15th July 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Famicom, the Japanese console that would be transformed into the NES in the West. To mark the occasion, we're republishing this reader-ranked list of the best games on the system.
Remember, this is a dynamic list that's updated in real-time according to each game's User Rating in our database. If you haven't rated the ones you've played, feel free to rate any of the games below and potentially alter the ranking. Enjoy!
The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES (ness? nezz? enn-eee-ess?), is the archetypal home video game console. Sure, earlier machines such as the mighty Atari 2600 pioneered the basic concept of an under-the-TV console with interchangeable software and controller accessories, but the utilitarian design and hardware innovations of Nintendo's 8-bit system set the stage for modern console gaming.
Following the video game 'crash' of 1983, the NES (or Famicom in Japan) defied naysayers and singlehandedly brought the industry back stronger than ever thanks to canny marketing and — more significantly — an excellent software library. In the early days, solid ports of hits like Donkey Kong gave players a taste of the arcade in their homes, and game design innovations (and the introduction of on-cartridge chips) further enhanced and expanded the potential for developers making games on the humble NES. Compare 1983's Donkey Kong port to 1988's Super Mario Bros. 3 and it's hard to believe they're running on the same system.
Below you'll find a list of the top 50 NES games ever made. As with many of our other Top 50 system lists, the ranking below is governed by User Ratings submitted by Nintendo Life readers, so this list is not set in stone. The ordering will continue to evolve automatically according to each game's User scores (from 0-10) on the Nintendo Life game database. Disagree with the order? Have your say by scrolling down and rating them now! And if you've rated them already? Thank you kindly — sit back and enjoy.
If there's a game bubbling under the top 50 that you'd like to rate, feel free to find it using the search tool below and give it a score out of 10. Otherwise, scroll down and enjoy our round-up of the very best NES games ever...
Note. In order for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 25 User Ratings in total.
50. Blades of Steel (NES)
Konami's Blades of Steel is better than Nintendo's less imaginatively-named Ice Hockey, and it's held up pretty well compared to Double Dribble, too. If you liked the game back then, or just like ice hockey games in general, this is still worth a look. Even if you're not a hockey fan, there's an approximately 50% chance during the second intermission that you get to play a minigame based on Gradius, which is pretty nifty. You don't get that in Ice Hockey.
49. Fire 'n Ice (NES)
Enjoyment in Fire ‘n Ice is largely dependent on how much you enjoy logic puzzles, but while the game lacks a hint function, it does its best to ease you into the basic concepts, before eventually introducing new mechanics, like the jars that can be ignited. The framework around all of this is well done – there’s a cutesy story of an old woman telling her grandkids the story of Dana like a fairy tale, and while the visuals are simple, they’re extremely well animated. There are also an extra fifty stages beyond the initial one hundred, plus an option to make your own levels.
48. Battletoads & Double Dragon (NES)
This Rareware / Technos crossover was developed by the Battletoads team and adds Billy and Jimmy to the line up of toad-y brawlers. As you might expect, Battletoads & Double Dragon is far more Battletoads than Double Dragon, but it's a fun little 8-bit beat 'em up experience and we've got very fond memories of it.
47. Mighty Final Fight (NES)
Don't let Mighty Final Fight's kid-like art and style fool you. This is a challenging beat 'em up that has a surprising amount of combat complexity, and the story and art are refreshing and funny, especially compared to the gritty realism many games go for today. Gamers looking for some old school fun are encouraged to check out Mighty Final Fight — they sure don't make 'em like this any more.
46. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)
A radical departure from the template of the first game, Zelda II has enjoyed something of a reappraisal in recent post-Dark Souls years. It's an inscrutable game and one with which we wouldn't feel bad in the slightest using the rewind function if you were playing via Nintendo Switch Online, or save states elsewhere, but it's worth persevering with. In a series that, in the past, risked turning into a by-the-numbers adventure by slavishly sticking to a formula, this first sequel was anything but a repetition — a deeper combat system with RPG levelling elements and side-on platforming villages and dungeons made this a very different experience from the original.
You could argue that too much of its sense of adventure and 'wonder' is lost to frustration, but no more so than in other challenging 8-bit games. If you've bounced off The Adventure of Link in the past, we'd urge you to give it another go.
45. Faxanadu (NES)
No, not that '70s film with Sean Connery in a red mankini (that's Zardoz). Faxanadu is a spin-off of Nihon Falcom's Dragon Slayer series and the title melds the words 'Famicom' and 'Xanadu' (that's Dragon Slayer II) into the sort of fun portmanteau we love to say out loud.
Fortunately, the game itself is a thoroughly enjoyable 2D action-RPG and something of an underappreciated gem in the NES library, so we often have cause to speak its name. Developed by Hudson Soft under licence from Falcom, other medieval-feeling side-scrollers might grab all the attention, but Faxanadu is quietly one of the console's best games.
44. Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES)
This beat 'em up sequel came complete with the all-important two-player component missing from the first game on NES, and while Bimmy and Jimmy's brawling is unlikely to stick with you for long, the ability to get a friend involved in the fight makes Double Dragon II: The Revenge the pick of the pair.
43. Duck Hunt (NES)
A cheeky light gun shooter brimming with personality, many players experienced this as it came bundled with their NES and Zapper (on a dual cart with Super Mario Bros., no less — not a bad deal at all). Duck Hunt offers simple, wholesome light gun fun for the whole family; that is, as long as the wanton murder of countless digital waterfowl while a sniggering bloodhound watches doesn't put you off.
An official Wii U Virtual Console release in 2014 reworked the game to function on modern non-CRT televisions with a Wii Remote and an on-screen cursor. As of the end of March 2023, that version is no longer available to buy.
42. StarTropics (NES)
A game which stands apart in Nintendo's back catalogue, StarTropics melds elements of Zelda, the Mother series and classic RPGs to make something different. It isn't entirely successful and is let down by its controls, but it's well worth making a trip to C-Island via Nintendo Switch Online, if only to see a rare game from Nintendo which didn’t get a dozen follow-ups (although it did get a single sequel).
