Best NES Games: Tried, Tested and Rated in 2024

The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES as it’s affectionately called, was really the first games console to enter homes and bedrooms.

Prior to this, the Atari 2600 was known as a video gaming system, and shortly after the Amiga and Atari ST were known as computers more than game systems, so it wasn’t until the 8-bit gaming systems that the term console was introduced.

The NES was the first of the 8-bit systems to launch, way back in February 1986, a full 6 months before its main rival the Sega Master System hit the shelves.

Although considered unaesthetically pleasing by today’s curvy console standards, the grey NES box with its top loading compartment for cartridges became a world of exploration and adventure for many children, families, and big kids back in the 80s.

Popular as ever a recent mini NES has launched with some great classic games for anyone who didn’t have a chance to experience the NES in all its glory nearly 40 years ago.

Growing up I preferred Nintendo systems over Sega systems.

I had a NES instead of Master System and a Super Nintendo over a Mega Drive.

It wasn’t until Panasonic launched the 3D0 and Sony launched the Playstation did my brand choice waver.

Grabbing down my neat rather dusty NES from the attic and flicking through the cartridges of yesteryear brought many fond childhood memories back.

Here are the best NES games, tried, tested, and rated.

Jackie Chan’s Action Kung Fu

Licensing the name of a top kung fu star such as Jackie Chan was always going to see this title sell well across the NES.

Those games are often hit or miss depending on whether time and effort was spent to make a great game to live up to the name behind it or rushed through on a budget to make as much money off the license deal as possible.

Jackie Chan’s Action Kung Fu sits neatly in between the two.

For an 8-bit machine the game certainly runs well in terms of quickness and speed.

The sprites are decent although a little basic in areas, even for this retro console, and the gameplay and controls are very easy to get along with.

Without understanding much of the story line behind why Jackie Chan is off to beat up some badies, although where Jackie Chan is concerned one could argue this is Jackie Chan being Jackie Chan.

The player can land a series of kicks of punches depending on the direction of the d-pad, which is easier to manage than different buttons for different threat types.

The only main negative, aside from the general graphic improvement that could have been made before launch, is how easy the game is.

Enemies are very easy to jump over or get past, including the tigers, and even landing in the water just sees the immortal one wade through until jumping back on to the platform.

It is though a fun game with great speed and worth picking up and playing again today.

1943

1943 holds many memories for me growing up.

The arcade version of this showed up everywhere from fish and chip shops to video rental places.

As a kid it felt less about skill and more about fortune trying to weave and dodge what felt like hundreds of planes and bullets on the screen, all targeted in one direction.

The gameplay was incredibly fast back in the day.

With such incredibly fast and frantic fun gameplay on the arcade, how could an 8-bit console such as the NES possibly pull all this off on a home console?

Surprisingly well actually.

The opening scene where the plane leaves the aircraft carrier looks a little awkward, but fortunately the moment the plane takes to the sky the magic happens.

Three seconds in to the game and I could have been in the local video shop smashing the buttons and jerking the controller on the arcade.

The game is that good of a conversion.

In fact I wouldn’t have been disappointed if this version had been on a 16-bit console such as the SNES or Mega Drive.

Being a fan of many arcade games were often a disappointment for the early console adopters at a time the graphics or gameplay couldn’t compete.

I’d argue 1943 attempted to break that rule, and almost succeeded.

The gameplay is fast and frantic, controls are very responsive and graphics decent for the console.

If 1943 isn’t in your NES collection, it should be!

Shatterhand

Shatterhand on the NES is one of those hidden gems.

Rarely talked about and underappreciated by all who didn’t add this to their Christmas or birthday wish list growing up.

Games like this are truly a special moment when first discovered.

The generic sci-fi box, and strange title, made many NES owners pass up the opportunity of owning and playing such a good game.

The gameplay starts with a rather small player on a big screen, first impressions are rarely good for Shatterhand newcomers, but it doesn’t take long to realise just how good and addictive the gameplay is.

It may be the powerful fight sequence with every enemy knocking them out in such as way Mike Tyson would be proud of.

It may be the imaginative layouts, enemies, platforms, sprites and overall tempo of the game that keeps players hooked.

I picked this up one afternoon and two hours had gone by in the blink of an eye.

The fast action of the game and the dream of the intuitive controls help make this game what it is.

The graphics are very good, and although this game was very much under-appreciated you can see the time and effort the developers put into every square pixel of this platformer.

Most of the background looks straight from an 80s sci fi film – like Robocop.

NES players should go search for this game anywhere you can if it doesn’t already exist in your collection.

Mike Tyson’s Punch Out

Any game with boxing legend Mike Tyson’s name endorsing it is going to get attention.

Unlike 16-bit and 32-bit consoles of the 1990s, earlier 8-bit consoles had challenges with isometric 3D views, and so for such a boxing game on a console such as the NES required a little creative thinking.

