The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, was the most successful gaming console of the 1980s. Anyone with a happy childhood knows first hand how great it was and can attribute countless hours of fun to it. For those of you who were neglected or hated by your parents, you'll have to take our word for it.
What made the system great wasn't its sluggish eight-bit processor or its limited 53-color palette, though -- it was the games. Bursting with creativity, originality and quality gameplay, many games made for the NES were unforgettable.
To this day, these games are still fun. I know, because just this weekend I went home and decided to bring back my fully-functional NES and collection of games so I could get back into them. The resulting nostalgia has inspired me to bring you the following personal list of the best games ever made for the NES:
#10: "Punchout" -- The ultimate game of reflexes and anticipation. Climb your way to the top of the world boxing circuit by beating up oversized, goofy boxers until you face Mike Tyson himself. The game lacks realism, unfortunately, as Tyson won't make even a single attempt to bite your ear off.
#9: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II and III" -- These games were the best side-scrolling, ass-kicking action you could find in their day. Don't forget, the Turtles were the coolest characters on TV as well. Anyone would jump for the chance to play as Leonardo, Michelangelo or Donatello ... not Rafael, though. Nobody liked him and his worthless sai.
#8: "Dragon Warrior IV" -- The greatest and most epic RPG ever released for the NES. I spent many months of my most crucial years of development completing this game, explaining why I never learned to write cursive or tie my own shoes.
#7: "Super Dodge Ball" -- This game pits six-man teams from every major nation against each other in a game of dodge ball to the death. Each match is over when one team loses all its members to a barrage of dazzling, gravity-defying dodge ball attacks. This leaves me with one question -- why isn't this a real sport? Maybe pitchers who didn't make it in the big leagues could be given one-pound medicine balls to hurl at each other in front of a national TV audience. Who wouldn't watch that?
#6: "Zelda I and II" -- "Zelda" provided hours of action and adventure and enthralled anyone who played. It paved the way for more "Zelda" games on future systems and, more importantly, for the custom of holding every item you come across over your head triumphantly (du nu nah NAH!)
#5: "Contra" and "Super Contra" -- I don't know what these games have to do with the Iran-Contra Affair or fighting communism, but I do know that these games made for the best cooperative two-player action around. Look no further if you've ever got an itch to mow down an endless parade of alien enemies.
#4: "Mega Man II-IV" -- The challenge and action that the "Mega Man" series provided was, and still is, outstanding. Playing even one level gives me the urge to sit in front of the TV until I beat the game so I can wipe that smug grin off of Dr. Wily's face.
#3: "Super Mario Brothers 1 and 3" -- No discussion about Nintendo is complete until you mention this series. Playing SMB3 the whole way through is one of the greatest achievements of my life -- if I died tomorrow I'd see scenes from the game flashing before my eyes.
#2: "NES Open Tournament Golf" -- I don't see how a golf game can get any better than this. In fact, the only reason I ever watch golf on TV is because I can relate to my experiences playing this game.
#1: "Tecmo Bowl" and "Tecmo Super Bowl" -- "Tecmo Super Bowl," TSB for short, is probably the greatest sports game ever created. Not only does it have the superior gameplay to most football games, it has the most intense head-to-head action of any game I've seen. It is both extremely simple and extremely complex at the same time. Thanks to Tecmo, I can list almost every starter on every NFL team in 1990. All I need now is my roommate to get back from studying abroad so that we can resume our late night grudge matches of "Tecmo Super Bowl."
Daniel's column runs bi-weekly on Wednesdays. He can be reached at mcnally@cavalierdaily.com.
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