
Contra
Super Mario Bros. 3
Mega Man 2

DigitalSpace

01-28-2005, 06:43 PM

1 - Super Mario Bros. 3
2 - The Legend Of Zelda
3 - Super Mario Bros.
4 - Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers
5 - R.C. Pro-Am

link1110

01-28-2005, 06:49 PM

1. Final Fantasy 3 - My favorite FF on NES, and my second favorite FF overall. This is the game that introduced the job system which would later be used in Final Fantasy 5. If you haven't played it, I highly recommend it.

2. Crystalis - One of the best action RPGs ever. They remade it for Game Boy Color, but that port is tainted by the fact that they HAD to replace all the music. The original is still way better.

3. Megaman 5 - Still my favorite Mega Man. I remember playing this like 50 times in my senior year of high school, and I got so good I beat the whole thing in 45 minutes once.

4. Bases Loaded 3 - Best baseball game ever. I used to play this with my cousin and we used to make fun of all the weird names. They made so many baseball games since, and yet they all faild (Not a typo) to capture the fun of this game.

5. Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! - I'm not a big fan of boxing, yet I still like this game. It's just awesome. And if you like this, check out Wade Hixton's Counter Punch for GBA, it's the closest thing to a sequel we're getting (Probably)

Dangerboy

01-29-2005, 12:20 AM

I can't really put these in a true numerical order, but the top 5, with my fave moments, are:

Final Fantasy
I ranked up my characters to the full Level 50s, all legit, and beat the end boss with one punch from an unarmed Black Belt.

Metal Gear
This is, hands down, my all time reason for truly enjoying video games as a child, and the reason why I now actively watch any military programs on the History Channel when I have time. Whether it was accidentally shooting hostages, looking for landmines, or chucking grenades at the tank, Hideo had me. That and it had a sweet mech. :D

Ninja Gaiden II
The sequence where the female agent got stabbed, and all you see is the blood dripping off of the end boss' sword...the next time I would ever feel that much rage and want to kill that sumbeyotch RIGHT NOW would not come until Final Fantasy VII years later. :grumble:

Baseball Stars
I figured the sports game would be Tecmo Bowl, but man I was hooked on the create-a-everything with Baseball Stars. I had the TMNT Team, the Game Rave team, the Transformers, you name it, I made it. And then I would play games and more to build my full stat April O'Neil, who was worth the $10,000,000. :rocker:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II
Because I was a TMNT freak at the time.

Fuyukaze

01-29-2005, 01:48 AM

My taste aparently differs some, but a diverse selection never hurt.

The Guardian Legend-
It was an odd mix of sorts. It was a shooter with plenty of power ups, it was an RPG with plenty of exploration. Graphics were good, it was basicly good all around.

Golgo 13 (Mafat Conspiracy)-
While I didnt play the second till recently, the first was a very interesting game for its time. Side scrolling action, FPS elements, dungeon crawls, and the guy always got the girl. In a hotel no less!

Dragon Warrior-
The RPG that ruined me to everything else for so long. For years I had enjoyed shooters and side scrolling games. After finaly subscribing to NP and getting this for free, I was hooked. A game that took atleast 20 or more hours to finish? Great graphics for its time.

Metal Gear-
Sneak, sneak, remote controled rockets! It was fun for its time, hell, its still fun today. At the time I couldnt decide if I liked it as much because of its difficulty. Anyone remeber the maze where you were looking for the prison? I spent so much time calling NP's toll free (at time) tip line asking the same stupid questions over and over.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms-
When I first got this game, I figured it would be just like any RPG at the time. Lots of text, little action, and lots of items. Little did I know I would find within it my plans of world domination. While its true my plans never proved fruitfull, I still look to it as the game which single handed changed my opinion of strategy. It wasnt for risk anymore as training your armys would prove to be just as important if not more then the number to it.

Karnov-
It never realy stood out from the pack for most people. Despite it being a solid game, the thing that atracted me to it so much was the main hero. A fire ball breathing fat Russian. I realize theres nothing funny about being from Rusia or being fat, yet somehow it struck me as being more original then a plumber who always ended up saving the same princess who could never keep out of the clutches of a giant turtle.

