The Nintendo Entertainment System isn’t the oldest console ever, but it’s basically the oldest one that people might still occasionally play. To be honest, NES games haven’t aged amazingly or nearly as well as their SNES successors, but a few of them will forever be perfect (or as close to it as possible). I’m not just talking about releases that were brilliant for their era, but also masterpieces that you can boot up today for a good time.
Are you interested in a retro dive into Nintendo’s first console (not counting Game & Watch), but aren’t sure where to start? Well, these upcoming NES games should get you going. Not only are they major triumphs for their era, but they are still awesome today. You can also beat some of them pretty quickly, while others will absolutely break your spirit (in a good way).
Also, An All-Time Great Licensed Game, Especially Based On TV Shows
- Great movement, strong visuals for the era, and DuckTales.
- I guess it’s a bit too short, even by NES standards.
Yeah, we are kicking things off with a licensed game based on a Disney cartoon, and this pick doesn’t come down to nostalgia. While I liked the show as a kid, I didn’t play the NES’s DuckTales game until much later, and I don’t hold any long-lasting fondness for it. Capcom just put together a really strong platformer that took a surprising number of risks for this type of release. DuckTales isn’t just Super Mario Bros. or Mega Man with Scrooge McDuck, although I would play the heck out of that game, too.
DuckTales does a couple of things really well that have preserved its near-perfection status. Rather than just jumping normally or using a projectile, Scrooge has a cane pogo move that not only acts as a weapon but also helps in exploration, and you can pull off some pretty cool chain jumps once you become good with it. As it was developed by members of the Mega Man team, DuckTales rejects traditional linear design, instead allowing you to pick from 5 areas immediately, all of which are dense and even connect with each other in some ways.
6
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse Is Atmospheric, Challenging, And Innovative
Castlevania At Its Original Peak
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Image by GameRant; Source: Konami -
Image by GameRant; Source: Konami -
Image by GameRant; Source: Konami
- Slow, deliberate gameplay, with variety in the form of three companions (and basically 4 playable characters).
Konami somewhat strayed off course with Simon’s Quest, only to return to the right path in a massive way with its follow-up. If we are talking classic pre-SOTN Castlevania, Dracula’s Curse represents the franchise’s early peak, even if Super Castlevania IV and Rondo of Blood certainly challenge it. Early Castlevania is all about commitment and consequences; once Trevor Belmont jumps, his trajectory is set, and there’s no midair maneuver that will save him. That’s something that extends to the entire experience.
Dracula’s Curse punishes impatience heavily, but in a way that rarely feels unfair. The player’s actions are always easy to determine and predictable, and it’s about finding the ideal move to get past the various challenges and enemies. Beyond just the base gameplay, Dracula’s Curse features three companions that can be swapped, all of which provide different strengths and weaknesses that greatly change the combat and movement.
5
Contra Doesn’t Let Up For A Second
A NES Game That Knows What It Wants To Be And Never Stops Being That Thing
- Want to have a good but hard time? Contra is your game.
Not everything needs to be complicated, and Contra is satisfying in a way that only old-school run-and-gun shooters tend to be. You just move forward, kill everything, and try not to be killed. Simple, glorious, and timeless. Even all these decades later, Contra continues to play like a chaotic dream, with tight controls, 8-direction shooting, and the somersault jump.
In a campaign all about shooting things in the face, Contra unsurprisingly understands that weapon upgrades should dramatically alter your behavior rather than just increment a raw damage stat, and that’s exactly what happens as you unlock the Spread Gun or the Fireball. Famously, Contra is quite a difficult game without the Konami Code, so that could be a slight barrier to entry nowadays. However, it’s very easy to work around, and the gameplay more than holds up enough to warrant the effort.
4
Mega Man 2 Is The Full Package
A NES Game That Can Still Be Played Today And Enjoyed To Its Fullest
- Action platforming at its 8-bit best.
I swear, this article isn’t going to be just Capcom and Konami games, but the publishers were on absolutely fine form during the NES era. Gameplay-wise, these two were near-impossible to surpass for much of the ’80s and early ’90s.
Mega Man 2 is something of a miracle. Although not devoid of charm, its predecessor wasn’t particularly great or successful, to the point that Capcom was ready to give the Blue Bomber an early retirement. Just think, we almost missed out on decades of Mega Man masterpieces. Fortunately, passion pushed through, and the developers got a chance to release a sequel that absolutely fixed every problem with the first entry.
Mega Man feels amazing to control, presenting pretty much spot-on responsiveness. You let go of the D-pad, and Mega Man stops pretty much instantly, completely eliminating cheap kills in the process. Although it still packs one hell of a punch, the game shows enough grace to allow players to make a mistake and not be immediately sent to an early grave. You also have the rock-paper-scissors weapon system, with each Robot Master dropping a weapon ability useful against another boss, and the freedom to run through the levels in whatever order you want.
3
Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Is A Complete Knockout
Once You Step In The Ring With The Champ, You’ll Never Want To Leave
- Addictive and accessible gameplay that never goes out of fashion.
OK, let’s start the Nintendo portion of the article.
Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! is, in my opinion, the most replayable game on the NES. Although the console has plenty of arcade-style triumphs, Nintendo’s 1987 boxing game captures that “one more time” spirit better than nearly anything else; honestly, I would go as far as to say that the NES iteration with Mike Tyson is superior to the 1984 arcade versions, a claim that can only be made for a very small handful of releases (including Contra).
While technically a sports sim, Punch-Out!! plays like a rhythm game, where Little Mac must react to the opponents’ jabs and uppercuts while waiting for an opening. Each new enemy introduces new moves and, crucially, cues for each one, forcing players to adapt while also giving them all the information they need to survive the process. The game gradually ramps up the challenge, culminating in one of the most brutal boss fights on the NES.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
2
Kirby’s Adventure Is The Biggest Adventure On The NES
For A Game All About Copying, Kirby Still Feels Pretty Unique
Acting as a swan song for the NES, Kirby’s Adventure was released when the world had already moved on to the SNES, and players really weren’t all that excited about returning to 8-bit action when they could be playing Super Mario World or Link’s Awakening instead. The outdated hardware didn’t discourage HAL Laboratory, but rather served as a well-known canvas that could be pushed to its limit. That’s exactly what Kirby’s Adventure does, as it is one of the most visually stunning games on the NES.
While preceded by Kirby’s Dream Land on the Game Boy, this NES masterpiece introduced the mechanic that defined the pink puffball: Swallowing enemies to claim their powers. With over 20 copy abilities, Kirby’s Adventure features an impressive range of variety in both gameplay style and potential solutions for any present obstacle. These powers weren’t just for combat, either, but they were implemented organically into the puzzles.
1
Super Mario Bros. 3 Is The Perfect Game
I Know, This Is The Boring Answer
Yes, I mean, of course.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is the best NES game, and arguably the best 2D side-scroller of all time. While the original Super Mario Bros. is fantastic, this sequel was a generational leap forward, and it created the modern platformer that emphasized momentum-based physics and player agency. Super Mario World only had to fine-tune SMB3‘s ideas.
This entry introduced branching routes, stockpile inventory, thematic overworld maps, and suits that radically changed how you interact with the world, all of which would become staples of gaming in general. Stages don’t last all that long, but they are so expertly paced that they take you on a full micro-journey, all the while eliminating any dead weight.
