The 32 Best NES Games of All Time

This is the game that gave Nintendo its biggest mascot for generations to come. This is the game that all 2D platformers that came after it was defined by. And this is the game that convinced gave so many 80s babies a reason to add an NES to their living room setup. Super Mario Bros. is one of the most iconic games of all time that we're sure you've all played in some form across many Nintendo consoles. You probably know exactly where you were when you booted up World 1-1 for the very first time and proceeded to consume your first mushroom to expand Mario to his taller & weightier self. Jumping on Boombas, going down green pipes, and finally getting to "another castle" to send Bowser down into a pit of lava point to the immense joy Super Mario Bros. delivers to anyone still playing it.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is a strange little speed bump that we're not the biggest fans of. But you know what we can't get enough of? That aforementioned game's follow-up made everyone stop and take notice once it made a special appearance at the end of the film, The Wizard. Once everyone finally got the game in their hands, it came across as such a magnificent step towards evolving the 2D side-scrolling platforming formula. The newly added "Super Leaf" powerup that activated the "Tanooki Suit" blew so many minds back then as it allowed Mario to take flight. Plus the improved graphics, myriad secrets to uncover, and fresh implementation of world biomes make Super Mario Bros. 3 one of the greatest video game sequels of all time.

Link. The "Master Sword." "Hyrule." Princess Zelda. Ganon. And the "Triforce of Wisdom." All those characters and items are synonymous with the NES action/adventure epic that is considered video game royalty. The Legend of Zelda gave way to a vast world full of dungeons packed with baddies to eliminate, puzzles to solve, and a host of secrets to uncover that we're sure plenty of schoolkids went crazy over during spirited recess conversations over the game. Slashing "Octoroks" while exploring Hyrule as the legendary "Overworld" theme blares through the speakers always puts us in a state of bliss.

One of the most memorable reveals in all of gaming took place at the close of the original Metroid. When the space-faring bounty hunter named Samus Aran revealed that she was a woman at the end of her adventure, a whole generation of young boys at the time all had their jaws hit the floor in unison. Before they all got to that wild conclusion, those same gamers found themselves enjoying a dark and moody adventure on the planet of "Zebes." Jumping to and fro while blasting alien creatures and ultimately clashing with the all-mighty "Mother Brain" at the end of Samus' planet trek was and still is a joy to experience.

For any of you out there that can beat Mike Tyson like a drum at the end of this boxing game, kudos to you. Even with all the tricks of the trade figured out by everyone and their grandmother years after this NES classic first came out, we still have a problem avoiding the granite fists of Tyson packs in his 2D form. Before making our way to one of gaming's ultimate bosses, we had the time of our lives swiftly dodging our opponents' punches and putting them to sleep with some haymakers of our own. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! will always be remembered as one of the best NES games due to its unique player viewpoint, engrossing fisticuffs, and hilariously named original rivals (shout out to Glass Joe and Soda Popinski!).

When it comes to unforgettable side-scrolling run 'n' gun games, Contra quickly springs forth from our memory banks for also being one of the best NES games ever made. This innovative side-scroller set the standard for shooters of its ilk - with three viewpoints implemented throughout this game's explosive campaign, players were treated to a nice change of pace at several intervals. The difficulty is certainly not for the weak at heart, but we still pushed through to grab that "Spread Gun" to blast things from the side and from a vertical standpoint alongside our co-op compadre. Bill and Lance are the GOATs!

Fun fact - Kirby's Adventure actually isn't the first game in the pink puffball's lifetime. It's his second appearance on a Nintendo console since he made his debut on the Game Boy in 1992's Kirby's Dream Land. This NES platformer was a hell of an upgrade when it comes to visuals, audio, and gameplay for Nintendo and HAL Laboratory's fiesty mascot. What's extra cool about Kirby's Adventure is how this is the first time the main character's "Copy Ability" came into play - besides hopping around each level, the other part of this game's fun factor comes from sucking up enemies and acquiring their special ability to do even more damage. "Fire," "Tornado," and "Cutter" will always be our favorites!