Games I wish I could add, but will only mention.
Nobunaga's Ambition
Uncharted Waters
Stryder
Ultima:Exodis
Lil Nemo
Xanac
1942
1943
Captain Skyhawk
Fist of the Northstar

FlufflePuff

01-30-2005, 08:46 PM

In Order:

1. Dragon Warrior
2. Final Fantasy
3. Legend of Zelda
4. Mega Man 2
5. Super Mario Bros. 3

blissfulnoise

01-31-2005, 05:32 PM

#5 Kid Icarus

A vertical platformer with celled boss levels and brilliant shmup twist at the end. Can you think of another game like this? To call this game creative is an understatement. It stood up to the platform genre that Nintendo pioneered and recreated it brilliantly on the fly. Masterful level design that always had you on edge, but never forced you to move faster than you wanted.

With extremely memorable characters, charming graphics, and a VASTLY underrated soundtrack, Kid Icarus is one of the finest NES games ever made.

#4 Metroid

I've already posted on these forums about the magic of Metroid so I'll kind of paraphrase. Some people didn't/don't get it; maybe it was a "you had to be there" kind of thing.

What Metroid had that no other game of it's time did was atmosphere. From the excessively maze like layout of Zebes, to the black backgrounds that permeated every level, to the minimalist ambient music; the game specialized in giving you a feel of dread. Samus started off little more than an isolated Bounty Hunter who could take maybe a dozen hits while fighting off strange creatures with what amounted to a pee shooter at the beginning of the game.

As each power-up was obtained, the enemies would get progressively more difficult as you went into the next zone. The games deliberate pacing was so effectively realized that very few other games of this or any other era has managed to stack up. This pacing solidified that dread; knowing that behind the next door would be yet another enemy that you weren't ready to fight. And by the end game, when you were loaded with every awesome weapon to be imagined, literally ripping through enemies that you once ran from, none of it mattered to the Metroids. You still had to hide and attack them while running.

An unforgettable game.

#3 Metal Gear

A "sneaking" game, Metal Gear brought so much new to the table, it's hard not to mention it in a best of the NES list. Kojima wove a very complicated (and sometimes poorly translated) story that was new to Nintendo's wonder-platform, and console gaming in general. This was another game I simply could not put down from "I fell asleep!" to the RPG fight with Big Boss.

#2 Mega Man 2

On music alone this gets into the top 5 NES games of all time. Never mind the fact it's one of the most perfect side scrollers of all time. Excellent graphics, gripping gameplay, and a real challenge factor. Every gamer should play this to completion.

#1 The Legend of Zelda

First, let me say I REALLY wanted to make room for The Guardian Legend, Ducktales, Clash at Demonhead, Final Fantasy, Tetris, Ninja Gaiden, Gradius, and Bionic Commando on this list. If we went to just 6, Bionic Commando would have gotten that slot. That said...

Miyamoto's "Garden" gave blossom to modern games. Starting off as a simple child with a wooden sword, Link sets off on one of the most epic adventures of all time. Sure, you've rescued princesses before; but honestly, tell me; where you thinking about saving Princess Peach during 4-2?

During LoZ, you were thinking about it the whole time. Every incremental upgrade in Link's arsenal put you that much closer to fulfilling your destiny. Every piece of the Triforce was a step closer to the goal of goals.

LoZ sported a huge overworld that featured unforgettable dungeons. Each of which were literally labyrinths of traps and treasures. New enemies appeared in each one, requiring yet another new technique to beat them. This pacing has been used over and over again with not only adventure games, but even fighting games and platformers.

It goes without saying, The Legend of Zelda ranks as the finest game of the NES. And may rank as the most important video game of all time.

dreamcaster

02-01-2005, 08:44 AM

Hmm, a top 5 for me is kinda difficult, as I don't really like the NES.

1. Super Mario Bros. - How can you go wrong with this classic? I frequently play through this.

2. Dr. Mario - Puzzle games are one of my favourite genres, and Nintendo's early classic is one of the most playable out there.

3. Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 - Although graphically and audially weaker than it's SMS counterpart, the gameplay is still intact and is one of the best games on the system.

4. Gradius - This would be my number 1 NES game, but it's ludicrously unfair difficulty level means that it loses a level of enjoyment. Still great though.

5. Solstice - One of the only NES games to have impressed me visually and audially. Amazing stuff from Software Creations. However, this game desperately needed a save feature - which stops it from being higher on my list.

