This is a WWII-themed vertical shmup. It is the first in a series. It is fairly simplistic, and it didn't port from the arcade very well. The constant beeping music/sound can be grating.

The sequel to 1942 improves on the original in every way. The graphics, sound, music and gameplay are all much better. Unlike the arcade game it was ported from, you can permanently upgrade your plane's capabilities throughout the game. You only have one life, but you have a health meter.

Plays like Castlevania, but much harder, and not as good.

This game has nice graphics, and interesting gameplay featuring an alien blob that morphs into various objects depending on what flavor of jelly bean you feed him. You use these objects to make progress in the game. But the game falls apart due to its nearly impossible difficulty level. Without a walkthrough, there is no way you can beat this game, except by accident.

Interesting gameplay that has beat-em-up levels, third-person racing levels, and Zapper levels. Also has very good music. But it is way too difficult. You have to hit each enemy dozens of times to beat them. If not for the extreme difficulty level, this would have been a great game. I did manage to beat it once.

Sokoban-style gameplay.

A vertical shmup that sadly has no ending. It just has a few levels that loop forever. I bought this game because it was cheap at the time ($19.99), but it wasn't worth even that.

This is a medieval-themed game where you use an axe and other weapons to chop your way through levels. It was released late in the life of the NES, so it has nice graphics and large, colorful sprites. It almost looks like an early Genesis or SNES game. But the gameplay is too difficult, mostly due to the unresponsive controls.

Plays like Joust, but you float along by holding balloons, and you try to pop the other players' balloons. You have three balloons at a time, so you can survive a lot longer than in Joust. Fun simultaneous gameplay like Joust as well.

I know this game is usually highly rated, and I usually like light gun games, but I didn't like this one. The games were too simple and repetitive, and there were too few of them. And the girl is very poorly dressed. Not recommended.

This game is supposed to be based on the 1989 movie, but I didn't notice much similarity. I suppose if the whole movie took place in the chemical factory at the beginning, then it would make sense. Of couse, The Joker is already The Joker at the beginning of the game, so the chemical factory doesn't even make sense. The graphics and sound are nice, but the gameplay is terribly difficult. It's obvious that no thought was put into the design of this game to make it playable. You usually face enemies that are above or below you, but you can only attack horizontally! Meanwhile, they will attack you until you jump to their level, losing health the whole way, and then begin your attack, if you are still alive. Terrible! It has unresponsive controls, infinitely respawning enemies, and cheap deaths by the bucket load.

Action/adventure/platformer that requires you to use a grappling hook to get around.

Best hockey game I've ever played. Better with two players.

Awesome gameplay where you drive a very maneuverable tank in side-view perspective to get to locations where you exit the tank and fight in an above-view perspective. Lots of exploration involved. Awesome graphics, sound and music. The story is a bit weird, but who needs a story? I've played through this game more times than I can count. It's easily one of my favorite NES games.

Classic Bomberman gameplay, but only one player. You must try to set bombs to blow up the other players on the screen. NES Bomberman is unique in that the playfield scrolls around.

The scrolling playfields are gone, and now there is some limited multiplayer. This game gets us much closer to the modern Bomberman games.

Collect diamonds by digging through dirt, but avoid having rocks fall on you. Once you have enough diamonds, an exit door opens.

Great arcade translation, though it has weaker graphics and sound and way fewer power-ups and bonus items. It has two-player co-op, which is its best feature. The final boss is apparently impossible to beat, though. I've never managed to do it, even with a second player helping out.

Better graphics, music and sound than the first, but it loses the two-player co-op, which is the heart of the game.

This game has great graphics, sound and music, but brutally difficult game play. It starts off at the difficulty level of Super Mario World's bonus levels, and gets harder from there. It feels like the whole game is played in fast-forward mode. Everything moves so quickly that you have very little time to react to anything. Thankfully it has infinite continues, so you can keep going as long as you want. But with the amount of cheap deaths, leaps of faith and absolute perfection required just to survive, you might not play it long. The boss battles are insanely difficult. I finally gave up after hours of continues, and used a Game Genie code that gave me invulnerability just to beat the game! Sad.

