People love these top 10 lists and it looks like the NES one is over. Well, I’m making one anyway. This includes my personal favorites. I established a couple of ground rules before choosing them. First, I only pick one game per franchise. Second, I’m choosing games that are still just as fun when you go back and play them. I’ve been playing a decent amount of NES games lately and a lot of games just aren’t as fun as I remembered them to be, while others are even more fun. You don’t like my list? Create your own, or leave me a comment explaining why I’m wrong.

#10 – Bionic Commando (1988)

Bionic Commando is great. However, it can be frustrating as hell. The premise is fantastic… kill Nazis (including a resurrected Hitler) while swinging on your bionic arm. The game recently received a facelift on XBLA. I highly recommend downloading it as it is worth every penny. The game also has fantastic music, and the mini stages break the game up into top-down and side-scrolling angles.

However, the controls are a bit clunky, you can’t jump, and the swing has to be perfectly timed. Without going into a mini rant here, I don’t think this game is going to be a hit in today’s gaming culture. Games are too easy now and people don’t have the patience to measure time and start over from the beginning. Hopefully, the resurrection of these HD games on XBLA will bring out the greatness of these games for younger audiences.

#9 – Rygar (1987)

Rygar has a soft spot in my heart because I feel like I’m one of the few people who actually won this game. You see, this game did not contain any save system or password system. You have to play this game from start to finish or you start from the beginning. It’s screwed.

However, this game is progressing very well. The gameplay is fantastic and your main weapon is spinning blades on a chain. I spent a whole day with one of my cousins ​​when we were young to beat this game and once we did it was the greatest sense of accomplishment I’ve ever gotten from any NES game.

That said, please put this game only on an emulator or a 100% working NES console. If your console freezes or just stops working for whatever reason (and we all know that happens often), you’ll need to start from scratch.

However, I suggest staying away from PS2 and Wii sequels.

#8 – Battletoads (1991)

Speaking of frustrating games, Battletoads kicked my butt. This game was released to compete with the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It’s a fantastic game with amazing graphics and amazing animation especially for NES. The controls were fantastic and the attacks varied. It was always fun to finish a combo with an oversized fist to the face, an oversized boot to the stomach, or ramming them with oversized ram horns that inexplicably grew out of your toad during that split second.

These toads were on roids, and this game blew Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles out of the water. The villains were funny and the evil queen was hot. This game was perfectly marketed for my age group. He was 12 years old when he came out, and the toads’ names were Rash, Zitz, and Pimple. Such immaturity has always attracted me (and I hope it always will).

HOWEVER, when you get to the speed bike level, you need to put padding over anything breakable around you because you’ll want to throw your controller away. One hit and you’re dead, and you must memorize EVERY MOVE! It’s like fighting Mike Tyson. Just look at this level below. Check about 3 minutes for the really fun part.

#7 – Tecmo Super Bowl (1991)

Is it possible for a game to get more fun over time? If so, this is definitely the best example. Such simple, brilliant gameplay and unstoppable zigzagging make this a classic. I play this game today more often than any other game on my list, and there’s a reason it’s the only sports game that measures up. It’s just FUN!

It’s also officially licensed by the NFL (something the recent Nintendo DS version lacks). This game has a special place in my heart because it’s so old that the Buffalo Bills were a good team back then. It appears that half the team are current or future Hall of Famers (including the coach and owner).

Everyone seems to think they have this game figured out. Some of my friends have “forbidden plays.” Everyone has their defensive typing to fall back on, everyone thinks they get into your head and can pick your play. Everyone thinks they know how to block bonus points (hint: YOU CAN’T!!).

All this is what makes this game so amazing. It’s a pick up and play game that can be as intense as you want it to be. There’s only one constant in this game… I always win and the Bills are always amazing.

#6 – Ninja Gaiden (1989)

From the looks of my list so far, I’ve been picking out some pretty tough games. However, this one can take the cake. This game will kick your butt.

A difficult game could never be this good if it didn’t have fantastic controls. The NES Ninja Gaidens controls are super tight. The levels are nice and varied and the secondary weapons are awesome. I love to play jump rope with the big orange shooting star.

The bosses in this game are also tough as shit. The game has great sound and visuals and it was the first game I can remember that had quality cut-scenes.

This franchise is still alive and kicking on Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS. Games sure didn’t get any easier. In fact Xbox 360 games took a step up in difficulty.

#5 – Mega Man II (1989)

This franchise never seems to die, with only Sinic the Hedgehog producing as many shitty games as Mega Man.