PentiumMMX

02-01-2005, 10:14 AM

Here are my fav. games:

5. Ninja Gaiden

4. Super Mario Bros. 2

3. Super Mario Bros. 3

2. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

1. Mega Man 5

8-)

Dire 51

02-02-2005, 11:31 AM

Here's mine:

5. Life Force - my favorite NES SHMUP ever.
4. Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti - techinically a Famicom game, but it still counts, I say. It's great!
3. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - I love Castlevania to death, and this is one of the best.
2. Contra - One of the games that really piqued my interest in the old grey box.
1. Castlevania - I have waaaay too many reasons to list here.

vintagegamecrazy

02-03-2005, 02:44 AM

Here goes my list and man is this hard.

To start SMB3 woulda been on the list years back but unfortunately that got played too much and now I can't play it for more than a few minutes.

My all time favorite NES game

1 Zelda II, I accidentally acquired that game when a friend lost another game that I was going to buy from him. and me and my dad figured that game out from scratch and boy did it take a while to figure out how to play when all you owned before that was SMB and Pac Man. and I can play that game over and over to this day, best music control and graphics for the day.

2 Snake Rattle n' Roll, The flat out best unknown game for the nes. that game still mesmorizes me to this day. The level design and music give that game a mystique that never ends.

3 Super Mario Bros, I still love that game from Christmas of 1992 when I got it with my new nes, I played the heck out of this game at my Grandma's house before I got it for myself.

4 Mega Man 3, I remember when that game came out and I was 3 hours away from home at my cousin's house and he told me about it and we rented it and it was awesome, we got nowhere in it but Snake Man's stage was so amazing and that game was just great. It's not my favorite game to play at present but it holds a special place in my heart.

5 Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers, another game that I grew up on, me and my cousins played that game to death in my grandma's basement. family partys, half the family would be playing nes and I was like 9 or 10 and those are the times I remembered most. I wish my family would have times like that agian. :(

I have to give close runners up for both tetris games, Dragon Warrior II, SMB3, Spelunker, Vice Project Doom, Ninja Gaiden, and even Journey to Silius.

Dimitri

02-03-2005, 03:01 AM

Super Mario Bros. 2
I'm not really sure why, but this was easily my favorite NES game as a kid. Probably for two reasons: You could pick op the enemies and throw them, and I didn't have to play it two player whever I wanted to play it. ;)

Contra
I'd be hard pressed to think of a game I played through more times with my sister. At least a few dozen times. Whenever we were going to play Nintendo, it was either this or SMB3 going in.

River City Ransom
Regrettably, I didn't get a chance to play this game until just a few years ago. I was amazed at how incredibly solid this game was, then I tried it on two player. You haven't LIVED until you've thrown a tire with your friend riding on top of it, which then crashes through an enemy, then right into a pit at which point your friend jumps off and lands on the other side of the pit. Genius.

Mendel Palace
One of the last games we got for the thing before moving up to the Genesis, this game caught my attention again with the indirect methods of killing opponents. Shuffling the ground underneath them, sending them backwards into walls.

Star Soldier
Easy. Started my shmup obsession singlehandedly. :D

Honorable mentions: SMB, SMB3, Super C, Micro Machines. I never had a Megaman or a Ninja Gaiden as a kid, and it was my sister that always played the Dragon Warriors. :roll: I was a pre-teen male, I needed my action!

Damon Plus

02-03-2005, 11:55 AM

1-River City Ransom
2-Super Mario Bros 3

I can�t believe those are the only two I can say for sure. The other three are always changing between Megaman 3, Bionic Commando, Punch Out, Legend of Zelda and Ninja Gaiden. :embarrassed:

NintendoMan

02-03-2005, 01:36 PM

In order:
1 - Super Mario Bros. 3
2 - Super Mario Bros. 2
3 - Contra
4 - Legend of Zelda
5 - Bionic Commando

I think just about everyone has SMB3 somewhere in their list.

jslithy

02-03-2005, 07:49 PM

5. Zanac
4. Legend of Zelda
3. Final Fantasy
2. Dragon Warrior 3
1. Super Mario Bros 3

videogameking26

02-07-2005, 07:01 PM

Adventure Island
Friday The 13th
Bubble Bobble 2
Ironsword- Wizard & Warriors II
Kid Kool

Barbarianoutkast85

02-08-2005, 03:30 AM

1. Dr. Mario
2. Punch Out
3. Shadowgate
4. Super Mario Brothers 2
5. Duck Hunt

Not in order but i think there my top 5

atari_wizard

02-08-2005, 04:54 AM

mine may change later down the road....

mike tyson's punchout
baseball stars
double dragon
pacmania
Super Mario Bros

Tatsu

02-08-2005, 09:11 AM

1. Life Force

One of my favourite games ever. Also the game I spent the most time with on the NES. No further explanation necessary.

