We all remember our first. Gamers will always remember their first consoles, whether it be the PS2 or the SNES, but I must go a little further back. The Nintendo Entertainment System saved the gaming industry from the crash, showing people that games could get better and bring us together even more with more accessible games that everyone could play. You could just pop in a game and play. With such amazing titles that were so easy to learn, it really was no problem for it to work its way into the childhoods of many.
These are the games that turned out the greatest gaming experience. Think about playing these for hours on end, being the greatest games outside of the arcades or PC's, depending on which type you were at the time. The NES was only rivaled by the Sega Master System, but that was far less popular by comparison. That doesn't mean the NES was better, but let's face it, it really was. These titles littered the system, which has a ridiculously substantial library both official and unofficially. The truly great titles came forth for all to see and here are my favorites!
Contra
There came a time when 2 players meant something. One of you was Rambo while the other was the Terminator! All kinds of shooting, jumping, power ups and cheat codes have been thrown into this wonderful game that has worked its way into legend! Its music is iconic, much like many on this list, and there are memories poured into it where your brother should have jumped JUST A LITTLE SOONER! Do it again!
Mike Tyson's Punchout
You do not know clench until you know fighting your way through Bald Bull and Soda Popinski or Vodka Drunkinski, whatever you wish to go with. This is the game that truly tested your hand-eye coordination and made you pay attention to telling windups. The further you got through the levels, the more you had to pay attention and act sooner. Sometimes, if you take on a bad pattern all at once, that meant you won the fight. Opponents like King Hippo needed one simple secret which made him the textbook example of a glass cannon! This game is also famous for having Mike Tyson at the end and he was ruthless! Good luck against him!
Life Force
Consider this number eleven on my top soundtracks. No, your random game I haven't played is not on the list, sorry. This game is amazing on two player especially. Going through the galaxy, weird bodies of gargantuan beasts and taking down strange, ever prolific defenses has never been more fun. Whatever kind of jet starfighters you have must have been top of the line. The upgrades you get throughout the game will be the highlight of the experience all around. The bosses are beautiful and the graphics are 8-bit bliss. Do not forget to try this title.
Super Mario Bros. 3
All you had to do was ask. This is, by far, one of the most telling titles of a system. One look at the logo for this game and the NES shines throughout the multiverse of new consoles we have today. This game has been ported again and again to new games and new collections. Even on the portable consoles, this is a topseller and always will be. It is a threequel that will live in history, just like the fact that Super Mario 2 is Doki Doki Panic. We'll never live that down, I guess.
The Legend of Zelda
The legend truly began on the NES. This game changed the rules for fantasy in gaming and changed the way we look at triangles. Tracking your way through burning bushes, moving rocks and horrific creatures has been fun in 8-bits on many occasions, this one brings a brightness to action and reward for searching your way and paying attention to your surroundings. Getting to the white outfit and collecting hearts throughout the game is so satisfying and the gameplay will encapsulate you. There is a reason this launched one of Nintendo's flagship franchises.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
One of the premiere beat'emups for the arcades made by Konami and here it is ported to an awesome system by ULTRA! Taking down footninjas at the comfort of your own home is a tubular trip, dude! Whether you picked Donny for his bostaff's reach, or just picked your favorite like I picked Mikey, this is just wonderful! Take down Rocksteady, Bebop and work your way to Shredder! The levels and the challenge is beautiful to behold, even if it wasn't as great as the arcade, it worked enough to boot some foot in the face!
Castlevania
Was I good at this game? No, I barely got through the second level, but I still loved this game! It is beautiful! I helped my brother get through a lot of this game and we both beat this game together! That makes this game a treasure to both myself and gaming. It is hard! It is still very enjoyable, though. Anyone who loves horror and loves the old vampire and werewolf lore of the movies and pop culture will love this game and want to work through the difficulty. Good luck and whip away!
Metroid
Here is another flagship franchise, though it has not fared quite as well as Zelda. Metroid features one of the first female protagonists in a combat role before it was cool to proclaim that! Samus didn't care, she took up her cannon and fought those aliens all the same. Whether it be with the Screw Attack or just zapping away with the cannon and missiles, it was all a whole lot of fun. The levels were whirlwinds of exploration and the puzzles were fun to solve when it meant shooting down portals to get to the next room. Metroid was one of the greats for a reason!
Mega Man 2
This was the game that made it to the shelf before Mega Man itself. My eldest brother already knew this was the greatest of the titles and it was the one that we played the very most of in terms of the series. We liked the other games as we rented them from Blockbuster. We know Heat Man, Wood Man and Metal Man, those are the ones with the awesome soundtracks and their levels are awesome. This title has some rough puzzles to do on Quick Man and even Dr. Wily's stages have some rough patches. We all remember the bomb walls and the multiple cannon section. Either way, this is one of the games we spent the most time on and it will always be the greatest of the series!
Dragon Warrior
This game was the first that I remember playing and it is the first that I remember beating. Rescuing the Princess, fighting Green Dragons, Axe Knights, Goldmen and Metal Slimes has to be on the forefront of gaming. It is such a fun ride to go through the lands, fighting off monsters and fighting your way to different caves and different towns. Each town has some sort of help to give you, whether it be new weapons or secret items that help you along your mission. The story is rather simple, but the gameplay is more complicated than it needed to be. It was early fantasy rpg, among the very first of its kind and a beautiful early installment to the genre. It belongs on the top of this list and thou hath thine own opinion to voice! Reveal unto thee and drink thine water!
