NES Quick Reviews

Hundreds of Games at a Glance

A - B - C - D - E - F
G - H - I - J - K - L - M
N - O - P - Q - R - S - T
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1942: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 20/100; Playable? Sorta. But disgusting to look at and listen to. One of the earliest NES games, and it shows in the graphics.
3D Worldrunner: Game Type: 3D Platform; Rating: 60/100; Not quite a Space Harrier clone, unlike the cover implies. Your character runs along, able to slow down but not stop, and must dodge oncoming enemies and leap over pits. Includes 3D glasses mode.
Abadox: Game Type: 2D Side-View/Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 50/100; Alternates between side and overhead views in different stages. Passable gameplay, lame powerup system. Dodge bodily fluids that the different creatures spew at you. Gross.
Adventures of Bayou Billy: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 70/100; A pretty standard beat-em-up with nice graphics and gameplay. Later stages include shooting (with crosshairs or a light gun) and a frustrating driving game. Rather tough.
Adventures of Dino Riki: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 60/100; Although you control a caveman instead of a ship this is a true shooter as far as gameplay is concerned. Cutesy graphics, passable gameplay.
Adventure Island: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; A cute, fast paced Super Mario Bros. clone. Appealing, cartoony graphics and lots of hidden secrets.
Adventure Island II: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Serves up more of the same action from the first but you can now ride any of several dinosaurs, all with different powers. Rivals SMB3.
Adventures of Lolo: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Action; Rating: 80/100; A cute game with simplistic control but complex puzzles. Potentially frustrating.
After Burner: Game Type: 2D Chase-View Shooter; Rating: 20/100; Some genres the NES wasn't made to handle, and the 3D shooter is one of them. The result of this halfhearted attempt at a port is the loss not only of graphic quality but also of any playability the original had.
Anticipation: Game Type: Board Game; Rating: 60/100; A Win, Lose, or Draw clone. Nice graphics and fun the first few times but after you've seen every puzzle the thrill is gone.
Arkanoid: Game Type: Ball and Paddle; Rating: 90/100; The best breakout game in existence, very addictive. Bounce a ball around the screen to break bricks and catch powerups to give your paddle various abilities like firing lasers. Nice graphics. Works okay with the control pad but it's best if you can find one of the analog dial controllers that was originally included (if it still works).
Astyanax: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Impressive graphically and fairly playable but not addictive.
Athena: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 30/100; The graphics are appealing but the character animation is awful and the gameplay is weak. Avoid.
Bad Dudes: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; A semi-playable but graphically lame port of the arcade Shinobi clone.
Batman: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; One of the few NES movie licenses to do credit to its namesake. Challenging and highly playable. The animation is awesome, and the graphics recreate the dark, gothic look of the movie perfectly.
Batman Returns: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 50/100; Yecch. BR is by a totally different publisher, and it sucks. This Double Dragon-style brawler has lame graphics and boring gameplay.
Battle Chess: Game Type: Strategy; Rating: 80/100; As good a port as the NES can be expected to handle. Battle Chess is standard chess, but when one piece captures another there's a hilarious animation of them fighting each other for the square. The NES version unfortunately cuts away to show the fight instead of it happening right on the board.
Battle of Olympus: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Nice graphics and decent gameplay but later stages are confusing and frustrating. Highly recommended to anyone who couldn't get enough of Zelda II but I can't think of anyone matching that description.
Battletoads: Game Type: Depth-Movement Brawler; Rating: 80/100; Still one of the best games graphically ever seen on the NES, and the gameplay ain't too shabby either. Unfortunately every few stages the player is subjected to an impossibly difficult sub-game, such as dodging pillars on a hoverbike.
Battletoads and Double Dragon: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 90/100; One of the most ridiculous character crossovers in history, but a great game nonetheless. Places less emphasis on the ridiculously hard sub-games than the original Battletoads. So impressive graphically that the publisher saw fit to port it to the SNES as-is (which admittedly was a mistake but hey, what do you want from a NES?)
Bee-52: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 60/100; If you can forgive the pun long enough to try the game out, you might get into it. The graphics are nice and the pollen-gathering concept is novel. But note I said "might" get into it; it's frustratingly hard to get the hang of the game.
Bignose Freaks Out: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; As close as the NES gets to Sonic the Hedgehog. You play a nasally blessed caveman riding the first skateboard through lengthy stages designed for speed. Unfortunately it's all too easy to collide with enemies that pop out of nowhere.
Bionic Commando: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Why, WHY hasn't this game appeared on any system since the NES? Instead of jumping your character swings across gaps on a grappling hook. Stellar gameplay but the graphics are showing their age a bit.
Blades of Steel: Game Type: Hockey; Rating: 70/100; Action-oriented hockey game complete with fighting. Solid play, a great two player game.
Blaster Master: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Excellent graphics and decent gameplay. Lengthy and challenging.
Bomberman: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Action; Rating: 40/100; Without a vs. mode this game ain't nuthin. Plant a bomb next to a wall, retreat, let it explode, advance. Repeat this often enough and you'll go insane. Get the SNES version so you can try to kill others.
A Boy and His Blob: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 60/100; Despite the obscene title the game is all right. Feed your giant pet amoeba jellybeans in different flavors and he'll change into a variety of tools to get you past various obstacles strewn around the level. Sometimes frustrating, but never boring.