41. Mega Man 6 (NES)
Probably the worst thing you can say about Mega Man 6 is that it plays it safe. It follows the same basic idea of eight Robot Master stages followed by castle stages and doesn't really bring any big new gameplay features to the 8-bit Mega Man formula. The level design (save for Plant Man's stage), music and everything else are all pretty good, but if you've played all the previous entries, you can't help feeling that the sixth game is a bit by-the-numbers.
Capcom didn't really go out with a bang with this final NES Mega Man game, then, but it did create one final enjoyable entry on the console which birthed the series. And a 'just good' Mega Man is still better than most other video games, so mustn't grumble.
Comments 237
The Tiny Toons NES game was great, as was TMNT2.
So does this mean Eliminator Boat Duel is better than Ducktales according to this list? lol
Meh, I saw Pro Wrestling at #47 and checked out.
I wouldn't put that game in my top 200.
I was very late to the party with the NES, I was not that much interested in video games back then, this console just looked great with the robot on T.V.
I got bought the console by my mum and had Teenage turtles. Batman, and Metal gear for it, got the bug right there and then, and remember going in to my local newsagents, they used to get a lot of U.S imported magazines, I picked up a copy of Gamepro with Sonic the hedgehog on the cover, so I had bought an 8 bit console when 16 bit had been released.
Castlevania 3 Dracula's Curse NOT on the list?
How about you delete this list and pretend it never existed?
Dr. Mario in the top 10? Can't tell if serious.
Also, Adventures of Lolo should be within the top 25.
Several other games on this list have me wondering what type of criteria people use to judge "old" games these days.
I'm missing Duck Tales, Duck Tales2 or Little Nemo. Those were gems...
I'm sorry, Nintendo Life fans, but no Castlevania II or III, no Contra games, no MEGA MAN 3, no Mega Man 4-6, no Faxanadu, no Earthbound Beginnings, no Sweet Home, no Batman, none of the TMNTs, no DuckTales, no Chip 'n' Dale, no Snow Bros., no Battletoads, no Strider, none of them?!?!
Sorry, but any top 50 list of NES games that leaves out Faxanadu is critically flawed.
Faxanadu needs to be on this list.
@dartmonkey Where's Faxanadu? We've rated it as a 7.3 but it's been left out entirely.
@LavaTwilight yes it is actually one of the best games ever created!
Ninja Gaiden II >>> Ninja Gaiden
But where is Kid Dracula???
should have built the voting up a bit more before making the list- it only has switch online and virtual console games
@LavaTwilight Games need a minimum of 50 user ratings to become eligible, otherwise a couple of 10/10s could see any old rubbish in the top spot.
The list will evolve over time, and we can add games to the database, too — just leave a comment and we'll see what we can do.
This list is garbage, and here's why:
Almost every game on this list is available either on NSO or the NES Classic (with the exception of Final Fantasy II, which is a unanimously hated game in the series), which tells me that most of the people who voted blindly cast their vote.
-The exclusion of games that belong in any top 50 NES list. First off, what business does Solomon's Key have on this list? Why is Ice Hockey here when Blades of Steel is the more widely-loved hockey game? Where is Shadowgate? Uninvited? Why is Ninja Gaiden on this list but the vastly superior Ninja Gaiden II nowhere to be seen? How about Bionic Commando? Dragon Warrior IV? Double Dribble? Little Nemo? Duck Tales? Did Contra even make the list? Why do these lists pretend that Faxanadu never happened?
And even though Mario 3 is a great game, is it really the best game on the platform?
As voted but definitely not definitive. Many games like Castlevania 3 and the Contra Series was left off, while games that don't age well like Mario Bros and Ice Climber make the list. Why isn't TMNT - The Arcade game available? The curated list is better than these supposedly voted one which I doubt many voted on...
Probably the worst list of the nintendolife best of series...
@nukatha It was excluded from the running, but I just de-blocked it. It's at number 11 at the time of writing.
@BanjoPickles @MasterGraveheart No Dragon Warrior games on the list at all as of this date. Try telling a Japanese gamer from that era that no DQ game, not even III, makes a Top 50 list in the West...
@dustinprewitt
That was the first thing that caught my attention.
Punch out is my favourite nes game
Who made this list!
Fired!!!!
@dartmonkey I skee I skee, if that was included at the intro I would have understood... which is a shame because it's an epic game! We need more people rating it.
These top 50 lists are getting realy boring after 3 decades.
damn guy's, think of something new.
I am shocked that
Mega Man 3
Castlevania III
Contra
At least one Dragon Warrior game
TMNT 2: The Arcade Game
Ninja Gaiden II
Duck Tales
didn't make the list. Must be a lot of people younger than me voting who haven't played these yet. These were and are all essential NES games to me.
The Guardian Legend was and still is my favorite NES game. Not only is it not on the list, but no one in the comments has mentioned it yet either, so it must be criminally slept on.
Edit: it's not in the database either. Can you guys add it?
Games need a minimum of 50 user ratings to become eligible, otherwise a couple of 10/10s could see any old rubbish in the top spot.
@dartmonkey Sir, I must point out that I am unable to add Dragon Warrior/Quest II or III on the NES in my user profile. (Those are the versions I've actually played!) How then can I rate them?
This... is a serious problem.
Where the living hell is Contra?!!? Baseball Stars?! Lordy...
Can people please rate ducktales, Contra, Castlevania III and Bubble Bobble accordingly.
9/10 on all of these please!
I have fond memories of the NES. This was the system I waited months for before I finally got it under the Christmas tree back in the 80's. I've been a Nintendo fan ever since. "The greatest Christmas gift I had ever received, or would ever receive."
Quite interesting. It really says a lot about how the library has aged when a 5/10 game can still make the top 50.