This horror-themed plaformer is fun, until you get to the final boss (Dracula), and discover that even with save states, you aren't likely to ever beat him. Perhaps an infinite-health cheat code would be useful?

This is an unusual action adventure platformer in that it allows two players to play cooperatively. But the difficulty level is far too high, which ruins the game.

Race boats with weapons through obstacles to complete the mission on time.

Absolutely incredible run-n-gun game that includes 2-player co-op. Very difficult. You'll need the famous Konami Code in order to beat it (while the title screen scrolls in, press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A). You don't have a health meter. One hit and you are dead, and there are plenty of opportunities to die. But with some practice (and the cheat code), you can beat the game. Two players make it a lot easier.

Crystalis plays like the original Zelda, but with a post-apocalyptic setting. It uses multi-scrolling screens instead of Zelda's single-screen approach. The gameplay is VERY difficult. You will do a LOT of level grinding. And it's often not clear what you need to do next.

Very difficult gameplay.

Complete the 6 unique stages based on park rides in order to unlock the Disney Castle. The 6 stages are: Haunted Mansion (platformer), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (overhead action), Pirates of the Caribbean (platformer), Autopia (overhead racing), Space Mountain (space flight sim), and Disney Trivia (quiz). So far I have not been able to beat this game. It is quite difficult, and you only get three lives across all of the various games.

This is a near-perfect arcade port. The gameplay involves fighting off bees that are trying to steal your plants at the bottom of the screen while using a bug sprayer to push Donkey Kong up the screen where his head gets stuck in a beehive. It's not as good as the first two Donkey Kong games. And it stars Stanley instead of Mario.

This game includes both Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. They were both released as stand-alone games previously. Unfortunately, both games are missing a level. This is really unacceptable, especially since the NES could easily have handled all four levels for each game. If they had included all the levels, this would have been a near-perfect port of the games, and would have received 4 stars.

Best basketball game I have ever played. The controls are intuitive, and it is very playable. The graphics, sound and music are great as well. Two players make it even better.

This was the first RPG that I ever played. I enjoyed it, although you have to do a TON of leveling up before you can hope to enter the dungeons. The interface has not aged well, either, since it makes you select all your actions from a menu, sometimes multiple levels deep, to do various actions such as opening doors or treasure chests or talking to people. Later RPGs used a single action button on the controller to do all of these things, which is infinitely better.

Duck Hunt is a light gun game where you must shoot the ducks or clay pigeons before they get away. If they get away, your hunting dog (easily the most irritating video game character ever) pops up and laughs at you, and you can't shoot him. This game came on a cartridge with Super Mario Bros., and later also with World Class Track Meet. These cartriges were pack-ins for the NES for many years.

This game has you racing a motorcycle in an above-and-to-the-side perspective. You have to rotate you motorcycle in order to land jumps correctly, and you have to avoid overheating your engine. It's fun for a while. It has a level editor, but there is no way to save your levels, so it's kind of pointless. The original Famicom Disk System version let you save to disk.

Medieval fantasy game with RPG-like elements in a medieval fantasy setting. It can be difficult to play, though. I've only beat it once. It has a password system, so you can continue when you die.

Overhead perspective action/adventure game, like the overhead parts of Blaster Master, but way too difficult.

This was the second RPG that I ever played. I really enjoyed it. It is much more approachable than Dragon Warrior, and the story and gameplay have much more depth. It also has outstanding music. Much like Dragon Warrior, the interface has not aged well, so I'd recommend playing one of the more modern remakes (like Final Fantasy Origins on Playstation or Final Fantasy I&II: Dawn of Souls on Game Boy Advance), because having a generic action button and a run button makes this a much more enjoyable experience.

