Here goes the continuation of my list. I will point out that my list is just that, my list. I did not add games due to popularity or influence. These are the ones that mean a lot to me, and perhaps I will do a list one day on the most influential titles for the NES. In any case, enjoy, and comments are appreciated.
10) Here's one of the flagship titles for the NES that completely lived up to its hype back then. The Legend of Zelda was indeed epic for its time with a large world to explore and so many different weapons and items that brought out the best in the gameplay. Although it feels so ancient when compared to almost everything in the franchise to come later; I would be lying if I said I didn't find some enjoyment when I played it again sometime early last year, and I had a time of fun with it when I was a kid.
9) This was the true sci-fi adventure game for the NES that saw the player exploring a huge world, and you did just that. The various weapons and armor pick ups were just something else such as a freeze ray and the ability to change into a bomb rolling ball. Although the boss battles were limited, the dangers from one world to another made up for it. Metroid is definitely among the best for this system.
8) Yes indeed, the original controller hurling, screen cussin', locking yourself in the room for a whole day type of frustrating, ninja plat-forming monster makes it high on the list. The first two games in the series I hold in high regards, because like its sequel it puts your skills to the test, and when finishing these games I always felt like I was the man. The insane difficulty which picks up by the fourth stage is something I'll never forget. This is one of those games when you finally finish it, you breath a sigh of relief and don't even want to come back to it. But you do eventually.
7) Hands down the best in the original series to me. For some reason this one resonated the most with its challenging gameplay and very tough robot bosses. The graphics had some really good moments with Gemini Man's dark stage coming to mind, but it's the music that I remember loving the most, along with that twist in the boss battles later on. This was the last great Mega Man game to me until the X series came around and gave the character a serious overhaul.
6) Although it had its repetitive moments, I liked this game a whole lot and it still keeps me entertained. I remember not caring about any other game out there for awhile when I popped this in. The cover art had me fooled into thinking this might not have been anything. But who would have ever thought the main character was a female Transformer, who morphed into a space craft and took you on shooting missions? The game featured two different playing styles; space shooter and Zelda style free roaming with RPG elements. There were some very intense boss battles with a nice story. The soundtrack is still an amazing synthesized score that I can listen to right now.
5) For some reason many folks I knew didn't play or hear about this game during its release, which is a shame because it was one of the better fantasy games of the 8 bit and even 16 bit era. Wizards & Warriors II was definitely a sequel done right as it contained larger worlds, various weapons, and upgrades. The game had a water well of depth to it. It had so much to offer and the steep difficulty was a plus. Truly an epic adventure.
4) Here goes another one that was harder than nails. This game featured one of the hardest end boss' ever, the wrecking machine himself Mike Tyson. He would beat your ass real quick, dropping you with single uppercuts. The characters on the way to him could pummel you too. This was one of the games I had a tremendous amount of fun playing. The wacky and goofy character designs were a huge plus. This game was far better than the earlier arcade versions of Punch-Out.
3) I often think the fans of the Ninja Gaiden series are made up of masochist. These are still among the hardest damn games I ever played, and this sequel was even harder than the first one. This game improved on the game play of the original and it felt quite different with a smoother feel and sleeker graphics. I enjoyed the soundtrack a great deal with the very first BGM capturing that feel of what a hero is all about. Die hard fans know what I'm talking about.
2) Here goes a title that seriously blew me away, and drove me closer to the more serious type of games. Metal Gear was ahead of its time; I remember being gripped to the story, the stealth aspect was something very new, and the many weapons at your disposal was the icing on the cake. Metal Gear is no doubt one of the greatest games ever in my mind. But the main reason why I remember it so fondly, is because this was the first game that really taught me patience. It was a real change of pace when compared to other games that required you to rush in and make it to the ending of the stages.
1) This being number 1 has nothing to do with nostalgia or being a big fan of Super Mario. SMB3 is about as perfect a plat-former could have possibly been back then. It's funny when looking back on it. I often think Nintendo shot themselves in the foot with this one, because it was such an improvement over the last two games it damn near felt ahead of its time. Personally, it stands very near to the top as far as being the best in the Mario franchise, since to me it clearly outshines almost all of the later games for the Gamecube, Wii, DS, and even Super Mario 3D Land. The worlds were vast and would eventually become very challenging. The new abilities such as the Tanooki and Frog suits added a depth to the game play that wasn't seen before. I'm one of those out there who feels the Sonic series blew away Mario back then, but this third sequel provided very solid competition.