Also, everyone should purchase a permanent version of Punch Out on some platform (ie not NSO) before the outrage Karens at ResetEra get it cancelled. You know it's coming.
No Bucky O'Hare ? O_o
So was this a secret poll? I come to this site every day and saw nothing about a NES poll. Anyway, the list is pretty bad. It's obvious the voters have only played 5% of the NES library at the most.
@Yorumi I guess we have a personal responsibility to introduce the great games that aren't on NSO or the mini consoles.
@COVIDberry As I said, leave a comment mentioning any games you love that aren’t in the database and we’ll add them.
Serious problem solved!
@TheWingedAvenger We’ve just included the ‘poll’ in the main article this time.
I was born too late to experience the NES in its prime but my favorite games for the system were always Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby’s Adventure, Ice Climber, and Punch Out.
Very disappointed in the voters. This might be one of the worst lists I have ever seen. Castlevania III (arguably the of the series), TNMT, Double Dribble, Mega Man III (again, arguably the best in the series), Duck Tales, Life Force, Contra (perfect game), Spy vs. Spy, Skate Or Die, Blades of Steel.
Also, ignore the captions. For example, Ice Hockey is a great game regardless of whether you are a hockey fan. The epitome of less is more.
Arh this brings back memories of bringing back my NES console from Toys R Us way back in 1992 and playing SMB for the first time (on a games console)! Happy days 1) SMB 2) Star wars and 3) Bart vs The Space Mutants, oh and obviously SMB 3!
@holygeez03 The time shall come. When the Gate of Darkness is cast open. All men shall knell before me. All shall hail me, Ashtar, as their new master.
Super Mario Bros 3 absolutely blew my mind.
Back in the days games usually did not have any easy mode. I died so many times in that desert level with that sun lol.
So many great games and great memories. I agree with the top game on the system. My second fav was actually Kirby tbf but a sound top 25 there even if I'd place them a little differently personally
As I said, leave a comment mentioning any games you love that aren’t in the database and we’ll add them.
@dartmonkey Thank you! All of the following are NES games:
The King claims his crown. 😎
Castlevania III needs just one more rating to get into the Top 10!
EDIT: Now at #4!
I have no idea what the consensus is on Kickle Cubicle (I enjoyed it a lot as a kid), but it's not even in the database!
Was the Bimmy name intentional for Double Dragon II?
I'm okay with the list for the most part, but does NL HAVE to make some back-handed comment for every game that's not in the top ten?!
@Yorumi,
For once i am in total agreement with you.
I like Super Mario Bros 2 (Super Mario Bros USA) more than the original Super Mario Bros. It's a more varied and interesting game for me...
It was only through Mario 35 (RIP) I got some enjoyment from the original game. Always found it too basic and dated otherwise. Maybe because my first Nintendo console was the SNES and Super Mario World my first Mario.
I actually didn't play any NES games until I got a NES in Animal Crossing on GameCube! I remember playing a lot of Balloon Fight.
No Faxanadu? I am doin a sad.
Castlevania III is one of those games that I just don't like nearly as much as everyone else. Its level design is brutally, unfairly difficult, particularly in the last third or so.
Love the original Castlevania though.
I'm surprised the other Mega Man games didn't rank in the Top 50. MM4, 5 and 6 aren't amazing but they're consistently enjoyable.
@dartmonkey
Shadowgate
Cabal
TMNT II: The Arcade Game
Gyruss
Tecmo Super Bowl
Jackal
Shatterhand
Life Force
Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers
R.C. Pro-Am
It's a shame Mr Gimmick! Didn't get a wide release, that would have been a top 5 game if more people knew about it.
So many good games mentioned in the comments, particularly Chip n Dale, Duck Tales and Bucky O'Hare.
Tmnt II didn't even make the cut 😩. LoZ1 and SMB3 are tied for #1 for me. What's with Mr dream being featured over Tysons version?! It's a travesty! Duck hunt should be up there, bionic commando should be up there, darkwing duck too! Maybe I'm just a grumpy old man but my list is a little different lol
@Euler
That’s because whoever came up with this list created it in a weird way. You could eliminate the garbage by including:
-Castlevania III
-Ninja Gaiden II
-Blades of Steel
-Bionic Commando
-Little Nemo
-Contra
-Wizards and Warriors
-Double Dribble
-Dragon Warrior 1,3, 4
-Faxanadu
-Shadowgate
-Deja Vu
-Uninvited
-Jackal
-Mega Man 3, 4
-Little Samson
-Abadox
-Batman
-Battletoads
This list is a joke.
@dartmonkey
The games that need to be added for voting are
TMNT 1-3 + tournament fighters
batman returns
batman return of the joker
Ducktails 2
Chip N Dale 1-2
the Dragon Warrior Games
Power Blade 1-2
Tiny Toon Adventures 1-2
Panic Resteraunt
Little Nemo in Slumberland
Bucky O'Hare
Flintsones Rescue of Dino and Hoppy
Little Mermaid
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves
Rockin Kats
Spy Hunter
Solar Jetman
Strider
Wacky Races
Willow
Monster in my Pocket
Nope.
Not having it.
I’ve been back and played the NES and honestly I think I made the right decision as a kid buying a master system. Sega for life!
@PALversusNTSC So are you a PAL or an NTSC guy/gal?
That is a weird list with some very notable omissions. I wonder if the list is being skewed based on the limited titles available on the Switch NES app?
@LavaTwilight @Zuljaras @MasterGraveheart @Magician @NintendoByNature @BanjoPickles
As to these comments~~~ esp as lavatwilight Points out ~~~ did NL perhaps have a cutoff of minimum number of users ranking them?
It’s one thing to disagree, but like Faxadu et al, Ufouria also has a much higher score (7.5) than many on the list. I wouldn’t expect these (ufouria etc) are popular- but mega man 3, castlevania iii, contra titles....
Anyone old enough to have an NES will, as a scientific fact have at least one of these.
Thanks for the writing but please explain?
