Hero Inc.

where heroes are an everyday occurrence

Oct-16-2009

Top 10 NES Games

Yes, you read that title correctly.  I’m talking about the NES.  The original Nintendo gaming console that everything else was built upon or measured against.  Currently IGN is compiling their list of the 100 greatest NES games.  I’ve only been able to see 100-81 and I’m already remembering the dream. Weekends, summer days, hours trying to beat all of those great games.  Well, in order to be nostalgic, here’s my quick list.

10. Paperboy This was never a game that I ever felt like I was truly getting the hang of it, but I always wanted to play it if I visited a friend who owned the game. Tornadoes, dogs, angry home owners, and grim reaper are all normal deterrents to a normal paper delivery.
9. Tetris The original puzzle game doesn’t offer too many changes from each encounter, but people still flock back to it. Classical music and puzzle blocks was apparently the winning formula.
8. Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt This game has the luxury of being a combination game and essentially gets that boost to be included in this list. Super Mario Bros. provided the first real effort in trying to save the princess from Bowser. From land to water to sewers to castles, this first version had it all. Once you were done with the Mario’s, you could switch to a new game without even changing cartridges. Sure there was that annoying dog that everyone tried to shoot, but you had the latest technology in your hands as you lifted that light gun and pulled the trigger. The science of how it all works still escapes me.
7. Tecmo Bowl Quite simply the greatest football game ever created. You have four plays to choose from (normally 2 running and 2 passing). What else do you need? Sure, the latest football games are more realistic, but they are not as entertaining. I have hated the 49ers in real life, but I always found myself playing as them in every game.
6. Metroid One freakin’ hard game but every version is always fun and challenging at the same time. One of the first games to feature a female primary character. Similar to the Legend of Zelda approach, one could choose his/her own path. Who knew that Samus would be that attractive underneath that suit?
5. Contra Machine Gun, Spray Gun, Anything but the lazer. Quite simply the most widely known cheat code in the world and the easiest way to see if someone is a team player (Are they entering “select start” to make this a two man show?).
4. Mike Tyson's Punchout Yeah, I’m a wimp and never made it farther than Soda Popinski, but who cares. The music was too cool to pass up.
3. Mega Man 2 From the opening title sequence you’ll be hooked. We all know that we start with Flash man and work our way from that point onward. Wily vs Light. Good robots vs Evil robots. All of the robots had terrible names but cool special moves.
2. Super Mario Bros 3 Many people want to place this game as number 1 on their list and I am actually fighting moving it higher myself. Super Mario Bros. 3 had it all: cool suits, great bosses, cool worlds, and an interesting story. We all cheated using the whistles once we learned of them but I actually have gone back and taken the time on a few different occasions to walk through each and every world before conquering it. I’d say my top items from this game are the Tanooki Suit (useless but fun) and the giant world.
1. Legend of Zelda There is no game that I have played since this one that truly captures my interest quite like the original gold cartridge has. Working as Link in order to save Princess Zelda, one must trek across a huge world in search of different levels that offer many goodies and several baddies. The game was a choose your own adventure and the order was up to you and your skills. One of my favorite memories was spending an entire birthday in college working to beating the game before watching Aladdin. Man, I’m a big kid.

Here are the few honorable mentions: Ducktales, TMNT, Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers, River City Random, Excitebike, Double Dribble

Posted under Games

Comments

mike Says:
October 17th, 2009 at 8:36 am

dude the second TMNT was better than the first. anyways, good list! tetris would be higher up for me since i still play it to this day lol.