Greatest NES Games Of All Time, Ranked

Although perhaps not as beloved as the 16-bit hardware that followed, the Nintendo Entertainment System is the most important console of all time, one that not only helped save the industry after the 1983 crash but also produced games that codified most genres. The best NES games are masterpieces that used the limitations of their era to innovate and entertain, and some of them still stand the test of time.

To be honest, I don’t generally enjoy writing these types of definitive lists, as there are just too many brilliant games to fit in one article. However, after spending the last few months revisiting the NES’s catalog, I believe it is time to ask the age-old question: what’s the greatest NES game ever?

10

The Legend of Zelda Paved The Way To So Many 10/10 Masterpieces

• Developer: Nintendo
• Release Year: 1986

OK, let’s kick things off with a title that comes painfully close to defying the one rule I set for this article. The Legend of Zelda has not survived the aging process quite as well as the other games in this article, and I advise that younger players looking to experience the franchise’s early days start with the SNES’s A Link to the Past instead. However, Nintendo’s classic hit too many historical milestones to ignore.

LoZ wrote the blueprint for non-linear exploration by dropping players into a sandbox and challenging them to find their own route. The dungeons were light-years ahead of the competition, as they had complex (for the time) maps that turned each one into an extensive puzzle. Yes, the game is a bit too cryptic for its own good, and it isn’t particularly great on a blind playthrough, but that doesn’t take anything away from what Nintendo accomplished in 1986.

9

Vice: Project Doom Oozes B-Movie Cool

An Underappreciated NES Masterpiece

• Developer: Aicom
• Release Year: 1991

Oh, that’s right, the greatest NES games don’t consist of just Nintendo releases, as the console had plenty of champions that contributed to the cause. Due to launching late in the system’s life, Vice: Project Doom didn’t garner all that much attention during its original run, and its legacy is that of a cult classic, at best. Fortunately, this late release came with the benefit of experience, as developers knew how to get the most out of the NES by the early ’90s.

Vice: Project Doom blends three gameplay styles: side-scrolling action-platforming, driving stages with light bullet hell elements, and overhead shooter segments, all of which are executed surprisingly well. Beyond the varied gameplay, the game oozes ’80s action movie cheese in the best possible way, and everything combines to create one of the most consistently gripping campaigns on the NES.

8

River City Ransom Is Way More Than Just A Beat ‘Em Up

An Ambitious Genre-Blender That Still Plays Like A Dream

• Developer: Technos Japan
• Year: 1989

If I judged these games solely on how much I enjoy playing them nowadays, River City Ransom would rank far, far higher. Although primarily seen as a beat ’em up, Technos effectively created one of the first true action RPGs, and you could easily draw a line from River City Ransom to Like a Dragon.

In an age dominated by traditional beat ’em ups, this game defied expectations by introducing free exploration, non-linear progression, RPG stats upgraded by buying food and drinks, and buyable attacks. River City Ransom took plenty of huge swings for the ’80s, and pretty much everything paid off.

7

Crystalis Is The Best RPG On The NES

The NES Game That Built On The Legend Of Zelda’s Foundation

• Developer: SNK
• Year: 1990

To be honest, NES RPGs have collectively aged like milk, and there’s basically no reason to play any of them when the SNES has roughly a billion better examples of the genre’s early days. The one exception is Crystalis, which took many of LoZ‘s ideas and implemented them in a more well-defined world and narrative, along with introducing a more complex combat system.

Crystalis really does feel like a SNES-era action RPG that just happens to be on the NES. You have a proper magic system that lets you use utility spells like Teleport, easy-to-follow navigation that makes good use of NPCs, elemental attacks, and a sci-fi fantasy post-apocalyptic story with plenty of personality and even some nuance.

6

Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse Is Konami At Its Early Creative Best

Style, Substance, And Companions

• Developer: Konami
• Year: 1989

The first true signs of the Metroidvania genre began to form in 1989. After dropping the ball with Simon’s Quest, Konami went back to the challenging action-platforming of the original game, albeit with far more emphasis on non-linear paths and player choice. Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse is a gothic horror masterclass that oozes ambiance from pretty much every single frame, and the visuals still look good today, as long as you go in with realistic expectations.