@BulkSlash
Interesting! Good thought I had no idea NSO had 50 titles! (Or does it?)
That shouldn’t count ,of course, because NSO =/= NES ~~~~ they had a NSO ranked list before so .hmm.
Sure it is how many will play, but (for example) it makes sense for Ufouria, Recca (summer 94 shump thingy), and Murasame Castle to be excluded Bc they are VC exclusive to many and VC =/= NES.
Science Girl suspects April fools day came late.
I can't believe Dr Mario made it in there but Tetris didn't..?
@NintendoByNature TMNT2 (and 3) don't even seem to be in the database! I'm calling shenanigans on this whole thing.
this list makes the NES library seem worse than it was.
For me personally three of my favourite Nes/Famicom games are Over horizon, Crisis force. Gradius 2, incredible shooters that push the system really hard, and play amazing.
Mega Man II is terrible, one of reasons is that one boss in Wiley's Castle can only be defeated by the Crash Bomb and you need a full ammo bar to do it, use any before the fight or miss a shot or something and you have to start over. I enjoyed every Mega Man game afterward but II is my least favorite for many other reasons.
Also, Super Mario Bros. beat out Metroid? What???
@dustinprewitt Outside of a small handful of games there is basically no point in revisiting the NES today.
So Ducktales and Little Nemo aren't in the top 50 NES games lol teally?
@Tourtus stay in school, kid.
I wanted a NES so badly back in 1990. TMNT fever was at a peak and I really wanted the NES that came with it.
I got a Spectrum Sinclair ZX instead....
Contra, Baseball Stars, and Tecmo Super Bowl are serious omissions, but the ONE THING THAT MUST BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY IS: #6 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Yes, it matters! : )
Not sure how shooters like the original pop ‘n twin bee can be on the list but there are no sign of almost SNES quality titles such as Crisis Force.
Despite its flaws, Kid Icarus is worth playing.
The toughest part is the first three levels, since you are at your weakest. After that, you reach the first dungeon level and can grind and buy the health upgrades at the shop. You get upgraded weapons, too, over the course of the game.
Not a single dragon quest
No castlevania 2
Faxanadu??
@MasterGraveheart I feel like this list was heavily influenced by Nintendo Online. Like people have no memory... so they just went with what they saw on there. Or... People who were born later, after the NES' prime voted based on what they saw there. There are way too many gems missing here to take this list seriously.
This is a strange list there’s lots of games missing for my mind
Faxanadu
Wizards and Warriors
Ninja Gaiden 2
Batman
Snake Rattle and Roll
Even Castlevania II: Simons quest was OK
Battletoads
Contra??
EDIT: Ducktales!! Someone did mention this already
EDIT 2: was the TMNT arcade game on NES?? I thought it was SNES. Definitely deserves a mention. And don’t forget paperboy!!
I thought a few titles should be higher too. But yeah, just a really strange list.
Recently started playing Double Dragon and Double Dragon II. They’re so infuriating, but I can’t stop playing them. Worthy placements in the Top 50 overall.
Also love that Punch Out made the Top 10. It is probably the NES game that has aged the best.
where is Ducktales, TMNT 2, *******ng CONTRA!!? even Battle of Olympus or Willow are better than half of these.
So many more missing
BIONIC COMMANDO!!!!
I don't necessarily agree with this entire list but I'm shocked I've only played/finished 49 of them.
For those who are confused about the make-up of this list, here's why...
A game can only appear on this list if it has received at least 50 user ratings. This is why it is dominated by titles that have appeared on the Nintendo Switch Online service, which has previously been the subject of its own Nintendo Life list and thus those games have already received lots of ratings.
If you want to see your favourite on the list, then get rating! For example, Faxanadu has been mentioned by many people, and based on its current average score, it would be in the top 25. However, it has only received 16 ratings, hence it is a long way off from reaching the threshold of 50.
The good news is that there has already been a fair bit of movement since the list was first published. For example, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse was initially absent, but after it got 50 ratings, it went straight into the top ten. When I first checked the list, a game only needed an average score of 5.4 to make the top 50, but now it would need around 5.8. So the cream gradually is rising to the top, even if the competition here isn't as fierce for other consoles, where a game's average score might need to be in the upper 7s or 8s in order to get into the top 50 (see Nintendo Life's other system lists). Clearly many games from 30-odd years ago simply don't stand the test of time; to put a positive spin on it, though, it goes to show how brilliant the top titles are if they can still command high user scores all these years later!
Finally, Nintendo Life might want to consider lowering the threshold for entry to make the list more representative of the quality of the NES library. For the Game Boy list, they reduced the eligibility from 50 votes to 20, so why not also for the NES? Something to think about.
@Tourtus Mega Man 2’s got the GOAT soundtrack though.
My top ten:
Super Mario 1-3
Zelda 1
Mega Man 2
Contra
Ninja Gaiden
Castlevania 3
Blaster Master
Metroid
I must disagree. If anything, 50 is too low of a bar. Otherwise you can get wildly skewed results (like 3D World + Bowser’s Fury being the top Mario game because it has only 75 user reviews rather than thousands like the other games in the franchise).
@Spiders True, some of Mega Man's greatest tracks come from that game.
smb3, megaman 2 and zelda, absolutely expected to be top 3. first class, s-rank games right there
metroid below top ten (as of this comment) is a shocker
willow and faxanadu def need more love
Twinbee did come to the west. It was called Stinger
Tecmo Super Bowl.
Fixed it for ya.
@dartmonkey Please add Dragon Warrior II, III, and IV. There are other important games missing from the database, too. How come a feature wasn't run in advance with everyone able to vote down the list, like was done for GBA?
@Chrysologus All of those have been added already. Unlike some of the other consoles, we already had a sizeable chunk of the NES library with ratings, so we decided to experiment with running the ‘vote’ in the main feature itself this time.
