A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia
A classic platformer about a guy and his accompanying snow-cap, who together are trying to save the planet Blobolonia from an evil dictator. Combines the gameplay of the platformer and puzzles. A drop has different properties that help in passing. To activate them, different particles are used, which are scattered on each level. With their help you can make a drop ladder, parachute and much more.
Adventure Island II
The first part of this platformer was not very original. The second became more diverse in terms of gameplay, but in principle, everything remained in place – playing as a rosy-cheeked fat man, you are fighting in bad guys to save your girlfriend. In the course of the matter, you travel around on dinosaurs with different abilities and eat in huge quantities of fruit.
Batman: The Video Game
A worthy embodiment of the story of Batman, published on the 1989 film. Gotham is overwhelmed with all sorts of shit and the Dark Knight has to go out into the streets of the city and clean them. Batman perfectly copes with enemies hand to hand, but he also has a special weapon with a limited supply – a pistol, disks and boomerangs. And the Bat Man can climb up, clinging to the walls like a hero Ninja Gaiden, Ryu. The game is highly complex, not inferior to the above mentioned Ninja Gaiden.
Battletoads
Classics, just classic! One of the most graphically perfect games on the platform, combining, in addition to arcade gameplay, also speed racing on motorcycles, flights and much more. Toad fighter Rush, for whom you play, saves the story of his friend Pimpla and his girlfriend Princess Angelica. The complexity, of course, goes off scale and cooperative passage does not save the situation.
Bionic Commando
One of the first platformers who departed from the proven formula “run and jump.” Oddly enough, there is no jump in the game – instead of it you will move around the level with the help of a biomechanical hand – a device that allows you to cling to the platforms and swing to move. Also in the game there are different types of weapons to deal with enemies.
Blaster Master
Stunning platformer with elements of a shooter with a top view. In the story, following his frog Fred, the protagonist peeked into the hole in the backyard and got into the underground labyrinth, teeming with radioactive mutants. Fortunately, he manages to find an armored SOPHIA all-terrain vehicle on which it is possible to move relatively safely, since it is equipped with a powerful blaster (on which you drive around the main locations). The game is very complicated bosses, with which you will fight already in pilot mode, but after defeating them you will get upgrades for the all-terrain vehicle.
Bubble Bobble
Platform with elements of the puzzle and a representative of simple, but killingly addictive games. Two dragons Bub and Bob crack down on various monsters, placing them in bubbles. You can play together to travel through the tangled labyrinths was more fun, although you alone, hardly alone, are bored.
Castlevania
Masterpiece saga about the hunter for vampires Simon Belmonte, who owns a whip no worse than Indiana Jones. Fight, however, will not be with the Nazis, but with Dracula himself and his offspring. In addition to the whip, you will have various additional weapons: axes, boomerangs, knives, holy water – each with its own characteristics. Despite the fact that Castlevania came out at the dawn of the NES era, she is pleased with the atmospheric soundtrack and excellent graphics. You will enjoy them, as the game is rather complicated in passing.
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
After the successful first part, the developers have moved away from the usual concept of side scroller and Simon Quest is more like RPG. Belmont travels the environs of Transylvania, collecting the particles of Dracula necessary for the removal of the curse. The game has inventory, various items, a system of upgrades and even a change of day and night. From your actions, and in particular, the time spent on the passage, depends the ending, of which there are several in the game. Only by doing everything correctly you can get the best of them.
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse
For the third (and the last part of Castlevania released on the NES), Konami took all the best from two games: the atmospheric soundtrack and the side scroller mechanics from the first part, and the non-linear gameplay with several endings – from the second. As a result, the masterpiece of the Castlevania series at NES was obtained. Events unfold after a couple of centuries and the protagonist of the game is a descendant of the Belmont dynasty – Trevor. In the course of his wanderings, he meets three more fighters with evil spirits, who are also playable (one of them can be taken with them). This part of the series is no less difficult than the previous ones, but it does not spoil it at all.
