Almost a year ago I posted a rapidfire list of NES games that I felt gave a decent cross-section of the console and that might not come to mind when you’re just starting out on the console. Well, I had a lot of fun with that piece and folks seemed to like it so here’s the sequel. Not quite the same, but hitting some sweet spots as well.
Just as I wrote last time, I’ve kind of skipped games that I would rather save for full entries later on. These games aren’t necessarily amazing, but I really like them and feel they should be played. The NES has an incredibly robust and varied library, this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. I encourage you to explore the console’s offerings and experiment – some of my best experiences with the system have been on hunches.
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!
BASEBALL SIMULATOR 1.000
The classic sports game debate on the NES is “What is the best hockey game?” though there’s plenty of room for Baseball debate as well. Also known as “Choujin Ultra Baseball” it’s the “superhuman” aspects – the special abilities – that set it apart from other baseball games. On the surface, it’s pretty standard to the console. And you can play it straight, or you can go crazy with it. The level of roster editing available is incredible for the time. You can spend ages tinkering with this, and the payoff can be stupendous. I also recommend Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 on the SNES.
CASTLEQUEST
Castlequest is not going to be everybody’s cup – and I can understand it. There are some control peculiarities and it can be downright unforgiving. It’s an interconnected castle that you must explore. Doors are colour-coded to keys, and some doors lead nowhere useful. You have “50 lives” which are increased with potions and decreased whenever you touch something deadly. It’s a matter of mapping this castle, assessing each situation, and mastering the controls. It’s actually a fairly deep and involved game, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
GUN.SMOKE
Gun.Smoke is probably the finest cowboy shmup on the NES, not that the genre is particularly robust ;). But it is a load of fun. There are six levels but you can keep these scrolling indefinitely until you find a wanted poster – either bought or found hidden in the level. The wanted poster will allow you to engage the bounty boss fight and proceed to the next level. The screens autoscroll though you have the freedom to walk anywhere onscreen (barring obstruction). You can shoot to either side of you with A or B and forward with A+B, and you can buy special guns from the townspeople. It’s a fun shooter and the difficulty really ramps up towards the end.
HEAVY BARREL
Heavy Barrel is a top down run and gun from Data East. It’s fluid, varied, and it looks great. You need to kill enemy soldiers for special keys which open the item boxes littered throughout the game. Now, these often contain special power-ups but sometimes you will find a piece of the Heavy Barrel. And if you manage to assemble this weapon, you can truly wreak havoc for a limited time. This can lead to strategic collection of parts so that you have the Heavy Barrel in key moments. All in all, this is a great run and gun that does a number of cool things. Check it out!
JOURNEY TO SILIUS
Originally slated to be a Terminator game, Journey to Silius is probably the entry on this list with the greatest cult status. And it’s largely warranted too. Silius is a terrific action game with lovely visuals and some of the greatest music to ever grace the console. I do find the jump a little stiff, but it generally works well within the context of the game. Enemies are varied, there are multiple weapons, and the presentation is out of sight. The game does get very frustrating towards the end, so if you want to clear this one then you’d better knuckle down. Definitely worth the look, and definitely deserves a lot of the hype it gets.
KICKLE CUBICLE
You know, I really love these tile-based action puzzlers – Eggerland/Lolo being one of my favourite series of all times. So it’s no wonder that I took to Cubicle instantly. It puts its own spin on things. Freeze enemies and plop them in water to build a bridge. Collect everything to end the stage. With a variety of enemies, many different stage layouts, and even many different set pieces Kickle Cubicle is a terrific game that’ll get your puzzle gland pumping. While it is a fairly easy game it has a few nasty rooms in particular, that require you to think 2 or 3 moves ahead. But that’s the fun of it. Wrap your head around this one, and your ice around those beasties!
KICKMASTER
Kickmaster is an interesting breed. It resembled a lot of action games of the day visually, but the plot hook is that you have to use your feet. Now, this is cooler than it sounds (and it already sounds REALLY COOL). As you level up you learn new kicks that are helpful in all sorts of situations. But you might not level up to max in your playthrough – your playthrough is going to be different. When you kill an enemy items are spewn into the air representing hp, mp, and exp. You have to physically touch these to earn them, and sometimes (most times) you can’t get them all. It’s a really weird implementation and not very intuitive, but it’s important to use it. You can find magic spells in each level as well, which really help against the boss creatures (some of which are gigantic). Gameplay is fluid, progression is quirky, and the challenge is there – it’s solid. If you ever wanted to kick skeletons in the chops mad hard then this is the game for you!
LEGACY OF THE WIZARD
Legacy of the Wizard is the game that everybody played but nobody remembers the name of. Seriously – I’ve seen more “What game is this?” topics end up being Legacy of the Wizard than I can remember. The name may escape lips, but this game is certainly memorable.
I may break my own rules with this game and write a full article at a later date. Because the thing is – I want to beat this but the game is both massive and ambitious. It’s a huge interconnected labyrinth with multiple characters that have different abilities and can progress to different parts of the dungeon. Part of the Dragon Slayer series, the objective is to slay the Dragon, Keela. You’ll need your whole family to do this, but you’d better take notes and draw maps. Because this one is going to test you.
THE KRION CONQUEST
The Krion Conquest gets a lot of accusations of being a Mega Man clone… and that title is not entirely unfounded. It’s definitely inspired by the enemies, the health system, the weapon menu, the character sprites… okay, okay I get it. But Krion is a game all its own too. It’s a much more linear game and you have many abilities right from the start. Level design is built around your abilities so an understanding of their capabilities is important. Action is intuitive, and bosses are generally a lot of fun. Apparently this one was originally supposed to be a Wizard of Oz game, so it met with a similar shift as Silius.
WILLOW
Willow is an interesting beast. Based on the eponymous movie, Willow is the licensed game on this list that remained a licensed game. An overhead action-adventure game for the NES, Willow shines through. Setting out to stop the machinations of the evil Bavmorda, Willow will travel to new towns and wildernesses, collecting swords and shields and spells as he attempts to rally his strength for the ultimate confrontation. For most of the game this really good. Enemies appear on the field, and this really cool effect where the grass starts blowing in the wind enhances the effect. But there are some caveats to note with this game – namely level requirements. In order to restore Fin Raziel you need to be a certain level, and in order to have enough MP to destroy Bavmorda you need a certain amount of MP. This means that grinding is probably going to be required because I made it most of the way through the game without even coming close to reaching the finale’s requirements. It’s a scar on an otherwise great game, but if you have the patience for a little grinding then this game is very much worth playing.
That does it for now! I’m planning to touch on another console the next time I do one of these – I won’t commit to any right now but I’ve got some ideas :). I hope you’ve enjoyed a quick look at some games that you may have overlooked. Once again, experimentation and discovery is the name of the game when it comes to collecting. Give them a hook! You might be pleasantly surprised.
Not a bad listing, in my opinion! An excellent mix of genre variety, obtainable titles (still cheap on Ebay, in other words), and outright quality. Good stuff.
Cheers :). I usually try to pick out some that fly under the radar, and accessibility is good for lists like these. Some of them (Castlequest) will only appeal to very niche audiences, but that’s what makes them fun to bring up.
Good stuff! 10 games to play list for different platforms sounds good, as well.
I’ve tried six out of the list, but only finished Gun.Smoke. I’ll try some of the others, though. 1, 2, 6, and 10 are the ones I haven’t tried.
Let us know what you think then. I’ve tried to provide a varied list but that also means some of these games are for very particular tastes. Which means, well, mine. But I’m interested in seeing who concurs!