I can't even find the TMNT Arcade game on the search. No wonder it's not on this list. Couldn't find Strider or Code Name: Viper either.
@Rohanrocks88
Yeah dude where in the heck is Turtles III?
@TheWingedAvenger
Same. I check out this site on a daily basis and never saw a chance to vote
I was hoping Smash TV might have made the cut. I loved that game so much.
Air Fortress is deserving a spot IMO
The NES library is just so huge and varied, this was destined (doomed?) to be one of the most subjective ever.
its a wrong top 50, thumbs up guys and girls
Very nice list. There's a bunch of titles there I want to try out now after being reminded. These past few days I've been playing Kirby's Adventure on my original NES and it really is a great looking and feeling game.
Punch-Out!! Featuring mike tyson was better then mr dream
@Panagiotis same both mr.dream and mike tyson version
Ufouria is one of the best NES games I've ever played. Ufouria is a cute and accessible metroidvania with great music and imaginative art style. It's a true hidden gem of a NES game.
Surprised not to see Ducktales or Little Nemo the Dream Master anywhere in a full top 50, but I'll live. ^^
Never understoond why people like Mega man 3. It has some of the most boring weapons with snake man and top man. A lot of the maps blink because there are too many things going on. Not saying its a bad game, just saying it doesnt come close to the 2 best megaman games, 2 and 4
Not too bad of a list, IMO, though there were some glaring omissions as mentioned above (Contra most of all). I definitely would put original SMB at #2 due to sheer importance.
Here’s the main thing I take from this list though: It’s easy to forget just how fantastic the NES was. So many games that hold up 30+ years later. So much fun to be had! After the Switch and SNES, the NES is the best Nintendo console of all time, and that’s still saying a lot!
That was a fun read. There are some surprising omissions, from my perspective. Of the top 10, only duck hunt doesn't belong IMO.
@MasterGraveheart I agree with this.
Is this an April Fool's joke? Did a bunch of trolls get together to compile it? Did you just pick a bunch of games at random and throw in a few well known ones? Sorry,I'll take Syd Lexia's Top 100 since they actually know what they're talking about.
@Tourtus Your full of bull
Was gonna blast this "best of" list for no Ducktales, Castlevania 3, TMNT 2, etc. but I can see I'm late to the party. Good job everyone.
This is more of a "Name 100 NES Games You Remember" list.
@dartmonkey I see you've added some more, like Tecmo Super Bowl! But these high-quality games are still missing:
Adventures of Lolo 3
Arkanoid
Baseball Stars
Baseball Stars II
Best of the Best: Championship Karate
The Blue Marlin
Bonk's Adventure
Break Time: The National Pool Tour
The Chessmaster
Final Fantasy III
Formula One: Built to Win
G.I. Joe
Greg Norman's Golf Power
The Guardian Legend
Guerrilla War
Gun-Nac
Jackal
Kung Fu
The Lone Ranger
The Magic of Scheherazade
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Ms. Pac-Man (Namco and Tengen versions)
Nobunaga's Ambition II
Panic Restaurant
Pirates!
Power Blade
R.C. Pro-Am II
Rainbow Islands: Story of Bubble Bobble 2
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II
Shatterhand
Silkworm
Super Spy Hunter
TMNT: Tournament Fighters
Tetris (Tengen version)
Track & Field II
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
R.C. Pro-Am and Smash T.V. are in the database, but can't be rated because they're listed as "announced."
@Chrysologus
Rainbow Islands was soooooo great! Nice add.
There are a bunch of games I'd remove to make room for the likes of Batman, Shatterhand, Power Blade, Power Blade 2, Ninja Gaiden 3(Japanese version), and some others. Batman and Shatterhand are among my favorite games on the system. Easily in my top five. Kind of surprised to see Vice: Project Doom and Shadow of the Ninja ranked higher. Those are very good, but not as high on my list among action platformers.
Not sure if they deserve to be in the top 50 but Paperboy and Top Gun 1+2 would be nice to have in the database. And if you one day want to have the Top 50 Worst Games one day, add To The Earth just for the hell of me giving it a 1 out of 10.
*top 50 NES games that are currently available on the Wii U or Nintendo Switch
there i fixed it for you
Yep this list is basically the games available on Switch or the NES classic. Not a lot of old skool heads voting here by the looks of it. Where is Marble Madness, Digger T Rock, California Games and RC Pro Am?
Nah, forget it. I'd mention Mega Man 3 just to start the list of gems that were left out, but better forget about it. When it comes to lists, we will never fully agree with them, but that's ok. No problem. But this one went over any and every limit possible. No way!
@Tempestryke Not sure which comment of mine you think is "bull" but these are my opinions, they're not facts.
Games on IGN's NES Top 50 that are currently missing from this list:
That's 27 missing titles...
@MontyCircus yes it is missing Lifeforce! Glad to see Gradius made it though. I have to see if I can vote for Lifeforce.
@MontyCircus As of about midnight UK time on 4 April, there are NO Dragon Quest games on this list whatsoever. People need to add the games to their profiles, and start rating! Unless this community is going to claim that Mario Bros. (minus the Super) and Pro Wrestling are better than Dragon Quest III...
I should mention, though, that "Dragon Warrior V" does not exist - Dragon Quest V was an SNES game, and no version of it was released outside Japan in the 20th century, let alone on the NES.
@COVIDberry "Dragon Warrior V" does not exist"
Yes, you're right. IGN mislabeled IV as V.
@Poodlestargenerica
I have this game!!
Awesome title!
Hum, the top ten is ok, but overall not a good list.
Also, where’s Mach Rider?
Come on, people! The TMNT games need a lot more reviews (at least, the 2nd and 3rd games do)!
Meanwhile, please add the NES version of "Darkwing Duck" to the database.
Excuse me, but where is BASEBALL STARS???
I feel like this gem of a game keeps getting ignored. The NES version had a “franchise” mode where you could manage rosters, improve players, and draft rookies or sign veterans. It was brilliant. First of its kind on a console.