Bubble Bobble: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; A decent port, well worth getting if you liked the arcade. I didn't, and furthermore I fail to understand why anyone else did. Disgustingly cute, graphically lame, and definitely not the gameplay marvel everyone says.
Bump N' Jump: Game Type: Overhead-View Racing; Rating: 70/100; A semi-cute Spy Hunter. Knock other cars off the road and jump over washed-out bridges. A bit primitive graphically but the gameplay makes up for it.
BurgerTime: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 80/100; Does the Board of Health know about this? You're a cook who must trample on gigantic lettuce, meat patties, etc. to get them to fall together into a completed hamburger. You're being chased about the screen by a bad egg (literally), an angry sausage, and other food that doesn't agree with you. Basically it's Pac-Man, except that you can stun the enemies with pepper and crush them with falling burgers. A good translation of a great arcade game.
Captain Skyhawk: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 40/100; The graphics are great but the game is unbelievably frustrating! Making it through the first stage shouldn't be this much of a challenge. Poor control to boot.
Castlevania: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; A bit short, only 6 levels, but the later bosses are so tough you probably won't beat it too quickly. Great gameplay and marvelous graphics.
Castlevania II - Simon's Quest: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Generally the same idea as the first but mixes in some unneeded RPG elements like experience points and talking to villagers. Some of the puzzle solutions make no sense at all.
Castlevania III: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Reverts back to the original's strictly-action policy (a good thing). Play as four different characters with diverse abilities. The most graphically impressive of the NES CV games.
Chiller: Game Type: Light Gun Shooting; Rating: 20/100; A Zapper game with the quality you expect from an unauthorized third party - abysmal. The graphics are awful and it's nigh impossible to hit anything.
City Connection: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Pac-Man - sorta. You drive a jumping car over sections of ground, painting them as you go. Once you've covered the ground and the various floating platforms, you go to the next stage. CC doesn't have the addictive gameplay needed for a game this simple. Pretty backgrounds, though.
Cobra Triangle: Game Type: Isometric-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; A member of that bizarre category of games that isn't all that addictive but still cool as hell to play. Excellent control, extreme challenge, and amazing animation. Try it at least.
Commando: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Action; Rating: 30/100; Highly repetitive with questionable gameplay and aging graphics. Not a classic, just old.
Conan O'Brian: Game Type: Talk Show Host; Rating: 90/100; In an earlier time slot and with better writers O'Brian could give Lenno and Letterman a run for their money. Has a flair for good-natured humor and a natural rapport with his guests. And what other talk show has Pimp Bot?
Conquest of the Crystal Palace: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; A jump n' slash game with a somewhat cute and decidedly Japanese look. Fairly playable.
Contra: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; A game way ahead of its time. Run and gun your way through hordes of aliens, alone or in two player simultaneous play. Lots of different weapons available, and the action is very solid.
Contra Force: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; A game that tries to do too much. Pick any of four characters, all equally lame. The game moves much slower and isn't nearly as enjoyable.
Crystalis: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 70/100; Excels far beyond Zelda in graphics but not in gameplay. Complete the usual checklist of quests to save the kingdom. It's been done but it's still worth a look.
Darkwing Duck: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; The game feels a lot like Mega Man (same publisher) but adds a few neat moves like shielding yourself with your cape. Stellar gameplay and great graphics, well worth a look.
Deadly Towers: Game Type: Isometric-View Adventure; Rating: 50/100; A long, confusing, and potentially frustrating adventure. The graphics have a strange allure, though. A love it or hate it game.
Deathbots: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Action; Rating: 10/100; Unauthorized third party game. 'Nuff said.
Defender II: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; Though certainly not perfect, it's a decent translation of the arcade classic. I should mention the lack of a thrust button, though, since Defender aficionados always bitch about any version that doesn't have one.
Dick Tracy: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 40/100; The action is lame and the game is long and boring. Avoid.
Dig Dug II: Game Type: Overhead-View Arcade; Rating: 80/100; The perspective is slightly different but the action's the same. Chip away at fault lines to break away parts of the island and any enemies on them. Won't necessarily appeal to fans of the original but it most likely will.
Dr. Mario: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 70/100; A lame Tetris clone. Line up colored pills with viruses to eliminate them. The graphics are pretty, the control is good, and the all-around presentation is perfect. Too bad the basic concept is so boring.
Donkey Kong: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Not quite a perfect translation of the arcade but better than any seen to date. The control is good, the graphics are appealing, and the gameplay is, well, it's just like the arcade (I wasn't crazy about it).
Donkey Kong 3: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; This I can get into. Appealing graphics and audio, great gameplay and control. Very addictive.
Double Dragon: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawling; Rating: 80/100; Loses some of the amazing graphics of the arcade beat 'em up but the gameplay is intact. The only DD game with a two player one on one versus mode, but also the only one not to allow two players in the main game. Short but sweet.
Double Dragon II: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawling; Rating: 70/100; Offers some graphic enhancements over the original and allows two players simultaneously in the main game, with or without the ability to accidentally (yeah, right) hit each other.
Double Dragon III: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawling; Rating: 70/100; Play as either of the Lee twins and pick up some additional characters along the way. Kinda drags on after a while.
Double Dribble: Game Type: Basketball; Rating: 80/100; Before there was NBA Jam, there was Double Dribble. A basketball game with no simulation elements to drag gameplay down.
