NES Video Games Were Among The Best of All time
If you were lucky enough to grow up during the 80s then, NES video games hold a special place in your heart. These games ushered the era of home game consoles.
Who knows where console video games would be right now if it wasn't for the Nintendo Entertainment System?
I am the proud owner of NESNintendoGames.com. I have been a fan of these incredible video games since I was an infant. To me they stand the test of time.
In this lens I will be going through NES video game reviews. It will be like going back in time. For those who had this system, it will make you take a look back at a simpler time.
Here's my favorite link:
NES Links to Modules
Just click on the link below to go to the module listed.
- NESNintendoGames.com
- Battletoads review
- Battletoads Video
- Bionic Commando Review
- Bionic Commando video
- Blaster Master Video game Review
- Blaster Master NES Video
- Bubble Bobble Video Game Review
- Bubble Bobble Video
- Duck Hunt NES Review
- Duck Hunt Video
- Excitebike NES Review
- Excitebike NES Video
- Top Ten Most Underrated NES Games of all time
- Final Fantasy I Review
- Friday the 13th Video Game review
- The ending to Friday the 13th
- Gauntlet NES Review
- Gauntlet NES video
- Ghostbusters NES Review
- Ghostbusters NES Video
- Ghosts 'N Goblins NES Review
- Ghosts N Goblins NES Video
- Ice Climber NES Review
- Ice Climber NES Video
- Ice Hockey NES Review
- Ice Hockey NES Video
- 100 NES Video Games in 10 Minutes
- Legend of Zelda NES Review
- Legend of Zelda NES video
- Zelda II Adventure of Link
- Zelda II Video
- Legendary Wings NES Review
- Legendary Wings NES Video
- Life Force NES Review
- Life Force Video
- Mega Man Review
- Top 5 RPG NES video games
- Marble Madness NES Review
- Marble Madness NES Video
- Mega Man 2 Review
- Mega Man 2 NES video
- Metroid NES
- Metroid NES Video
- Ninja Gaiden NES Review
- Ninja Gaiden NES Video
- Rad Racer NES
- Rad Racer Commercial
- Super Mario Bros. NES review
- Super Mario Bros. NES Video
- Super Mario Bros. 2 Review
- Super Mario Bros. 2 Video
- Super Mario Bros. 3 Review
- Super Mario Bros. 3 Video
- Favorite NES Game featuring Mario
- Cool Super Mario Photos
- Super Mario Stuff on CafePress
- Tecmo Bowl NES Review
- The Best Players in Tecmo Bowl History
- Track N Field II NES Review
- Greatest NES Sports Games of All Time
- Let me know what you think!
Battletoads review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (5 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (1 out of 5 stars)Incredibly hard!!
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
If it wasn't for its masochist difficulty, Battletoads would be nearly a perfect game. This quite frankly might be the hardest game the NES ever came out with. Even with all of the continues it offered, there is no way you were going to be able to finish it unless you had a game genie.
Difficulty aside, Battletoads offered very original gameplay. The developers were really thinking out of the box. The plot of consisted of the these tough toads (imagine a green amphibious Indiana Jones).
Every level consisted of a different gameplay style. In the first level, the gameplay is somewhat like a beatem-up game, like a "Double Dragon". The second level the toads go down this grappling hook amd you go up against plants, crows, and other enemies. Another stage you're on the jet-ski type things but only you're traveling in land not water. I know it all sounds really strange. But when you play it, you can't help but be charmed by it.
It just had such a great sense of humor about it. Even the way the frogs looked and moved put a smile on your face. The frogs looked like those bodybuilders that only focused on the upper body, so they had skinny toothpick legs.
You could even play simultaneously with a friend. You would think that would help make the game be a little easier. Well, it doesn't. As a matter of fact I found the game to be a little tougher when I played with a friend. Maybe because it would be so frustrating, we'd argue with each other.
Honestly, if you could get past the whole "My god I will never be able to beat this" thinking, the game is an absolute blast, even if you can't get past the third level.
Check out the current listing for Battletoads NES games.
Battletoads Video
Short little video showing the wacky gameplay of Battletoads. These are just the first couple of levels. It gets really tricky after that!
Battletoads (NES) Gameplay
Bionic Commando Review
5 stars out of 5
Graphics (4 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (5 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
Bionic Commando was the kind of game that really fell through the cracks when it first came out. Nobody really paid attention. Then slowly towards the end of the life of the NES it progressively started to get a pretty large following. And in 2008 it is regarded by many as one of the best games to ever hit the console. Its very strange. It's almost like it took people time to realize "hey, this is a hell of a good game"
At first glance it looks like a typical side-scroller from that era. Well, looks are very deceiving. For one thing, there is no jump button. I know that seems strange for a platformer video game where the character doesn't jump. That's where the "Bionic" part comes in. The lead character has a bionic arm that extends to ledges which he swings from. It kind of sounds like a robotic tarzan.
It takes a while to get used the controls, but the game does a good job of easing you into the groove until you feel comfortable. You're also equipped tons of cool weapons like machine guns, bazookas, and rocket launchers. Every stage is more unique then the next one. The game even has overhead stages that are just perfectly designed.
Looking back on the game, I think I can see why it took a while for gamers to warm up to it. There was just no other game quite like it. There was nothing to compare it with.
Frankly I'm stunned that there hasn't been a remake of this throughout the years. Couldn't you just image Bionic commando in a 3-d environment on the latest next gen consoles.
Check out the current listings Bionic Commando NES games for sale.
Bionic Commando video
Cool montage video showing the gameplay. You can see there is no juming. By the way, that is not the original music for the game. The game has good music, but not this good.
The NESkimos - Bionic Commando Movement II part A
Blaster Master Video game Review
3 stars out of 5
Graphics (5 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (2 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (3 out of 5 stars)
Master Blaster is the kind of NES video game that people either absolutely love or hate. I seem to be one of those rare people that fall in the middle. I don't have a strong passion one way or the other about the game.
I remember when I first saw a preview on it in a Nintendo Power magazine. It looked amazing. You get to ride around in fast jumping tank. I mean, come on, A jumping tank! How is that not going to appeal to a child?
Well, in retrospective it looks like an idea that would probably be better suited for today's type of gameplay. I think it would have worked better with the 3-d environments most of today's games are based on.
There is just something thats missing about this game. I cannot tell you what it is for the life of me, but it just feels incomplete. I think it may have to do with the fact that the game tries to be 2 things at one time.
When you're not in the tank you play the character who drives the tank. He's this little guy with an enormous helmet. Anyway, when you control him, the pace of the game really drops which is a strong contrast from when you're driving in your tank. I suppose this is what makes Blaster Master so uneven.