This sequel plays much like the first game. It introduced many elements that would remain in future games, such as Cid and chocobos. It was never released in the U.S., so you have to find a fan-translation to play it on the NES. But just like the first game, I recommend one of the enhanced remakes for a more modern system. The game most U.S. game players know as Final Fantasy II on the SNES is actually Final Fantasy IV.

This game plays like the first two, but it also introduces a job system, which would become a series staple, along with summons. It is a lot harder than the first two, and I have been unable to beat it. Not to be confused with SNES Final Fantasy III in the U.S., which is actually Final Fantasy VI. This game was also not released in the U.S., so you need to play an fan-translation to play it on the NES. But again, you are much better off playing an enhanced remake.

As a counter-terrorist, you must shoot the terrorists without hitting the hostages.

Fun, though not completely faithful, conversion of the arcade classic.

Nice arcade conversion. Four players can play together with a multi-tap. The only bad part is that there is no ending to the game. The first 6 levels are always in the same order. After that, the levels are randomly chosen from 100 available. After 100 levels, they start to repeat. You'll probably game over before you see the levels repeat, though.

Control your character or vehicle in side-scrolling action to get to the end of the levels loosely based on the movie.

Pretty fun golf game played from an overhead perspective.

Sequel to a game that was never released in the US. Switches from side-scrolling to first-person in some areas. Very hard.

This game has an action RPG overworld kind of like the original Zelda, but it has a futuristic setting. There is a map function to help you find your way to the vertical shmup areas. The shmup parts are stupidly difficult. There were a couple of bosses that I could only defeat after using a Game Genie code for infinite health. The impossible difficulty ruins an otherwise great game. I don't recommend it.

One of the best ports of the amazing arcade game Gyruss. It's not very faithful to the arcade, but the changes are pretty cool, and in many ways enhance the original.

Simple but fun light gun game where you must shoot the gangster instead of the innocent person. Also includes a mode where you must shoot falling cans and try to get them to land on pedestals.

This is a great arcade game port for 4 players. The CPU AI cheats like nobody's business, so that ruins the experience for 1 to 3 players. The NES was the only port to support 4 players with the multi-tap. The SMS, SNES and Genesis ports only support 2 players. The NES version has the least-offensive graphics as well, mostly due to a lack of detail in the skimpily-dressed women.

Vehicle shooter with 2-player co-op. Drive your jeep through levels to rescue hostages and defeat enemies. The final boss is overly difficult, though.

Greek mythology theme. Uses the same game engine as Metroid, but is linear and way harder. I have never managed to finish the first level. Yikes! I've heard that the game gets easier and better after the first level, and there are shmup levels. This game is often rated very highly, but if I can't make it past the first level, then I can't justify a high rating.

Difficult medieval-themed vertical shooter. It's by Square!

Awesome platformer starring Kirby. When you suck in enemies, you get their abilities. You use the enemies' abilities to make your way through the levels. Nice graphics and music. Looks and sounds more like a SNES game than a NES game. I've beaten it a few times.

Good arcade conversion. Has 2-player simultaneous play. Stack up falling blocks to place three or more of the same color in a row.

This is an early beat-em-up with difficult game play. If you make the slightest mistake, there is no mercy.

Control Link as he explores an overworld and makes his way through dungeons filled with monsters to rescue the kidnapped Princess Zelda. The exploration elements are somewhat archaic, though. It can be tedious to burn every bush and bomb every wall to find secrets, and in some cases you have to find these completely hidden areas just to progress in the game! But with a walk-through guide, this is a great game that should not be missed.

Fun horizontally-scrolling shoot-em-up with nice graphics, music and gameplay.

Great platformer with nice graphics, sound and music.

This fun medieval-themed platformer has you switching between a human that throws bells, a dragon that can hover for short times and shoots fire, a golem that is slow but strong, and a mouse that is weak, but can get into tight places and can place bombs. You have to switch between the four characters to beat the levels. The difficulty is pretty high, though. I've only beaten it on the easiest setting, which doesn't give you a good ending.