Dragon Warrior: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 70/100; One warrior versus one enemy at a time. Decidedly primitive but DW spawned a lengthy and successful series (later DW games were more advanced) and defined many of the conventions console RPGs follow to this day. Try it at least.
Dragon Spirit: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 50/100; Lame graphics and weapons. Even if you liked the arcade you should try before you buy.
Duck Hunt: Game Type: Light Gun Shooting; Rating: 90/100; A simplistic but highly addictive game for use with the Zapper. Your choice of two games - shooting down ducks or clay pigeons. Too bad you can't shoot the *&%$ smartass hunting dog like in the arcade.
Duck Tales: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Mario meets Mega Man. Play as old miser Scrooge McDuck in a quest for the only worthwhile goal on earth - to get filthy stinking rich. Highly playable, graphically appealing.
Dudes With Attitude: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 20/100; Loosely based on a computer game where you control the ball and have to break bricks without colliding with the hazards strewn about the screen. Ugly graphics, lame gameplay. Avoid.
Eliminator Boat Duel: Game Type: Overhead View Racing; Rating: 50/100; The graphics are decent but the control could be better and the
F-15 City War: Game Type: 3D Chase-View Shooter; Rating: 5/100; Really shows off the (nonexistent) 3D graphics abilities of the NES. An unauthorized game that might, just might, have taken an hour to code.
Fantasy Zone: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; Wild, colorful graphics but the play leaves a bit to be desired. Purchasing upgrades for your plane in a shop is intriguing.
Felix the Cat: Rating: 50/100; The simplistic style of the graphics suits the NES's abilities well. The scrolling doesn't let you see what you're doing half the time, though, and even the best attacks don't cover enough range to defend you. You have to move so carefully that the game gets tedious fast. Might be OK for kids.
Final Fantasy: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; Cower before the master. Final Fantasy offers battle depth which only the most recent Dragon Warrior games can compete with, and graphics that other NES RPGs can't hold a candle to.
Flying Dragon - The Secret Scroll: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Mixes a martial arts side scroller with a one on one fighter. Has potential for great gameplay but the control needs work.
Fester's Quest: Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 70/100; Decent graphics but the flicker is pretty bad and the action could be better. The passable overhead sequences are broken up by confusing 3D maze areas.
Fist of the North Star: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 30/100; Decent graphics but extremely weak gameplay. I can't believe Nintendo let Taxan leave in the exploding heads!
Flipull: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; A solid puzzle game but the rules are complex and the play isn't as fast as I might like. Very challenging. If you don't mind having to think before each move this game is a definite winner.
Galaga: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; The NES could've handled a better conversion of such a simplistic game, but the playability is intact. Addictive as hell, a must for anyone into classic games.
Galaxy 5000: Game Type: Isometric-View Racing; Rating: 80/100; One stage looks just like another, and the framerate is awful, but the ships are smoothly animated, the gameplay is good, and the control is awesome. (How'd they get a digital joypad to seem like an analog?) Unique and very playable; find a copy if you can.
Ghostbusters II: Game Type: 2D Racing; Rating: 10/100; Eeeek! This game is scarier than any ghost. This is the first time I've ever meant it when I say the creators should be shot. The graphics are horrid, the gameplay is hideous, and the audio is hellish. Avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid...
Ghosts n' Goblins: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; The graphics are hideous but at least the gameplay is passable. Play as a knight that's usually in shining armor. Several different weapons are available.
G.I. Joe: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The gameplay is decent but not wildly addictive. The graphics are spectacular.
Gilligan's Island: Game Type: Depth Movement Puzzle; Rating: 50/100; Not worth the considerable effort necessary to find a copy. Face a series of puzzles and get whalloped by every enemy you encounter.
Godzilla: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Play as Godzilla or Mothra, represented onscreen by possibly the largest character sprites ever seen on the NES. Graphically impressive but the gameplay lacks. Highly repetitive.
Golgo 13: Game Type: 2D Platform/Side-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; A wide variety of games rolled into one. Beat up spies in a side scroller, shoot it out in a 3D maze, dodge enemy planes in a helicopter, scuba dive through a winding coral reef. Although none of these subgames is exceptionally well done, overall G13 is lengthy, challenging, graphically impressive, and probably the only NES game where the hero gets laid - twice.
Goonies II: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Very playable, but the action is broken up by bizarre 3D maze/puzzle sequences. The chances of beating this without a hint book are slim to none.
Gradius: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; Features a complex weapon system and nice graphics. Not my favorite but worth a try, especially since it's widely regarded as a classic.
Guardian Legend: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter/Adventure; Rating: 60/100; What might have been a cool shooter is watered down by lame Zelda-style searches through a dungeon. Tries to do two things and does neither well.
Gun-Nac: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; Marvelously complex weapon and bomb systems and great control. The strange semi-cute style and bland colors may throw some people off. Nice art and music though.
Gyromite: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Player one races around defusing bombs before they explode, player two (or ROB, or player one if she can juggle two control pads) raises and lowers columns strewn about the playfield to boost the player to higher platforms, crush enemies, and possibly crush the player by accident. Includes an extra mode where the player must use only the columns to guide a sleepwalker to safety. Graphically simplistic but unique and enjoyable.