I was told by my friends that you have to give it some time. It will grow on you. Well, I did. It never really grew on me, though. I had a fun with it, but once I got another game it was probably another year before I picked up Master Blaster again.
Check out the current listings on Master Blaster NES games.
Blaster Master NES Video
Blaster Master video showing the gameplay of the game.
Blaster Master - NES Gameplay
Bubble Bobble Video Game Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (2 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
A real gem of a video game that never got the credit it deserved for the NES is Bubble Bobble. It was released by a Japanese company called Taito in 1986. This game just, pure and simply rocks!
It involves two dinosaurs named Bub & Bob trying to rescue there girlfriends. They must avoid enemies and get thru 100 levels all the while getting power ups. The power ups were one of my favorite aspects of the game. During the game the word extend is also released as bubbles with each letter on one bubble. If you pop these and spell the entire word then you receive an extra life. They trap there enemies by encasing them in bubbles that they blow at them. You can even earn points by popping empty bubbles. If the bubble containing an enemy is not popped quickly it turns pink and becomes angry. When this happens the enemies can attack them much faster.
At some points in the game the characters must jump on the bubbles lightly in order to reach higher platforms that otherwise seem impossible to reach. At each level the difficulty increases. After completing the 100th level a big boss appears that they must fight to win the game.
This is a two player game so you can play with a friend which increases the fun you will have. Be very aware this game is addictive. It may not look like it, but looks are very deceiving. If you're not lucky enough to have one in your attic stored away check to see the current listings on Bubble Bobble video games for sale.
Bubble Bobble Video
Video showing the first 10 levels of Bubble Bobble.
Bubble Bobble (NES)
Duck Hunt NES Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (3 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
A game that is absolutely synonymous with the NES would be Duck Hunt. If you think about it, the zapper gun that you used to point and shoot the ducks on the TV screen was WAY ahead of its time, considering the point-and shoot capabilities of Nintendo's new video game system, it's wireless-controller-touting Wii.
Duck Hunt is really a perfect game for kids; the graphics are cartoonish, which I am pretty sure appeals to most if not all kids, and they can even receive some benefit from playing the game in the form of developing their hand-eye coordination, not to mention just the benefit of being entertained for a few hours.
It's also a relatively simple game, and doesn't require a lot of thought in the way that intense puzzle games or RPGs do. All you really do is point the zapper gun at the computer screen, aim for a duck, pull the trigger, and you've got some dead pixelated ducks. If you hit the duck, it'll fall out of the sky. The concept may be just a wee bit violent, but not overly so, and considering a lot of the very realistic violence that is prevalent in so many of the newer video game consoles, this video game is as innocent as can be.
If you think about it, isn't Duck hunt the first ever "first-person shooter" for the consoles. I mean, can you get anymore first person when you're the pulling the trigger.
Check out my current listings of Duck Hunt video games.
Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
A game that is absolutely synonymous with the NES would be Duck Hunt. If you think about it, the zapper gun that you used to point and shoot the ducks on the TV screen was WAY ahead of its time, considering the point-and shoot capabilities of Nintendo's new video game system, it's wireless-controller-touting Wii.
Duck Hunt is really a perfect game for kids; the graphics are cartoonish, which I am pretty sure appeals to most if not all kids, and they can even receive some benefit from playing the game in the form of developing their hand-eye coordination, not to mention just the benefit of being entertained for a few hours.
It's also a relatively simple game, and doesn't require a lot of thought in the way that intense puzzle games or RPGs do. All you really do is point the zapper gun at the computer screen, aim for a duck, pull the trigger, and you've got some dead pixelated ducks. If you hit the duck, it'll fall out of the sky. The concept may be just a wee bit violent, but not overly so, and considering a lot of the very realistic violence that is prevalent in so many of the newer video game consoles, this video game is as innocent as can be.
If you think about it, isn't Duck hunt the first ever "first-person shooter" for the consoles. I mean, can you get anymore first person when you're the pulling the trigger.
Check out my current listings of Duck Hunt video games.
Excitebike NES Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (3 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
Excitebike was the original motorcross video game. Before anybody had any idea what motorcross was, there was excitebike.
The game was a side scrolling motorbike racing game. The tracks featured hills and obstacles as you try to finish the track in the fastest time.
The simple, yet great controls allowed you to get really big air when jumping off a ramp. What would always be funny is when you hit the left direction button right after you jumped a ramp. If you just hold it down, the guy goes like a thousand feet in the but only travels like 3 feet.
Excitebike was also part of Nintendo's programmable series (there were only 3 games in the series). This meant that you were allowed to design your own track. I just remember flooding the tracks with ramps so the bike wouldn't even touch the ground.
I think what would have made the game perfect would have been a 2-player mode where somehow the screen was split. But, actually I don't think I've ever seen that in any games from that era. I guess the technology wasn't available, who knows?
But the game is a real gem. It has this great addictive quality. I personally wasn't able to finish the game, but that certainly didn't stop me from trying to about a million times.
Check out my current listings on Excitebike.
Excitebike NES Video
Video showing the first level of Excitebike for the NES.
ExciteBike NES Track #1 Fast Time 44.04
Top Ten Most Underrated NES Games of all time
Everybody always talks about the Marios, Zeldas, and Final Fantasies of the NES. Well, here is a list of NES games that never got the credit they fully deserved.
- Zelda II Adventure of Link - Arguably the most controversial game for the NES. Everybody loved the original Zelda so much that once they saw the differences in style with the sequel, people were upset. But if you just judge the game on its own, without comparing it to the original, you'll find a video game with a massive amount of depth.
- Jackal - Another Konami classic. This one didn't get as much credit as their other games, but it certainly should have. A military game with a top-down perspective.
- Life Force - A space shooter that was way ahead of its time. Graphics looked similar to the games of SNES and Genesis. It even had the famous 30 lives Contra Code.
- Golgo 13 - I'll be the first one to tell you that it takes time to warm up to this game. But it was the fist game I've ever played that developers didn't have children in mind as their target audience when they made it. It had a lot of adult themes that the Super Matio crowd wasn't used to
- Crystalis - This RPG never gets talked about in the same breath as Legend of Zelda or Final Fantasy. Why is that? I know this may be a tad controversial but there are some aspects of the game that I enjoy more than Zelda or FF
- Super Dodge Ball - Is it me or is any once else shocked that nobody has ever made a decent dodgeball game in about twenty years. Must have something to do with this cult classic.
- Rygar - I played the remade version for the PS2 a couple years back and I gotta say, I remember having a lot more fun with the NES version. Only real glitch was it didn't have a save feature. That sucker took a while to beat.