Ryu Hayabusa has earned the honor of being referred to being one of the top ninjas by gamers worldwide. He made an immediate impact after showcasing his immense agility and masterful use of his "Dragon Sword" katana in the first Ninja Gaiden. Now we will admit - this game kicked our asses back then and still does to this very day. Even still, it's easy to get caught up in what's going on across each level and strive towards making all the right jumps & pull off Ryu's attacks at the perfect moment in order to prevail. Special shout out to this game for having the greatest cutscenes we've ever laid eyes on for an NES game!

Every now and then, we have nightmares about that cheeky little dog that laughed at us every time we screwed up in this game. And once we wake up from that horrible moment, we get the urge to pull out our NES, trusty "Zapper," and ancient CRT television to run it back on Duck Hunt. This light-gun shooter is simple and gets right to the point of all the fun that's advertised on the game's box art - shoot ducks out of the sky as quickly as possible to rack up a respectable score. Back in the day, Duck Hunt left our jaws on the floor thanks to just how amazing it felt to have such a responsive gaming peripheral magnifying our fun.

First off, we gotta mention just how much of a bop the pause menu screen theme is! And secondly, we have to acknowledge the fact that we've never beaten this game! Even though we never made it past that damned "Turbo Tunnel," we still enjoyed our time smashing bad dudes with the homies Rash and Zitz. Enlarging both characters' fists and feet to pull off some destructive "Smash Hits" is part of the appeal of this beat 'em up. Another factor that always brings us back to this game is being able to use broken objects that fall from enemies as weapons. Battletoads has to be on everyone's personal list of the best NES games.

Let's stay on the topic of go-to beat 'em ups that are a part of the best NES games collective. The most relied-upon elements of the genre are front and center in the very first game to star the crime-fighting brotherly duo of Billy and Jimmy Lee. Smacking around the "Black Warriors" gang in order to rescue Billy's girlfriend Marian is the main pull of Double Dragon and we still can't get enough of all the street fighting action it features. Picking baseball bats and whips off the ground to pay back the dudes and dudettes that previously assaulted us makes us feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

Then the sequel arrived and gave us some good reasons to reunite with the famed Lee Brothers. Double Dragon II: The Revenge starts off on a really dark note with Marian being shot to death by the infamous gang from the first game, which was really shocking at the time of this game's release. To avenge her wrongful death, players step back into the fold to beat up some more baddies, some of which make their return with new moves to boot. Speaking of new attacks, the Lee Brothers acquire their trademark "Hurricane Kick" in this sequel and we're so grateful for its inclusion in the Double Dragon games that came after this one.

It's crazy to think that even though the first Mega Man wasn't a success saleswise, Capcom allowed the series' creators to move forward with a sequel. And thank god it did! Because Mega Man 2 became one of the most remarkable entries in the life of the heroic "Blue Bomber." The addition of an "Energy Tank" relieved some players' stress as that item refilled Mega Man's life bar, plus the password system made it so much easier to progress through the game during different playthroughs. With amazing music littered throughout this game and an assortment of iconic "Robot Masters" to defeat (shout out to Air Man!), Mega Man 2 deserves mentioning here as one of the best NES games.

Now let's understand why Mega Man 3 should also be given a spot on everyone's list of the best NES games ever made. It added two significant features that strengthened the already intense gameplay the series had been known for up until this point - the ability to slide along the ground to avoid enemy attacks & lower barriers and the usage of Mega Man's robot canine companion Rush. Running, gunning, and jumping through devious stages to confront the likes of Magnet Man, Hard Man, and Top Man still resonates with diehard Mega Man fans to this very day.

Man...that "Moon Theme" gets us all giddy whenever we hear it! We're sure you all feel the same way since you older guys and gals dived headfirst into one of the best-licensed games of all time. DuckTales, which is based on the old 80s Disney animated series of the same name, provided an enriching platforming experience where players took on the role of Scrooge McDuck to seek out five legendary treasures across some challenging stage layouts. Most of the fun derived from this platformer comes from being able to use Scrooge's cane as a pogo stick to get to higher platforms and stamp out his foes. The non-linear Mega Man-style stage progression format, incredible soundtrack, and multiple endings also provide more reasons why DuckTales is such an NES classic.