Gyruss: Game Type: 3D Chase-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; Vaguely comparable to Tempest. Rotate a ship around a cluster of enemies, blasting them as they charge at you. Two control schemes are available. Unfortunately the graphic quality of the arcade has been lost, but it's still playable.
Hogan's Alley: Game Type: Light Gun Shooting; Rating: 80/100; Is that a gun or a newspaper? When you have a split second to decide it can be hard to tell. This dilemma makes Hogan's Alley much more interesting, as you must avoid shooting innocent bystanders but hit the bad guys quickly. Simplistic graphics but very playable, and the bonus practice game is nice.
Hudson Hawk: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; A potentially frustrating game with a heavy emphasis on puzzles. At least the graphics are appealing.
Ice Climber: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; A simplistic game, not insanely addictive but enjoyable nonetheless. Jump and break through the floors above with your hammer while dodging enemies.
Ice Hockey: Game Type: Hockey; Rating: 80/100; Just as playable as Blades of Steel but the cutesy graphics can't compare.
Immortal: Game Type: Isometric-View Adventure; Rating: 70/100; Graphically impressive but the gameplay can get frustrating. Places a heavy emphasis on puzzles.
Jackal: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; A fairly good shooter that allows two players simultaneously. Decent graphics and gameplay, and adding hostages to rescue is a nice touch.
Jaws: Game Type: 2D Side-View Action; Rating: 60/100; The graphics are too simplistic but the action is actually somewhat enjoyable. Repetitive but worth a try anyway.
Journey to Silius: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Very impressive graphically and the gameplay ain't too shabby, but aside from that it's just a standard platformer.
Karate Champ: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 40/100; It's no Street Fighter. This lame fighter pits two lookalike black belts against each other in a fight to the slight injury. No combos, no life bars, no gameplay, no graphics, no sale.
Karnov: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Aaack! A bizarre concept (you play a fire eater escaped from his circus), even stranger graphics, and the gameplay is lame. Those who remember it fondly played it back when there was nothing else to play.
Kid Icarus: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The graphics are simplistic but the gameplay is passable. Not one of Nintendo's best efforts, though.
Kid Niki: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; I should probably hate this game for its lame animation and weird artwork, but the graphics are fairly appealing and the gameplay is good. You won't be hooked on the first try but give it a chance.
Kirby's Adventure: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; One of the NES's best. Lengthy, colorful, cute, and has lots of weapons and subgames. A bit on the easy side and the gameplay isn't all that addictive but there's plenty to explore and do.
Klax: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 90/100; Might be the best puzzle game on the NES, though Pipe Dream puts up a fight for the title. Regardless Klax is an excellent game. Addictive and insanely fast paced. The graphics are awesome, the sound effects are great, and the music is fantastic. Don't pass up a copy if you manage to find one.
Knight Rider: Game Type: 3D Racing; Rating: 10/100; Soooo lame. Zippo gameplay, and pathetic 3D "graphics". Avoid, avoid, avoid!
Krazy Kreatures: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 90/100; From the programmers of the awesome NES version of Klax. The gameplay seems simple enough; you move tiles into vertical, horizontal, or diagonal groups with a cursor. But you'll break a sweat when the pace picks up and you start running out of space to put things in. It's an unauthorized third party cart from American Video Entertainment; good luck finding a copy.
Kung Fu: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Many people's mouths may drop at this high rating, but Kung Fu is one of the first examples I cite whenever I argue that gameplay is infinitely more important than graphics. The graphics are as lame as they get but the game itself is fast, the control is beautiful, and the play is addictive.
Kung Fu Heroes: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Platform; Rating: 20/100; Lame gameplay and ultra-lame graphics. Would never have been ported from Japan if it had come out later. The sound effects sure are familiar...
Legacy of the Wizard: Game Type: 2D Side-View Adventure; Rating: 40/100; Bad graphics, lackluster gameplay, and a high frustration level. Nope.
Legendary Wings: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View/Side-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; A decent weapons system and good gameplay. Too bad the overhead-view stages are broken up by those awful side-view sequences. Repetitive, too.
Lemmings: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; Although there's some slowdown with 50 lemmings running around onscreen, I still can't believe they pulled a NES version off at all. The graphics are awesome, and the game is funny in a sadistic sort of way. Frustrating if you can't handle strategy games but should appeal to a wider audience than most.
Life Force: Game Type: 2D Side-View/Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; All the enjoyment of Gradius but this adds a two player simultaneous mode. One of the best shooters on the NES.
Little Mermaid: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; Actually more a platformer than a shooter, but that's the way it controls. Great graphics and gameplay make this well worth a look. Tell your friends it's your little sister's if you must.
Little Nemo - The Dream Master: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Awesome graphics, decent gameplay. Encounter animal friends along the way and bribe them with candy for a ride. Some of the later stages are difficult to the point of being frustrating, though.
Lode Runner: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; One of those games that's extremely enjoyable if you have the combination of reflexes and intellect necessary to survive, frustrating as hell if you don't. Allows you to create your own stages, though you can't save your work. The graphics are simplistic, the gameplay complex. Worth a look for masochists.
Loopz: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; I would gloat at this point about being one of the few people on Earth to own a copy if I didn't have to acknowledge that Tetris is a better game. Still, if you love Pipe Dream, you might well enjoy this, and it has its own allure. Seek it out as a collector's item if nothing else. (My copy is NOT for sale. For under 50 bucks.)
