The NES was a revolutionary platform, and its games are some of the best ever made. Whether you’re a longtime fan revisiting old classics or experiencing them for the first time, these are the best NES games of all time. ..
In-game footage of the games mentioned below:
- Destiny
- Star Wars Battlefront II
- Gears of War 4
Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros. is one of the most popular video games ever created. It has sold over 40.2 million copies, making it the best-selling Mario game of all time.
Super Mario Bros. represented the resurgence of the video game industry as a whole. It was definitely considered one of the best NES games of its time. Following the 1983 video game crash, the NES brought the floundering industry back from the brink, and Super Mario Bros. helped drive sales of the system.
The Legend Of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda was the first game in the series to grace any console and brought with it many of the beloved enemies: Moblins, Lynels, and even Darknut. It also birthed the forever-famous line, “It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this.”
Nintendo’s newest entry in the Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is a must-play for any fan of the series. With its unique world and secrets to discover, this game is sure to keep you entertained for hours on end.
Metroid
Metroid introduced the two-gameplay formula that would become Metroid-vanias. It’s the classic formula of starting out weak and exploring a huge world in search of more weapons and abilities that will allow you to reach previously-unreachable areas, overcome bosses, and complete the game. ..
In Super Metroid, Samus starts out with just her beam weapon and goes on to find well-known powerups like the Morph Ball and Bombs. The NES version of Metroid also introduced the recurring boss characters of Ridley and Kraid.
Castlevania
Castlevania is a challenging platformer that has Simon Belmont exploring Dracula’s Castle in search of the evil vampire. While it doesn’t have all of the same elements as later titles in the series, it sets the standard for the core gameplay that would continue in every iteration to come.
Something to note is that the original Castlevania is available on the NES Classic, as is Metroid. If you’re a fan of Metroidvanias, try out the two games that started the genre. ..
Final Fantasy
The NES Final Fantasy was the first game in a massive franchise that continues to this day. The game was released in 1987 and spawned the series that many people love today.
Square Enix, the company that created and popularized the role-playing video game industry, was on the brink of bankruptcy. But thanks to the release of Final Fantasy, they were able to stay afloat.
Final Fantasy was one of the best NES RPG games of its era. It features turn-based combat, different roles for different characters, and many elements that were before their time.
Kirby’s Adventure
Kirby’s Adventure is a sequel to the Game Boy title Kirby’s Dream Land. This game improved on many of the best features of the first game and introduced Kirby’s signature move: sucking up enemies and copying their abilities.
This was also the first game in the Kirby series to be released on a new console, the Game Boy Advance. Players could now play it on their own home consoles or handheld devices.
Contra
Contra was a top-down shooter known for its nonstop action and brutal difficulty, but also for one other, truly classic element: the Konami Code. This code allowed players to pause the game and reload it, which made it difficult to lose.
The Konami Code was a code that allowed players an extra 30 lives in Contra. Since Contra was played in a day before save states, ‘game over’ meant starting from scratch.
Duck Hunt
This NES game is one of the most popular and well-known in the history of the console. The premise is simple: you take aim and shoot ducks out of the sky with a light gun. If you miss, a way-too-snarky dog laughs at your failure.
It is a multiplayer game where two controllers work together to move the ducks. You will need an older TV in order to play today.
Mega Man
Mega Man has been around for over 25 years and has seen multiple sequels and spin-offs. The Blue Bomber faces off against Dr. Wily and his Robot Masters in level after level of platformer-meets-bullet-hell action. Each Robot Master drops a new ability, which can be used to defeat another boss. This ability is the weakness of another Robot Master, so players must use it to their advantage in order to progress through the game. ..
In order to play the Mega Man games in the most efficient way possible, it is important to fight the enemies in the right order. This can be done by playing through the game multiple times, and learning which enemies are weak against which weapons. This will make your game much easier.
NES games are some of the most popular console games in history, and there are plenty of them to choose from. Some of the best ones include Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Sonic the Hedgehog. So which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
