If I may be so bold as to say that the NES has a lot to offer then I will be so bold as to say it: The NES has a lot to offer. This is just a fun article where I flipped through my Nintendo tapes to pick out a few that I think people should play. Some are better known than others, some are pretty obvious choices if you know me. Some didn’t make the list because I would rather write full articles about them, but being on this list certainly doesn’t preclude a game from that distinction!
If you are an NES enthusiast, either someone experienced who is maybe looking for something cool to try or a newcomer who wants to know a few games that are worth looking out for then this list is my contribution.
This list is not a ranking or top 10 or any kind of “best of the NES” evaluation. Games are ordered alphabetically.
These entries were literally chosen based on what jumped out at me (but were still excellent imo). Just because a game is not on this list, it doesn’t mean I think it shouldn’t be played.
Screenshots are generally from the first or second area, so there is no real risk of spoilers. Read on!
Air Fortress:
Air Fortress is one of those games that combines play styles, and does it very well. As you approach an air fortress, a gigantic enclosed fortress in space, the game takes the form of a horizontal shmup. Enemies will swarm in groups or fly in formation and you must evade and destroy. During the shmup scenes you can collect Energy and Bombs for the second segment. The second segment is inside the fortress and where this game really shines. The energy limit you raised outside allows you float inside the space station. It drains as you float and if you are damaged, your limit decreases. Standing still allows energy to quickly refill. The game feels floaty, sort of like a good version of Cybernoid, it gives the interiors a “spacey” feeling. The fortresses become more and more intricate with branches and danger as you press on. And once you destroy the main core, the power shuts down and it becomes very moody as you search for an escape vessel. I also dig the aesthetic, sort of a neat take on old space and robot TV serials!
Burai Fighter:
Burai Fighter is an NES shmup, similar to S.C.A.T. an Forgotten Worlds in that you play as a floating human in a scrolling level. Burai Fighter allows you to move freely and aim in eight directions as the levels often scroll more ways that simply horizontally. At the end of a level you will battle a big and exciting boss! It’s all about upgrading your weapons and keeping yourself safe from all directions. Shmups are a dime a dozen on the NES but if you are looking for something a little different I definitely recommend Burai Fighter. It feels very dynamic and exciting, partly due to the scrolling and mostly due to the satisfying action!
Iron Tank:
Iron Tank is a tremendous game that requires finesse, patience, and reflex. Move your tank closer and closer to enemy HQ. You have your machinegun to mow down troops (or you can drive over them) and your main cannon which you can load with special shots to increase your potency. You are a tank, you are not super mobile. The game requires an intuitive approach. Will tanks swarm in from the trees above? Is it really worth going quickly across this bridge? There are deliberate and strategic elements to this game, as well as furious boss fights. There is so much depth here, and the paths branch so even when you beat it you haven’t seen it all!
Life Force:
Life Force is one of the best shmups on the NES. It is responsive, fun, and provides a moderate challenge. It alternates between vertical and scrolling segments and is compact enough to learn very well. It’s part of the Gradius series, and was also called Salamander in some releases. The original Life Force took many of the mechanical themes of Salamander and made them organic, and set the game inside the giant creature Zelos. This lends a wild variety of venues to the game, with each level ending in a huge and satisfying boss. I could talk about Life Force for ages, but instead you should just go play it!
M.U.L.E.:
M.U.L.E. is certainly not exclusive to the NES, but this is a fairly decent version. It’s probably the most ‘different’ game on this list. I think colony/civ building strategy games on the NES get overlooked but please do NOT overlook M.U.L.E. The game begins with you choosing which species you would like to play with, and then claiming your land. Different land types provide different benefits to different resources You must buy M.U.L.E.s (robotic mules) and outfit them to work plots of lands. You can choose a new plot of land each round, and get an extra plot that round if a land auction pops up. Rounds are timed, so have an idea of what you need to accomplish in one round. At the end of a round, goods are auctioned off, giving you the ability to be a buyer or seller. Natural events can damage or enhance your plots, your M.U.L.E. may win a tap-dancing earning you money contest or go berserk rendering a plot of land unworked. Ultimately you want the highest score (goods and money) but also you want the entire colony to thrive. It’s a really intriguing game that will suck you in if you allow it to!
Phantom Fighter:
This game gets a bum rap, probably from people who walked into the first house and got themselves stomped. I picked up Phantom Fighter for dirt cheap on a whim, and I was blown away. You play as Kenshi, a martial artist who travels from town to town slaying Kyonshi (Jiang Shi) – Chinese Hopping Vampires. The game is beautifully animated, and combat is fluid. Kenshi can buy new skills in many of the towns, and so mobility and fighting becomes easier and more intuitive the more you play. There is a decent variety of Kyonshi, and great variety to the bosses. Give this one a chance, it might surprise you! It’s also inspired by the movies series Mr. Vampire, which is also awesome, so check that out too!
