Games That Defined the NES

[BurningDoom]

Okay then, no one discuss it then. Sorry for trying.

Sorry, I am not trying to rain on your parade all day (I feel like I am!), and I do appreciate your enthusiasm for creating new threads - just some of them haven't quite worked out due to their similarity to previous discussions or, in this case, the confusion they cause with similarly titled threads. I didn't say not to discuss the defining games, I just wanted to clarify what the title might imply (that this was the start of research for a front page article).

I got it. Because there's already an article written by one guy, god forbid we start a thread and have our own opinion about it.

And the other thread your referring to was from 2009. Sorry I didn't dig that far back.

[Evildeadmanwalking77]

A thread is going in the "Other Platforms" section of the forums. I liked the thread and thought, why not have an NES one? NES is system just as important as the Atari 2600 to the history of gaming.

What games do you think defined the NES?

Castlevania - 2D action-platforming series based on horror themes that's alive and well to this day. Centers around whips, vampires, monsters, challenging gameplay, and difficult platforming.

Contra - The funnest run-n-gun co-op game made until Halo: Combat Evolved came out decades later.

Donkey Kong - I could have put a number of games here. But the real reason I include this one is that it represents the perfect arcade ports of late 70s-mid 80s arcade hits that other systems like Atari 2600 and Colecovision couldn't quite do but NES did perfectly. So I picked this one in particular because it was Nintendo first video game hit in the arcades.

Dragon Warrior - The first JRPG released on home-consoles. Final Fantasy fans are probably gonna go nuts that I included this and not Final Fantasy. