Complete NES Nintendo Games of 1985
Ranked #1,903 in Games, #70,454 overall
The First Video Games For the Nintendo Entertainment System
What were the first Nintendo games? What were the games that made Nintendo so popular? These are two questions I'm often asked about my favorite video game console ever--the Nintendo Entertainment System. On this lens is the complete list of the first Nintendo games and videos of gameplay courtesy of NESGUIDE.COM. I briefly discuss each game with my memories as well as offer my awesome opinion on games you need to play or own in your retro video game collection. You will also discover throughout this lens that I love Virtual Console, where you can buy original Nintendo games for your Wii for only $5 per game. The majority of the first wave of Nintendo Entertainment System games are available for download on VC. I never would have become so addicted to retro gaming without Virtual Console, where I started playing my favorite Nintendo games from my youth like the Super Mario Bros. series, Legend of Zelda, and Mega Man 2 to name a few. When Nintendo started releasing fewer and fewer NES titles on Virtual Console, I started buying old SNES and Sega Genesis games, which are also available on VC.
There were a slew of great titles the first year of the Nintendo Entertainment System, like Excitebike, Duck Hunt, and Kung Fu, but it was Super Mario Bros. that put Nintendo on the map. I was hooked the first time I played it, with its catchy tunes and bright and colorful backdrop, awesome power-up of a Fireballer, and that there were secrets to be unearthed like 1-Ups and extra coins. Super Mario Bros. has one of the best replay values of any video game I've ever played. If I have 15 minutes to kill I'll pop the game in to see how quickly I can take down Bowser.
Enjoy the list of first Nintendo games ever, and please share your first memories of the NES in the Guestbook.
There were a slew of great titles the first year of the Nintendo Entertainment System, like Excitebike, Duck Hunt, and Kung Fu, but it was Super Mario Bros. that put Nintendo on the map. I was hooked the first time I played it, with its catchy tunes and bright and colorful backdrop, awesome power-up of a Fireballer, and that there were secrets to be unearthed like 1-Ups and extra coins. Super Mario Bros. has one of the best replay values of any video game I've ever played. If I have 15 minutes to kill I'll pop the game in to see how quickly I can take down Bowser.
Enjoy the list of first Nintendo games ever, and please share your first memories of the NES in the Guestbook.
Early Nintendo Advertisement
The Original Nintendo Came With R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy)
On October 18, 1985, the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in New York City, with seventeen launch titles. The full release of the console would come to the rest of North America in February of 1986. The Nintendo quickly became a hot item, and word of mouth spread about how this game system was different than any other system before. The improved graphics were undeniable, but it was the addictive gameplay that created the buzz. And instead of a joystick, a D-pad (directional pad) controller was used-which is now the norm in video game controllers. It was like having an arcade in your house.
There were only two games made for use of R.O.B., Gyromite and Stack-Up. Poor sales and crappy R.O.B.'s (many problems with parts and gameplay) caused Nintendo to scrap the whole robotic series. It was such an innovative idea its unfortunate it didn't meet Nintendo's high expectations.
The List of the First Nintendo Games Ever Included Super Mario Bros.
Watch Video Gameplay of the First Nintendo Games Ever
The Super Mario Bros. video game made Nintendo a household name due to its addictive gameplay, colorful characters, and dastardly enemies. One of Nintendo's more brilliant ideas was to package this game with the Nintendo Entertainment System so virtually anyone whoever picked up a controller played this game. Mario and Luigi's adventures have endured for over twenty-five years in the Mushroom Kingdom and was the best-selling video game of all time before Nintendo's Wii Sports captured the title in 2009. Since his humble beginnings as a plummer in 1985, Mario has had many video game sequels and even his own live-action movie and cartoon.
This lens is spotlighting the original launch titles. You can see a video demonstration for each game. Sit back, enjoy, and start dusting off that old gray box, because now you're playing with power.
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10-Yard Fight
A pretty simple looking football game even by 8-bit standards but still blew Atari football games away. Little did the world know that Tecmo Bowl was a few years away. I only recommend playing this video game while listening to Flock of Seagulls on a Walkman.
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Baseball
Available on Wii Virtual Console
As the name suggests, this game is all about America's pastime Baseball. Pretty basic with simple graphics like 10 Yard Fight but still light years ahead of any Atari home console baseball game. Every team is exactly the same except for uniform color, there is zero variety of strengths and weaknesses between teams or players. If you are a retro gamer, please play another NES baseball game like Bases Loaded or Baseball Stars.