The NEO•GEO version that’s been available on the eShop has so little to do with the original. It wouldn’t be until the mid-90s when EA started to include similar features in their sports games. Baseball Stars was so far ahead of its time.
@MontyCircus I didn’t even notice Contra was missing. That’s a top 10 for sure.
There's a relatively small selection of the overall NES/Famicom library currently in the database (fewer than 240 games, as far as I can tell), a bunch of which don't have 50+ user ratings to qualify.
@Toy_Link
You can truly see that what have sold more and mentioned more on Youtube in the last decade is clearly more in the upper Places^^
I never understood the appeal of Dr. Mario when there are plenty of better puzzlers.
The Legend of Zelda, as significant as the game is, really didn't age well, but I guess reputation alone can get you in top 10.
@dartmonkey A voting feature would revolutionize this list and make it epic! Several classics are languishing with less than 50 votes, like Battletoads, Blades of Steel, Bubble Bobble, Contra, Super C, Double Dragon III, Dragon Warrior, Duck Tales, Faxanadu, Galaga, Gargoyle's Quest II, Life Force, Mega Man 4, Mega Man 5, Mega Man 6, Mighty Final Fight, The Mysterious Murasame Castle, Ninja Gaiden II, Pac-Man, S.C.A.T., TMNT, & TMNT II.
I'm adding Air Fortress because Hal Bailman is missing his ride.
As others have mentioned, some of the omissions are breathtaking. No Contra game or Bionic Commando? Come on!
The lower 20 games I mostly wrote off as WTF.
Rapt to see Journey to Silius appear. That was a classic. Also from Sunsoft was Batman. That should get a nomination.
I don't understand the release dates. 2007 for Castlevania? Come on!
It seems an evolving list so it'll be interesting to see how it evolves.
@HalBailman In the early days of Nintendo Life, they used the Virtual Console release dates, because that's how and when the games were being put into the database in the first place.
I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the voters didn’t own an NES in the 80’s/early 90’s. That’s the only way I can make sense of this.
@Willmercade Only games available on modern hardware have more than 50 votes. Many important games weren't even in the database when the list went live. Needs a mass voting article! Mega Man 4 is just seven votes away from jumping into the top 10.
While trying to download a bunch of NES games to put on my SNES Mini, I realised just how varied and strong a library that system had, both first and third party.
With the exclusion of Contra, Blades of Steel, DuckTales, and Battletoads, there's no way this is an official top NES list.
We’ve added a bunch of games, and I’ll be adding everything suggested so far in the comments as soon as possible.
All time favourite NES game, Pirates!
Wait, the original TMNT got a 3 out of 10 by Nintendo Life? AVGN really did sway public opinion on this game, didn’t he.
@dartmonkey Could you add Mr Gimmick? It's a NES classic which didn't get a wide release.
Post update- okay, this is a bit more like it.... not perfect, but getting there
It's 6:30 PM in Loughborough. Do you know where your Dragon Quest games are? For, gentle reader, you will find nary a one of them on this list... a list which does feature Donkey Kong Jr. and Pac-Man...
The list is now updated properly
I love the 3 Castlevania games and TMNT.
But we still need Faxanadu and Shatterhand.
@NintendoLife Please add Mr Gimmick!!!!
Good to see Batman and Shatterhand added to the voting list. They are easily in the top level of NES games for me and I never tire of them. Shatterhand, especially, is one I return to very often.
@NintendoLife Thanks for adding!
Anyone who has played Mr Gimmick, please vote, it deserves to be in the top 50
https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nes/mr_gimmick
@naxuu I literally just came to the comments section looking for the Guardian Legend comments so thanks for keeping it near the top. Someone should track down who owns the IP and get that game on Nintendo Switch Online NES. More people should have the chance to play it.
@NintendoLife Haven't we met somewhere? 😊
I do see that you've updated the database quite a bit, thank you!
Do you fellows have a policy against PC ports? Some of my very favourite games on the platform, or even of all time, originated on PC (or even Mac). To wit:
And there are also genuine console-based games missing, like:
Balloon Fight is way too low
@dartmonkey Is VS. Excitebike being deliberately excluded? It has enough votes to be in the top 50. Plus you even mention in the Excitebike entry that's it better!
So glad you lowered the threshold to 25 votes. The list is vastly improved now. Still needs Dragon Warrior games, though!
It's a better list now than it was before after the update, but still no Bucky O'Hare and even more egregiously no Base Wars! 😤
Most overrated NES game of all time is Battletoads. The ridiculously cheap difficulty (with limited continues, no save features and no password system), plus a bad two player mode, overwhelms anything positive the game has to offer. Not sure why it continues being held in high esteem, especially after that bad Xbox game that came out recently. Should have been a one and done, in my honest opinion.
@Ninten1 Technically, Vs Excitebike is a Famicom Disk System game, so it doesn’t qualify.
@COVIDberry Those are all on there now, it’s just taking time to add them all. More to come.
Top 10 is way more palatable now.
@dartmonkey I suppose that makes sense... Thank God the original Mother was released for the Famicom and not the FDS!
Gun Nac not even listed?
Please add
Elite
Galaxy 5000
Captain Skyhawk
Pacmania
Track n Field
Pipe Dream
Bomberman
Could you lower the review requirement number on the other lists, as well?
Micro Machines doesn't show up in the search! It needs to be on this list.
TMNT 2 just needs one more rating to appear in the top 10!
@MatoFilipovic "The Legend of Zelda, as significant as the game is, really didn't age well, but I guess reputation alone can get you in top 10."
The original Zelda was like a Dorothy opening the door to Oz moment. It was the first home console video game with the ability to save your game. It changed a video game play session from something you could enjoy for minutes, to something you could enjoy for days.
In the realm of action adventures, try comparing it to something like "Venture" on ColecoVision, released a few years before, you can see the radically difference in depth of gameplay.