- Ice Hockey - I think most people say the best NES hockey game was blades of steel. I know the title of this game sounds generic (actually, all of the first nintendo made sports game did) but it was just too charming to put the controller down.
- Maniac Mansion - The PC fans might scoff at the NES version, but it was still pretty darn good. Sure, the gameplay just screams to be played on the computer but I thought it was an excellent port.
- Hudson's Adventure Island - Of course its not in the same league as far as platformers are concerned with the Super Mario series. However, it has enough quirkiness and irreverence to keep you coming back for more.
Final Fantasy I Review
5 stars out of 5
Graphics (3 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (5 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
One of the most highly regarded and influential game for the NES Nintendo Game has to be Final Fantasy I. This is where it all began.
The graphics and audio pale in comparison to what this franchise has later put out but there is no need for snazzy graphics when you've got this kind of detailed story line.
In Final Fantasy, you have your goals, your party, puzzles (TCELES B HSUP). To win requires determination and leveling up in a way that World of Warcraft obsessed players can no longer appreciate.
I would usually go with a Fighter, a Thief, Red Mage, Black Mage. This is a little hard seeing as you have no White Mage, but my White Mages always end up dying because I don't care about them anyway. Another GREAT part of this game is that you have to come up with four letter names, none of this "I AM LORD RAVENCLAW THE FIFTEENTH" business. It makes you be much more creative.
I would usually use Abel, as my hot and sexy fighter. Lute, Rynn, Evan, Aren, Jess, Tara, are other good four letter names you can use. I will say that the dungeons are pretty hard and mazey. If you can get through the dungeons without resorting to an online walk through then you truly are a Final Fanasty genius. Actually I have to resort to walk throughs for almost every game.
Come to think of it I even had a Nintendo Power article to get me through the card matching for SMB3 (don't worry, I have it all memorized now). And there's even a little bit of humor in FFI. I mean you have to fight Imps. Then you have to fight GRRRRR Imps. Who doesn't laugh out loud at that. So if you are stuck inside on a rainy afternoon, this is the kind of game that you start playing for an hour and next thing you notice haven't bathed in a couple of days.
Make sure to check out the current listings of Final Fantasy NES games for sale.
Friday the 13th Video Game review
1 star out of 5
Graphics (2 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (1 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (1 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (1 out of 5 stars)
Friday the 13th for the NES kind of falls in that category of "what in the world were they thinking?"
Now, I must admit in my early days, I was an absolute sucker for licensed games. I was a child and I didn't know any better. In all honesty nobody did. Licensed games have a history of being garbage. Well at the time history was still being made so nobody had a clue.
All I knew was I was so psyched to play Friday the 13th (ah, youth). To be a part of Camp Crystal going after Jason sounds great on paper. Maybe that's where the game should have been played on: Paper. None of that fancy schmancy electricity to get in the way.
To call this game awful, would be disrespecting the word. From Jason's alarm that would go off for no particular reason or the map that was designed by somebody who evidently had amnesia.
Also if you've got the patience and actually enjoy pain and suffering to try to finish the game, you realize that Jason is impossible to beat. I don't know firsthand (I couldn't tolerate the game for that long) but that's what I've heard.
This game was made by LJN, who single handedly coined the phrase "Licensed video games suck"
The ending to Friday the 13th
Ok, in case you had the displeasure of playing this game and were curious about how to defeat Jason or what the ending was like here is a youtube video.
For those that never played the game, you get to experience the pain inducing music. After watching this I'm sure you'll realize why I gave the kind of review I did for this game.
For those that never played the game, you get to experience the pain inducing music. After watching this I'm sure you'll realize why I gave the kind of review I did for this game.
NES-Friday-The-13th-Ending
The ending for the NES game Friday The 13th. (Note: This is the game I still consider to be the hardest NES game I have ever beat.) I have many other NES endings. Look for them. Hope you enjoy! :)
Gauntlet NES Review
3 stars out of 5
Graphics (3 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (3 out of 5 stars)
I remember when I first saw that the NES was coming out with Gauntlet. I was a HUGE fan of the arcade version. So, naturally I thought that the NES version of Gauntlet was going to be exactly like the arcade version.
Well, it wasn't. Not to say its a bad, because its not. It has a lot of good qualities going for it. The problem is that it just doesn't live up to the arcade version, which is considered a classic in the gaming community.
Some important characteristics:
Graphics; I can't blame the NES on this one. Arcade generally had better graphics than the home consoles back then.
Sound & Music; The music gets repetitive in a hurry. It does nothing to contribute to the game.
Gameplay; It gets really tiring just hitting the attack button all game long. I know!, I know! the arcade version had the same exact gameplay. I understand. But somehow it just doesn't feel the same as the arcade.
Well, if you can judge the game on its own, without comparing it to the arcade version, its actually pretty solid. The problem when it originally came out was that EVERYONE had already played it in the arcades, and was expecting a lot more from the NES title.
Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (3 out of 5 stars)
I remember when I first saw that the NES was coming out with Gauntlet. I was a HUGE fan of the arcade version. So, naturally I thought that the NES version of Gauntlet was going to be exactly like the arcade version.
Well, it wasn't. Not to say its a bad, because its not. It has a lot of good qualities going for it. The problem is that it just doesn't live up to the arcade version, which is considered a classic in the gaming community.
Some important characteristics:
Graphics; I can't blame the NES on this one. Arcade generally had better graphics than the home consoles back then.
Sound & Music; The music gets repetitive in a hurry. It does nothing to contribute to the game.
Gameplay; It gets really tiring just hitting the attack button all game long. I know!, I know! the arcade version had the same exact gameplay. I understand. But somehow it just doesn't feel the same as the arcade.
Well, if you can judge the game on its own, without comparing it to the arcade version, its actually pretty solid. The problem when it originally came out was that EVERYONE had already played it in the arcades, and was expecting a lot more from the NES title.
Gauntlet NES video
Video showing gameplay footage of Gauntlet for the NES.
Ghostbusters NES Review
1 star out of 5
Graphics (2 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (1 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (1 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (1 out of 5 stars)
Ghostbusters is the perfect example of how video game developers back in the day (and even today) used famous and popular movies and turned them into an unplayable video game. Most of them figured that the name alone would sell a million units, why bother putting any money into the game?
This is the problem when you're 9 years old. You're a big fan of the Ghostbusters movie and you think "How could this game not rule, its about the Ghostbusters?!?!" So then I beg and plead my parents to spend $50.00 on this game. Turns out they spent money on a $50.00 paperweight.
Ghostbusters is such a pathetic excuse for a game. I even remember, that I gave the game 2 hours straight, and all I was doing was driving around on these boring roads, dodging cars that looked that they were driven by old people, they were going so slow, as I collected some items of the side of the road?!?! Meanwhile, you randomly stopped to collect ghosts. Notice when I say "collect", not hunt or catch, but collect, because that's exactly how it feels like.
I remember selling the game about a year later at a local flea market for a couple of dollars. I'm sure my parents weren't too thrilled with the rate of return on their investment.
Difficulty (1 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (1 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (1 out of 5 stars)
Ghostbusters is the perfect example of how video game developers back in the day (and even today) used famous and popular movies and turned them into an unplayable video game. Most of them figured that the name alone would sell a million units, why bother putting any money into the game?
This is the problem when you're 9 years old. You're a big fan of the Ghostbusters movie and you think "How could this game not rule, its about the Ghostbusters?!?!" So then I beg and plead my parents to spend $50.00 on this game. Turns out they spent money on a $50.00 paperweight.
Ghostbusters is such a pathetic excuse for a game. I even remember, that I gave the game 2 hours straight, and all I was doing was driving around on these boring roads, dodging cars that looked that they were driven by old people, they were going so slow, as I collected some items of the side of the road?!?! Meanwhile, you randomly stopped to collect ghosts. Notice when I say "collect", not hunt or catch, but collect, because that's exactly how it feels like.
I remember selling the game about a year later at a local flea market for a couple of dollars. I'm sure my parents weren't too thrilled with the rate of return on their investment.
Ghostbusters NES Video
Video of Ghostbusters for the NES. See if you think the gameplay might get a little stale.
Ghostbusters - NES Gameplay
Ghosts 'N Goblins NES Review
3 stars out of 5
Graphics (4 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (2 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
Ghosts 'N Goblins for the NES will always be compared to its arcade counterpart. And although it doesn't have the great graphics or "feel" of the arcade version its still a lot of fun.
First and foremost, this game is hard. I mean really, really hard. The difficulty level ramps up very rapidly as you progress through the levels (if you are lucky enough to do so). The farthest I've ever gone is to level 4. Then I quickly crashed and burned. There is just not a lot of room for error.
But if you're willing to look past the unbearable difficulty, the game is a blast.
There is nothing really complicated about Ghosts 'N Goblins. It's your basic side scrolling run n jump platformer. You play a knight (kind of looks like King Arthur) and his goal to got through these dark, gothic settings and defeat zombies and other scary villains.
The audio provides great atmosphere and the gameplay has enough variety to keep you coming back for more. While it may not have the kind of following that the arcade version has, the NES game still holds its own.
Check out the current listings of Ghosts 'N Goblins NES games.
Ghosts N Goblins NES Video
Ghosts N Goblins Footage for the NES
Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES) gameplay footage
Ice Climber NES Review
3 stars out of 5
Graphics (4 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (2 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (3 out of 5 stars)
Ice Climber has grown to have a cult-like following for the NES. If you are playing this game with a friend, then I'd consider it a minor classic. If you're playing single player, then I don't think there will be much to hold your attention.
The bright colors are very cute and and the fun music just adds to the light feeling of the game.
Playing Ice Climber is a lot like eating ice cream for dinner. It's just harmless fun. If you're looking for a deep game that you can spend hours on looking for different levels and dimensions, this is not it.
The controls can be a little frustrating, but in a fun way.
The goal is very simple: Hammer all bricks that are on each level so you can keep climbing.
As stated when playing with a friend is when the game has its most charm. You can try to be like a team and help each other to the top or you can race each other on who gets to the top first. Either way, the game is simple fun.
Check out the current listings on Ice Climber NES games.
Ice Climber NES Video
Footage of some of the levels on Ice Climber for the NES
Ice Climber- NES - Gameplay
Ice Hockey NES Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (3 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
I know what you're thinking with a generic title like Ice Hockey, this game can't possibly be good. I don't blame you for thinking that.
When Nintendo came with their sports series games when the console first almost all of their sports title had a generic name. And to be they all pretty much sucked except for Ice Hockey.
Ice Hockey is just too cute not to like. The graphics & animation are simple, but thats what makes it so likable. Its funny seeing these dispraportinate little guys running around the ice rink. You can't help but put a smile on your face.
The gameplay is very solid. From the looks of it, you wouldn't think so, but the passing, shooting, and goaltending are very intuitive.
Now, many people consider Blades of Steel to be the definitive hockey title for the NES, and its hard to disagree. It definitely has more polish and depth than Ice Hockey, but is it more fun? I don't think so.
Check out my current listings on Ice Hockey for the NES.
Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
I know what you're thinking with a generic title like Ice Hockey, this game can't possibly be good. I don't blame you for thinking that.
When Nintendo came with their sports series games when the console first almost all of their sports title had a generic name. And to be they all pretty much sucked except for Ice Hockey.
Ice Hockey is just too cute not to like. The graphics & animation are simple, but thats what makes it so likable. Its funny seeing these dispraportinate little guys running around the ice rink. You can't help but put a smile on your face.
The gameplay is very solid. From the looks of it, you wouldn't think so, but the passing, shooting, and goaltending are very intuitive.
Now, many people consider Blades of Steel to be the definitive hockey title for the NES, and its hard to disagree. It definitely has more polish and depth than Ice Hockey, but is it more fun? I don't think so.
Check out my current listings on Ice Hockey for the NES.
Ice Hockey NES Video
Video showing gameplay footage from Ice Hockey NES video game.
Ice Hockey - NES Gameplay
100 NES Video Games in 10 Minutes
Cool video showing 100 NES Nintendo Games within 10 minutes. See how many you can name. I had a tough time myself.
100 NES (Nintendo) games in 10 minutes!
Legend of Zelda NES Review
5 stars out of 5
Graphics (4 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (5 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
The Legend of Zelda is the original in the highly successful Zelda series for Nintendo. This game was released in the late 80's and has stood the test of time as a truly enjoyable game for people of any age. Frankly, Legend of Zelda is nothing short of revolutionary.
The game starts you off on an adventure of epic proportions! You will need a weapon, your sword, to begin your quest. You will also want to collect all the the pieces of heart that you can find, as these will increase your life energy.
Then start making your way around in the land of Hyrule. There are many enemies to be fought and treasures to be found. You will need to collect Ruppies along the way, which are the currency of Hyrule. You will find people throughout the land that will help you on your journey. Such as the old man at the top of the mountain that gives you a letter to give to the old woman who will in turn will sell you a potion to heal your wounds.
You must navigate your way through eight dungeons that progressively get more difficult. You must defeat the master of each dungeon and get the triforce piece from each of these.
You must be sure to collect whatever treasure may be hidden somewhere inside the sometimes hidden rooms of each dungeon. If you are wounded and out of ruppies, be sure to look for the fairies located around Hyrule who will heal your wounds.