It was quite a rare sight to see a racing game not focused on speeding across open roads with designer cars. Excitebike broke the mold by offering a side-scrolling racing experience with motocross-ready bikes that were capable of going fast and taking huge leaps with the assistance of dirt ramps littered all over the track. It took a bit more to come out on top in this game thanks to the smart implementation of lane switching, turbo boosting, and careful management of one's bike engine (don't let it overheat!).

Konami went so hard on the NES! Besides the Japanese publisher/developer's slate of beat 'em ups and action/adventure titles, it also provided something worthwhile for hockey fans. That sports game classic arrived in the form of Blades of Steel, which has one of the best names for a video game we've ever seen. With a squad consisting of three forwards, two defencemen, and a goaltender, matches unfolded in a fast-paced manner. We've always been good enough for the "College" difficulty, but not great enough to step up to "Pro" mode (we just keep getting bodied on the 8-bit ice for that level of challenge!). We've always been good at winning those mid-match fistfights, though!

When it comes to retro football games, Tecmo Bowl immediately springs up as the one that will always get a room of late 30s and 40-somethings to play it into the wee hours of the morning. The side-scrolling pigskin action moves fast and furious - we always knew to rely on the likes of Bo Jackson, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice to carry us to the promised land. Before NFL Blitz ruled arcades and consoles, Tecomo Bowl held court as the original arcade football classic.

We'd be the ultimate sinners if we didn't mention Tetris on our list of the best NES games ever made! Thanks to the genius of Soviet-Russian video game designer and engineer Alexey Pajitnov, gamers were treated to a puzzler that's practically been on every console imaginable. We adore the Game Boy version and we feel the exact same way about the NES port, which added a nice dosage of color to all the block-falling/clearing festivities. We've always been more keen to play "A-Type" mode just so we can rack up the highest score possible.

The massive influence of Tetris clearly had an impact on the creation of this Mario-themed falling-block tile-matching puzzler of the same ilk. And thanks to this game, we got to smack our opponents in the face with pills in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Dr. Mario is definitely another one of the best NES games thanks to its gameplay simplicity that revolves around matching falling capsules of the same color to get rid of those troublesome viruses giving the good doctor a hard time. This game's "Fever" theme is amazing, by the way!

The Belmont family has protected humanity for generations from Dracula. And the very first member of the demon-hunting clan we were introduced to Simon Belmont, who made his grand debut in the Konami-made Castlevania. This action platformer marked the beginning of an incredible franchise focused on whipping horror movie tropes and using blessed weapons to destroy a castle full of monsters. Those boss fights with Frankenstein's monster and the Grim Reaper were tough, but fun as all hell!

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is too much of an oddity in the series that deviates from the finest parts of the first game and incorporates elements that haven't aged all that well. But when it comes to Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, we have a lot more heart in our hearts for what it has to offer over its predecessor. Trevor C. Belmont takes the role of lead protagonist here as he ventures into Count Dracula's domain to defeat him and his army of vicious creatures. The non-linearity tied to navigating this game's 16 stages allow for different routes during your demon-hunting journey, plus we love the addition of companions who join you on your adventure and the multiple endings derived from the choices you make along the way.

We'll always have all the respect in the world for Hironobu Sakaguchi due solely to the fact that he birthed the most revered RPG franchise of all time. The very first Final Fantasy practically saved Square from going under and led to a massive fanbase becoming enamored with the fantastical themes present across each series entry. This is the game that kicked everything off - players joint the four fabled "Warriors of Light" in a bid to restore light to the world's four elemental crystals and defeat the four "Elemental Fiends." Final Fantasy is one of the best NES games thanks to its massive influence on the RPG genre and incorporation of everything we love about the series as a whole.

Another turn-based RPG series that is synonymous with the genre as a whole is Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior in Japan). And the series entry we've chosen to highlight on this list of the best NES games is Dragon Quest III, which follows "The Hero" and his allies as they seek to vanquish the evil Demon Lord Baramos. A class-based system that impacts the combat abilities your characters have, a day/night system, and a classic "save the world from certain doom" plotline come together wonderfully here to present a retro RPG that's considered among the very best of its genre.

