Beyond Supermario

December 8, 2005 7:19 AM

What are your favorite original Nintendo NES games?

I'm dusting off my original Nintendo system that was a birthday gift when I was 10 and want to play something other than the original Super Mario. What were your favorite games and why? What should I look to buy on ebay?

posted by meerkatty to sports, hobbies, & recreation (76 comments total)

My boyfriend loves megaman. I bought him all six and he still plays them nonstop, even though he's beaten them all multiple times.
posted by piratebowling at 7:23 AM on December 8, 2005

RC Pro Am.
posted by odinsdream at 7:27 AM on December 8, 2005

Dr. Mario, hands down. It's like a ramped-up version of Tetris, and they have multi-player mode, so you can play with your friends.
posted by elquien at 7:27 AM on December 8, 2005

Zelda, Metroid, Megaman 2 and 3, RC Pro Am, Castlevania, River City Ransom.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 7:30 AM on December 8, 2005

Well, Zelda and Link both spring immediately to mind, of course, although those might be too obvious.

I like fighting and adventure games, so stuff like Double Dragon and Ninja Gaiden are classic. Castlevania, too.

And never forget - Blades! Of! Steel!
posted by danwalker at 7:32 AM on December 8, 2005

Metroid rocked my socks.
posted by amarynth at 7:32 AM on December 8, 2005

Bubble Bobble.
Metroid.
Ninja Gaiden.
posted by selfnoise at 7:32 AM on December 8, 2005

Excitebike was one of my favourites. And Double Dragon! And Marios 1 and 3 (2? No thanks). Of course, the Zeldas and Metroid and Castlevania all kicked ass too.

Oh! And Contra!
posted by antifuse at 7:32 AM on December 8, 2005

Castlevania 2 - Like Castlevania, but with some depth.
Megaman 1, 2, 3 - The paltform shooter. Bosses with names like "Cutman."
Legend of Zelda - Total classic, needs no introduction.
Super Mario Brothers 2, 3 - Just great platformers

I can't believe I can't think of more, I'm sure I'll be back.

On preview: yeah, River City Ransom for sure (Gang combat with high-schoolers, using brass knuckles, trash cans, and chains. But in a funny way.)
posted by Who_Am_I at 7:32 AM on December 8, 2005

Am I the only one who loved Kid Icarus? I played that thing again and again.
I also always thought that Star Tropics was a really underrated game. It had a wacky parrot.
posted by Dr. Wu at 7:33 AM on December 8, 2005

Oh... and whichever hockey game it was, with skinny-guy medium-guy fat-guy as your player options... :)
posted by antifuse at 7:33 AM on December 8, 2005 [1 favorite]

And Pro Wrestling, and Punch-Out, and Xenophobe, and definitely Contra, and the first Zelda.

Oh, man, now I want my old NES back.
posted by Dr. Wu at 7:35 AM on December 8, 2005

oh man... Kid Icarus... that game was so damn awesome too. "I'm an eggplant now? WTF!"

Wasn't there also a Smash TV for NES? Or was that SNES?
posted by antifuse at 7:35 AM on December 8, 2005

Paperboy
posted by trinarian at 7:36 AM on December 8, 2005

Kickle Cubicle! It's an overlooked gem and a ton of fun to play.
posted by Otis at 7:36 AM on December 8, 2005

antifise: That's the aptly named "Ice Hockey."
Damn, how could I forget Contra? And Paperboy? Jackal was good too.
posted by Who_Am_I at 7:37 AM on December 8, 2005

super dodge ball. blastermaster. bomberman. super mario 3. megaman.

those were the days ...
posted by paradroid at 7:39 AM on December 8, 2005

Oh, and I was one of the few people I knew who actually *liked* Gyromite. I never could get ROB working properly, but I loved that game, man.
posted by antifuse at 7:39 AM on December 8, 2005

Tecmo Super Bowl (that and the SNES version are still the best football games ever made, IMHO)
1943
Castlevania 2
for a good RPG you might not have played before, Crystalis.
posted by starman at 7:43 AM on December 8, 2005

Marble Madness, Lemmings
posted by Alison at 7:44 AM on December 8, 2005

Bionic Commando, Castlevania 2, Zelda
posted by Hlewagast at 7:44 AM on December 8, 2005

Any versions of Bubble Bobble you can get. If you don't want a great song stuck in your head for years, only play it on mute.