2. Castlevania

Haven't played the third part but this one is over the top for me. Too bad I've lost it...

3. Fester's Quest

A sleeper hit: lots of city and seewer exploring. Can't understand why not more people love that game.

4. Bubble Bobble

Also a game I don't own any longer (at least I have it for the PS1). I used hours of finishing it together with my best friend. Those were the days...

5. RC Pro-A.M.

Best racing game on the NES besides Big Foot. And also a game I don't own.

Mr. Smashy

02-08-2005, 12:33 PM

In no particular order:

Mega Man 2
Super Mario Bros. 3
The Legend of Zelda
Contra
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

Contra is the only game on that list that presents much of a challenge for me these days (sans code, of course). I still play them all pretty regularly, though. They never seem to lose their fun for me. :)

EnemyZero

02-08-2005, 02:55 PM

1 - SMB 3 - come on do i really need to explain why?
2 - Megaman - mega man has always been one of my fav games of all time
3 - Crystalis - one of my first RPG experiences, and i will never forget it
4 - Zelda - always loved zelda but its still second to crystalis
5 - Bubble Bobble - i could spend houuuurrsssssss on BB

Daniel Thomas

02-08-2005, 08:13 PM

In no real order:

Batman - Brilliantly designed and wonderfully gothic platformer, and the best Batman game I've ever seen. The levels are a great example of solid game design, always challenging (and only unfair here and there). And the music is terrific.

Contra - The definitive run-and-gun shooter. We all know this. Right?

Simon's Quest - I enjoyed many of the NES' action-adventure games, and miss many of them terribly. Simon's Quest was always my favorite of them all, largely because I loved Castlevania, and also largely because it was a very tough game. The whole atmosphere of the game - villages, woods, caverns, castles - stays with you in a way that all the post-SOTN Castlevanias don't.

Super Mario 3 - Sigh, this is a pretty predictable list. But then again, there are so many veritable classics that these are impossible to ignore, and Super Mario 3 was the coolest, deepest, most engaging game around in 1990. It's even better since a save feature was added on the SNES All-Stars cart.

Mega Man 2/3 - Okay, I'm cheating here, but I really can't decide whether the second or third Mega Man was the best. The third one is longer and more challenging, but the second one has the better level design, and the buzzsaw was the best Mega Man weapon ever, even if it made the game a cakewalk. For my money, these games were the peak of the series.

diskoboy

02-08-2005, 08:24 PM

1. Metroid
2. Super Mario Bros. 2
3. Legend of Zelda
4. Bionic Commando
5. Kid Icarus

diskoboy

02-08-2005, 08:27 PM

Oh, and runners up:

Gumshoe
Wizards & Warriors
and Blaster Master

zshadow

02-08-2005, 09:07 PM

My top 5 favorites are:

- Castlevania III
- Metroid
- The Legend of Zelda
- Ninja Gaiden
- Super Mario Bros.

fergojisan

02-09-2005, 10:54 AM

Hmm, I thought I did this one...

1. The Legend of Zelda-This is the game that really got me into the NES. It was so huge at the time, and it was a lot of fun exploring in it.

2. Super Mario Bros. 2-This was the only NES Mario game I beat (to this day). It just seemed worlds different than the first one. I know why now, but not then. :)

3. Wizards and Warriors-I was jonesing for something similar to Zelda, and this is as close as I could get at the time. I love the music in this game.

4. Monopoly-Yeah, I like this game a lot. :P

5. Contra-I never played this game back in the day (I'm starting to hate that phrase, how about you?). I really suck at it, but I can play it for hours.

Honorable mentions-SMB1 and 3, Zelda 2, Tetris, Rygar, Klax, Deja Vu, Galaxy 5000, Rollerball, Double Dragon.

Ulticron

02-10-2005, 10:50 PM

1) Kid Icarus. There was just something about that game that made it uniquely different from any other I've ever played. That and the whole spin on greek mythology was great. I loved the change of pace that comes from both horizontal and vertical scrolling.

2) Mega Man 2. Without a doubt the best Mega Man game ever. Fun bosses, memorable music, and definately the best Dr. Wily stages. I loved the ending too.

3) Metroid. That game kept me on the edge the whole time I played it. The suspense of what the metroids would be like then the sheer horror I felt everytime I ran into them. You wouldn't think floating jellyfish would scare the livving crap out of you but they did *L*. I even liked the dirty little trick near the end after you defeat Mother Brain the whole place is rigged to blow in so much time. Your nerves are shot but you've still got to escape by jumping up those really small platforms!