Low-G-Man: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Bright graphics and a fair amount of variety, but the gameplay isn't quite on the same level. Capture enemy robots and take control of them.
Lunar Pool: Game Type: Pool; Rating: 80/100; My favorite pool game on this or any platform. Throws realism to the wind. The balls float instead of rolling, the cue is just a cursor, and there are more than a dozen different tables and many more ways of racking up. All the strategy of pool but with a lot more variety.
Mafat Conspiracy: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The sequel to Golgo 13 is now strictly a sidescroller. The graphic quality has been improved and the gameplay has been tweaked. Lacks some of the appeal of the original but still worth a play.
Maniac Mansion: Game Type: Mystery; Rating: 70/100; You control several kids as they wander around a spooky mansion. Search for items and solve puzzles to find a way out. Don't bet on solving it without a hint book.
Marble Madness: Game Type: Isometric-View Racing; Rating: 80/100; The graphics are absolutely incredible! Race marbles down surreal courses. Fall off the edge as often as you want, just don't let the timer run out. Supports two players simultaneously. I love this game dearly, and not just because of my affection for marble mazes. I just wish it weren't so short - six courses, each only a few screens long.
Mario Bros.: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 85/100; Almost every game featuring Mario has been good but this is the only one I would describe as addictive. A great two player simultaneous game. The intentionally slippery control may scare off some novices but stick with it and it'll grow on you.
Maxi 15: Game Type: Multi-Game Cart; Rating: 90/100; A collection of 15 games in one cart, a showcase for some of American Video Entertainment's best (ahem) titles. The high rating is for Krazy Kreatures (see review on this page), which is the only decent game this cart contains. Also included are Dudes with Attitude, Deathbots, Chiller, and Pyramid among others. Your only shot at finding one is at a video rental store that's selling off its stock of older games.
Mega Man: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 95/100; A collector may charge you twenty bucks for this but it's worth many times that. The Mega Man series is famous for its stellar gameplay, and this is the best of that series. The graphics are spartan but beautifully designed, the enemies and bosses are perfectly engineered, and the game is challenging but never cheap. Awesome control, lots of weapons, total platformer perfection.
Mega Man 2: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; No changes were made to the control or character graphics, but a comparison to MM1 shows the importance of careful enemy design. Sure, the enemies are still well done, but nowhere near as fun to fight as Sniper Joe, Cut Man, or Bomb Man. Still highly playable, but the series never regained the original's spark.
Mega Man 3: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; The addition of Mega Man's slide maneuver is decidedly welcome, and brings some life back that was lost in MM2. The longest Mega Man game yet with 16 stages. The graphics are more complex but not as appealing as in the prior games.
Mega Man 4: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Here the series goes into a bit of a slump. There are some cheap hits, and the game begins to drag a bit after you beat the coolest bosses. Mega Man's main gun can now be charged up.
Mega Man 5: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; No major additions, and if you've played all the other games up to this point even a great series like this can get tiresome.
Mega Man 6: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; The graphics are among the most colorful and eye pleasing ever seen on the NES and the enemy design comes nearer its former glory. Fans of the series who've purchased every game may balk at a sixth, but try it even if you're a Mega Man fan.
Menace Beach: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 30/100; Lame gameplay and lamer graphics.
Mendel Palace: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Action; Rating: 50/100; Original, at least. Pull the rug out from under various enemies running around the screen. Simplistic graphics and fair playability.
Metal Storm: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; I applaud new game concepts but switching freely between walking on the ceiling and floor doesn't quite work. The graphics are nice, though.
Metroid: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; I may be crucified for this, but Metroid is not the greatest game ever to grace the Earth. Sure, it's all right, with lots of turf to cover and decent graphics, but the jumps are too floaty and the gameplay just isn't that addictive. Great for those who value exploration over adrenaline.
Mickey Mousecapade: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The graphics and animation leave much to be desired. Nowhere near the quality of Capcom's later Disney licenses, but the gameplay is decent.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out: Game Type: 3D Fighting; Rating: 90/100; The graphics make good screenshots but one boxing ring looks just like another. What the game lacks in graphic variety it easily makes up in gameplay. You're rooted to one spot, but this puts you right in the path of your opponent's every attack, forcing you to react and find the right time to counterpunch. Definitely not a realistic boxing sim, but one hell of an action game.
Millipede: Game Type: 2D Shooter; Rating: 80/100; The graphics are awful but all of the high-pressure gameplay of the arcade has been retained. Stick with it for a few games and you'll be hooked.
Milon's Secret Castle: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 20/100; I fail to see how the publisher could think forcing players to find impossibly well-hidden doors to advance would be fun. Not much to look at, either.
Ms. Pac-Man: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 90/100; The sound could be better but this game is perfect in every other aspect. Not quite an exact translation from the arcade but the NES version has brand-new mazes, the optional ability to speed up with the A button, and awesome new two player simultaneous cooperative and competitive modes where you can play as Pac-Man. Highly addictive!
Mutant Virus: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 10/100; Ever seen the computer simulation Life, where interdependent "cells" either grow and multiply or die off according to how they were arranged? Then you can imagine the result if someone turned it into a game where all you did was shoot at Life cells.