It’s rare to see a video game series peak so early in its lifecycle, especially with so many games. However, that is exactly what happened with Mega Man,

Mega Man II is by far the best of the series (some would say III is better, and I’d agree it’s a good option too). This game is not as difficult as the previous games on my list, although it still offers a good challenge. A game that would give you so many different weapons was a nice change for an NES game. It played a bit like an RPG, as you were constantly leveling up your character.

The controls were also fantastic in this game, and the soundtrack is commonly referred to as one of the best of all time.

I am looking forward to playing the new Mega Man game that was released on XBLA and WiiWare. I’ve heard good things and can appreciate the old school throwback.

In case you haven’t noticed, the box art is also amazing.

#4 – Child Icarus (1987)

The big mystery for me about this game, is how the hell 22 years have passed without a sequel?

Kid Icarus is a fantastic game. However, it has never made any sense to me. Why are we an angel fighting floating reapers and blue penguins? Better question… “who cares?”

I’m sure like really old NES games the story is in the manual, but who the hell reads the manual anyway? All I knew is that this game kicks butt. Its excellent platforming, character progression, dungeons, flying stages, and laser arrows are fired into Medusa’s ugly face.

This was another game that I completely won and felt an extreme sense of accomplishment doing so. This game is similar to Rygar with its mythological themes, strengthening of your character, good control and difficulty. However, this game is better, AND you don’t have to start from the beginning every time. Kid Icarus is one of those password games. Start by entering the world’s longest password consisting of uppercase, lowercase and numbers. On the fifth attempt at reading his own handwriting, he will surely do well.

Now please make this game a Mario Sunshine like 3D game. Nintendo would have another instant hit on their hands.

#3 – The Legend of Zelda (1987)

You could tell from the start how amazing this game was going to be. It came in a gold cartridge.

When The Legend of Zelda was released, nothing like it had ever existed. There was no category for the game. Of course it’s different now, but this game was not only fantastic, it was the pioneer of an entire genre. The pacing of this game was fantastic and it became a staple (in my opinion) for the biggest franchise in video game history.

All Zelda games follow the same pattern:

-Explore and find out where the danger is.

-Enter the dungeon

-Find a unique weapon in the dungeon.

-Use weapons to access new places and kill the boss.

-Get the special item that is for that game (in this case, the Triforce)

It just works great. The best thing about this game is that it’s not even the best game in the franchise, in fact it’s probably not even in the top 5. That’s how good this franchise is.

#2 – Super Mario Brothers 3 (1990)

This is probably the best NES game. It’s usually at the top of everyone’s list in these top 10. However, I have another game that is one of my favorites. Maybe I’m just trying to break the mold, maybe I’m just bringing a shower. In fact, it’s probably a little bit from column A, a little bit from column B.

Debuting in a terrifyingly awesome movie, The Wizard, Super Mario Brothers 3 shattered all the hype around it. From top to bottom, this game is simply amazing. It took everything that was great about the first 2 Marios and made them about 10 levels. In Super Mario 3 ‘suits’ were introduced. You could be a raccoon (tanooki), a raccoon turned into a statue, a frog, a boot, a hammer brother. etc… You can even fly with your raccoon. The game’s gad shortcuts galore. The levels are divided into worlds. The worlds could not be more varied.

The lumps were Bowser’s children. They would fly over each world’s castles in their wooden flying ships and eventually their convoy of wooden tanks. The more I think about this game, the more I realize how great it was. Before I change my mind, I need to go to my favorite NES game…….

#1 – Blast Master (1988)

Well, before you criticize me with this selection, listen to me. I’m sure everyone can agree that the previous games on my list are all fantastic in their own way.

Now Blaster Master takes all of my favorite things from the previous games on my list and uses them in the game. For example, like Zelda, she can visit previous areas at will and explore areas she couldn’t access before. Just like Mega Man, you gain abilities from the bosses you defeat. Like Rygar and Bionic Commando, you play from a top-down, side-scrolling perspective. Like Rygar, Ninja Gaiden, and Battletoads, this game is HARD! Like all the previous games on the list, the game has fantastic controls.

Combine all this and add a tank that can jump, and you have Blaster Master. What an amazing game. The graphics are great in both side scrolling and top down views. When playing from the side scrolling angle you control a tank, however you can exit the tank at will. The scale of the levels is evident when your little one jumps.

In a perfect world, they will give Blaster Master the Bionic Commando style facelift for XBLA.

This list was difficult to put together and I’m sure most of you disagree with me. There were several that just barely made the cut, like Duck Tales, Metroid, Contra, Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, Castlevania, etc. It is difficult to reduce it.