Early boxing games on video game systems such as the Atari 2600 focused on a side on view of the boxers going at it in the ring.

The NES developers behind Mike Tyson’s Punch Out had other ideas.

Instead, the players boxer looks incredibly small and transparent against the opponent, and the trading punches look awkwardly uncomfortable and unbalanced.

But, it works in a strange way.

From the opening threatening ‘Mike Tyson is waiting for you’ message (and let’s face it, who wasn’t scared of Tyson in the 80s and 90s!) you start as Little Mac and face Glass Joe – who, let’s face it, isn’t the hardest fighter in the world – the game starts quickly and easily.

A range of ducking and punching combos can be made through the d-pad and buttons, and a nice additional touch is the energy meter.

Keep combo punching too long and your energy is drained, your player flashes red and green, and your left wide open to an upper cut or two.

Controls are relatively easy, although could be a little more responsive, but fighting as Little Mac is quite a pleasurable experience.

Especially when landing a sweet upper cut sending your opponent flying to the canvas.

Even Mario shows up in a cameo role as guest referee!

The graphics won’t blow you away, but the fast pace of the fights and easy playability certainly will.

Blades of Steel

Blades of Steel will forever hold the title as the most liked and most played NES game of all time.

It created such a cult like status that Blades of Steel tournaments on the NES still take place today, almost 40 years after the games release.

Blades of Steel is an ice hockey game with incredible pace and gameplay.

It can be a frustrating game to master.

Sequences between goals can be a little slow when you just want to get back in to the game, although the fight sequences after a bad tackle are a welcome fun distraction from puck smashing.

Scoring is also a fine art and will take much practise.

The controls are ok. Not great though, and perhaps this added complexity really separated amateur players from the best, who went on to create years long uber-guru tournaments.

It doesn’t help that the goalkeeper becomes controlled by the player the moment the puck gets near to him.

It doesn’t help if you’re steering your defender left to tackle for the puck, and the goalkeeper needs to head right for a save.

Suffice to say, for Blades of Steel, my application for such a tournament is a far way off.

The graphics are decent. Not the best to be found on the 8-bit NES, but the gameplay is what keeps players coming back and back to this classic.

Castlevania

Konami’s Castlevania on the NES is actually a very decent port of the Castlevania franchise, and the very first.

Launched in 1986 for the NES, the game went on to spawn many sequels and successions on many different consoles over the next 30 years.

The PS1 and PSP versions will always hold a special place with me, but considering I missed Castlevania on the NES the first time around, I was keen to see how this stood up against other ports and versions.

Konami had, of course, a difficult task trying to cram everything in to an 8-bit game.

The results aren’t unanimously amazing, as often there’s just too much going on and too much blending against the various textures of Dracula’s castle, but the game has enough substance to keep things interesting and addictive.

The opening seen sets out character off towards the entrance of the castle grabbing armour and weapon bonuses before stepping foot in to Dracula’s lair.

From then on in an assortment of zombies, ghosts, bats and strange river like creatures do their best to stop your goal.

It’s an interesting touch to have every light in the castle a potential health booster when smashed with your whip, but it works.

Controls are very responsive when playing.

Castlevania on an 8-bit port was never going to be anything to write home about, but any fans of the franchise really needs to go back to its roots and see, and play, the very original in the series.

Powerblade

Set in the year 2191, and Nova is summoned to save Earth from the Master Computer.

It doesn’t get any more sci-fi than that!

It’s Nova’s job to travel between six sectors and gather the necessary cards and tapes to gain access to the control centre and stop the Master Computer destroying life on Earth.

Sounds simple.

Armed with a feisty boomerang, Nova sets off across the six sectors as the hero of the day.

This fun platformer keeps things interesting with a range of enemies of different styles, shapes and tactical manoeuvres.

It isn’t the fastest platformer, but the game has a certain charm following the introduction story, that many developers forgo on the NES, to want to get through all six sectors and take down the bullying Master Computer.

Passwords were built in to the game to be noted, and then entered, at any point in the future when returning so as not to have to start from the beginning again.

This was of course before SD cards, and internal memory, saved positions of a game.

Frustratingly gaining traction is hindered a little by returning right to the start when losing a life.

The hopes of the first tape from the waving hand of the first agent on level one whilst climbing a ladder to reach him can be dashed with a life loss, and then starting again.

The game isn’t uber difficult, but without random save spots it may have pushed this game in to the frustrating section of a collection never to be seen the light of day again.

This may be why Power Blade is considered a rare gem rather than mainstream classic.

Graphics on the 8-bit are good, and controls are decent too.

Bubble Bobble

The all time arcade legendary classic hit home consoles for the first time in 1987, after the arcade version launched in 1986.

ZX Spectrum, Commadore 64, NES and others all got ports of this truly amazing game.

We know Bubble Bobble is one of the greatest arcade games of all times, but how does the arcade version compare to an 8-bit port on the NES?

Incredibly well as fortune would have it.

Taito did a great job with the conversion. The NES version was the first true to like version of the arcade classic.

This really is a testament to the original developers because Bubble Bobble is less about amazing graphics but the thrill of the game.

I remember my friends and I playing this for hours and hours every Friday night at a regular social club where our parents regularly met.

Often managing all 100 levels in a single 1-2 hour gameplay marathon session.

It was with absolute despair and dismay when we went running in to the social club one night to find our beloved Bubble Bobble machine replaced!

Playing this again now on the NES takes me back to those arcade sessions.

Obviously an 8-bit can’t fully compete with the power of an arcade cabinet, the characters don’t glide as well, but each level is a carbon copy and the enemies are just as fast.

Graphics are good, gameplay is good and if you are new to Bubble Bobble, this is a great place to start!

Gauntlet

Being a big fan of Gauntlet, well Gauntlet 2 on the Atari ST, I was super keen to try out how an 8-bit version of the original could fair considering the addictive quality of the Atari ST and Amiga ports.

Being that this game is around 40 years of age, it sure is interesting to pop the cartridge in and sit down to the flashing Gauntlet logo before me.

Starting the game was a huge surprise.

Not expecting much I was instantly transported back in to the Gauntlet world I knew and loved, the gameplay is amazing for an 8-bit.

Of course this could never compete with the 4 player arcade monster that took up much real estate in arcade places back in the day, and it can’t compete with the likes of the Atari St and Amiga versions, but this is an incredible port and I’d be happy to while away an entire afternoon looking to complete all 100 levels.

The gameplay is still fast, and controls are pretty slick.

Players can choose between the usual four characters (my preference always tends to be the Wizard) and off they go to fight hundreds of ghosts, goblins, gremlins, Death, and other forces the Gauntlet world throws at them.

Finding Exits here seems a little easier than usual, but that helps to keep the gameplay going at a fast pace.

Graphics can’t compete with the big guns, but the gameplay is so good you can easily forgive how ghosts and other characters look in comparison to the arcade.

If you enjoy the Gauntlet franchise, the NES port is a must play.

Suggested Reading: More Nintendo game reviews available with our best SNES games, tried and tested feature with some classic SNES retro titles!

The Legend of Zelda

Surprisingly, the Legend of Zelda did not start its journey on the NES.

That privilege went to the Famicom Disk System in 1986.

The NES version of the Legend of Zelda followed the following year in August 1987 in North America.

The developers came up with an ingenious marketing attempt that not only saw the first gold cartridge, but also exclusive membership in to a Zelda club through the post.

It went on to sell nearly 2 million copies and was in a major way responsible for the ongoing franchise that has reached almost every console and handheld launched since.

Many people turn towards the N64 as one of the best versions, but rarely is the NES port talked about.

I decided to put The Legend of Zelda through its paces on the NES to see whether this classic should remain in the legendary retro vaults, or a hidden gem lost in time to bigger and better releases.

Zelda isn’t a world, is an immersive experience that people relish as much as any absorbing RPG.

The NES version, after peeling off the wrapper and snapping the cartridge in place, is one that current and new places of Zelda are going to overlook.

It spawned a series, but probably does sit better on the shelves of history than seeing the light of day often.

Though players who did absorb themselves in the NES port back in the 1980s will love getting back in to the game that started things off for them.

A frantic number of enemies on every screen leaves little time to become absorbed. It’s one continuous fight after fight at every turn.

It almost reminds me of a crazy ZX Spectrum game where all different sprites appear randomly in random directions.

The Legend of Zelda is a true classic, and this is where really it all started so worth finding out what started more than one generation of players enjoying this series.

Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros became the face and go to game of the NES.

It’s as iconic to the gameplay world as Nintendo is, and the whole reason why Sega created Sonic the Hedgehog in the first place. It needed a direct competition.

There are a countless number of Super Mario Bros games across so many consoles and systems. Too many to count.

The NES is where things started for the franchise, so in this list we have added the first classic title.

Now, ignoring the fact Mario really does look like a middle aged plumber in this game where you feel his knees will buckle with all the jumping he’s doing, this game is a testament to how great creative imagination on an 8-bit console can fuel an entire industry.

It may be argued that E.T. on the Atari 2600 took down a video game industry, but it could also be argued that Super Mario Bros. on the NES revived it.

From controls to graphics to gameplay, this isn’t a game that can be faulted.

For those gamers who missed this classic the first time around, or haven’t managed to play it on newer console retro collections, then playing the game that could have started an entire gaming console industry is an absolute must.

You won’t be disappointed.