Just like we all have Donkey Kong to thank any time we have ever jumped in a video game, respect the classics!
6 votes so far for Mr Gimmick, 19 more needed for it to appear on the list! Current score is 8.8, which would put it at number 2!
Votes here if you've played it:-
https://www.nintendolife.com/games/nes/mr_gimmick
I'm confused Tetris on 3 place.. Do people really think that Tetris is such a great game. I mean it's a good game and a real classic but is it really better than a game such as Dragon Quest 3 for instance that didn't even make it on the list?
If you could choose between Tetris and Zelda which one would you choose? I know I would choose Zelda.
the list and library is improving with every day
@MontyCircus
Zelda doesn't need distant, museum-like respect, though. It's just an all-time great.
Sure, it took me a little getting used to at first. Your movement is more limited than in A Link to the Past. And you need to read the instruction manual before playing.
But after that adjustment period, I just loved the difficulty, freedom, and sense of adventure, which aren't always there in later Zelda titles.
It benefits from the current renaissance of old-school sensibilities, though. The way you lose in The Legend of Zelda while retaining rupees (which function as experience points, since you need them to buy weapons and armor) leads to a very Dark Souls-style progression early on. And the dungeons are much like today's rogue-likes, with rooms of enemies you have to clear before progressing. I felt right at home after my 40 hours with Hades.
Wow the updated list is so much better!!!
Thanks for listening NL crew
List redeemed with Dragon Quest 3
@DaniPooo
Honestly yeah. Tetris NES is still really good today and a go to version in the competitive scene, the less forgiving ruleset holds a ton of value
@naxuu very underrated
Whelp! I did my part
List redeemed with Dragon Quest 3
@JonComms I'm glad we weren't alone in this. Aren't you, Jon? Does this make us opinion-holders, or opinion-makers?
Question: do staff, like yourself, get to vote?
People! Bionic Commando, Dragon Warrior IV, Gargoyle's Quest II, and Ninja Gaiden III are all just THREE votes away from revolutionizing this list yet again! Let's make it happennnnnnnn...
That's a pretty good looking list, now, even though Dragon Warrior III at the number 2 spot (currently) is a bit generous.
Excellent list, but where is The Guardian Legend?
@NintendoLife Clash at Demonhead is still missing
If only Megaman 2 could top Super Mario Bros 3 in a list like this...
Maniac Mansion seriously needs some votes for this list!
Even though NES sold a lot better, master was better system
@MontyCircus It is not really fair of me to compare Zelda to today's standards, but here I am doing it anyway xD
Joking aside, I do get the impact the game made, however, there are plenty of NES games I can play today and have a kick out of em: Mario Bros. Trilogy, Batman, Journe to Silius, Little Samson, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu, Punch-Out... just to name a few.
Zelda is not one of those, unfortunately. But, I do appreciate the way it paved for other games in the genre
Holy crap, the list just changed a ton. Dragon Warrior III has fallen so far.
@Chrysologus Tetris has been downvoted quite a bit too, bit disappointing as both it and DQ3 deserve to be at the top
@JonComms At least they're on the list now, and DQ4 is #1 (though it will probably drop, too.
EDIT: Oh yeah, it collapsed within a few hours. Still in the top 20, though, and a few more votes on Gargoyle's Quest II and Life Force may give a DQ3 a chance to re-enter the top 10.
@Chrysologus @JonComms You are doing the Goddess' work, both of you. Well done.
TMNT III, Mighty Final Fight, Battletoads V Double Dragon and Chip n Dale are right there on the threshold of required votes from being included.... maybe reduce the required votes from 25 to 20 or 15?
@dustinprewitt Yeah, there are tons of games that got added to the database, but hardly anyone rated them so it didn't matter. The list is pretty good, though.
@chrysologus it's not perfect, but close enough!
I still can't believe Rescue Rangers hasn't made the cut! 😭
@Ziondood I guess you prompted someone to vote for it, because now it has 25 votes and is in the Top 10!
That Dragon Quest poll really crushed DW III's position.
Cool to see a bunch of new games in the list, though. All those weaker games at the bottom of the list have finally fallen off. You're next, Kid Icarus!
@Chrysologus its to the point where I would condone using multiple accounts, not so much to change the ranking of the games, but to get the game the sufficient number of votes to get a place at all in the ranking.
@dustinprewitt Which game, though? Just about all the big famous games are on it now.
@Chrysologus tecmo superbowl, fire & ice, final fantasy III (?!) and zodas revenge: startropics 2 seem to be the next games on the threshold of getting the required 25 votes to make the ranking
Two of my fondest NES gems were Battle of Olympus and Kabuki Quantum Fighter. Anyone else want to show these games some love please and give them a score?
Adventure Island III needs a review.
I’m glad people have voted for more games. Makes the list more fleshed out.
@dartmonkey Could you please add Nobunaga's Ambition II, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms II to the database? Thank you!
@luxoricious
Yes! I was just thinking about this one! Also no Gradius or Gradius 2! Boo!
A few more popular games absent from the NL database are IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II, Cobra Triangle, Qix, and Legendary Wings!
❗️My Top 5️⃣ NES Games:
1️⃣Super Mario Bros. 1
2️⃣Super Mario Bros. 3
3️⃣Super Mario Bros. 2
4️⃣Punch-Out!
5️⃣Double Dragon 2: The Revenge
From what I've seen of the currently included games in the top 50, as well as some classics that are not currently represented, there are not enough NES fans/players voting on all their favorite (and least favorite) games to allow all the serious contenders to qualify to be ranked (i.e., too many games don't yet have at least 25 votes). This also means that there is not yet a large enough sampling of players to make the rankings representative of the aggregate opinions of the greater community of NES players. Perhaps the top 10 or so wouldn't change much with a very large number of participants voting in the rankings, but the middle-to-lower part of the top 50 could have games inserted that currently have too few votes, and other games might shift around in the rankings.