Famously, Castlevania 3 includes the inspired companion system, which lets you take another character along with Trevor Belmont. These three playable characters need to be unlocked and have wildly different movesets, which expands the campaign’s replayability exponentially. None of that would matter if the gameplay wasn’t rock-solid, and Castlevania 3 nails what it’s trying to be: a deliberate, consequence-laden action game.

5

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Is Still A Complete Knockout

Nintendo Really Nailed The Formula Here

• Developer: Nintendo
• Year: 1987

99% of the NES’s sports games are excruciating to play nowadays… thankfully, Punch-Out!! isn’t a sports title. Obviously, players step into a boxing ring and trade blows with a series of opponents, but that’s just the premise and not the actual gameplay feel. No, Punch-Out!! is a rhythm game, and a darn fine one at that.

Arguably the best aged NES game, Punch-Out!! utilizes a simple combat loop: block, dodge, and counter. That’s pretty much all you do, but each new opponent introduces new moves, routines, and pacing, while also decreasing the margin of error. It creates this intense loop where you are always pushing past your perceived limits.

4

​​​​​​​Contra Hit The Bullseye On Its First Go

That Time The NES Outdid The Arcade Cabinet

• Developer: Konami
• Year: 1987

While Castlevania 3 is Konami’s most impressive NES project, Contra is the publisher’s best release. A rare example of a console port being better than the arcade original, Contra nailed the run-and-gun formula right out of the gate, and only a handful of games since then have come close to replicating its magic. As long as they don’t mind a few dozen deaths, anybody can pick up this classic today and have just as much fun as they would have had in the late ’80s.

With responsive controls, eight-way aiming, and a weapon system that significantly changes the “gun” part of the gameplay loop, Contra was built on an absurdly strong foundation, one that only needed mediocre level design and enemies to be excellent. As it so happens, Contra also excels in those areas.

3

Kirby’s Adventure Is The Final NES Masterpiece

The True Birth Of A Pink Legend

• Developer: HAL Laboratory
• Year: 1993

HAL waited until the NES’s twilight years to bring the adorable puffball to home screens, a choice that apparently was the correct one. Kirby’s Adventure is the most technically immaculate game on the NES, and it pushed the console in directions that were deemed impossible at the time. It’s arguably the console’s only title that could actually pass for a SNES release.

We can praise the technical side of things until the end of days, but Kirby’s Adventure‘s “classic” status comes down to its mechanics, charm, colorful visuals, and the protagonist himself. While the series started with Kirby’s Dream Land on the Game Boy, this NES game gave Kirby his copy ability, allowing him to swallow enemies and transform into a version of them.

2

​​​​​​​Mega Man 2 Is A Proper Golden-Age Classic

Capcom Learns From The Past And Secures The Future

• Developer: Capcom
• Year: 1988

Frankly, the entire Mega Man series deserves to rank in this article, as Capcom dropped 5 near-masterpieces on the NES. Ultimately, Mega Man 2 deserves to be mentioned above the others, solely for the fact that it saved the Blue Bomber from an early demise after the disappointing first game. The sequel eradicated most of its predecessor’s issues by vastly improving Mega Man’s responsiveness and predictability, while also improving the rock-paper-scissors boss weapon system.

While I could see an argument for any of the sequel games being better, Mega Man 2 is the quintessential 8-bit action-platformer. Except for a couple of brief (and frustrating) low points, the campaign maintains its momentum for basically its entire run, and its boss roster is tough to beat. Also, the Metal Blade is one of the most OP weapons on the NES, and that’s a positive.

1

​​​​​​​Super Mario Bros. 3 Is The Greatest NES Game Ever

There’s No Beating The Plumber

• Developer: Nintendo
• Year: 1988

I don’t consider myself a contrarian, but I try to avoid going with the obvious pick if I can help it. In this case, I have no choice, as Super Mario Bros. 3 is far and away the best game on the NES.

Although naturally not the first of its kind, Nintendo pretty much defined what it means to create a timeless platformer with this sequel, and every 2D side-scroller that followed owes a debt to this legend. While everyone should experience all the games in this article, SMB3 is the only true must-play. Unlike so many foundational games that eventually succumb to their genre’s harsh progress, SMB3‘s snappy momentum and precision would allow it to exist alongside modern indie darlings without any issue what so ever.