Contra
A great, timeless shooter for all time. It is with him that many associate the Dandy. The 80s were an era when in the games the cinematic stamps of muscular tough guys with big cannons were exploited to the full. In Contra we play for two such guys fighting with the terrorist organization “Red Falcon”. At your disposal is a pile of weapons, with which you will have to storm the levels and bosses filled with numerous enemies.
Crystalis
Excellent RPG, in many respects similar in mechanics and gameplay with Legend of Zelda, but differing in details. Against the backdrop of other, more famous, role-playing games with NES, Crystalis stands out with a well-crafted plot twisted around a crazy fusion of science fiction and fantasy. Later, Nintendo bought out the original game rights from SNK and ported it to Game Boy Color 10 years later.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
When the first part of Double Dragon was ported to NES, the developers missed one very important detail, like the air needed by successful games beat’em up – cooperative mode of passage. In the second part, this defect was corrected and it became another masterpiece of the classic era of video games. Billy and Jimmy Lee, dragon twins avenge members of the criminal group for the death of beloved Billy. In the second part, new superstores were added, but the difficulty became higher – new types of enemies were added. Between levels you are waiting for story inserts, and after the final boss beautiful titles.
Dragon Warrior
One of the first RPGs for NES, along with Final Fantasy, in which you can improve a number of player characteristics. Tie is classic, you are a valiant knight, the kingdom is in danger, the princess is in the hands of an evil dragon. Despite such banalities, the game pleases with its depth, hours of gameplay and soundtrack.
Duck Hunt
The murderous game, which gained popularity due to the fact that it often was part of various “multi-player” games. It had a meaningless and repetitive gameplay, which in perception can be compared to Angry Birds. The highlight of the monotonous shooting of ducks was added by the fact that you shot using a light pistol. Also, the arrogant dog, which scoffed at your failures, “pulled out” the game, and which I wanted to shoot (it was a pity it was impossible). Of all the “pistol” games, Duck Hunt was the most popular.
Duck Tales
Games based on popular cartoons and movies are deliberately doomed to success, because they will be bought only in order to prolong the joy of communication with their favorite characters. Duck Tales, published on the motives of the popular in the 80 animated series “Duck stories”, was both simple and fascinating. Playing for Uncle Scrooge, you traveled to different levels (non-linear gameplay!), In an attempt to collect all the treasures of the world. Yes, this is a normal platformer, but what a platform!
Excitebike
One of the 18 titles available during the release of the NES did not cause anything but excitement. Bezbashennye race on motorcycles on the tracks with crazy obstacles and the same rivals. In addition to skidding on dirt and overtaking opponents, you still had to monitor the temperature of the engine, so as not to overheat it. When all the tracks were passed, you could have fun creating your own in the editor. Masterpiece!
Faxanadu
Faxanadu did not arouse much interest during his release, but this did not stop him from becoming a cult classic. The game is a storyline of the popular series of RPG Dragon Slayer. It was not the top of creativity and innovation, but it had a large World Tree map, containing all the villages and castles. From the rest of the games of that time, Faxanadu was notable for its graphics, or rather for the color gamut – instead of motley colors, there were muted and Gothic earthy tones. According to the game mechanics it can be compared with the second part of Zelda and the Castlevania series.
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy has done more for the RPG genre than GoldenEye 007 will later do for FPS-shooters. The game took all the best from its counterparts, like Dragon Warrior, and significantly improved many of their elements, such as random battles and the world map. The classes of characters have been added, which will become an indispensable condition in future games. Later, the original Final Fantasy spawned a series of games on the most diverse consoles that go to this day.
Ghosts’ N Goblins
The game has an incredible complexity and is overflowed with various monsters so that many players are even afraid to start playing it or throwing this venture after a couple of tries. The complexity really goes off scale – the evil spirits in the face of zombies, ghouls and skeletons rush to you from all sides, and you die only from their two blows. In this case there are no safe places in the game, at any point of the screen at any time a monster can jump out and kill you. Oh yeah, if you still have the courage and perseverance to reach the final boss and kill him – get more air and sit down – to complete the game will have to go through again!
Gradius
A stunning space scroll-shooter from Konami. The game features a developed system of powerpacks, which allowed you to choose your path of improvement, corresponding to your style of passage (deaf defense or fierce attack). Starting with a tiny weak ship, gradually you turn it into a perfect fighting machine that can withstand countless enemies and huge bosses at the end of each level.
