You can only pick 3. Desert Island Nintendo NES

[Crystalian]

FrankSerpico, I'm flattered and obviously I agree! FrankieSaysRelax, you're killing me because SMB3 and Castlevania 3 are both on my "short list", games I just can't leave behind. However, the rules are for three and as epic as some games are, someone has to get cut. So my three are:

1. Crystalis= Serpico nailed it. No other NES game is like this. I feel this game would have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with ANY 16-bit RPG had it been given the opportunity. As it is, it just has to settle for looking nearly as good as (to the point of being nearly indestinguishable from) it's younger siblings while only having "half the bits". Also, is there any other game on the planet that has "Psycho Armor" in it?

2. Kirby's Adventure= Can't get enough of the pink guy, and this one holds up well even today. I would pick plenty of games to give you an huge open-world feel, but Kirby's levels packet up a bunch of different themes without ever feeling restricting, so I give it the edge. That also brings me to...

3. Super Mario Bros. 3= This freakin' kills me. I WANT to put Metroid, or Final Fantasy, or Castlevania 3, or Bubble Bobble, or Mega Man 3, or so many others it hurts. I'm obligated to put this here however because it's a masterpiece! You can't comprehend just how awesome this game is if you weren't there in the middle of growing up when it came out. It was the centerpiece of the movie "The Wizard". It was the biggest Mario with the most secrets and most precise controls, and is honestly more impressive to me than Super Mario World. It was the best-selling title in history for YEARS (I believe it was finally unthroned by HALO of all things)! McDonalds hooked me up with cool back-flipping Goombas for my entertainment system. And the memories... Kuribo's Shoe, NEEDING to save a cloud gem to get past the mini-fortress in World 8, trying to beat the Koopa Kids in a frog suit so the mushroom retainer would give me an alternate thank you message, hidden ships full of coins and an Anchor item, Giant World, de-flaming Bowser with a P-Wing... You can't put this much EPICNESS aside. Metroid would be in this spot if it weren't for all the Tanooki-wearing, Troopa-stomping, Pipe Maze-navigating, Big Boss Bass-avoiding, Sledge-hammer tossing, Warp Whistle-blowing fun that I had and continue to have with this game of games. A top ten would be easier, but if it has to be three then it has to be three, Super Mario Bros. 3!

[MeTmKnice]

Too much thought involved..
But if I had to pick..

Bubble Bobble
Metal Gear
Gyromite with ROB!

[Tron 2.0]

Castlvania 3 Dracula Curse
Contra
Super Mario Bros 3

Far contra and CV3 go's it has to be the famicom version of course.

[Xander]

Very tough choices.

Final Fantasy
Super Mario Bros 3
Contra

[The Clonus Horror]

Jackal
Balloon Fight
Rolling Thunder

[Parodius Duh!]

Ducktales - its awesome.

Panic Restaurant - its awesome.

Castlevania - its awesome.

[o.pwuaioc]

Adventure Island - not sure which one, yet, but I'd pick the longest and hardest while still be of the best (I think 3, right?).

Final Fantasy III or Dragon Warrior IV - gotta have a nice story in here.

Bubble Bobble, Dr. Mario, or Balloon Fight - all three pick up with great replayability, but I'm leaning toward the third.

[RichardNES]

3 games huh? Hmmm...well DuckTales would have to be one, it's one of the biggest nostalgia factories for me and is just so damn fun.
Super Mario 3 is another, same reasoning as above lol
The third is a tough choice..but I go with Shadow of the Ninja, as it is so very hard for me I never beat it. It would most likely keep me busy for a long time.

[PreZZ]

Peek a boo poker, hot slots and bubble bath babes. Remember, you are ALONE on the island!!

[fairyland]

Crystalis - Love the music, the game is so unique, I've played and finished it at least a dozen times, even on GBC. It's my favorite NES game.

Super Mario 2 - It is long and easy enough to beat than SMB 1 or 3. The art is cartoonish and fun, but best of all you can play as the Princess! Hover and float!

Battle of Olympus - Great music as well. The game is challenging and so much fun. Another one I've played and beat many times over.

Honorable Mention = Milon's Secret Castle - I'd probably want this instead of SMB2 as I'll get so bored on the island and this game would take me months to beat without a game genie. I love the game but I always needed a GG for it.

[gunswordfist]

Sweet Home - The precursor to the Resident Evil series and the true greatest NES game. There's no annoying shops and grinding in this game, you can switch between and separate characters at any time, anywhere in the massive castle and the creepy atmosphere, monster encounters, puzzles and traps keep things interesting. Simply put, I'd love to replay this game. I'd try to get the other endings.

Little Samson - Great platformer that let's you switch between 4 different characters at any time after their intro levels. I believe I could get some good hours out of this game.

TMNT 3 - I want to try out an underrated beat em up and beat em ups help kill time.