Top 10 Adventure Games for 8- and 16-bit Consoles?

[timewarpgamer]

I'm working on another top 10 feature for my site, and I'd like to enlist your help. Let me get the boring stuff out of the way first:

What do I mean by 8- and 16-bit consoles?

Eight to be precise: NES, SMS, NES-FDS, TG-16, Sega Genesis, TG-CD, SNES, Sega CD. I know there are many awesome adventure games for other systems, but the consoles above are keeping me more than adequately occupied.

What do I mean by adventure games?

Admittedly, it's a dangerously broad genre. I'm talking about everything from text adventures (Shadowgate, Snatcher) and point-and-click ones (Maniac Mansion, Secret of Monkey Island) to action-adventures (Legend of Zelda, Metroid).

At the moment, here are the titles that I'm seriously considering:

Zelda: Link to the Past (w/shout out to Legend of Zelda) -- SNES
Super Metroid -- SNES
Snatcher -- Sega CD
Toejam & Earl -- Genesis
Crystalis -- NES
Loom -- TG-CD
Golvellius: Valley of Doom -- SMS
Otigirisou (J) -- SNES
Famicom Tantei Club Part II (J) -- SNES
Beyond Shadowgate -- TG-CD
StarTropics -- NES
Maniac Mansion -- NES
Wonder Boy III / Dragon's Curse -- TG-16 and SMS
Popful Mail -- Sega-CD

How's it looking? Any bad calls? Some titles I overlooked? Any feedback is welcome. I realize this is a highly objective project, but I'd like to at least get as large a perspective as possible.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

[tom]

No Atari 2600 VCS: Adventure? Fail!

[exit]

Rygar and Strider, both respectably on NES.

Rygar is Adventure to it's fullest and it took me well over a decade to finally beat it. The games main downfall is the lack of Save/Password, so if you don't beat the game in one sitting (or via savestates) you have to start from the very beginning.

Strider is another nice little adventure game, but it's more in the line of Metroid, where you need to get different abilities to gain access to certain areas.

Secret of Evermore (SNES) - This game gets a lot of negative things said about it, but I found it to be rather charming. Even tho it has one or two game breaking glitches (which caused the end of my original cart), it's still a pretty good game and worth checking out.

Honorable Mentions:

Festers Quest (NES) - Another great (and long) game that suffers from lack of save/password.

Guardian Legend (NES) - One part Metroid and One part Shmup, great little gem here that never got a sequel even tho it really deserved one.

[AB Positive]

Genesis - Landstalker.

I actually put this title ahead of every Zelda game in any of my favorite game lists. It's Zelda but so much better. But then again - I'm a sucker for isometric views.

[MachineGex]

I always thought Metroid & Zelda were two different types of games. Zelda is more "Adventure" and Metroid is more "Action". For me, it is hard to lump the two together, but it's your call so here is my suggestion:

One game I would like to add is "Out of this World" on SNES. "Heart of the Alien" also came out on SegaCD which is the follow-up and includes both games. Havent yet played the Sega version, but the SNES(also on Genesis) is GREAT! Got to at least play it, very original with a great story. Love this game!

[vivaeljason]

No Atari 2600 VCS: Adventure? Fail!

Well, to be fair, the 2600 isn't an 8-bit console, or at least I don't think it is. EDIT: And even if it is, the OP isn't looking for 2600 games.

[PresidentLeever]

Well if I were you I would make a separate list for the action adventure, zelda-like games because the text/point n click adventure style was much bigger on PC and a list with only the console games would look a bit silly.

Perhaps you could include the Amiga?

Seconding Landstalker, Guardian Legend, Secret of Evermore. I would also add Flashback (or Another World) and Ufouria (NES) since you're counting Wonder Boy and Metroid.
Maybe the Utopia games belong here too, I haven't played them much because they seem a bit generic.

Happy new year

[Daria]

I think it's a mistake to combine two different genres. Ie. The Zelda type adventures with the point & clicks.

[grolt]

Mad props to GOLDEN AXE WARRIOR on the SMS. It did ZELDA better. GOLVELLIUS is close, but doesn't quite match the control, the upgrades and the overall world of GAW. I'll probably get flamed for this, but I always loved ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES on the NES.

I think not including a Ys, be it on the SMS, TG-16, Genesis, etc. is also a pretty significant oversight. Out of all the RPGs I've played from the era, YS: THE VANISHED OMENS has the biggest story with the most text and interactivity with NPCs. The localization is really good, too. All the text is quite beautiful, especially all those long and eloquent books you pick up along the way.

[Natty Bumppo]

Equinox is worth consideration.

(Maybe Solstice also - I haven't played that yet).

Both of the Neutopias are also worth a look.

And as mentioned earlier, Golden Axe Warrior is eminently worthy of consideration.