Ninja Gaiden: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; The action is solid, and the graphics are stellar (in most stages, anyway). Several weapons are available. The story is told by awesome cinemas in between levels. The later stages can be frustratingly tough, unfortunately.
Ninja Gaiden II: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; More of the same, the only change is the addition of dopplegangers that help you take out enemies.
Ninja Kid: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 40/100; Somewhat playable but the graphics are so bizarre and the animation of such poor quality that I can't recommend even renting this game.
Orb-3D: Game Type: 3D Ball and Paddle; Rating: 30/100; An incomprehensible and frustrating 3D Breakout game. Don't bother.
Pac-Man: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 80/100; The control is good and it's every bit as addictive as the arcade, but the graphics have been shrunk to fit onto a TV, the audio is poor (they ruined the wak-a wak-a sound), and Ms. Pac-Man completely blows it out of the water.
Panic Restaurant: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; The concept is a little bizarre (your character is a chef) but the graphics and gameplay are excellent. Try it if you can find a copy.
Paperboy: Game Type: Isometric-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; Race your bike down the street, chucking newspapers at people's porches. Hit a burglar and make the headlines, hit a window and lose a subscriber. There are many more obstacles, too. Funny and original, and the graphics are nice, but the gameplay isn't the best.
Pipe Dream: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 90/100; As addictive as Tetris, and it's not even directly derived from it. Use a cursor to place pieces of pipe on a grid. Keep them linked together so the fluid inside, called "flooz" (no comment), doesn't spill. Gain bonus points for looping the pipes over and under each other. A must for any puzzle fan.
Pinball: Game Type: Pinball; Rating: 80/100; Extremely simplistic but highly playable and rather addictive. Blows away some video pinball games that are much more complex.
Power Blade: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Among the more ridiculous examples of character animation I've ever seen, but still a passable game.
Power Punch 2: Game Type: 3D Fighting; Rating: 20/100; This was probably intended as a Punch-Out clone, but it comes up hopelessly short on the gameplay. Steer clear.
P'radikus Conflict: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 20/100; A poor quality Star Control wannabe.
Pyramid: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 30/100; A variant of Tetris where you must fit together falling squares cut into eighths. If it sounds too complicated to work well, it is. Still very unique, and others might not be as frustrated as I was.
Q*Bert: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 80/100; Not quite a perfect translation of the bizarre arcade game but the gameplay is intact. Your character hops around a field of cubes, changing them different colors as he goes. Enemies will chase you around the field, some of them undoing your work as they go. Fast paced, graphically appealing, and addictive.
Qix: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 90/100; I fetched a handsome price when I auctioned my copy off months ago, but I still regret it, especially since I doubt I can find a replacement. I've played a variety of clones on PC and other consoles, but they can't match the control and graphic appeal of the NES version. Highly addictive. Find a copy if you can, so you can sell it to me.
Rad Racer: Game Type: 3D Racing; Rating: 80/100; One of the earliest 3D racing games the NES has to offer, but it's never been topped. Smooth 3D representations of the road complete with hills, decent pseudo-scaling on the cars, and great gameplay. Even a 3D glasses mode!
Raid on Bungeling Bay: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 20/100; Awful graphics, pathetic gameplay.
Rampage: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; I would probably like this game a lot better if it weren't so sluggish, but it's still fairly playable, especially with two players, and the graphics are great. King of the Monsters has nuttin' on this.
Rampart: Game Type: Strategy; Rating: 60/100; Build a fort by fitting pieces of wall together as quickly as you can, then use your cannons to fight off invading ships. A bizarre game but it can be fun once you get the hang of it.
R.C. Pro-Am: Game Type: Isometric-View Racing; Rating: 90/100; Doesn't offer much graphic variety but the animation on the cars is unbelievable and the control is great - just like a radio-controlled car. Weapons spice the race up a bit, too. Oh, for a two player option...
Rescue Rangers: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Based on the ultra-cool Disney series featuring Chip and Dale. You must find crates and other items to throw at enemies, which has been done but not too often. Playable with nice graphics.
Road Runner: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Great for laughs. Not all that addictive but you're given many opportunities to show your finesse with the controls. Nice graphics, too. Rather repetitive, though.
Robo Warrior: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 30/100; The graphics aren't very impressive but are fairly appealing. Not enough to make up for the tedious gameplay, though.
Rocket Ranger: Game Type: 3D Chase-View Shooter; Rating: 30/100; Well, the story quality is great. Too bad I can't say the same for anything else about this game. When you finally figure out the menus enough to encounter some opposition the action is still slow as hell.
Rockin' Kats: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The boxing glove gun you use works just as well for catching onto ledges as for punching out enemies. The gameplay is novel and fairly enjoyable but it's hampered by sluggish, flickery animation.
Rollergames: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawling; Rating: 80/100; A high-speed mix of a platformer and a brawler. Dash along city streets and arena tracks, jumping pits and punching your opponents. The racing sections are a lot of fun but are broken up by the half-baked Double Dragon-style fights. A good game overall, though, well worth trying and perhaps worth buying.
Rush 'n' Attack: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The animation could be better but the graphics and gameplay are great. Being a one hit wonder sucks, though, and the game can get frustratingly hard at times.
Rygar: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Awesome graphics, (usually) good music, and enjoyable - but not exactly addictive - gameplay. Not the world's greatest game but something about the package as a whole makes me play it occasionally even years later.