Jackal
The game came out three years after the popular action movie “Rambo: First Blood” and its plot was also tied to the rescue of prisoners of war. Unlike Stallone with its huge arsenal of weapons and explosive arrows, the player had a jeep with a large-caliber machine gun and a missile launcher. On it you rush into enemy territory, clear your way and find a building with hostages. After releasing them, you put them in your jeep and take them to the point where they should be picked up by the helicopter. The game is quite complicated and, unlike Rambo, working alone, you will be much more successful coping with the enemy along with your partner.
Kid Icarus
The output of Kid Icarus took place simultaneously with Metroid and, while the latter became a hit, giving rise to a bunch of sequels and spinoffs, Kid Icarus quietly took its place on the shelves with classics. This platformer was quite complicated due to the infinite displacements of the screen after the slightest jump and caused difficulties with the calculation of the landing point. Also complicating the process was that most of the moving platforms were extremely narrow and getting on them was very difficult. Icarus took off too high and fell to the ground, scorched by the sun, however, its flight seems like an easy walk compared to this game.
Kirby’s Adventure
This exciting platformer about the super-kolobok can be considered a swan song by NES, support that was discontinued a couple of years after the release of Kirby’s Adventure. The roots of Kirby originate with the Game Boy, where the protagonist also runs, jumps, absorbs enemies and their abilities in all seven worlds of Dreamland. The game is simply amazing for those times (and the console capabilities) graphics with smooth animation and effects. It was the first, but not the last, full-color game about Kirby.
Klax
“Now the 90’s and this is the time to play in Klax”, – tell us the developers from the main tap. It really is, the 90s were the best years for games with “tetris-like” gameplay and none of them resembles Tetris as much as Klax. Game mechanics here are simple, but this is the beauty of such games and from this Klax is even more fascinating. Collect the falling color blocks from the conveyor and arrange them in stacks to prevent filling.
Kung Fu
Monotonous and uncomplicated fun, so similar in this respect to the Duck Hunt. The game originates from the old arcade title Kung-Fu Master, ported later to many consoles, including NES. However, along with the loss of the word Master in the title, the game lost some of the gameplay. You are waiting for five “corridor” levels, through which you must pass, weighing slaps to the left and to the right. Going through them all, you will get the same levels, only with a higher complexity. Nevertheless, it became a classic, thanks to early beat’em up elements and popular in those days genre – martial arts.
Life Force
After the unbridled success of Gradius, the sequel was inevitable. It became a spin-off of the original version under the name Salamander, like it, released on arcade machines and later ported to the console. On the NES game, in turn, received a different name – Life Force. You again get into the cockpit of the spacecraft from the original game and fly inside the giant organism, shooting back the hostile clumps of biomass, and sometimes even making its way through it. The levels here are vertical and horizontal, which diversifies the gameplay. Also, various bonuses and satellites with different abilities help a lot.
Megaman
Megapopular title from Capcom. Valiant robot with super abilities clears the world from other robots, which have more evil intentions. The game is simply masterpiece – stunning graphics, non-linear gameplay and new abilities obtained after the victory over the bosses. They will help you to deal with ordinary enemies, and with other bosses, which in the game are quite interesting.
Mega Man 2
The ideological continuation of the first part, thanks to which the series became popular. The game is much prettier in terms of graphics, and in terms of gameplay, separately worth mentioning the soundtrack, which rightfully can be considered one of the best in the series. Our hero received new weapons and abilities, and there was also an opportunity to replenish the energy, which together with the password system made the game not as hardcore as the first part.
Metal Gear
Even such large-scale and ambitious series as Metal Gear had to start somewhere and it was from this game (which in fact is the port of the original) that the popular franchise begins. Playing for the hard soldier Solid Snake, you must enter the territory of the enemy and destroy the super-secret weapon Metal Gear. As in the subsequent parts of the series, it was necessary to avoid direct contact with patrols and guard, so as not to attract attention and provoke a real meat grinder.