After completing the eight dungeons, you will make your way to the last challenge, a hidden ninth dungeon on top of Death Mountain. This is without a doubt the most challenging part of the game. You must complete a series of challenging puzzles and defeat many enemies to receive your final treasure, the Light Arrows, which you will need in order to defeat the final enemy and win the game.
Over the course of your journey you will collect three different swords, and dozens of other magical weapons. Defeating the king of evil himself, Ganon, you will recieve the ultimate prize, the gratitude of the princess of Hyrule, Zelda.
Check out my current listings for the NES The Legend of Zelda.
Difficulty (5 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
The Legend of Zelda is the original in the highly successful Zelda series for Nintendo. This game was released in the late 80's and has stood the test of time as a truly enjoyable game for people of any age. Frankly, Legend of Zelda is nothing short of revolutionary.
The game starts you off on an adventure of epic proportions! You will need a weapon, your sword, to begin your quest. You will also want to collect all the the pieces of heart that you can find, as these will increase your life energy.
Then start making your way around in the land of Hyrule. There are many enemies to be fought and treasures to be found. You will need to collect Ruppies along the way, which are the currency of Hyrule. You will find people throughout the land that will help you on your journey. Such as the old man at the top of the mountain that gives you a letter to give to the old woman who will in turn will sell you a potion to heal your wounds.
You must navigate your way through eight dungeons that progressively get more difficult. You must defeat the master of each dungeon and get the triforce piece from each of these.
You must be sure to collect whatever treasure may be hidden somewhere inside the sometimes hidden rooms of each dungeon. If you are wounded and out of ruppies, be sure to look for the fairies located around Hyrule who will heal your wounds.
After completing the eight dungeons, you will make your way to the last challenge, a hidden ninth dungeon on top of Death Mountain. This is without a doubt the most challenging part of the game. You must complete a series of challenging puzzles and defeat many enemies to receive your final treasure, the Light Arrows, which you will need in order to defeat the final enemy and win the game.
Over the course of your journey you will collect three different swords, and dozens of other magical weapons. Defeating the king of evil himself, Ganon, you will recieve the ultimate prize, the gratitude of the princess of Hyrule, Zelda.
Check out my current listings for the NES The Legend of Zelda.
Legend of Zelda NES video
Video showing the beginning of The Legend of Zelda.
NES Games- The Legend of Zelda Part 1
Zelda II Adventure of Link
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (5 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
To this day, I have no idea why Zelda fans treat Adventure of Link like the ugly stepchild of the Zelda series.
I'll be the first one to admit, it does take some time warm up to it. I remember when I played this the first time, especially after being such a huge fan of the original. For the first hour, I just kept thinking "What is this? This is nothing like the original!"
I think the biggest problem with the game is that it doesn't have that instant "Oh, my God, this is the greatest thing ever!" that the most Zelda games have. But you've got to look beyond that. If you do, I guarantee you that you'll think Adventure of Link is one of the best games of the franchise, regardless of generation or platform.
I remember after the first couple of hours I was completely hooked. I got over the fact that this wasn't the same style of game as the original, and accepted the game on its own terms.
To be honest, I also think that Adventure of Link incorporates more RPG elements than the original. There are experience points, magic spells, etc...
Is Adventure of Link better than the original? No. Is it step down? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Check out my current listings of Zelda II Adventure of Link.
Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
To this day, I have no idea why Zelda fans treat Adventure of Link like the ugly stepchild of the Zelda series.
I'll be the first one to admit, it does take some time warm up to it. I remember when I played this the first time, especially after being such a huge fan of the original. For the first hour, I just kept thinking "What is this? This is nothing like the original!"
I think the biggest problem with the game is that it doesn't have that instant "Oh, my God, this is the greatest thing ever!" that the most Zelda games have. But you've got to look beyond that. If you do, I guarantee you that you'll think Adventure of Link is one of the best games of the franchise, regardless of generation or platform.
I remember after the first couple of hours I was completely hooked. I got over the fact that this wasn't the same style of game as the original, and accepted the game on its own terms.
To be honest, I also think that Adventure of Link incorporates more RPG elements than the original. There are experience points, magic spells, etc...
Is Adventure of Link better than the original? No. Is it step down? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Check out my current listings of Zelda II Adventure of Link.
Zelda II Video
Game play footage of Zelda II: Adventure of Link for the NES.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - NES Gameplay
Legendary Wings NES Review
3 stars out of 5
Graphics (3 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (1 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (3 out of 5 stars)
Average in every way, Legendary Wings does nothing to distinguish itself from all the other flying shooters of that time.
You play some kind of mythological creature who has wings and you travel these ancient landscapes and shoot anything that's in your path. In doing so you'll get power ups. It's been seen and done about a million times before (and much better).
What also hurts Legendary Wings is that the game is so ridiculously easy to beat. I remember beating the entire game the first time I played. And if you really want something that's mind numbingly easy, play it co-op with a friend. You two could probably beat the game with blindfolds on (well, maybe not).
Its not that the game is horrible either, because its not even bad enough to leave a lasting memory. With the truly awful video games, they tend to stick with you as much as the classic games.
Difficulty (1 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (3 out of 5 stars)
Average in every way, Legendary Wings does nothing to distinguish itself from all the other flying shooters of that time.
You play some kind of mythological creature who has wings and you travel these ancient landscapes and shoot anything that's in your path. In doing so you'll get power ups. It's been seen and done about a million times before (and much better).
What also hurts Legendary Wings is that the game is so ridiculously easy to beat. I remember beating the entire game the first time I played. And if you really want something that's mind numbingly easy, play it co-op with a friend. You two could probably beat the game with blindfolds on (well, maybe not).
Its not that the game is horrible either, because its not even bad enough to leave a lasting memory. With the truly awful video games, they tend to stick with you as much as the classic games.
Legendary Wings NES Video
Gameplay footage of Legendary Wings for the NES.
Life Force NES Review
5 stars out of 5
Graphics (5 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
To this day, I have absolutely no idea why Life Force isn't considered one of the greatest games of the NES.
I believe Life Force took what Gradius or R-type did for shooters and amplified it by 100.
It had graphics that looked similar to what would be coming out in the next gen consoles a couple of years from then (SNES, Genesis). Life Force also had very innovative music for the time, as well as expertly designed levels.
Even with all that, the coolest feature had to be that it had the "Contra code". The up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right,B,A Start code made famous by Contra, which gives a player 30 lives. Its a good thing to, because I'm not sure the game could be beaten with just three lives.
The innovative gameplay features a change from horizontal to vertical scrolling after each level. And of course the best part of the game is that you collect power-ups that you can cash in right away or store them for some really cool weapons.