Shatterhand:
YEAH! SHATTERHAND! YEAAAHHHHH! Anyone who knows me saw this coming a mile away. Shatterhand is the premiere NES game about shattering things with your hands. Action is fast-paced and varied. The game is tough but not completely unforgiving. You will learn it and excel. You can collect various Alpha and Beta symbols to create a little robot dude to attack with you – its attack pattern changing based on the sequence of letters you collected. Collect that same sequence while your little buddy is still functional? Well my dear you will change into a hyper robot borg with incredible destructive potential! Action! Selectable levels! Awesome bosses! Punching! SHATTERHAND!!!
The Immortal:
The Immortal is an isometric labyrinth exploration game, though not quite the same as Solstice. It is filled with deadly traps, and vicious enemies. It’s also beautifully animated with gorgeous music. Solving the labyrinth will require both time and effort, but this game is very much worth playing. It has tremendous atmosphere and is very well written. I’ve read that the NES version has toned down the violence from original releases, but regardless of NES censorship this one is very much worth playing. It’s certainly not instant gratification, but it is definitely wonderful!
VICE: Project Doom:
When thinking of what Ninja Gaiden game I wanted to include in this list, I decided that it should definitely be VICE: Project Doom, ;). While VICE starts out as overhead driving, the core gameplay is side-scrolling action with similarities to the aforementioned Ninja Gaiden. However, VICE is not nearly as unforgiving as Ninja Gaiden. It is, again, a moderate challenge and fairly lengthy for this style of game. Action is fast-paced and accurate, bosses and enemies are wildly creative at times. Stages are laid out well, and the presentation is generally spot-on. Give it a spin if you dig NES action!
Xexyz:
Another game I simply took a chance on. I picked it up on a lark, but when I took it home I sat down and rolled it in one sitting. Xexyz is not so much underrated as it is unknown, though people who love it really like to promote it. The game alternates between simple platforming and side scrolling shooting. There are secrets to find and enormous bosses to battle. The game is not very difficult, though some bosses can be tricky. It’s a moderate challenge that should appeal to both veterans of the console and newcomers. It’s a shame this one isn’t more well known. Maybe the blasé box art failed to attract?
There are many more treasures on the NES and other consoles. I may return to this format in the future! Thanks for reading, and happy hunting!
Holy dog beards covered in rigatoni sauce! This is pretty much a consecutive counting the last one, not that I’m complaining.
You should do another, indeed… and Dynowarz is rad.
Well, (perhaps?) shameful to say that I only went through Shatterhand. I tried out a little of Phantom Fighter and Xexyz on mention from you. As for the rest, I’ll try them soon, I think. Eventually, anyway.
There are a few others that you could mention but left out. Maybe should’ve been Top 20? Hehe.
He he dat rigatoni eh? Classic reference there mate :).
Dynowarz IS rad, but I realized when I was out photographing for this article that I brought out Trypticon but not Dynowarz. Damn son!
Man I could have done a top 20. I could have went on for hours about Lolo and StarTropics but, man – I will probably write full articles there.
lol, yeah. RIP source of reference. :/
lol, a missed opportunity!
Yes! I’ll try Lolo as well.
Thanks be to you and Trypticon for an excellent article. Feeling of spontaneity and enthusiasm throughout, from the concept to the glowing but succinct descripts. But then there are lots of well captured pics too!
There are so many gems on the NES, it truly was an era for “personal classics”. Which is why it’s mildly frustrating to see that many folks exploring this gen for the first time are swayed by online “gurus” to over-like and over-dislike a given game (I mean really? SMB2 on Screw Attack’s Top 10 WORST Mario Games?! F*ck). Meanwhile some of these “also-rans” have so much more merit, but often lack notoriety – for better or worse – to draw attention to themselves.
Why not an heir to Air Fortress from HAL rather than outcry for a new bleedin’ Ice Climber since it appeared in their SSBM? 😛
Of the eight of these I’ve played I’d echo a hearty thumbs up. Of the two I haven’t – Immortal and MULE – well, they sit a little outside my usual fare, and it’d be interesting to see if I could take to them without the seed of nostalgia there to help. Minf, Immortal looked cool as heck in Nintendo Power so there IS that 🙂
I’d like to hear your longform thoughts on Godzilla:MOM some time as to me it defines the sort ofpersonal classic that was not received that well in the broader audience, especially as the frustration with Godzilla games in general mounted over the years.
I suppose the pool of games available was so varied and I certainly wasn’t equipped to use a BBS at the time that yeah, ‘personal classics’ were commonplace. I was thinking of Monster of Monsters when I wrote this article, actually. It gets a lot of bad press by people who don’t know how to play the game. When in actuality it doesn’t play badly and the boss fights are terrific. Maybe I should but that on the burner for a full article as well.
It really is a shame that Super Mario Bros. 2 gets maligned over a so-called “scandal.” Who cares? Miyamoto made Doki Doki Panic, AND changed it into a Mario title. It’s a fun, whimsical game. Birdo is hot. And I have memories of throwing up Zoodles when I was playing it mad sick. Great game.
I think that’s the real joy to collecting old games, the roll of the dice. I talked about this more in my EVO article I think but at this point it’s become more about discovery than it has about acquiring everything I couldn’t!
Great list! I have been collecting roms and I learned of three new games because of your list. Thanks alot.