In 1983, the world experienced a video game crash due to a flood of low-quality games. Most markets stepped away from video games altogether, leaving gamers wondering if their favorite hobby was dead. In a dark time, one shining light of hope appeared: Nintendo.
The release of the Nintendo Entertainment System changed everything and laid the foundation for modern gaming. Nintendo had a strict licensing policy that ensured games were high-quality.
Why don’t we look at some of the best games on the console that saved our favorite hobby?
Super Mario Bros. 3
The Mario Bros. returned, pushing the console’s hardware to the limit, and it marked the release of one of the best games in the series.
With a new overworld where you choose your path, some incredible new level design, new mechanics, and a huge fun factor, Super Mario Bros. 3 took its place on the throne for the NES.
The detailed sprites, smooth animations, and parallax scrolling background effects showcased that Super Mario Bros. 3 was a technical wonder. It is not only one of the best platformers of all time but one of the best games on the NES.
Contra
Playing a great run-and-gun platformer was always welcome. Now you could bring a friend and have a shared experience.
The challenging but fair Contra was one of the best co-op games on the NES. Having weapons with different attacks and spreads added a layer of strategy. The side scroller also had some pseudo-3D corridors and behind-the-back segments that showed it was also technically impressive.
Did you and your friend struggle with Contra? Use the famous Konami code to get 30 lives as many times as you want.
Dragon Warrior IV
The name was changed in America to avoid trademark issues because a tabletop game was already trademarked as Dragon Quest. Thus, Dragon Warrior was born.
Dragon Warrior 4 took a unique approach to storytelling. The game was broken up into five chapters, each party member got their own chapter, then team up in the fifth chapter. The complexity didn’t stop at the story. It extended to the vast overworld and gameplay mechanics.
As the final Dragon Warrior game on the NES, you can see all the innovations added with each entry. It is a masterclass JRPG that pushed the limits of the hardware.
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Tetris
You’ve probably heard recent news stories about Tetris recently, which is crazy for a game released in 1985.
The NES version of Tetris laid the groundwork for future iterations due to the NES version’s physics and piece rotation systems. Competitive Tetris became popular due to the game’s simple to learn but hard to master gameplay.
Tetris has had some fascinating research done that shows that playing it within hours of a traumatic event appears to interfere with the formation of intrusive visual memories that contribute to PTSD. What can’t Tetris do?
DuckTales
DuckTales was one of the best platformers on the system, paired with one of the best soundtracks ever made. The Moon theme, in particular, is considered one of the greatest video game songs ever created.
One of the stand-out mechanics is the Pogo stick. It can be used for traversal, combat, and discovering secrets. Basic movement feels fun and rewarding. The game’s mechanics are well-suited for boss fights, making many of them memorable.
Capcom made a game that wasn’t just a well-made licensed game but a great game that could stand on its own merits.
River City Ransom
River City Ransom added RPG mechanics and depth to the beat ’em up genre. Matching gameplay with unusual humor made it an instant classic.
Players could earn money to buy items at shops and build their character’s abilities up to fit their play style. They allowed you to freely explore the city and return to previous areas, which was rare in the genre. Enemies had unique looks and distinct fighting styles.
The English localization gave River City Ransom a distinct personality, making it stand out amongst other beat-em-ups.
Tecmo Bowl
Tecmo Bowl was a football game full of firsts in the industry. Thanks to the NFL Players Association license, it was the first game to feature real NFL players and featured heaps of innovation.
Anyone could easily pick up and play the game, broadening Tecmo Bowl’s appeal. It wasn’t just a game; it was a social experience that brought friends and family together to compete against each other.
The NES version is considered a downgrade from the arcade version, but being on a home console made Tecmo Bowl shoot to new heights. Yes, using Bo Jackson was cheating.
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
Straying from a series’s norm can be disastrous, but it can also attract new fans.
Simon’s Quest ditched linear exploration and introduced a more open-ended exploration structure, which added a sense of adventure and discovery. The Day-Night cycle was groundbreaking at the time of the game’s release.
While the game is flawed, its legacy was carried on by all the mechanics and ideas carried forward in future releases in the series.
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda was one of the first console games to include a battery backup save system, allowing players to save their progress. This was revolutionary.
The Legend of Zelda was one of the first games to offer a truly open-world experience. Players were dropped into the vast land of Hyrule without explicit instructions, encouraging exploration and discovery. Many items also doubled as tools to solve puzzles, reinforcing that exploration and experimentation were essential to progress.
The Legend of Zelda laid the foundation for one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history and remains a timeless classic that set the standard for adventure games.
Krusty’s Fun House
Krusty’s Fun House replicated the cartoon style of The Simpsons perfectly with its graphical style for the NES.
It is one of the best puzzle platformers on the system. Players had to lead rats to extermination machines, which required strategic thinking and planning. This gameplay loop was distinct and stood out on a system dominated by action-packed games.
Krusty’s Fun House doesn’t have the critical acclaim of most games on this list, but it offers a different style of platformer with connections to The Simpsons brand.
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