Maybe one day Life Force will get the recognition it so clearly deserves because it is a video game that looks and plays as if it were developed ten years from when it was actually made.
Check out my current listings for Life Force.
Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
To this day, I have absolutely no idea why Life Force isn't considered one of the greatest games of the NES.
I believe Life Force took what Gradius or R-type did for shooters and amplified it by 100.
It had graphics that looked similar to what would be coming out in the next gen consoles a couple of years from then (SNES, Genesis). Life Force also had very innovative music for the time, as well as expertly designed levels.
Even with all that, the coolest feature had to be that it had the "Contra code". The up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right,B,A Start code made famous by Contra, which gives a player 30 lives. Its a good thing to, because I'm not sure the game could be beaten with just three lives.
The innovative gameplay features a change from horizontal to vertical scrolling after each level. And of course the best part of the game is that you collect power-ups that you can cash in right away or store them for some really cool weapons.
Maybe one day Life Force will get the recognition it so clearly deserves because it is a video game that looks and plays as if it were developed ten years from when it was actually made.
Check out my current listings for Life Force.
Life Force Video
Gameplay footage of Life Force for the NES.
Mega Man Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (3 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (3 out of 5 stars)Too difficult!
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
When Mega Man was first released for the NES in 1987 it would signal the beginning of video game powerhouse. This game spurred a long line of sequels and spin-offs. Mega Man was a standard side-scrolling platformer that followed the journey of a robot and his maker as they aim to defeat an evil scientist who, of course, is actively trying to take over the world.
Although the plot may not be unique, its not critical to the enjoyment of the game. An innovative feature that Mega Man had was the ability for a player to choose what order to play the main stages through. There were six stages to play at the start with the final stage revealing itself after the first six are completed. Environments were varied and unique to each stage with a route littered with a collective of robot enemies that attack directly, high in the air or from afar with throwing objects.
After defeating each of the robot masters at the end of each stage, Mega Man gains the ability to use boss' weapon against enemies on the other stages. This forced the player to map out their strategy. They had to figure what boss' weapons would be critical in other stages. This adds a logic element to the game's gameplay and although it is not vital to completing the game itself, it makes it slightly easier to play through the stages for those who can figure the order out.
The graphics for Mega Man (they got a lot better in the sequels) were pretty standard for platformers of its time. The accompanying soundtrack plays fittingly alongside the fast paced action of the game and the each of the sound effects have a futuristic yet retrospective feel to it considering the age of the game itself.
Even to this day, I still find the game very entertaining and although it is not the best Mega Man game in the series, the experience of playing the first game of an aging franchise that has become so drastically different of the years gives a refreshing sense of familiarity to the retro gaming experience.
Check out the current listings on Mega Man NES games for sale.
Top 5 RPG NES video games
Ok, decide which is the best rpg for the NES.
NES | CRYSTALIS
A great warrior who was cryogenically suspended be more...0 points
Marble Madness NES Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (4 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
Marble Madness was a classic in the arcade scene,before making its way onto the NES. But I gotta say, I actually the NES version a little better.
I think its because it takes a little while to get used to the "feel" of the game. Even if you've played it a hundred times before, it doesn't matter. If you haven't played it within the last 24 hours, the first couple of marbles are going to perish. That's all there is to it! Your fingers have to get used to how sensitive the controls are.
I think that's why when I played the arcade version, I would only have one marble left(no pun intended) when I finally got the controls down. I felt cheated.
Needless to say, Marble Madness is not for the button masher crowd. Its kind of like the video game's version of "jenga". Controlled moves are the key. Don't make big turns and everything will be hunky dory.
The graphics in the game really give that sense of 3D. In fact I can't think of too many games at that time that gave that kind of perspective.
The music is incredibly catchy without getting nerve racking, which was, lets face it, a problem with video games at that time.
Marble Madness is a classic and has a great timeless feel to it. You could still see people playing it 30 years from now when they're supposed to be working.
Check out my current listings on Marble Madness NES games.
Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
Marble Madness was a classic in the arcade scene,before making its way onto the NES. But I gotta say, I actually the NES version a little better.
I think its because it takes a little while to get used to the "feel" of the game. Even if you've played it a hundred times before, it doesn't matter. If you haven't played it within the last 24 hours, the first couple of marbles are going to perish. That's all there is to it! Your fingers have to get used to how sensitive the controls are.
I think that's why when I played the arcade version, I would only have one marble left(no pun intended) when I finally got the controls down. I felt cheated.
Needless to say, Marble Madness is not for the button masher crowd. Its kind of like the video game's version of "jenga". Controlled moves are the key. Don't make big turns and everything will be hunky dory.
The graphics in the game really give that sense of 3D. In fact I can't think of too many games at that time that gave that kind of perspective.
The music is incredibly catchy without getting nerve racking, which was, lets face it, a problem with video games at that time.
Marble Madness is a classic and has a great timeless feel to it. You could still see people playing it 30 years from now when they're supposed to be working.
Check out my current listings on Marble Madness NES games.
Marble Madness NES Video
Video of some of the levels on Marble Madness.
Marble Madness NES run
I get addicted to this game at times and see how high of a score I can get. This is a pretty good run, could have gotten over 170,000 if I would not have died on the last part but it happens. Play and post your Marble Madness videos so we can compete for high score :D.
Mega Man 2 Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (5 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
If there was one video game that really illustrated the enhancements in graphics during the 1980s, it was Mega Man 2!
While original Mega Man was a great game, you can't help but notice the superior graphics that the sequel had. Characters had great, full features. The colors looked so warm and friendly.
The original Mega Man had a great design & look, but if anything Mega Man 2 just broke the mold. The second Mega Man NES game was one of the best sequels to any Nintendo game or any other console. I think most people agree that this template was later carried on to the other sequels of this great franchise.
Keeping with the motif of the first one with villain selection, there were more villains and each one has a particular weakness from the weapon of another boss. Just the upgrades Mega Man receives from three bosses help you by pass certain traps and perils on other levels. This adds an air of mystery as to what order you confront the robot bosses.
Then off to Doctor Willy's castle. Now, while I find this game to be easier than the original, Doctor's Willy's castle, in the sequel is longer and full of more challenging bosses, especially the Dome Boss. Only Crash man's weapon can work on this one and you only have so much of Crash man's weapon that you are afforded one miss with this weapon.
Obviously, the gameplay wasn't exactly a new revelation. It basically followed along the same path as the original. But this game falls under the category of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Make sure to check out the current listings on Mega Man 2 video games for sale.
Mega Man 2 NES video
Footage of the Mega Man 2 for the NES.