Adventure Island games -- I can't believe nobody's mentioned this series.

Lolo is logic puzzles. It starts easy but gets tricky fast (or did when I was young).

McKids is like no other product-placement kitsch. I liked it.

I'm going home this weekend, and now I'm definitely planning to blow the dust off my own. I'll probably be back with about twenty more suggestions.
posted by booksandlibretti at 7:45 AM on December 8, 2005

Bionic Commando, Blaster Master, Crystalis, Final Fantasy (!), Wizards and Warriors, Metal Gear, Rampage, Super Dodge Ball (yes, dodge ball).
posted by Who_Am_I at 7:47 AM on December 8, 2005

Super Frickin Dodgeball!!!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:52 AM on December 8, 2005

Punch-Out was awesome (though, until now, I swore up and down that it was called TKO Knockout).
posted by itchie at 7:52 AM on December 8, 2005

Ok, now that I *want* to find it, I can't... anybody know where that Online emulation site is? It was making the rounds in the last couple weeks...
posted by antifuse at 7:53 AM on December 8, 2005

Strider.
posted by jon_kill at 7:55 AM on December 8, 2005

Guys, guys, guys.

I'm in college and in possession of a converted Gauntlet cabinet with *ahem* some NES games.

The sweetest game is NES Ice Hockey. One of my best friends and I have a long standing rivalry and play at least five or six games a week.

Three fats, one skinny for each of us. He's America (green), and I'm the Czech Republic (grey).

I'm almost considering asking Metafilter what makes this game so perfect.
posted by adamwolf at 7:57 AM on December 8, 2005

second Bubble Bobble and Double Dragon
posted by trinarian at 8:00 AM on December 8, 2005

Tecmo Bowl (or was it Tecmo Super Bowl?)
Baseball Stars
posted by COBRA! at 8:01 AM on December 8, 2005

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, Contra, Bionic Commando, Tecmo Super Bowl, Tetris, Megaman 1,2,&3, RBI Baseball, Metroid, Mario Bros 3, Zelda 1&2, Bubble Bobble, Goonies 2
posted by teddymac at 8:03 AM on December 8, 2005

Okay, I'm pretty sure that I have Bubble Bobble but could never figure out the point of the game. What's the allure?
posted by meerkatty at 8:03 AM on December 8, 2005

Oh my God, I'm so happy to hear that someone else out that has both heard of and sworn undying allegiance to Super Dogdeball. Paradroid and RIB, I salute you.
posted by saladin at 8:04 AM on December 8, 2005

Tecmo Bowl had a limited number of teams and only four plays. Super Bowl had eight plays and all teams. Both mad fun, though.
posted by teddymac at 8:04 AM on December 8, 2005

Ah, I forgot Ice Hockey. That game rules.
posted by teddymac at 8:05 AM on December 8, 2005

I'm one of those huge weirdos that loved Super Mario Bros 2. It's so trippy. I liked all three Mario games.

I also liked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, but mainly played it in arcade-game-form at the roller rink. :)
posted by lampoil at 8:07 AM on December 8, 2005

Oh, and how about Jaws? Man, I spent so many hours playing that game, and we never had ANY IDEA what we were doing. We just knew that we were going to get that shark one day! We never did, though.
posted by antifuse at 8:07 AM on December 8, 2005

Bionic Commando!
posted by drezdn at 8:08 AM on December 8, 2005

antifuse, try here. Also, Gametap is a fairly new pay site offering on-line classic console and arcade games. That being said, emulation is your friend.
posted by Otis at 8:10 AM on December 8, 2005

Tecmo Super Bowl. (Back when the Lions could ostensibly win, they were still handicapped in that game because the best play was simply the long bomb where your QB dropped back further and further until releasing when the reciever was in the endzone.)
Kid Icarus was great too. As was Muscleman Wrestling (based on those weird little toys). I loved Supermario Bros. and Mario Bros (in fact, I loved that first one, with the tubes and turtles, more than any of the Super games).
Metroid was awesome. As was Bomberman. And I played Narc all night at a middle school lock in. That was pretty sweet.
posted by klangklangston at 8:11 AM on December 8, 2005

Yeah, Bubble Bobble! Although now the theme is stuck in my head... Doo doo doo Da doo doo doo Da da doo doo doo doo doo....
posted by Robot Johnny at 8:14 AM on December 8, 2005

I always preferred Blades of Steel to Ice Hockey, for which I will undoubtedly be branded an infidel.