S.C.A.T.: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 60/100; Vaguely similar to Forgotten Worlds. The graphics are nice but the gameplay doesn't quite live up.
Section Z: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 30/100; Repetitive and frustrating, with primitive graphics and only passable gameplay.
Shadowgate: Game Type: Mystery; Rating: 70/100; A text and graphics based mystery game. Unfortunately there's no way you'll figure out most of the puzzles without help, and once you have a hint book the game is over too quickly. Not a bad game if you don't mind spending hours on each puzzle.
Shatterhand: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Decent gameplay, great graphics. Not strongly recommended but probably worth a try.
Shinobi: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; As close a port as possible of Sega's stellar arcade game, but the NES doesn't quite cut it. Try to do too much with the graphics and the end result looks awful. The gameplay is decent, though.
Silver Surfer: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 60/100; Frustratingly difficult but it wouldn't be much fun even if it was easier. Good graphics, at least.
Simpsons - Bart vs. the Space Mutants: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The character graphics could be better but the simplistic, well-drawn backgrounds look fantastic. A good mix of action and puzzle-solving. Beware, though, it gets really difficult really early, and there's not much replay value.
Skate or Die: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 80/100; Not too remarkable graphically but the gameplay, once you're used to the control, is awesome (at least in the racing events). Refreshingly different.
Ski or Die: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 80/100; A mix of different events, like Skate, but the variety here is even greater. The sub-games include snowball fights with crosshairs, 3D snowboarding on the halfpipe (awesome), and downhill skiing (much like the races in Skate) among others. Great stuff.
Smash TV: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 70/100; The graphics are hideously bad, but the gameplay is fast and furious. A wide variety of controller options are available, including the option for one player to use 2 control pads at once. A must-try for Robotron maniacs.
Snake Rattle 'n' Roll: Game Type: Isometric-View Platform; Rating: 60/100; Nice graphics don't make up for the awkward control. Not awful, just not all that fun to play.
Solomon's Key: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Frustratingly difficult after a few levels, and the graphics aren't even all that good, but the gameplay is excellent and very unique, and overall the game has undeniable appeal. Buy it if you don't mind not being able to beat it.
Solstice: Game Type: Isometric-View Action; Rating: 60/100; Has all the control and visibility problems normal for 3/4 perspective games, but the graphics are stellar and the puzzles and gameplay aren't too bad. Difficult but worth a try if you're persistent.
Spelunker: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 20/100; I have to admit to having been intrigued by the tiny graphics for a while but the game is so frustrating that I just couldn't keep playing.
Star Force: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 50/100; Simplistic but appealing graphics and decent play but the powerups are weak and it's way too repetitive. I won't say to avoid it but I doubt others will enjoy it.
Spy Hunter: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; Graphics don't get more simplistic than this, but gameplay doesn't get much better, either. Drive a spy car with all the usual enhancements (machine guns, oil slicks, etc.) at high speed and try to stay on the road while you sideswipe other cars off. License to kill or no, don't shoot the civilians!
Star Soldier: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 20/100; A sooo lame shooter with a pathetic weapon system and awful graphics.
Star Tropics II - Zoda's Revenge: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 70/100; Decent graphics and gameplay, may well appeal to Zelda fans.
Star Wars: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Very impressive graphics and cool sub-games. A bit frustrating but the gameplay is decent. Good luck finding a copy.
Stinger: Game Type: 2D Side-View/Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 60/100; The only Twinbee game to make it to the States. The graphics are lame and the gameplay could be better.
Strider: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Not much to look at but the gameplay is good. The Genesis version is an entirely different game.
Sword Master: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Nice graphics, solid gameplay. Not quite in the same class as Ninja Gaiden but it's close.
Super C: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; I personally didn't like the overhead-view scenes as well as the pseudo-3D stages in the first Contra, but the side-view sequences make up the larger part of this game and they're every bit as well-done. Tough but rewarding.
Super Dodgeball: Game Type: Sports; Rating: 70/100; A nice blend of action and strategy. A pseudo-sport where the goal is to knock the opposing team out with a medicine ball. May appeal even to those who hate sports games. Cute graphics.
Super Glove Ball: Game Type: 3D Ball and Paddle; Rating: 60/100; A 3D breakout game. Unsightly graphics but the gameplay is fairly enjoyable. Never played it with the Power Glove, don't want to.
Super Mario Bros.: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Simplistic but appealing graphics, decent gameplay, and a lot of turf to explore. If you have somehow managed to avoid playing this game, borrow a copy from a friend (I don't care if they live in a monastery, they have a copy in a closet somewhere) and play it until you beat it. It's part of any gamer's basic education.
Super Mario Bros. 2: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; It wasn't originally a Mario game but it works just as well with Mario's face on it. Beautiful graphics, original gameplay, and your choice of four characters to play as. Not addictive but still enjoyable.
Super Mario Bros. 3: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 95/100; The best Super Mario game (and that does include Mario 64). Excellent control, appealing graphics, and it's extremely long. (Why isn't there a save option?) Lots of different powerups are available and there are many hidden areas to find. The stages with giant enemies are so cool!
Swords and Serpents: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 30/100; If you can tolerate the lame graphics and control in the 3D mazes long enough to get into a battle, you might enjoy this game, but I doubt you can.