Mega Man 2 (NES) gameplay footage
Metroid NES
5 stars out of 5
Graphics (4 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (5 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
Metroid is another in the long line of video game franchises that the NES Console started.
The first thing that struck my attention when I first played Metroid back in the day was the incredible ambience it had. The dark setting and the melancholy music gave an extra dimension to te game.
To be honest, these weren't things I really noticed when I was played NES games as a kid. But with Metroid, you can't help but notice it.
What Aliens was to film Metroid was to the sci-fi video game genre. Here was a character in a cold, dreary environment with tons of enemies to go through. And, considering this was the 80s I am amazed how well the music holds up even to this day. Lets face it: music wasn't a big priority to developers back in the 80s.
I think the greatest thing about Metroid is all the searching that has to be done. There were worlds on top of worlds. You have to keep going to different areas if you want to increase your weapons.
Metroid has spawned countless sequels even to this day. I'll be the first to admit that many of them are better than the original. But you have to play the original to really get an understanding of tis great franchise.
Check out my current listings for Metroid games for the NES.
Difficulty (5 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
Metroid is another in the long line of video game franchises that the NES Console started.
The first thing that struck my attention when I first played Metroid back in the day was the incredible ambience it had. The dark setting and the melancholy music gave an extra dimension to te game.
To be honest, these weren't things I really noticed when I was played NES games as a kid. But with Metroid, you can't help but notice it.
What Aliens was to film Metroid was to the sci-fi video game genre. Here was a character in a cold, dreary environment with tons of enemies to go through. And, considering this was the 80s I am amazed how well the music holds up even to this day. Lets face it: music wasn't a big priority to developers back in the 80s.
I think the greatest thing about Metroid is all the searching that has to be done. There were worlds on top of worlds. You have to keep going to different areas if you want to increase your weapons.
Metroid has spawned countless sequels even to this day. I'll be the first to admit that many of them are better than the original. But you have to play the original to really get an understanding of tis great franchise.
Check out my current listings for Metroid games for the NES.
Ninja Gaiden NES Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (4 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (1 out of 5 stars)HARDCORE GAMERS ONLY!
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
I will always remember Ninja Gaiden for the NES for a couple reasons. The first one is it actually had cinematic cut scenes. I know ever since the Playstation 1 came out, that isn't exactly the world's greatest accomplishment. But these were cut scenes on a puny 8-bit console from the 1980s. It also had an absolutely slamming soundtrack to go with it.
The other reason I remember it so well is because it was so freaking hard. Playing this game actually gave me blisters. Ninja Gaiden is not for the casual gamer. I cannot stress this enough, if you are not die-hard gamer, this game will make you want to throw the controller through the TV.
But that being said, Tecmo made a fantastic game. It was a side scroller that was about son's revenge over his father's apparent death. You could climb walls, throw Chinese stars, perform karate moves. Basically all the cool stuff a Ninja can do.
High sales led way for two more sequels and various Game Boy games. The play control was very unique for its time, as well as placing a different spin on weapon icons gained through game play. Probably one of the best non sports games that Tecmo ever made.
Check out my site to see all the Ninja Gaiden NES games for sale.
Rad Racer NES
3 stars out of 5
Graphics (3 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (2 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (3 out of 5 stars)
When I was a kid, the moment I saw the commercial for Rad Racer, I had to have it. It's really evident that Nintendo is good at marketing, because here were some of the reasons.
First off it had the word "rad", which if you grew up in the 80s, everybody said.
You could play the game in 3D (is there anything more 80s than that). It came with 3D glasses. I had visions of ducking cars as they grazed my head.
Also, in the commercial, it showed cars doing flips when they ran into each other.
So needless to say I was hooked. I WAS going to buy this game.
Now, to the reality.
First off Rad Racer is a solid racing game for its time. The controls are nice and simple to pick up. There is some excitement as you have to cross each leg of the race at a certain time or the race is over.
The car crashes: Gotta be honest they're a little cheap. You could literally ram into the car that's in front of you and nothing would happen or you could just tap the side of another car and your car would go airborne.
You could probably imagine that I tried the 3D glasses the moment I started the game. I don't know if I just got some defective glasses or what, but I think I was looking into a prism. After I took them off, all I saw were red spots. Needless to say the 3d glasses were a gimmick.
Also, this game is hard to finish, mostly because there are no continues. I have no idea who's idea that was, but he/she should have been fired.
Check out my current listings on Rad Racer for the NES.
Difficulty (2 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (3 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (3 out of 5 stars)
When I was a kid, the moment I saw the commercial for Rad Racer, I had to have it. It's really evident that Nintendo is good at marketing, because here were some of the reasons.
First off it had the word "rad", which if you grew up in the 80s, everybody said.
You could play the game in 3D (is there anything more 80s than that). It came with 3D glasses. I had visions of ducking cars as they grazed my head.
Also, in the commercial, it showed cars doing flips when they ran into each other.
So needless to say I was hooked. I WAS going to buy this game.
Now, to the reality.
First off Rad Racer is a solid racing game for its time. The controls are nice and simple to pick up. There is some excitement as you have to cross each leg of the race at a certain time or the race is over.
The car crashes: Gotta be honest they're a little cheap. You could literally ram into the car that's in front of you and nothing would happen or you could just tap the side of another car and your car would go airborne.
You could probably imagine that I tried the 3D glasses the moment I started the game. I don't know if I just got some defective glasses or what, but I think I was looking into a prism. After I took them off, all I saw were red spots. Needless to say the 3d glasses were a gimmick.
Also, this game is hard to finish, mostly because there are no continues. I have no idea who's idea that was, but he/she should have been fired.
Check out my current listings on Rad Racer for the NES.
Rad Racer Commercial
Here is the original Rad Racer commercial. Admit it. If you were 9 years old, you'd want to buy the game.
Nintendo Metroid & Rad Racer Commercial
Super Mario Bros. NES review
5 stars out 5
Graphics (5 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (5 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
The original. The king. The Grandaddy of them all. What else can be said about this game? More importantly, what would home console gaming be without the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES?
I even remember the first time I got the game. My parents got me the NES console and a couple of games that came with it. I got the original NES with the Robot, which came with the games Duck Hunt and Gyromite. So Super Mario Bros didn't even come with the console. I can't believe my parents had any clue as to how the great this game was.
Prior to this, I had an intellivision, which although it was fun, it didn't have any games that I would call groundbreaking.
When I put Super Mario Bros. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The setting actually moved with when I moved the character from left to right. It just kept on going. I know hearing that nowadays must sound really stupid. Whats the big deal, right? Well think back to the games of those times. Even the great ones. The majority of them were just a flat setting and you moved the character within that flat setting (Donkey Kong, Mario Bros.)
