30 NES Games From My Childhood [Listicle]

Credit: Wikipedia

Gaming made up a big part of my childhood. Alongside Saturday cartoon binge-watching sessions and playing with an assortment of toys, I was lucky enough to have gotten a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES for most people) as a kid growing up.

I spent hours a day playing on that console when school was out. Fun times. The graphics were far from the spectacular imagery kids of today probably take for granted (to be fair, I also took for granted the relatively spectacular graphics of my time as a kid) and the sounds weren't exactly orchestral quality, but they were memorable. I'd even go so far to say that there exists a charm to them that many of today's games routinely utilize pixelated graphics and chiptune music even when even the most basic of today's smartphones can push Playstation 1-level graphics (i.e. full 3D with bells and whistles).


So I figured I'd list 30 games from my personal NES history that I recall fondly and share them with you. But first, I should explain some stuff about the list.

1. This isn't a "best of all-time" sort of list. As a kid, I've never really had access to the full NES library.

2. Because of said limitation above, I missed out on standouts like Battletoads until later in life when emulators came around. So yeah, if you're looking for a classic here and find it missing, it's not a dig on that game, only that I didn't get around to playing it as a kid.

3. So as not to overcrowd the list with multiple Marios and the like, I lumped whole series together as one entry. This means that the list actually contains more than 30 games, so sue me.

4. In making this list, I realized that I killed a lot of digital lives/extra men because I'm not exactly the most skilled gamer around. To those valiant lives spent in service of my own enjoyment, I salute you.

5. In relation to item number four, I'm not so sure that I've improved enough to finish games I wasn't able to finish as a kid. Contra, I'm looking at you. As an aside, that might make a good post down the line.

Now, on to the list!

Super Mario Bros.

Rarely did I ever face Bowser with a fire flower in tow. (Credit: Vizzed)

As the pack-in game for the NES, this is essentially the first NES game I played. It isn't the first platformer game, but it is well-done, and it's still a great game today. The gameplay feels smooth, the level design is excellent, and the music is memorable.

Subsequent entries in the series takes the tried-and-tested formula and adds on new features to it, and both sequels are themselves great games even to this day. My personal favorite in the NES series would be Super Mario Bros. 3.

Credit: MobyGames

Honest admission 1: I died on the first goomba in the first game. But didn't we all?

Honest admission 2: I never managed to master the koopa shell trick at the end of 3-1 that could net skilled gamers multiple one-ups.

Duck Hunt

Credit: Giant Bomb

As the other pack-in game for the NES (both this and the first Mario game came on one single 2-in-1 cartridge), this is the second game I played on the NES. I never mastered the use of the light gun, though, and resorted to cheating and sticking the gun on the screen to ensure hits. Why, you ask?

The damn dog, that's why.

Tetris

Yes, I used a screenshot from Screen Rant. Yes, they're making a movie out of this. (Credit: Screen Rant)

A true classic. Easy to learn, hard to master (if it can be mastered at all). I think I have more appreciation of this game today than back when I was a kid, but that doesn't mean I didn't play my fair share of Tetris as a kid. As did my dad, and there were times I woke up in the morning, eager to play the NES and found my dad already there, stacking odd-shaped bricks for hours on end.

Contra

Credit: Retro Nintendo Reviews

I guess people today remember this game more for the Konami code than anything else, but there's a reason why the Konami code was sought after in those days. Less-skilled players like me need every single one of those 30 extra lives to make it through this game's stages (or at least have a respectable showing before reaching game over status). So. Damn. Hard.

I also played the sequel to Contra titled "Super C". My memory is hazy, but I think that game was a bit easier than Contra (i.e. impossible for me, still). I have to play that again to check. I liked the graphics of Super C better, though.

Super C gameplay

Castlevania

Even the opening is epic. (Credit: Super Adventures In Gaming)

Younger players probably remember Castlevania more as an RPG-slash-action sidescroller game that Symphony of the Night brought to the original Playstation, or even the 3D action platformer Lords of Shadow was on last generation's consoles (that's the Xbox 360 and the PS3).

Us older players remember Castlevania as a really challenging action platformer. Difficulty is probably the unifying force among games of a certain vintage, whether it's by intentional level design or just bad mechanics and clunky controls. Castlevania happily falls in the former category.