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Clu Clu Land
Available on Wii Virtual Console
Are you awesome enough to help Bubbles unravel the mystery of Clu Clu Land by defeating the evil Sea Urchin? I have complete faith in you. Clu Clu Land is a fun puzzle game and you get rewarded with coins--the very same ones used in Super Mario Bros. For that minuscule connection only I downloaded this Nintendo game on Virtual Console.
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Donkey Kong Jr. Math
Available on Wii Virtual Console
Who doesn't love math to earn points for high score in a video game? Everybody. I felt bad for kids whose parents bought this lousy game because it taught the young gamer that learning is fun and Super Mario Bros. would only rot your brain. But who knows, maybe those kids are now ace accountants because of the amazing Donkey Kong Jr. Math. I just don't understand with all the Donkey Kong titles this was the one that made the list of the NES Game Launch.
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Duck Hunt
A great classic shooter for the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Also a video game that nearly everyone played because it was packaged with Super Mario Bros. later on. The object of the game is to shoot down ducks (shocking, right?) or clay pigeons, and not that smug dog who laughs at your misfortunes and poor aim. The Duck Hunt dog cannot be shot, I know from much experience after trying from all angles and depths. You can only play this game with the Nintendo Zapper Light Gun and sadly, the gun does not work on LCD, LED, or Plasma televisions. You will need to find a good old fashioned tube TV. Happy hunting.
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Excitebike
Available on Wii Virtual Console
One of the first games I downloaded on Virtual Console and immediately designed my own race track because now I can actually save the course. The original Excitebike cartridge did not have a battery so once you turned off the game--poof--your radical track was gone. God bless the Wii and being able to save old Nintendo games without having to leave the Nintendo power on for days on end.
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Golf
Available on Wii Virtual Console
Golf features Mario as the only golfer and he is a terribly out of shape old man in this game, with a big bowler's gut in a white shirt and tight blue pants. I'm guessing the setting of this game takes place in the far away future after Mario has saved the Mushroom Kingdom for the thousandth time. The graphics are very simple but is is an entertaining game worth playing. It seemed like every kid's dad had this game when I was younger.
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Gyromite
One of only two games ever made that you needed R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) to play. R.O.B. had already faded into obscurity by the time I got my Nintendo so I have never played this video game. However, I am searching to buy R.O.B. at a decent price even though I will be terribly disappointed. It's unfortunate R.O.B. didn't work out for Nintendo, because after I saw the first NES commercial I thought it was the coolest thing to use a robot to play a video game.
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Hogan's Alley
Far and away the best game in the Nintendo Zapper light gun series. I rented this game so often I could of saved a fortune by purchasing it. I just wish I had an old TV to play it on now because Zapper light gun games do not work on new TV screens. The Zapper light gun relied on the old bubble screens to reflect light back to the gun.
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Ice Climber
Available on Wii Virtual Console
This game needs to be revamped or remade or just re-anything for the Wii or Nintendo 3DS. I may just start a fan page for this project on Facebook. Ice Climber stars young Popo and Nana as they climb their way up a mountain to retrieve their stolen vegetables. This is one of eight million games it seems like where eggplants are featured either as a commodity or villainous foe. Please let me know your thoughts of a new Ice Climber game in the Guestbook.
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Kung Fu
Kung Fu is an awesome beat-em-up game ported from the arcade that is still fun to play today. Although a very short game, each stage has different hazards and enemies, and every boss needs a unique strategy to defeat them. Just don't let the final boss Mr. X's vile laugh get to you as you attempt to free your very dear girl Sylvia. After all, you are Keiji Thomas with a sweet martial arts uniform and slippers. All kidding aside, I love this game, and everyone else should love it too.
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Mach Rider
Available on Wii Virtual Console
I didn't play Mach Rider much as a kid, since the premier Nintendo racing game was Excitebike. Still, it's a fun little game where you get to fire a machine gun while speeding around at 500 mph. Jumping Jiggawatts! There are two options of play--Fighting and Endurance. Play the Fighting mode if you dare to risk it all in Mach Rider.
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Pinball
Available on Wii Virtual Console
It is essential to listen to Pinball Wizard by The Who when playing this game. Otherwise you're just some loser playing an old video game. I kid because I love.