Tagin' Dragon: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Action; Rating: 20/100; Maneuver around a maze and try to catch other dragons by the tail. Bad control and pathetic graphics.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Awful animation, sluggish control, and frustrating gameplay. Not the worst game on the NES but it's trying hard to be.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - The Arcade Game: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 80/100; This game is too different and too good to be considered part of the same series as the first. TMNT2 moves to a totally different genre. The graphics are fantastic (parallax scrolling?!), the gameplay is fast and enjoyable, it allows two players at once, and with 10 stages it's even longer than the arcade. Rather repetitive but that's the game's only fault.
Terra Cresta: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 40/100; Although it has a unique system of adding parts onto your ship to power up and even the ability to edit the formation, it's graphically primitive and none too playable.
Tetris (Nintendo): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 90/100; I don't have to tell you what a thoroughly addictive game Tetris can be, but some versions are poor implementations of a great concept. Nintendo's isn't one of them, with great control and the most appealing graphics of any version for any system...
Tetris (Tengen): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 95/100; ...But the version Nintendo denied us by suing Tengen to remove their version from circulation is that much better. I don't like the darker colors as well but Tengen's version offers more play options and a two player simultaneous mode. I understand Nintendo's reasons for their actions, but fuck them for rubbing salt in the wound by bringing out an inferior product.
Thrilla's Surfari: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; This fast-paced skateboarding game might be fun if it weren't so damn difficult! Half the time you don't even see the log in your path before you're face down in the gravel.
Tiger Heli: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 40/100; Flickery, poorly animated graphics and sluggish gameplay. The weapons system lacks, too.
Tiny Toon Adventures: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Play as Buster, Plucky, or Dizzy (cool!) in a Mario-esque platformer. Fast, playable, and the graphics are appealing though they could be more colorful.
Top Gun: Game Type: Flight Simulator; Rating: 30/100; An action-oriented flight sim. Not much gameplay and of course 3D graphics on the NES always suck. Carrier landings are extremely frustrating until you master them.
Toobin': Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; Steer your inner tube down dangerous rivers. Chuck your limited supply of beer cans at enemies and pick up more if you're able. Decent graphics and gameplay.
Trog: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Action; Rating: 70/100; The formula is similar but it's no Pac-Man. The control leaves a bit to be desired. Still, the wide variety of stages and obstacles and the two player simultaneous option help quite a bit.
Trojan: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Notable for giving you a positionable shield as well as a sword, but the resulting complexity of the controls makes a difficult game that much harder. Still fun to play and well worth a look even though it's old as the hills.
Ultimate Stuntman: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; The overhead-view driving sequence that opens the game is pretty fun but unfortunately it dissolves into a sluggish platformer in the next stage. Try but don't buy.
Vice - Project Doom: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Fast-paced with decent action and great graphics. A lifesaver if you've played Ninja Gaiden to death.
Videomation: Game Type: Drawing; Rating: 50/100; The only widely available paint program for the NES. Has a decent tool set with fill, line, circle, etc. It is of course severely limited by the NES's small color palette, and the animation tools are weak.
Vindicators: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 50/100; A unique but unimpressive tank game. Decent graphics but sluggish and frustrating gameplay.
Waffle Crisp: Game Type: Breakfast Cereal; Rating: 90/100; Mimics real waffles amazingly well. The shape, taste, and even the texture (after soaking in milk for a bit) and all exactly like waffles with syrup. Could be more filling, though, and the nutritional value isn't the best.
Werewolf: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; This game had potential but the final product is frustrating as hell to play. Decent graphics, though.
Willow: Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 80/100; A Zelda clone with cool graphics and good gameplay.
Wizards and Warriors: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Ugly graphics and frustrating gameplay. It's not an awful game but it will drive you crazy after you play it a while.
Wrecking Crew: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; A unique mix of Pac-Man and puzzle solving. You must completely demolish an old building, but you must figure out a certain path to take so you don't miss knocking down any walls. Great gameplay makes up for the simplistic graphics. Dozens of stages are included and you can design (but not save) your own.
Wurm: Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 60/100; Has a zillion sub-games and doesn't really do any of them right. Nice graphics and the gameplay's not hideous but...
Xenophobe: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Decent graphics but it's laden with flicker. The gameplay is passable and is helped by a two player simultaneous mode.
Xevious: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 20/100; Aaack! The graphics and music are awful! A game this simplistic has to have addictive gameplay to back it up and Xevious does not. Why does anyone consider this a classic?
Xexyz: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Yecch. A semi-cute platformer with awkward control and a boring shooter mixed in. Might appeal to you but not if you have good taste.
Yo! Noid: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Highly playable and very challenging. Too bad that frustrating ice stage with the slippery floors appears so early in the game.
Young Indiana Jones: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Decent graphics, great gameplay, and a fairly fast pace. Definitely worth a try.
Zanac: Game Type: 2D Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 95/100; Intense speed, great graphics, and an unbelievably big selection of weapons make this the greatest shooter to appear on the NES - better than many 16 and 32-bit shooters. Highly addictive.
Zelda: Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 95/100; This game created its own genre. Graphically primitive but the gameplay is so addictive that no clone since has measured up. (Not even Zelda 3, and Zelda 64 looks doubtful.) A tough second quest with new dungeons is made available after you beat the game, guaranteeing it'll keep you busy awhile.