4) Star Tropics 2 Zoda's Revenge. While the first one was great it had some flaws that the second one improved on greatly. Better gfx an better control. It was Zelda-ish but not so Zelda-ish that it was a simple ripoff clone.

5) Dragon Warrior III. I always love a good RPG, and this one was a really great rpg. I loved the fact that you could have different types of characters in your party, and even later on have that character's class changed, and even changed it back. Nothing like havving a fighter that knows magic.

SebasC

02-14-2005, 04:41 PM

Mega Man 2
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario Bros 1
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 4

Jumpman Jr.

02-17-2005, 12:46 PM

1) Super Mario Bros.
2) Super Mario Bros. 3
3) Dr. Mario
4) Donkey Kong
5) Battletoads and Double Dragon

RINETIME

02-17-2005, 05:05 PM

Mine are:

1. The Legend of Zelda (because it's Zelda)
2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (because it's one of the best games ever)
3. TMNT II: The Arcade Game (because of the awesome co-op)
4. Tecmo Bowl (because watching which buttons your friend is pushing during play calling so you can stop their play is so much fun)
5. Super Mario Bros. (because it is THE classic game)

grizzly

02-20-2005, 02:18 PM

M T Punch-Out
Zelda
Double Dribble
Contra
SMB 2

StealthLurker

03-02-2005, 03:28 AM

My top 5:
SMB3
Zelda
Contra
Super Dodgeball
Castlevania 3

Honorable Mention:
lifeforce / salamander
megaman 2
punch out
metal gear
double dragon 2
ninja gaiden 2

Tatsu

04-18-2005, 03:29 AM

In no particular order:

Life Force
This is my favourite game on the NES ever. I would even say it's one of the best shooters ever, even if it's on an old system. The graphics were amazing and I was always fascinated that the levels showed different bodyparts. The music is also better than on any other NES game. I really love the melodies in all the levels and I start smileing as soon as I hear one of the tracks. I've finished the game uncountable times, first with the legendray Konami code and later only with the normal stock of lives. This game alone is worth getting a NES!

Fester's Quest
Another game I've finished several times. The graphics are ok but it's mainly the gameplay that got me hocked. Exploring the city and the sewers, shooting monsters and aliens and picking up items is so addictable I would definitely buy a sequel on the new consoles. I really like the Adams Family series and it was also fun to meet the different family members. Even more I like aliens and when I first saw that you could enter a space ship in the last level I was salivating.

Castlevania
I haven't been able to finish it and I also lost my original boxed game. Thanks good there is a version on the GBA. This was one of my first NES games and I totally love it. The whole castle/vampire environmet just fits me and the gaemplay is also great. Sidescrolling platformer with killing monsters and collecting hearts and gold. Together with Castlevania SotN this game is the best of the whole Castlevania series.

RC Pro AM
One of the best racers on the NES (Bigfoot also rocks btw!). The gameplay is simple: race your car in a viewed from above circiut against several opponents, trying to avoid oil puddles and get new records. I never owned this game myself but as soon as it crosses my hands I'll buy it.

Bubble Bobble
I still remember the day I've finished this game. Me and a friend spent a whole Sunday in front of the TV to beat that little sucker. Going trough all the levels was one thing, but then beating the last boss was another. To really finish the game and the get final end sequence both dragons had to be alive. That was the real tricky part and we sure spent more than an hour to stay alive both. Finally we were able to beat the boss and we really felt like kings. I still think this is very unfair. I mean what do people do without a partner for playing videogames? They will never be able to complete the game. Poor fellows... Anyway, been there, done that... :D

sharp

04-18-2005, 07:22 PM

1 Probotector, played this euro version of Contra always at the toy-store, sadly you could only play till the second level beore the system restarted.

2 Faxandu, great memories to this game, my first adventure game

3 Popeye, cheap but great arcade style gameplay, only a lot easier and more crappy graphics

4 Lolo, got it for my 9th birthday and played all the games released later

5 Super Mario Bros 3, peaks for itself.

Dr. Morbis

04-18-2005, 11:08 PM

erik5758

04-18-2005, 11:41 PM

Maybe not the best 5, but my favorites are

Ninja Gaiden
Castlevania 2
Zelda 2
Metroid
Mega Man 2

The Great Dane

04-19-2005, 01:59 AM

1. Metal Gear
2. Adventures of Link
3. Willow
4. Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!
5. The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle

This was a pretty hard decision. I have so many favorites on the NES.