In addition to the games mentioned above, I also recommend Castlevania 3, Dragon Warrior I & II, Shadowgate, and often-ignored titles like The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants or Rygar or Beetlejuice (which, while having practically nothing to do with the movie, was quite fun.)
posted by Danelope at 8:14 AM on December 8, 2005

This game was great... but i think it only came from Grandma's based on my friend and I both getting it from our grandma's ordering it off QVC/HSN

Ultimate Stuntman
posted by matimer at 8:19 AM on December 8, 2005

Shadowgate was awesome, I'd forgotten about that one. And lampoil, meet a fellow weirdo -- I always thought Mario 2 was brilliant, too.
posted by Hlewagast at 8:28 AM on December 8, 2005

There are some pretty good games for the NES, but these are the titles that are truly excellent:
Metroid -- Best NES game, ever.
Zelda -- Every subsequent Zelda title has been horrid, but the original kicks ass.
SMB 1 -- Only the original is worth playing.
Duck Hunt -- Even though you can't shoot the dog.
Tyson Punch-Out -- It's still challenging even if you know exactly how to beat it.
Tecmo Bowl -- Possibly the only really good football game made since 4th & Inches on the C64.

Games that are really, really good, a hell of a lot better than most NES titles, but aren't as good as Metroid and Zelda:
Rygar -- One of the better adventure platformers.
Contra -- Pretty much the best mow-em-down on the NES.
1943 -- I think this might be the only good vertical shooter ever made for the Nintendo.
RC Pro-Am -- It's too easy, but there many hilarious moments.
Bubble Bobble -- I love this game, but it's an endurance contest because of how easy it is.

Games you ought to consider, but that are not mandatory:
Ninja Gaiden -- You are required by Nintendo law to own at least one ninja game and this one is not bad.
Tetris 2 -- A more pure Tetris than Dr. Mario, but with two player action.

Titles that I think are overrated and worth skipping:
Bionic Commando -- Crappy physics and controls. The C64 version is better, but the game just isn't very good.
MegaMan -- Unplayably bad physics and controls.
SMB 2 -- Annoying maze-like door gameplay mechanic. Weird weed-pulling gameplay mechanic. Sucks. But at least the jumping doesn't lag.
SMB 3 -- This is so close to being good, but the laggy controls (especially the mushy jumping) make it suck, suck, suck.
Lemmings -- The cut-rate NES version of this game is unplayable. Mouse games don't translate well to D-pads. Just stick with the original Amiga version.
posted by majick at 8:33 AM on December 8, 2005

Blades of Steel, the most exciting 2-player head-to-head game ever made.

Megaman 2 and 3, because they had the best music of the (excellent) series.

Bionic Commando, for being different and having a kickass soundtrack.

Legend of Zelda, because the world was really big compared to its contemporaries.
posted by rxrfrx at 8:37 AM on December 8, 2005

Kid Icarus kicked ass! Watch out for those eggplant dudes, though, they're a pain. Contra, Mario 3, Metroid, the Zeldas, Marble Madness...definitely the Megamans (#2 was my favorite). And here was an adaptation of Little Nemo/Slumberland that I really enjoyed...
posted by Vervain at 8:37 AM on December 8, 2005

I don't think anyone has mentioned 'Super Sprint'. It's a bird's eye view racing. Simple and awesome. I have been going back to it for years on the emulators.