It also doesn't hurt that Super Mario Bros. is still as much fun to play today as it was back when it first came out. The game still holds up incredibly well. Intuitive controls, innovative level design, and of course the landmark gameplay makes this classic game one of the must haves for any die hard gamer.
Check out my current listings on Super Mario Bros for the NES.
Difficulty (5 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
The original. The king. The Grandaddy of them all. What else can be said about this game? More importantly, what would home console gaming be without the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES?
I even remember the first time I got the game. My parents got me the NES console and a couple of games that came with it. I got the original NES with the Robot, which came with the games Duck Hunt and Gyromite. So Super Mario Bros didn't even come with the console. I can't believe my parents had any clue as to how the great this game was.
Prior to this, I had an intellivision, which although it was fun, it didn't have any games that I would call groundbreaking.
When I put Super Mario Bros. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The setting actually moved with when I moved the character from left to right. It just kept on going. I know hearing that nowadays must sound really stupid. Whats the big deal, right? Well think back to the games of those times. Even the great ones. The majority of them were just a flat setting and you moved the character within that flat setting (Donkey Kong, Mario Bros.)
It also doesn't hurt that Super Mario Bros. is still as much fun to play today as it was back when it first came out. The game still holds up incredibly well. Intuitive controls, innovative level design, and of course the landmark gameplay makes this classic game one of the must haves for any die hard gamer.
Check out my current listings on Super Mario Bros for the NES.
Super Mario Bros. NES Video
Footage from Super Mario Bros. NES Video Game.
Super Mario Bros. - NES Gameplay
Super Mario Bros. 2 Review
4 stars out of 5
Graphics (4 out of 5 stars)
Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
Super Mario Bros 2 caused a little bit of controversy back in the day. It was mostly due a gameplay that was very different to the original Super Mario Bros. game for the NES. There is a very good reason for this. What Nintendo did was take a Japanese video game and basically just put Mario characters in it.
I even remember the first time I played it. My initial reaction was "what the hell is this?" But it didn't take long for the game to grow on me.
Actually I still find Super Mario Bros 2 to be a very fun game, even after its been almost 20 years since I first played it.
I used to play it with a friend, who owned the game; we'd occasional swap games I'd always borrow that one. Neither of us ever managed to complete the game in our youth; and he claimed that, to his knowledge no one had completed the game. Many years later, I would play it again and at long last, I won the game (and finally got to see the end sequence revealing the entire game to be a dream of Mario's)
I don't know about anyone else, but for me (and my friend) the character of choice when playing this game is the princess. Her ability to hover makes her the most valuable. Mario doesn't seem to have any special talents.
Luigi has a spastic looking jump that can get annoying and not always the easiest to control as he seems to be flailing about in mid air, and Toad didn't seem to have any special qualities either.
The Princess' ability to hover makes her character the easiest to maneuver and often useful in avoiding attacks, especially when a character fires something at you and you can hover above it (especially if that something, is an object you want to hop on to and pick-up)
All in all, it's still a very fun game and brings back fond memories of my childhood. In fact, I think I may go and play it again right now...
Check out my current listings of Super Mario Bros. 2 video games.
Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (4 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (4 out of 5 stars)
Super Mario Bros 2 caused a little bit of controversy back in the day. It was mostly due a gameplay that was very different to the original Super Mario Bros. game for the NES. There is a very good reason for this. What Nintendo did was take a Japanese video game and basically just put Mario characters in it.
I even remember the first time I played it. My initial reaction was "what the hell is this?" But it didn't take long for the game to grow on me.
Actually I still find Super Mario Bros 2 to be a very fun game, even after its been almost 20 years since I first played it.
I used to play it with a friend, who owned the game; we'd occasional swap games I'd always borrow that one. Neither of us ever managed to complete the game in our youth; and he claimed that, to his knowledge no one had completed the game. Many years later, I would play it again and at long last, I won the game (and finally got to see the end sequence revealing the entire game to be a dream of Mario's)
I don't know about anyone else, but for me (and my friend) the character of choice when playing this game is the princess. Her ability to hover makes her the most valuable. Mario doesn't seem to have any special talents.
Luigi has a spastic looking jump that can get annoying and not always the easiest to control as he seems to be flailing about in mid air, and Toad didn't seem to have any special qualities either.
The Princess' ability to hover makes her character the easiest to maneuver and often useful in avoiding attacks, especially when a character fires something at you and you can hover above it (especially if that something, is an object you want to hop on to and pick-up)
All in all, it's still a very fun game and brings back fond memories of my childhood. In fact, I think I may go and play it again right now...
Check out my current listings of Super Mario Bros. 2 video games.
Super Mario Bros. 2 Video
Footage from Super Mario Bros. 2 for the NES.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 3 Review
5 Stars out of 5
Graphics (5 out of 5 stars)Difficulty (4 out of 5 stars)
Gameplay (5 out of 5 stars)
Replayability (5 out of 5 stars)
Perhaps my most favorite NES game of all time would be Super Mario Bros. 3. Without it, I don't think that there would be Super Mario Galaxy and other Mario games. For those who can't remember, Super Mario Bros. 3 is a platformer, typical of a Mario game.
Super Mario Bros. 3 really pushed the limits of the NES 8-bit console! Not only do the graphics look great (state-of-the-art of that time) but the gameplay is amazing!!!
Who would have thought that the Nintendo developers could fit such a game in a single cartridge at that time. But I don't think that I am alone in having Super Mario Bros. 3 as my favorite NES game.
Afterall, Super Mario Bros. 3 has a legendary status in video game popularity. In fact, IGN ranked it #39 in their Top 100 Games of All Time in 2007.
Also, there were some mini-games (very revolutionary at the time) which would allow you to earn power-ups or lives. It also has lots of enemies and characters. The difficulty is average. Clearly, it's designed to be played by everybody and not just by hardcore gamers.
BTW, I saw somebody playing it on their cell-phone via a NES emulator.
For those with a wii console that want to experience this game as well, you can purchase a copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 and play it on your Nintendo Wii via the Virtual Console for 500 points. Trust me! Even if the graphics are dated, the gameplay is still incredible. You won't regret playing it!
If you want the original action check out all the Super Mario Bros. 3 video games for sale.
Super Mario Bros. 3 Video
Footage of the first world in Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES.
Super Mario Bros 3 NES Complete Game Part 1/26!!!
Favorite NES Game featuring Mario
If there is one thing the NES is most known for, its that it has our favorite Italian plumber. Decide which nes game that featured Mario as the lead character was the best?
Mario Bros. NES Game
Original NES Mario Brothers Video game. All-time c more...0 points