The Greek-inspired fantasy realm of Kid Icarus is part of the reason why we're still so hooked on it. And even though it's as hard as most NES games of the time, we still find ourselves returning to its lighthearted side-scrolling platforming action. Blasting mythical beasts with Pit's trusty bow & arrow keeps us busy while we proceed to leap across platforms, navigate assorted treasure chambers, and avoid being turned into an eggplant. The amalgamation of platforming areas and a final side-scrolling shooting stage provide Kid Icarus with its most distinct features.

Remember how we mentioned the abundance of good to great licensed video games present during the reign of the NES? Well, we have another selection that provides further proof of that statement. Based on the 1989 Tim Burton cinematic take, Batman: The Video Game is a dope side-scroller that feels like the perfect marriage between Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania. There are solid platforming elements intact, the ability to wall jump, and a collection of side tools that widens Batman's combat repertoire. As far as superhero video games from way back in the day go, this one is a top-of-the-line experience that doesn't feel like a cheap cash-in on DC's iconic savior.

The world-saving Ladd of the "FF Battalion" may not have ever learned how to jump. But he didn't need to thanks to the use of his mechanical arm that doubles as a grappling hook, which helped him appeal to gamers that dived into Capcom's NES gem Bionic Commando. Blasting all those bad guys and pulling off some quick vertical maneuvering through some tough platforming setups worked to create a bonafide NES classic here. This side-scroller's unique gimmick helped it stand out from the rest of the pack way back when and helps maintain its claim to fame to this very day.

This 8-bit brawler tried something different from the genre norm by including elements of RPGs to produce a beat 'em up that provided more meat on the bone for its player base. River City Ransom's side-scrolling clashes were at the heart of the action, of course. But what gives this game its legendary status is its non-linear approach to world exploring, unlockable moves, and upgradeable stats for both Alex and Ryan. Saving Ryan's girlfriend from the evil clutches of high school gangs in this game still delivers thrills to this very day.

Blaster Master goes so hard since it offers two styles of play that makes playing through it such a joy. One-half of the game focuses on embarking on some on-foot blasting as the game's hero, Jason. And the other half (which is the portion of this game we love the most!) of this game deals with piloting Jason's trusty "SOPHIA" vehicle to make some moves & shoot down the opposition. Blaster Master will always get the nod from us for being one of the best NES games thanks to its implementation of two equally fun playstyles.

Arcade-perfect ports may not have been a thing during the NES' reign of dominance. But we have to commend TMNT II: The Arcade Game for trying to get as close as possible to what was featured in the coin-op version. Saving April O'Neil from the clutches of Shredder and the "Foot Clan" is just as fun as it is in the arcade edition of this awesome beat 'em up. Smacking around ninjas, avoiding random obstacles, and taking out the most important henchman that opposes the "heroes in a half-shell" is so much damn fun in its 8-bit form here!

Hideo Kojima's exalted status among gaming's biggest creators started with the introduction of this stealth-based action game. The first Metal Gear marked the incredible debut of Solid Snake, who infiltrates the fortified state of "Outer Heaven" to take out the bipedal mech known as "Metal Gear." This game was pretty groundbreaking for its time, as it employed players to employ sneakier techniques to get around and a visual system that alerted players to how close they are to getting spotted by the opposition. The top-down perspective of Metal Gear worked so well that it ended up being the basis for the awesome gameplay featured in Metal Gear Solid.

For the last pick on our list of the best NES games, we're going to show some adoration for another licensed Capcom game that fans of platformers hold in high regard. That game is Little Nemo: The Dream Master, which is based on the anime film Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (which is itself based on the American comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland). The realm of "Slumberland" paves the way for really creative stage designs that make it such a joy to run through each one as young Nemo. Plus the ability to turn into and ride upon an animal leads to fun segments where you can hop higher as a frog, climb up & down walls as a dinosaur, and so much more.