The following games are missing from the NES database:
Here is my NES Top 25 (mostly unordered, and I decided not to include imported games, to make it more representative of the games I grew up with):
I think The Battle of Olympus should at least have an honorable mention.
I didn't see Kabuki Quantum Fighter on this list
Top 21 in my opinion is missing Adventure Island 3, Dr. Mario, Duck Hunt and Balloon Fight. Last 3 are such classics , good replay value, very fun to play with others and easy to pick up (still are games I'll pull out at Christmas time to play with even non gamers - non-gamers especially love Dr Mario I find!)
Little Somsom do the work
Baseball Stars was far and away my addiction on NES. While I loved the game, it was also my first ever self-bought.
Tetris: "A game so nice, we listed it twice!"
One day, one fine day, I'll read an article where it isn't necessary to mention that SMB2 is a reskin/remake of Doki Doki Panic. Surely the whole world knows at this point
Awesome to see Nemo in the top 10!
Monster In My Pocket should be on this list somewhere. That’s a really solid game with excellent animations and you guessed it, Konami music.
Lol @ Metroid on number 50! Truly one of the greatest games of all time.
I love the nes so so much but boy are some of the games on it hard work in their original form!
I wonder who though square joy-pads were a good idea?
waaa no solomon's key no guardian legend no gauntlet i am shocked!!
Oooh, Some good choices on this list. I completely disagree with Metroid's placement, it deserved so much better. Yes it was the first in the series, and had some flaws but did it really deserve to be lower than the few too many sports games i saw on this list? Blades of Steel and Tecmo Super Bowl i think, these games were never my cup of tea but surely other peoples faves would've deserved better.
Oh and am i the only one who thought 'The Goonies II' was missing from being mentioned?
I miss the wackiness and fantasy of the NES and SNES Library (arguably the N64 one too). Everything is so serious now or based on realism. Sometimes I just wanna be a superpowered lady saving the world.
Holy crap that Metroid at the bottom
Of the list makes the entire list wrong. Sorry, but we don’t rate game libraries by what came later. Metroid is a top 10 NES of the time and of all time. Sad to see a games site putting this up as a credibility list.
Great list for sure, but for me Over horizon, Gradius 2, Crisis force. Would be on there for sure, amazing shmups for NES.
Would probably be impossible to have a list, but would be curious to see the results or a list from those who played NES at the time.
That said, odd to see no Data East games on the list. Someone else posted about Kid Niki; I loved Karnov back in the day.
RC Pro-Am needs to find a place on the list. A few others would be Kung Fu, Wizards and Warriors (both, though I doubt they hold up), 1943, Top Gun.
Super Mario Bros 3 is a very good game. True it can be the number 1.
Disney Afternoon Collection... Switch... Please.
My first game on my famiclone was Monster in my Pocket. My favorite games on this system is Darkwing Duck and Ninja's gay den trilogy.
Was about to come on here to complain about everything. Then I saw that number 1 was the correct answer. Good job peeps.
There’s way too many complaints about this for a list that’s created by the Nintendo Life users.
Excellent list, so many great games. We were happy back then and we knew it.
There are 2 hidden gems criminally missing from this list though: The Guardian Legend and The Battle of Olympus
I've never had the NES but who can disagree with number one? Sometimes I feel like trying the first The Legend of Zelda but without a map I may be lost forever. I'm curious about the Tiny Toons game mentioned by the first poster.
It’s sad to see Metroid so low. Sure, it’s outdated, but it’s still really good.
Somehow I wasn't aware there's a Gargoyle's Quest II on NES, literally the only game on the list I am not familiar with. I definitely need to play it, love the Gameboy game.
Good list overall, but Super Mario Bros 2, Dragon Quest IV and Ducktales should be in the top 10. Good to see people still love Mega Man.
Very out of sorts list. I call BS'ery
@Banjo- You could always do what I did when I went through it, and make your own while you’re playing.
An interesting result, at least looking at the top 10. Some are to be expected, but I’m surprised to see Ninja Gaiden II here, as well as Mega Man 3. Didn’t realise they were so highly regarded.
Also surprising, and nice, to see is Punch-Out. Out of the NES games I’ve played so far, that was one of the few I really clicked with, yet I wouldn’t normally expect it to be tangling with the likes of Zelda or Mario, (though I guess that’s fitting, all things considered).
If nothing else, it’s reminded me that I should probably get round to finishing more of these games, because looking at the top 10, I noticed I’ve finished precisely 2 of them, which is a surprisingly low number compared to other Nintendo consoles (though to be fair, that might be because they’re more difficult compared to later platforms).
Final Fantasy nowhere on this list? Or did I miss it? Wild.
Faxanadu is king.
But what about Final Fantasy, little Samson, Bucky O' Hare and Battle of Olympus. That were some great games back in the day. Still own them except Final Fantasy.
Faxanadu and Super Mario 2 should be way higher. Mario 2 is actually way better than the first one.
@dartmonkey, Adventure Island III and Little Nemo are missing the blurb descriptions (and Little Nemo is missing the banner image).
For people who are wondering, these lists are user generated, and the reason Final Fantasy and Metroid score so badly is people who rate them often score them relative to the later games because NL runs a poll asking people to rate all the games in the series, so they can't give them all a 9 or 10!
This list is wack. Excite Bike 50? The biggest travesty is Metriod at 49, thats mind-blowing. That is a top 5 game all day. Zelda II was a terrible game, Duck Hunt at 41? Cmon on man top 25 easy! Super Mario 11 isn't crazy but definitely inside the top 10. I loved Mike Tysons Punchout so I can't argue its position. No Rygar?: No Kid Icarus?
@moevot138 Ring King to. I forgot about Kung Fu! Loved it!
@Chrysologus Thanks for the heads-up — that's all in there now.
@dartmonkey Well, now The Guardian Legend and Darkwing Duck need a blurb and a banner image, too! EDIT: And they're fixed, thanks!
@WaveBoy for real😂
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