Super Spike Volleyball is another awesome game too.
posted by TheAnswer at 8:40 AM on December 8, 2005

Quite clearly, Bionic Commando. It just felt *right*.
posted by pollystark at 8:49 AM on December 8, 2005

I'll start off with a game probably no one will mention: Overlord. It was a strategy/action game where you colonized and conquered worlds in a solar system. It was mostly managing populations and industry and agriculture, but the pictures of all the different ships and machines you could buy were beautiful, and the (short) combat sequences were quite well done. It was unlike anything else on the NES.

That said....

Zelda.
Megaman 2.
Crystalis.
Metroid.
Castlevania 2.

...are five of the greatest video games ever made. Predictable, sure, but there's a reason so many people list them (maybe with the exception of Crystalis). If I had the time, I would probably still play these. I can still hear the sound of the flame whip...

I also remember being quite fond of Dragon Warrior IV, probably the most epic thing the NES ever saw. And Batman, while far too short, and having very little to actually do with Batman, was ridiculously awesome. Even just because of the music.

and antifuse, yes there was a Smash TV for NES.
posted by poweredbybeard at 8:53 AM on December 8, 2005

Although they've both been mentioned here before, I remember countless hours playing RC Pro Am and Kickle Cubicle. Awesome games. (and maybe Kid Icarus)
posted by ruwan at 9:03 AM on December 8, 2005

Every subsequent Zelda title has been horrid, but the original kicks ass.

For shame. Ocarina of Time rocked.

I will fight you. With little round bombs.
posted by poweredbybeard at 9:08 AM on December 8, 2005

Kung fu, baby!
posted by johnsmith415 at 9:11 AM on December 8, 2005

Many of these games can be tracked down here.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:13 AM on December 8, 2005

Halo. Tony Hawks.

Oh.
posted by blag at 9:28 AM on December 8, 2005

I've not played it, but Earthbound Zero is supposed to be pretty good. The SNES game Earthbound is FANTASTIC if you can get a hold of it (emulation or what not) and it's my understand that Earthbound Zero for the NES is basically the exact same game, just crappier graphics.
posted by KirTakat at 9:36 AM on December 8, 2005

Double Dribble is still the only sports game (non-skateboard) that I have ever liked/been good at.
posted by Corpus Callosum at 9:53 AM on December 8, 2005

Also, if you are going to be literally "dusting off" your NES. You may want to read the NES Cleaning FAQ to avoid the notorious "blue screen."
posted by Otis at 10:12 AM on December 8, 2005

Nobunaga's Ambition. Conquer Japan as a feudal warlord. What's not to love?
posted by loquax at 10:21 AM on December 8, 2005

I *heart* my NES. My favorite games are Tetris, Dr. Mario, Kid Icarus, SMB 1 & 3, Zelda, Castlevania, Marble Madness.... My husband likes Metroid, SMB 2, the various MegaMans, Battletoads, Gradius, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Deadly Towers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (The Manhattan Project).... We both enjoy Yoshi, Star Tropics, and Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle even though they're pretty kiddie.

I want (but don't have yet) Solomon's Key and Arkanoid (needs the rollerball paddle). He wants (but doesn't have yet) The Immortal and River City Ransom. We both want Castlevania II.

I'm a real Tetris freak though, and I really really really want, above all else, Tengen Tetris. Because it's 2-player, and you can play against each other OR play co-operatively! So thanks for reminding me to put it on my wish list, because I think that's what I'm asking for this Xmas.
posted by Melinika at 10:44 AM on December 8, 2005

River City Ransom is still my all time favorite. I also loved Bionic Commando, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, and, of course, Super Mario Bros 3.
posted by dotreptile at 10:54 AM on December 8, 2005

No one's mentioned Tubin'? Come on people -- where's the love?
posted by Robot Johnny at 1:10 PM on December 8, 2005

BATTLETOADS!
posted by suni at 1:39 PM on December 8, 2005

by far, which I didn't notice mentioned quickly glancing down the list.. Final Fantasy 1 ..still the all-time favorite.