As a kid, I was only able to play the first game of the series, though. I experienced the two others later on in life, though I should probably consider myself lucky to have missed out on Simon's Quest.

1943

Credit: UVL

This game was a revelation to me after playing Galaxian and Galaga. Gone are the whole sets of enemies that repeatedly swoop down and go back to formation. Instead, you have wave after wave of enemies coming after you, with bosses to boot. I'm not a fan of shoot-em-ups in general, but I do have good memories of this game.

Circus Charlie

I think this jump is doomed. (Credit: CoolROM)

An absolutely fun game, even though I never managed to get past the trapeze stage. The setting is also a refreshing change from the usual save-the-world/princess set-up other games have. There's something noble about being a clown trying your darnedest to entertain the crowd while risking life and limb dealing with crazy fire hoops, monkeys, and randomly-moving balls.

Legend of Zelda

Credit: VGMPF

A grand adventure for its time. Not only does the game come in a flashy gold cartridge (a definite "!!!" when I was a kid), it also came with a thick (well, relative to other games that time) manual that covers the lore and some of the enemies and items you'll encounter in the game. The game itself sprawls across 9 dungeons (each with its own boss), a big overworld map, and numerous secrets. You know the game really found a place in your heart when you can still recall in full where all those secret heart containers are located even to this day.

Balloon Fight

Credit: Moby Games

A better-playing Joust. I never played Joust as a kid, but if I did, I'd probably still pick Balloon Fight over it. This game was good enough to even be cloned on supposed Gameboy competitor Supervision (a handheld console I only knew from watching Legends of the Hidden Temple - how very 90s).

The Supervision version. It plays worse than the original. (Credit: Moby Games)

Ice Climber

Credit: Share It

Another of those fun, easy-to-grasp games like Balloon Fight. No theatrics, no deep backstory, just get to the top. I don't think I ever managed to complete any of the bonus stages aside from the one on the first stage.

Popeye

Credit: Games Station Retro

This game had a simple premise - collect hearts or notes or what-have-you while avoiding Bluto (or punching him while you have the spinach power active). Fun game, probably under-appreciated by some.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Good move sacrificing Raphael here. (Credit: Daily Motion)

The first game was so-so. I always started off with Raphael and saved Donatello for last because Raph's weapon range was very pathetic and Donatello's can reach enemies on higher platforms. Then again, that doesn't matter in the stage I dreaded - the swimming section with all the electrified plants. I don't recall ever completing that stage without at least offering a sacrificial turtle (or two). So much hate and misery.

The second game is where it's at. Faster pace, better graphics, better gameplay, and none of the annoying electrified plants.

Much better than the first.

Top Gun

At this point, I'm already bracing for impact. (Credit: VGMPF)

As a kid, I only managed to land the plane on the carrier properly once, and was never able to refuel mid-flight in the second stage. I don't think I'd fare any better today without resorting to a walkthrough. The dogfights were fun, though.

Spy Hunter

Credit: Gamer.ru

I never really knew the backstory to your character here. All I know is that you're a car that's blasting every other car out on the road, save for the trucks that give you power-ups. *shrug*

The main theme is pretty cool, though. If only it looped through the game.

DuckTales

Credit: Gallery Hip

An absolutely fun game. The interesting bit about this is that your character's weapon can't just slash bad guys. You have to use it as a pogo stick to stomp on enemies (you can't just jump on them) or whack objects into them. It's certainly different from the usual sidescrollers the NES has.

Oh, and the soundtrack is pretty boss, too, especially this track:

Amazing what composers can squeeze out of the limited capabilities of the NES when it comes to audio (a quick explainer can be found here). They remade the game for recent consoles and Windows, along with remastered soundtracks. The remastered version of the above song can be listened to here, and it sounds glorious.

Ninja Gaiden

Credit: Pixelation

Like Contra, this is a very difficult game. The cutscenes are way cool and unique for its time, though, and the power-ups are great. Still, 7-year-old me never got around to finishing this game. Even today's me probably can't finish this game. Nor could I finish the other two games in this series. They're all just hard.