Gameplay is identical to other platforms, but the screen scrolls around instead of showing the whole level at once, which makes the NES version considerably more difficult, because you can't see enemies that are outside the screen.

Like a linear Metroid with a focus on action instead of exploration.

Good conversion of the arcade game. Too bad there is no trackball for NES. Has 2-player simultaneous play. Guide your marble through an isometric maze to reach the exit.

Very good conversion of the arcade classic. Has 2-player simultaneous play. Eliminate the creatures that come out of the pipes on each level.

The first of the never-ending series. The Mega Man games let you play their levels in any order. When you get to the end of a level, you fight a boss. When you beat that boss, you get his ability. There is strategy in choosing the order to play the levels, because some abilities work great against certain bosses.

More Mega Man action. Many people consider this to be the best of the series. It has better graphics and improved gameplay compared to the first.

More Mega Man action.

More Mega Man action.

More Mega Man action.

More Mega Man action. Last of the series on NES.

Amazing action adventure platformer/run-n-gun that has atmospheric graphics and music, and great gameplay that requires exploration. As you discover new abilities, you are able to explore further into the game. Even the storyline is great. The twist at the end was unexpected. The game is so big that it has a password system to let you start where you left off for multi-day gaming sessions. Overall, an outstanding game in every way. I have played through it many times, though I have never gotten the "best" ending, which you get for beating it in less than one hour. I always get the second-best ending, which you get for beating it in less than three hours.

This is a fun overhead racing game featuring toy vehicles in real-world locations such as table-tops and sand boxes. It has a point-scoring dynamic much like Auto Racing on the Intellivision: When one person reaches the edge of the screen by getting ahead of everyone else, they get a point. After that, everyone restarts together. When you get a set number of points, you win. The problem is, the game is a little wonky in deciding who is actually ahead. Sometimes you can just go to the sides of the screen to get a point, even if you went backwards! But it is still fun. I prefer the Genesis and SNES versions that support up to 4 players.

Side-scrolling ninja action. One of the first games to use cut scenes to tell the story. Very difficult.

This is the sequel to Rainbow Islands, and is the third in the Bubble Bobble series. But it doesn't have two-player co-op. The gameplay is more like the original Bubble Bobble than Rainbow Islands, except you catch enemies with your parasol instead of catching them in bubbles.

Place pipes of various shapes in order to get water from one point on the screen to another. As you progress in levels, there are various obstacles that you have to work around. Fun!

This is a fun third-person fighting game where you must memorize the patterns of the other fighters in order to beat them. I was never able to beat the game.

Race R.C. cars with weapons in an isometric perspective.

Fun third-person racing game by Square. Includes a 3D mode where you can where red/blue 3D glasses.

This is the sequel to Bubble Bobble. Like the arcade, it doesn't have two-player co-op, so it's not as good as the first game. But it is still a fun platformer. You hit enemies with rainbows to beat them instead of blowing bubbles like in the first game. You also use the rainbows as platforms to reach higher places in the level. The levels scroll vertically, and can be several screens high.

Pretty good arcade port. Play as giant monsters that climb buildings and beat them up until they fall down. Avoid being shot by tanks and helicopters. Eat people to regain health.

Typical beat-em-up gameplay, except that you can use money to purchase upgrades. It also has exploration elements. You can play 2-player co-op.

Hack-n-slash with nice graphics and medieval setting.

This isometric platformer has you collecting balls to add segments to your snake. It includes two-player co-op gameplay. The controls are a bit tricky, which keeps this from being a 4-star game.

Plays like Thrust or Gravitar. Using thrust, you must maneuver your spacecraft against gravity and obstacles, all while shooting enemies, and land to pick up pieces of a space craft, which must then be taken to the top of the map. It's pretty tricky, but fun.

This is a fun platformer puzzle game where you play a wizard that can make blocks appear and disappear. You have to make your way through a screen full of traps and infinitely respawning bad guys to get to an exit by making blocks appear and disappear. The difficulty is pretty high. You can make it impossible to beat a level if you make a mistake, and there is no way to reset the level. Also, there is no password or other save system, so once you game over, you start from scratch each time.