[7th lutz]

Well, to be fair, the 2600 isn't an 8-bit console, or at least I don't think it is. EDIT: And even if it is, the OP isn't looking for 2600 games.

Atari 2600 is a 8 bit system because the processor it uses.

The processor the Atari 2600 uses is a 6507 processor. 6507 processor is considered a 8 bit processor because 6507 processor is a cripple version of the 6502 processor. That means the Nes and the Atari 2600 use the same processor except for the fact Atari 2600 used a cripple version of it. The fact is a 6502 processor was used for a good amount amount game consoles and computers in the 1980's including the 5200 and 7800 for an example. The difference lays in how a computer uses the processor in a technical sense like the Atari 7800 has more sprites than a Nes does.

A 6507 processor is almost identical to a 6502 processor. The differences are the following:

6507 has a reduced Address bus compared to a 6502 processor.
6507 is unable to service external interrupts unlike a 6502 processor.

If you don't believe me, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6507 .

[MachineGex]

What do I mean by 8- and 16-bit consoles?

Eight to be precise: NES, SMS, NES-FDS, TG-16, Sega Genesis, TG-CD, SNES, Sega CD. I know there are many awesome adventure games for other systems, but the consoles above are keeping me more than adequately occupied.

Adventure 2600 would probably make the grade but the Atari VCS does not fit into the OP's original requirements.

[Ruudos]

I would like to add:

Faxanadu (NES)
The Battle of Olympus (NES)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis)
Terranigma (SNES)

[scottw182]

I know you gave it a "shout out", but I think The Legend of Zelda deserves to be on there.

Also, Blaster Master for sure, if that fits the categories, I really don't know.

[timewarpgamer]

Two awesome games. I was thinking of them more as cinematic platformers, but there's definitely exploration and puzzle solving that makes them more like action-adventure titles. Thanks for helping me come to my senses. Funny coincidence, too, because this morning I had a bit of a slow start--surprise, surprise--and I watched an entire playthrough of Amiga version of Out of this World. Such a gorgeous game. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgkf6wooDmw

Splitting the list between action-adventure games and text/point-and-click ones seems like a great idea. Thanks for all the feedback, and Happy New Year.

[timewarpgamer]

My new action-adventure list looks like this:

Legend of Zelda -- NES
Super Metroid -- SNES
Zelda: Link to the Past -- SNES
Crystalis -- NES
Toejam & Earl -- Genesis
Wonder Boy III / Dragon's Curse -- SMS, TG-16
Popful Mail -- Sega CD
Flashback: The Quest for Identity -- Gen, SNES
StarTropics -- NES
Golvellius: Valley of Doom -- SMS

I replayed Neutopia II and Golden Axe Warrior tonight. They're great games, but ultimately they steal SO much from the original Legend of Zelda and offer very few inspired additions/evolutions. Better graphics isn't enough to sell me.

[Ed Oscuro]

I always thought adventure games were games like, erm, these. Roughly half of the OP's list is basically action-adventure games with a split (weak) emphasis on action and adventure. Not bad stuff, though. Ironic to include Crystalis in the list because jRPGs are usually more adventure gaming titles than truly role-playing.

I've yet to play Loom (missing the tape) or Secret of Monkey Island (still my newest game purchase).

[vivaeljason]

I always thought adventure games were games like, erm, these. Roughly half of the OP's list is basically action-adventure games with a split (weak) emphasis on action and adventure. Not bad stuff, though. Ironic to include Crystalis in the list because jRPGs are usually more adventure gaming titles than truly role-playing.

I've yet to play Loom (missing the tape) or Secret of Monkey Island (still my newest game purchase).

What are you doing on this forum then?!? If you've got Secret of Monkey Island, get the hell out of here and play it. SO much fun.

[Ricochet]

Not including Ys = serious oversight. Ys is pretty much the quintessential action-adventure game! Including Popful Mail shouldn't rule out the other varied Nihon-Falcom console releases (in English): Faxanadu, Legacy of the Wizard, Tombs & Treasure.. All required 8-bit classics.

[EColeman24]

My new action-adventure list looks like this:

Legend of Zelda -- NES
Super Metroid -- SNES
Zelda: Link to the Past -- SNES
Crystalis -- NES
Toejam & Earl -- Genesis
Wonder Boy III / Dragon's Curse -- SMS, TG-16
Popful Mail -- Sega CD
Flashback: The Quest for Identity -- Gen, SNES
StarTropics -- NES
Golvellius: Valley of Doom -- SMS

I replayed Neutopia II and Golden Axe Warrior tonight. They're great games, but ultimately they steal SO much from the original Legend of Zelda and offer very few inspired additions/evolutions. Better graphics isn't enough to sell me.

Personally I love your list. It makes me want to dig out my old consoles and play these great games all over again.