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Stack Up
The second Nintendo game designed for use with R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy). With a clever name like R.O.B., how didn't robotic games become destined for greatness? Never played this game but will update once I get my R.O.B. on.
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Super Mario Bros.
Available on Wii Virtual Console
Everyone in the 1980's played Super Mario Bros. at least once. Even grandmas, when they weren't busy knitting you a reindeer sweater. Nintendo was brilliant to package Super Mario Bros. with the system so everyone would have to play it, and get extremely addicted to it. From the catchy tunes to relentless Goombas and Toad sending you on wild goose chases because the Princess was in another castle, SMB had everything a video gamer wanted. Super Mario Bros. still stands up today as a fun platforming classic, and because it is available for download on Virtual Console (have I mentioned I love Wii Virtual Console?) it has reached the hands of a new generation of gamers. This was the first Nintendo game I ever beat. I was playing SMB before hockey practice and had to pause it at level 8-2 because I there was no way I was turning off my progress. Two hours later I was home and a short while later I had saved the Princess. However, I felt I had cheated myself by using warps so the next day I played without warps and had beat it again within two days. To that point of my life, it was my greatest accomplishment. I'd still probably put it in my top 10 today.
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Tennis
Available on Wii Virtual Console
Another boring sports title from Nintendo's first launch of video games. Actually at the time of Tennis' release, it was a pretty popular game for a short while. According to the back of the Nintendo box, "You'll have hours of fun rushing the net, playing the baseline or roaming the court." I may just download it on Virtual Console for five bucks to see if they're right.
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Wild Gunman
A fun Zapper light gun game if you have an old tube TV to play it on. This game was huge in the arcade before it was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System. After all, you're gunslinging in the Old West. A Winner is You! The more I write about these Nintendo Zapper Light Gun games the more I want to buy a clunky old tube TV at a flea market or somewhere. It is hard to imagine Nintendo can't release these Zapper games on Virtual Console and program the Wii remote or other gun accessory to play.
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Wrecking Crew
Available on Wii Virtual Console
Hulk angry and Hulk smash. Actually it's your fan favorites Mario and Luigi doing all the wrecking. A typical old arcade game where it was just one screen per level, similar to Popeye or Donkey Kong. Mario and Luigi fans should own this piece of video game history when the plumbers were moonlighting as demolition experts.
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Favorite Nintendo Character
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More Nintendo Fan Sites For the Retro Gamer
Check Out My Retro Gaming Site
If you love old school Nintendo, come visit my retro gaming site The NES Nintendo Nerd. You'll find reviews, NES memories, and a unhealthy love for the 80's.
Cheats and Controllers to Help Beat Old Nintendo Games
Do you need a little help beating a difficult Nintendo game or a turbo boost from a controller for some rapid fire? These tools will help you conquer any classic Nintendo game so you can brag to your friends that you finally beat Mega Man 2 or Ninja Gaiden. Your mastery of the Nintendo Entertainment System can only bring great things to your life. Check out the items below to begin your Retro Nintendo Game Journey.
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Guestbook
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Edutopia
Feb 15, 2012 @ 4:22 am | delete
- Hey guys did you hear the secret!? You can control the ducks in Duck Hunt! Pass it on!
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hunksparrow
Apr 28, 2012 @ 9:09 pm | delete
- I recently found that out! After all these years! The second player controller can control the ducks flight path.
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The_Goblins_Den
Oct 9, 2011 @ 7:25 pm | delete
- Ah yes, the good ol' NES. I had the first Nintendo, but later defected and became a Sega fan (thanks to Sonic The Hedgehog). Good lens.
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RagingMouse
Sep 11, 2011 @ 12:00 pm | delete
- Very nice lens! I really like SMB but i enjoyed Duck Hunt the most. Never forget the funny hours with my friends while shooting the poor ducks :)
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kab
Aug 11, 2011 @ 9:09 am | delete
- The best NES game I had was Gauntlet 4 player. Many good times were had. We set it up again last summer and had fun all over again.
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All Videos are Courtesy of NESGUIDE.COM via YOUTUBE.COM
Check out NESGUIDE.COM to see videos and read short blurbs of all Nintendo games. It is a wonderful resource to use when deciding to buy an old Nintendo game because you can watch the gameplay and see if the game is worth your hard earned cash.
by hunksparrow
Greetings, exalted ones! I'm a big fan of Star Wars, NES, pretty much anything 80's and Archie and the gang, of course. more »
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