Metroid
A great start to the cult series of games that spawned a whole genre and became a new word in platformers. Metroid provided the player with a large, open to exploration world, combining this element with the classic platform game mechanics. Not the least of these places is played by an interesting hero, or rather the heroine – the bounty hunter from the planet Zebes, Samus Aran, as well as the plot that seamlessly guides us through the space base of the pirates, where players get used to the role, gain new abilities that allow them to penetrate previously inaccessible to them. The goal is to destroy hostile organisms that have terrible abilities and are parasites.
Mighty Final Fight
My favorite beat’em up on NES! The game has a unique charm and is capable of falling in love with itself at first sight even on a black and white TV. The plot plot is wiped to holes – evil guys kidnap a beautiful girl and a team of brave guys need to rescue her from the clutches of bandits. At your disposal are three colorful fighters, one of whom is the father of a kidnapped girl. We choose any one to taste and characteristics and enter into an unequal battle. The game is primarily interested in a steep system of powerpacks (powerful special moves open at high levels), beautiful graphics and memorable music, as well as various endings that make the game replayable.
Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out !!
Before biting off a piece of ear Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson managed to earn a lot of titles and … become a video game hero about the big box, revealing it in all its glory. You begin the career of a young, unknown boxer and, defeating opponents, advance to your dream of becoming a champion (the final boss here is Tyson himself). Fight, use tactics, adjust to various fighters and you will definitely win!
Ninja Gaiden
The first part of the cult series of games on the popular in the 80th theme of the ninja. The game can boast quite a movie plot of the plot: a young warrior Ryu Hayabutsa arrived in America to find out the details of the loss of his father, but he is immediately attacked by unknown people and he has to go through a series of incredible events. Ryu perfectly handles the family sword, and skillfully throws shurikens and other special weapons, which are very useful on bosses. Despite the high complexity – the plot and exciting gameplay will make you not quit the game and go through it to the end.
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword Of Chaos
Unexpected continuation of the original part, in which a new enemy of Ryu appears – the Emperor Ashar, who abducted his beloved and making plans for world domination. The game was significantly improved in terms of graphics and new features of Ryu, allowing him not only to push off the walls, but also to climb on them. Also there were shadow companions, ninjas helping you in battles. In the rest it’s the same original, with hardcore complexity and fascinating gameplay.
Paperboy
Like many other NES-titles, Paperboy originates from the games for arcade machines from Atari. But the game became famous, thanks to the fact that it was developed exclusively in the USA. You ran a teenager, who carried the people of the street newspapers on their bike. The gameplay was complicated by the presence of houses whose inhabitants were not subscribers, interfering with pedestrians, and hostile dogs. In addition, the newspapers used to end. Graphics, as in all the early games for the NES, was modest, but the players did not complain.
R.B.I. Baseball
Baseball games existed before, but R.B.I. Baseball was the first game to receive a license from the Major League Baseball, which gave it the right to use the names of famous athletes and bring the game to a new level of realism. The characteristics of the players corresponded to the performance of real players, which created the impression of even greater authenticity.
R.C. Pro-Am
These vintage races are the ancestor of all isometric races, especially the Mario Kart. All these turbo accelerations, bonuses and obstacles came from here. You must win in the ring races, managing one of the four cars participating in the race. On your way there will be both obstacles and prizes. The latter can be used for auto upgrades to gain an advantage over rivals.
Rampage
A masterpiece of arcade classics about monsters, where you play on the side of evil. Managing a giant gorilla, reptile or werewolf, you must destroy all the buildings of the city and repel the attacks of the military, trying to stop you. You can play together, creating even more destruction. Almost in the same form, the game came to NES, almost without losing anything in the graphics and gameplay, except that one of the monsters – the werewolf was removed.
River city ransom
River City Ransom in something similar to Super Mario Bros., its main characters resemble Mario and Luigi, born somewhere in the backyard of the Mushroom Kingdom. The main characters Alex and Ryan also save the lover of one of them, entering into a fight with evil. Non-linear gameplay involves a lot of fights, both melee and with the help of improvised tools, dropping out of defeated villains. In battle, friends learn new techniques and techniques to defeat the bosses and reach their final goal – the beautiful Cindy.
