1. The Legend of Zelda

This is it, ladies and gentleman. This is your main event. This is the one. This is MY one.

Where to begin? The level design and free-roam gameplay? The dungeons? Power ups?

Everybody knows this game is a masterpiece. I still say if I could only play one NES game over and over into eternity, it would be this one. If the first quest isn’t enough for you, you get a bonus massive second quest to shake things up. You can collect quite a bit of the upgrades before you even enter the first dungeon in the first quest, including the infamous blue ring.

Like SMB3 before it ruling the platforming genre, The Legend of Zelda is NES action/adventure perfection.

2. Super Mario Bros. 3

Did you NOT have an older sibling, or neighbor, or friend that owned this? Who the hell hasn’t played this game?

How the hell do you not own it?

Weren’t they issuing this in every major US city like the phone book at one point in the early 90’s?

All joking aside – this is arguably the single-best platform game the NES has to offer, and it came out right smack dab in the middle of the NES’ lifespan.

To me, that’s both a testament to its staying power and influence, as well as proof that Nintendo knows (or at least at one point knew) what they’re doing.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is NES platforming perfection.

3. Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team

This is arguably the single-greatest beat ’em up on the NES.

It’s another late bloomer, too; the SNES and Genesis versions were already out at the time the NES version dropped in June 1993.

Lush graphics and sound, stellar smooth animations, plot development and character interaction make this game light years more fun than the unforgiving Battletoads just two years earlier (also an amazing game).

This is a must-play NES title.

This is the game Battletoads SHOULD have been.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the original Battletoads. It was between that, and this entry for the list. The addition of the DD characters, slightly more balanced gameplay and difficulty (this game is still incredibly hard and right up there with the OG Battletoads), but I feel it gets overlooked due to the late release date and bad taste of the OG Battletoads.

That never bothered me, though; both games rule. This entry is the winner for me, however. 1993 was very, very good to the NES.

4. Mega Man 6

There are six Mega Man titles for the NES, and they’re all excellent, above average games in their own right.

Mega Man 6, however, is far and away my personal favorite.

This game came out in March 1994 in the US; even Capcom was done with the series on the NES by that point.

Nintendo had to publish it themselves! I guess that’s a testament to Nintendo’s faith in the blue bomber. I’m glad they did put it out, because this game features some of the best graphics and sound the NES has to offer.

Exciting backgrounds featuring lush colors, unique enemies, and an awesome OST all make for a 10/10 NES Mega Man experience for me.

5. Kirby’s Adventure

I have fond memories of finding this game (cart only) at a yard sale in my hometown of Peabody, MA in the late 90’s.

Said cart was in perfect condition, and I think my mom paid a whole $3 for it.

I took that sucker home, popped it in, and was treated so some of the best sound and visuals the NES has to offer.

It only makes sense, seeing as the game was released in the twilight years of the NES’ lifespan (it saw a May 1993 release, to be exact).

I’m a huge fan of later-era NES games, because they tend to have seriously-upped sound and graphics.

6. Friday the 13th

Jason’s stellar run against…the other Jason:

I remember bugging the hell out of my mom to take me to FuncoLand to pick this game up (I remember being in fourth grade, so that puts this at approx ’97/’98). I’ll never forget, it cost a whole $4.99, and the very nice employee gave me fair warning that this game was not easy. I didn’t care about that; are you seeing this cover art?

Beneath the technicolor dream coat surface is arguably one of the best, most rewarding survival strategy games on the console.

Yes, that’s right, an LJN title is one of the my favorite on the console. It would help to note that ATLAS developed the game, and LJN only published it. Therefore, it’s not completely an LJN train wreck.

Funny side note; in the game booklet in the section where they show the enemies, for some reason they use a picture of “Jason” from Part V: A New Beginning. Fans of the films will know this is literally the one entry that doesn’t feature Jason, but an imposter. So, we end up with this legendary drawing of the imposter Jason from Part V.

How many ways can nostalgia combine and collide on the glorious grey box?

7. Fire ‘N Ice

Here we have the sequel to Solomon’s Key; this game is a true puzzle gem.

It’s deceptively simply to play, yet very hard to master. Melting and freezing blocks of ice to defeat enemies and progress through each level, you eventually reach the final boss.

All in all, this is a must-play puzzle title for the NES.

All I can really say here is if you haven’t played or seen this one, check out the gameplay footage above.

8. Final Fantasy

The original Final Fantasy for the NES just might be my favorite entry in the entire series.

I love, love, LOVE Final Fantasy II (IV) on the SNES, and obviously love III (VI); but there’s just something extra special about this one.

The OG just hits different.

Yes, it’s ungodly difficult out of the gate. You can easily get stuck in battles where you can’t escape, and are overwhelmed by large parties of monsters. Overcoming that initial beginning weakness curve can be enough to turn off many from the treasures this game possesses.

Make no mistake; Final Fantasy demands your full attention and dedication.

Class upgrades, stellar bosses and attacks, and the ability to save your progress were HUGE in 1990.

The OG Final Fantasy is still my go-to RPG on the NES.

9. Tecmo World Wrestling

This is, hands down, my favorite wrestling game for the NES.

All original wrestlers with unique looks, and it actually controls and plays GOOD!

I’m bummed there aren’t more good wrestling games for the NES; it’s always the control and move sets that suffer. Not so here! Hit your special maneuver at the right moment, and you’re treated to some of the best cut scene animations on the NES!

10. Cobra Triangle

Not many have heard of this one, but it’s a gem for sure.

No, it’s not “R.C. Pro AM in the water”. This game is very, very unique. It’s an isometric boat shooter that lets you upgrade your weapons ala Gradius. This alone should pique interest in the title, but add tight controls, colorful graphics and a fun soundtrack and we have a winner!

Plus, there’s like, a hundred levels. No, really. Go try it for yourself. This one’s a certified must-play in my game book.