I plan on getting FF1&2 for my GBA, when I can find it cheap enough. Good stuff.
posted by vanoakenfold at 2:00 PM on December 8, 2005

vanoakenfold: ffiv.nintendo.com : )
posted by suni at 2:51 PM on December 8, 2005

Bionic Comando, Super Mario 3, Zelda, Balloon Fight, Crystalis, the Lolo games, Mega Man 2/3, Punch Out, games that use the gun, Dodge Ball, Rampage, Bubble Bobble, Castlevania 3, Solstice, TMNT 2, and Arch Rivals.
posted by I Foody at 2:55 PM on December 8, 2005

Rygar, Blades Of Steel, Mike Tyson's Punchout, Duck Hunt, and of course Rush'n Attack
posted by jasondigitized at 3:17 PM on December 8, 2005

vanoakenfold: ffiv.nintendo.com : )

OMG!
posted by Who_Am_I at 4:56 PM on December 8, 2005

OK, suni, I admit it--I loved Battletoads, too. I loved the jetski level.
posted by lampoil at 6:22 PM on December 8, 2005

Oh god, I hated that jetski level...it took me years to pass that one. It's all about the rappelling level...Radical!
posted by johnsmith415 at 6:50 PM on December 8, 2005

Holy shit, Startropics was a great game. Too bad the sequel sucked.
posted by The Bishop of Turkey at 8:12 PM on December 8, 2005

Mutant League Football anyone?
posted by klangklangston at 10:40 PM on December 8, 2005

Thanks for the trip down video game memory lane...

Double Dribble
Blades of Steel
Contra
Kung Fu
Punch Out
Rush n' Attack
Tetris
Mario Golf
Tecmo Bowl
Baseball Stars

and... am I the only Ghengis Khan fan here?
posted by 27 at 3:43 PM on December 9, 2005

Super Dodge Ball, Tecmo Super Bowl, Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Ninja Gaiden, Metroid, Contra, and Ice Hockey.
posted by evinrude at 12:59 AM on December 10, 2005

I'm late but I'll answer anyway:

Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2
Two of the best action games ever made for any system. Insanely fun. One of the first games with cut scenes to advance the plot. Great music, good control of the character (especially in part 2) and an interesting plot.
Three was awkward to control, way way harder and made very little sense.

Castlevania 2 and 3
Part two has some RPG elements and the third one has multiple paths you can take which allows a bit more replayability.

Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link
The first one is a true video gaming classic and the second one while being totally different from the rest of the Zelda titles, was still enjoyable. It can be frustrating at points unless you use a walkthrough.

Mega Man series
The first is the hardest by far, but in a way it is the most enjoyable. The later games are considerably easier but still enjoyable - also they are more graphically pretty although everything is going to look dated at this point.

Super Mario III
One of the best platformers ever. Expanded on the series and was the inspiration for dozens of later games. Play control is somewhat frustrating until you get used to it.

Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2
More strategy than brute force. You have to sneak around to avoid guards, conserve ammunition, etc.

Contra
One of the best action games ever, even with the dated graphics.

Metroid
One of the older NES games and yet one of the best for the system.

Crystalis, Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior 1-4 for your RPG fix.

Bionic Commando
Weird little game that can be very frustrating until you get the hang of it. Enjoyable though.

Rampage
Closer to the arcade than any other port I have played. There was something strangely addictive about the original despite the lack of variation. Later games like "World Tour" were boring after an hour of play. I could play Rampage for hours and hours without stopping.

Gradius
One of the first great schmups. Just a fun little space shooter that provides plenty of challenge and giant Easter Island heads!

Solomon's Key
Fun puzzle game, highly addictive.

Ghosts N Goblins.
Hard as hell. I never did finish this one, but I kept trying.

Gunsmoke
I loved this game, nobody else that I knew had even played it when I got it for my birthday. You run around getting different guns (shotgun for instance) and shooting lots of random bad guys until you get to the boss of the level, always displayed on a wanted poster at the start of each level. Fun fun fun! You can even buy guns with money you earn/find and ride a horse around.

Kid Icarus
Often competed with Metroid in favorites polls back in the day. I never finished it because my cart stopped working and I did not buy another one.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 11:08 AM on December 22, 2005

Ok, now that I *want* to find it, I can't... anybody know where that Online emulation site is? It was making the rounds in the last couple weeks...

EveryVideoGame
posted by antifuse at 2:51 AM on February 7, 2006