Mike Tyson's Punch-out

Credit: Wikipedia

A very fun boxing game with pretty memorable opponents and great music. It's quite weird that your lightweight-ish character has to go against super heavyweights, but hey, it's just a game. I never got around to beating Tyson himself with the slow reflexes I had as a kid, but I'm already happy to have reached that stage back then.

Double Dribble

Credit: NintendoLegend

Before NBA 2K, before NBA Live, and even before NBA Jam, there was Double Dribble. Basic gameplay, basic AI, limited to just the pressbox camera, but the slow-mo dunks were cool (even if it showed a generic black player even if the dunker was white).

Credit: Zeta Flight

I'm not sure the game holds up well today unlike some others on this list (unless you're simply out for a nostalgia trip), but I've had plenty of memories beating CPU opponents by using the set hot spots on the floor where threes are automatic.

Tennis

Credit: ConsoleClassix

There's a certain charm to game titles that are pretty much direct to the point. Then again, this game does give you just that and only that: tennis. There's nothing fancy about it, unless you think having Mario as umpire counts as fancy. And it's fine as it is - an easily-accessible game that gives you enjoyable tennis action.

Arkanoid

Credit: Moby Games

Breakout with power-ups? I'm in. It's one of those classic game ideas that will probably hold up well for as long as people keep playing video games.

Life Force

Credit: Classic Game Room Wiki

The most memorable shooter I've played on the NES. It probably has something to do with the unique power-up system where you have full control what power-up you'll get. Classic.

Urban Champion

Credit: Console Classix

Essentially a stylized version of rock-paper-scissors. I just love it when the police rolls around and both dudes have to move to the side, whistle around, and act as if nothing's happening. It's just like in real life!

Adventure Island

Credit: NintendoComplete.com

Island theme, kooky power-ups (seriously, a skateboard?), and the ever-looming threat of starvation(?) so you have to get food items in addition to bopping baddies. And did you know that the protagonist is named Master Higgins? Not sure what sort of master he is, but I'm imagining him as a rich guy who seeks thrills and probably swaps stories with Lara Croft every so often.

Battle City

Credit: Moby Games

I'd argue that most people who've played either the NES or Famicom locally has, at least, played this game. The level creation tools was a unique feature back then. I'm not sure if it's the first of its kind, but it certainly was new for me then.

Megaman

Credit: Wikipedia

Just a fun game all around. This applies to any of the 6 games in this series' life on the NES. Why Capcom has shelved the franchise in recent years is mind-boggling for me. Each of the games' variants (classic Megaman sidescroller, X series, Zero series, Legends series) have ardent fanbases. There's a reason why Inafune's (one of the guys who originally worked with the first Megaman) Mighty No. 9 Kickstarter, whose protagonist *very closely* resembles Megaman, raised millions of dollars over the project's original target funding (original target - $900k, final funding total - $4 million+). Capcom is missing out, big-time.

Paperboy

Credit: Emuparadise

You probably might not think much of this game if you just went by the title alone. Once you play it, though, it's a blast of a game. There's a certain depth to this game that is probably overlooked by some. Or it could just be that I simply like this game a lot. Still, there's something to be said about thinking how to manage the newspapers you have left, whether it's worth it to plonk a non-subscribing house, and the proper timing to get the newspaper to go right in the mailbox for max points.

Excitebike

Credit: TASVideos

A fun motorcycle game made better by the existence of track creation options. I'm not sure that I ever got past the third track in the sort-of campaign mode, though.

Jackal

Credit: ROM Hustler

I enjoyed the heck out of this game. The stages are pretty linear, but there's a sense of freedom in exploring the map in full and finding as many POWs to save as possible. The bosses are pretty challenging, too.

Ghostbusters

Credit: UVL

Memorable mostly because of the disappointment it was for 7-year-old me. For me, it's the NES equivalent of Atari's E.T., if you will. Why Egon and company had to buy equipment in this game (I thought they made their own?), I will never understand, as well as having to worry about freaking gas in the Ecto-1. And that stair-climbing stage. Gah.

Mappy

Credit: Moby Games

This is a fun game. Again, it's one of those games with a simple premise, easy to grasp, and is fun. I guess the replayability is pretty good, too, since I wouldn't mind playing this again today.

So, that's my list. What would yours look like?