Tatsu

04-19-2005, 02:07 AM

Regarding Bubble Bobble:

I still think this is very unfair. I mean what do people do without a partner for playing videogames? They will never be able to complete the game. Poor fellows... Anyway, been there, done that... :D
Just press start once the big guy is in a bubble. Then hit select and one of your reserve dinos will become a living player two. Then unpause and pop the big bubble and you will see the magic of....

This is Happy End!

Man, this sounds so logical and easy. I could bite myself for not thinking about it!!!! But the game is still more for two players. I remember at least one level near the end where you need to help each other to reach the enemies (one dragon had to make the bubbles and the other had to climb then) but maybe there's also an easy solution for that. ;) Thanks for the info anyway!

Besides that there's a game I absolutely forgot but that should also be in my top 5: Probotector. What a great game and I didn't think about it. I replace Bubble Bobble with Probotector right now in my list.

Zap!

06-18-2005, 03:08 AM

Picking five is too hard. So here's 10:

10: Baseball Stars (SNK/1989) This is clearly the best baseball game I ever played on my NES. From naming your own team and players (and saving it, too!) to great graphics, it's all here. What fun!

9: Metal Gear (Ultra/1988) This is a Rambo-type game where you must infiltrate a few buildings, shoot just about anything that moves, and take orders from your commander via a transceiver. Real cool, but a little easy.

8: Castlevania II (Konami/1988) You have been cursed and the only way to be cured is to find pieces of the deceased Count's body and put it back together. Eww! This time it's a password game, you talk to towns-people, and get many different weapons.

7: Mega Man (Capcom/1987) Great "fun-type" game. You're a good android who must defeat comical robots created by the evil Dr. Wily. After you beat each robot boss, you take their weapons!

6: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (Nintendo/1987) This is a game so great I actually got up extra early (as a freshman in high school) just so I could play before school. While the NES didn't have the hardware to make the player transparent like the arcade game (instead, it made you a 17 year old midget named Little Mac), words cannot describe how much fun I had with this game. Afterall, who could forget such comical characters such as Bald Bull, Super Macho Man, and (my personal favorite) King Hippo?

5: Castlevania (Konami/1987) Great game in which you must hunt down and destroy legendary monsters like Medusa, The Grim Reaper, and most of all, Count Dracula. This game has perhaps the hardest last boss in video game history (Dracula and his ghost).

4: The Goonies II (Konami/1987) I love the movie and I love the game, which is the sequel to the original Goonies that never made it to the US (Konami, you've been bad!). I think it's highly under-rated, and don't understand why it's not loved and adored by all. This password/adventure game is awesome.

3: Rygar (Tecmo/1987) This game isn't even remotely like the 1986 Tecmo arcade game, but that's just fine, since in my opinion it's far better (except in graphics). You're a warrior with an effective weapon that looks like a punching balloon. Slightly too easy, but this adventure game is a masterpiece. Awesome music too.

2: Metroid (Nintendo/1987) How much more awesome can you get? You must single-handedly destroy all the weird space creatures and save the universe. All you're wearing is a spacesuit, and you get great weapons (perhaps the best in video game history). Beat the game real quick and it'll reveal your true identity. I just wish you could have saved the game instead of writing down the long password, but even that gave me many memories with my friends.

1: The Legend Of Zelda (Nintendo/1987) Superb game which made Nintendo a major force in the video gaming industry. This is an overhead action/RPG (though not a true RPG) game where you fight with a sword (and other weapons) outdoors and in creepy labyrinths. It was also the first NES game to sell 1 million + copies. Simply magnificent.

AlexKidd

06-18-2005, 05:41 AM

Castlevania III- my favorite nes version of my favorite series,very good music and visuals for the system,playing as multiple characters is cool

Contra-The first one is still my favorite(though III comes close). Also some of the best music/graphics on the system and very fun to play with or without the code,by yourself or multiplayer.

Super Mario Bros 3-the best Mario game on the system in my opinion(though super mario world beats it out for my favorite one ever). This was such an innovative game at the time with it's huge world and all. I played it all the time as a kid too,so I suppose it has some sentimental value to me.

Arkanoid
Final Fantasy
Legend of Zelda
Blades of steel

I'm not writing anything about these last 4 games because it's 5 in the morning and i'm going to sleep. And I know there's 7 games but I love them all and don't want to knock any of them off the list.