Spy Hunter
In this game, you can feel like a real spy (a match for James Bond), driving around in a chic auto stuffed with various gadgets. On the highway, you catch up and outstrip the various cars and motorcycles of bandits trying to settle accounts with you. This action was complicated by road junctions, helicopters and opponents armed with machine guns and artillery.
Super Mario Bros.
None of the top lists can not do without this title – the legendary plumber is still in the ranks, Nintendo has created a huge series of games about the platform star, as well as his friends. Everything is ugly just – the princess is kidnapped, evil with impunity strolls through the Mushroom Kingdom, and even mocks you. We have nothing left but to roll up our sleeves and go into battle with beetles, turtles, carnivorous flowers and other evil spirits.
Super Mario Bros. 2
The tremendous success of Super Mario Bros. He left in the hearts of gamers around the world emptiness, which could fill only Nintendo. And she did it, giving us the continuation of the adventures of Mario, much prettier in terms of graphics and gameplay. Now the player could choose one of four characters, each of which has its own abilities. Enemies can be raised and thrown directly at other enemies, in the same way, throwing out turnip from the ground, in which sometimes there are different bonuses. The game has become much more complicated and interesting.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Excellent proof that despite the huge success of the previous parts of the series, the developers still have something to surprise the players. The game has become bigger, brighter and better than the first two parts – you will have a lot of prizes, huge levels, costumes for getting different abilities and much more. Graphics at the height, the gameplay is also fascinating – one of the best games on the NES platform.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
Turtles came to the NES with arcade machines. In the console version there was not such a cool schedule, but! In a set with each game, a discount coupon for the purchase of pizza was carefully deposited. Based on the original cartoon film and appeared already in the genre of beat’em up, not platforming, the game was pleased with the gameplay and the ability to play for one of your favorite characters. In TNMT II a sea of villains and cartoon bosses, although some were invented by developers specifically for this game. As before, there is no better pastime for Friday evening than playing TNMT II with friends.
Tetris
Incredibly simple and simultaneously terribly addictive puzzle, the idea of which was invented by our compatriot Alexei Pajitnov. Gamers of all platforms and ages know and love it. She certainly deserves a place on this list.
The Goonies II
Continuation of the classic adventure game-brodilki. In the game, non-linear gameplay and you can move to different worlds filled with their inherent environment, enemies and puzzles, through special doors and stairs. This is a unique combination of gameplay and the ability to explore the world and won the hearts of many gamers.
Legend of Zelda
The developers of Legend of Zelda, should be very proud of their creation. Just imagine, the American version of the cartridge was made of gold plastic, as if hinting to the players that they are waiting for the mountains of treasure and the game itself is also nothing more than a treasure. Players explored the cult world of Khairul to punish the eternal villain of Ganon and save Princess Zelda. You had as many as nine dungeons inhabited by monsters, in which you had to sweat fairly. In addition, this game was the first title for home consoles, which had a built-in battery for storing saves.
Vice: Project Doom
Stunning detective thriller, combining elements of a variety of genres. Events unfold around a secret corporation and the strongest drug, which has a huge demand in the black market – you will learn all this from cinematic plot insertions between the levels. There’s a lot of stuff in the game, here are the elements of the platformer, not inferior to the complexity of Ninja Gaiden, and racing races in the spirit of Spy Hunter, and elements of shooters. The developers apparently bet on this and, of course, did not lose.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
After the incredible success of the first part of Link’s adventures, the developers decided to create an uncharted sequel. Completely revised gameplay, they released a game that combines the elements of the sidescroller and RPG. The task for the player is the same – the rescue of Princess Zelda, now it needs to be awakened from the curse of sleep. Many elements of the game migrated to future sequels (the main NPC, Dark Link, the mana scale), and many of the first part, on the contrary, were lost, offering players a mixture of genres and innovative ideas, for which the series is so beloved.
And what are your favorite NES games, dear readers? With which of them do you associate your childhood and do you play in them now? Tell me about it in the comments, I will be interested to listen! By the way, here we also have the best games with Game Boy.
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