The Nintendo Entertainment System basically saved video games, but its library tends to be distilled down to just Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, and Batman. Roughly a billion games were released for the console, most of which are too primitive to stand the test of time or hold the interest of modern players… but that doesn’t mean we should forget the NES masterpieces that didn’t spark an everlasting franchise (or memes).
From influential horror games to ambitious genre-blends, these upcoming games were not only fantastic for their eras, but they also held up well enough to justify a new playthrough for people who enjoy retro dives. Even if they aren’t “perfect” by 2026 standards, that doesn’t lessen their historical quality.
Obviously, some people know about these games, but they really need to be into retro gaming.
Crystalis Is An NES RPG Worth Remembering And Playing
Has Aged Better Than The Legend of Zelda
SNK might be primarily known for fighting games, but the developer cast quite a wide net during its early days, including crafting one of the most impressive RPGs on the NES. Released late in the console’s lifespan, Crystalis blends sci-fi and fantasy, all the while telling a timeless good-vs-evil story about gathering four swords and defeating the big bag (Draygon, in this case).
Nowadays, Crystalis‘ storytelling probably won’t impress too many folks, but 99% of NES games don’t have anything resembling an understandable plot. SNK not only told a simple but effective story, but actually pulled off some interesting world-building through its lore and character designs. With elemental weapons, directional inputs, and 8-way movement, the real-time combat has more going on than its contemporaries, and it’s still fun to play today.
If it just had melee combat, Crystalis would still be a triumph, but SNK also added RPG mechanics like leveling up, magic with MP, and status conditions. The game is actually pretty difficult, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering SNK’s legacy.
Crystalis received a Game Boy Color remake in 2000 that changes quite a few things. While good, I would argue the original is better.
Vice: Project Doom Is Cyberpunk NES Glory
Drowned Out By The Arrival Of The SNES
By the end of 1991, the NES was ancient and had already been replaced by its younger sibling, the SNES. However, games continued to come out on the outdated system for a while longer, including a few of the best NES games. Along with boasting the raddest title on the console, Vice: Project Doom oozes cyberpunk cheese in the best possible way, especially thanks to its cinematic cutscenes that are basically Akira blended with Ninja Gaiden.
Although it doesn’t necessarily do anything better than the best action games of the NES, Vice: Project Doom does more of it than nearly anyone. I’m not talking about the length, but rather the variety. You have driving shoot ’em up sections, side-scrolling hack and slash stages, and even a switch to first-person for some on-rail shooting. The side-scrolling makes up the bulk of the campaign, but even that shakes things up with three different weapon types and a myriad of boss fights.
From all the games in this article, Vice: Project Doom is the one I would recommend the most, as it plays really well and looks pretty darn good.
A Different Type Of Platformer
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Another 1991 hidden gem, Metal Storm is built entirely around one gimmick: gravity. With a single button press (plus a directional input), you flip the screen’s gravity, sending yourself and enemies either to the roof or the floor. Rather than jumping over pits or simply shooting ahead, this mechanic turns every encounter into a makeshift puzzle that requires expert timing.
Metal Storm‘s brilliance lies in its commitment to this one idea, fully integrating gravity manipulation into combat, traversal, and (obviously) level design. Although fundamentally simple to grasp, this mechanic comes with a bit of a learning curve, as the harder stages require players to take into account things like projectiles or even inverting gravity mid-jump for the momentum boost.
Sweet Home Is The First Resident Evil Game
The NES RPG That Inspired Survival Horror
Probably the most well-known NES game in this article, Sweet Home‘s history primarily boils down to its status as the Capcom project that set the stage for Resident Evil. Even predating Alone in the Dark, this 1989 title shaped the blueprint that would eventually transform into the survival horror genre, even though it plays more like an RPG (as the NES couldn’t really pull off horror).
Due to remaining exclusive to Japan, Sweet Home never found an international audience, which is a shame as it seems like the type of game that might have enjoyed some success in Western countries. Set in a haunted mansion, the story follows a documentary crew as they explore the household in search of artwork, and they immediately become trapped by a ghost.
Sweet Home deserves its own legacy and not to be a footnote in Resident Evil‘s. With perma-death, specialist characters, and player-driven party management, the game took quite a few risks for its era, including incorporating some pretty impressive cutscenes.
The Guardian Legend Fuses Two Genres Perfectly
A Shoot ‘Em Up Zelda Hybrid
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As shown with Crystalis and Vice: Project Doom, I appreciate games that combine different genre ideas, and The Guardian Legend might be the most impressive example on the NES. Compile succeeded in fusing a Zelda-style adventure with shmup vertical action, excelling in both individual areas and creating an even better whole.
Telling a silly but charming story about a humanoid woman trying to stop an alien invasion, The Guardian of Legend‘s protagonist explores labyrinth-like areas presented from a top-down perspective, sort of similar to Metroid or Zelda. At other times, she transforms into a space fighter jet, forcing you to take on surprisingly fast-paced shmup sections that are among the best of their era.