Space combat flight-sim. Plays like Star Raiders on the Atari 2600. Difficult gameplay. It was one of the first games I bought for my NES (because it was cheap, and now I know why), but I have still never beaten it.

Loosely based on the arcade game.

Sequel to the amazing Contra. It's pretty much more of the same, including 2-player co-op and difficulty gameplay. There is a modified Konami code available that gives you 10 lives (compared to Contra's 30). Instead of the third-person perspective levels in Contra, this game gives you vertical-scrolling sections.

Super Mario Bros. is an amazing scrolling platformer where you work your way through each level, finding secrets and fighting enemies along the way, to save Princess Toadstool at the end of the game. It shows its age, but it is still fun to play. I have beaten it many times. Super Mario Bros. is usually credited with ending the Video Game Crash of 1983. I recommend the version that comes with the SNES Super Mario All-Stars, since it has better graphics and sound and save ability, but identical gameplay. Super Mario Bros. was a pack-in cartridge with the NES for most of its life. Later versions of the NES came with a cartridge with Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. The NES bundle with the Power Pad had a cartridge that also added World Class Track Meet along with the other two games.

In the U.S., Super Mario Bros. 2 is the Japanese "Yume Koujou: Doki Doki Panic" (literally translates as "Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic") with Mario characters added. Some of the enemies are swapped out for Mario standards, but much of the original Doki-Doki Panic is still there. It's a fun game, though it plays somewhat differently than other SMB games. I recommend the version that comes with the SNES Super Mario All-Stars, since it has better graphics and sound and save ability, but identical gameplay. FYI, the Japanese SMB2 was just SMB1 with harder levels, but the same graphics and sound. The U.S. version of SMB2 was released in Japan as "Super Mario USA". The Japanese version shows up in Super Mario All-Stars as "The Lost Levels".

In the U.S., Super Mario Bros. 2 is the Japanese "Yume Koujou: Doki Doki Panic" (literally translates as "Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic") with Mario characters added. In Japan, Super Mario Bros. 2 is the same as SMB1, but with levels that start at the difficulty of SMB1's world 8. They used the SMB1 game engine, but added wind and poisonous mushrooms. They also eliminated the two-player mode. When you start, you can be Mario or Luigi. Luigi can jump higher than Mario. This game is brutally difficult.

The last and best of the SMB series on NES. This game is incredible. It has an overworld where you choose which level you want to play next, sometimes with branching to different sets of levels. Various upgrades can be found to make Mario have new abilities, such as the tanuki suit that lets Mario fly, the frog suit that lets Mario swim fast and jump high, and you also get the standard upgrades such as mushrooms and stars, but you can store them and use them when needed. They even included a vs. Mario Bros. game that you can play if you and the second player are on the same location of the overworld map. Great game! I've beaten it many times. I recommend the version that comes with the SNES Super Mario All-Stars, since it has better graphics and sound and save ability (which is helpful for this long game), but identical gameplay.

Good tennis game. Probably the best on NES. Can use a multi-tap for 4 simultaneous players.

A fun action adventure platformer game with racing action elements. Uses cut scenes to tell the story.

Medieval-fantasy-themed action adventure platformer.

Plays like a linear Metroid, but with more difficult gameplay, and no exploration.

This sequel is quite different from the first. It uses an overhead view for the overworld, but then switches to a platformer in dungeons and towns. The difficulty level is astronomical. This is mostly due to very poor game design. For instance, unlike every other Zelda game in existence, enemies don't drop hearts. The only way to refresh your health is to find the rare fairy. And if you game over, you start AT THE VERY BEGINNING, although you retain all of your items. Speaking of items, you often have to find critical items in oddball places. Without a walkthrough, I don't see how you could have played this game originally. Also, the game is very poorly programmed, resulting in massive slowdowns at various times in the game. This is definitely the worst Zelda game I have ever played. Not recommended.