The Nintendo Entertainment System was home to some of the greatest games of all time. Many of the greatest gaming series of all time, including Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and metroid made their introductions here. However, there were also many games which did not get the attention they deserved. We didn't have the internet back in those days, so word of mouth didn't spread the way it does these days. We'd go by what our friends were playing, or by what Nintendo Power told us to play. Here are 10 games I feel deserve more credit than they received back then
10. Spy vs Spy
One of the better versus games on the NES. It was a blast hiding different traps around the house for the other player to stumble into. You would always try to screen look and avoid them, but that never worked. You'd always get hit by that spring trap, or the acid bucket on the door. This is one of the classic I'll always love to go back to.
9. Renegade
This arcade port was half river city ransom, and half double dragon. Not surprising since it was released by the same company as the aforementioned games. For some reason, however, Renegade didn't get quite the reception as it's counterparts. It was a fun, simple game that was also very difficult. And the bosses would always talk shit and rub it in when they would take you out. It was also well ahead of it's time for a 1987 NES game.
8. Adventures of Dino Riki
Adventures of Dino Riki was like Galaxian if it were on foot. The game was very difficult, and had no continues unless you used a code. But for some reason I just could not put it down. The gameplay was just straight up fun and addictive. The main issues with this game were it's difficulty and how short it is. I would have loved to have seen another go at this type of game with some more effort into it, but the reception for it was not very good
7. Pool of radiance
One of the first D&D based consoles to be ported to the console. The best part about Pool of Radiance was the battle system. It was a top down grid style system, that was actually intuitive and fun. The music was also solid, and this game kept you busy for a long time. This game also had a level of immersion which imo no other NES rpg had. You wouldn't just fight enemies, you'd converse and parlay with them. You didn't just obey the town guards, you could slaughter them all and be an outcast. This game was way ahead of it's time
6. Battletoads and Double Dragon
The double dragon series as well as battletoads were among the greatest beat'em ups of all time. So it's no wonder this crossover was made. The only problem is it was released a good 2 years after the super nintendo, thus didn't get the attention it deserved. It was a great game that combined the 2 series in a way that was damn fun. It was also hard enough to do the series justice, while not being quite as impossible as battletoads. This game pushed the NES to it's limits, and it is a shame it released so late.
5. Nintendo World Cup
I'm of the firm belief that the NES is the all time greatest console for sports games. Maybe it's because the technology didn't allow for a whole lot of realism, but sports games were arcade like and fun back then. You didn't have the shitty "simulation" type games of today, which are the same fucking game every year with a roster update. World cup was fun for both the super shots and just knocking the other team members on their asses. And if you tackled an opposing team member enough, that member would be knocked out for good (unless a goal reset teams). There were also multiple terrains for you to play on, including ice and concrete. It was also one of the few sports games which supported 4 players
The super shots were great. Check out how far some of them fly!
4. Guardian Legend
This one is kind of half adventure game like the early Legend of Zelda, and half Galaxian. I mainly remember this one for it's great music, and ton of boss fights. You'd roam around zelda style, then at times morph into a plane for Galaxian style action. And that part of the game was so unbelievably good that it could have been a classic just in it's old right. Combining the two made for a very solid title more people need to try. This game is still a blast, and I recommend it to anyone looking to expand his nes collection
3. Guerilla War
Guerilla War is like Contra, if Contra was top down and kicked more ass in every way. The best part about this game is the crazy overpowered weapons. One of the guns is a rapidly firing laser gun, which causes an explosion and releases multiple bullets in the end. You also have tanks and unlimited grenades. The gameplay is fast and fun, and you basically go around killing everything you see. You can save the hostages, but who gives a shit? I'm hear to destroy everything in my path
2. Baseball Stars
I don't even like baseball games, and still consider this my all time favorite sports game. The gameplay was great, and loads of fun. You could dive after balls while defending, or even climb on the fence to steal home runs. But what set this game apart was the team building. You could make your own custom team complete with it's own logo and name, along with custom names for every player. You earned money by playing games, and would spend this money to upgrade your team. You could also set up your own leagues, and add computer controlled teams which you could either play against, have play each other automatically, or even spectate while they play each other.
1. Crystalis
This game is not only one of the best adventure rpgs of all time. It is one of the best rpgs of all time, period. The gameplay was great, the music and graphics were amazing, and it had a damn good storyline. It was also very challenging, but not verging on impossible like some of the old nes games. Basically every part of this game kicked gratuatous amounts of ass.
Here's some late game footage
Honorable Mentions
I try to do honorable mentions in every list I do, because everyone has different opinions on things. So if you have any games you feel I did not mention, let me know, and I'll consider adding them here. Keep in mind I'm looking for underrated games, not every single good game. A ton of people love River City Ransom and Bionic Commando, so there's no reason for me to add them here. Thanks
Deja Vu
Demon Sword
Metal Storm
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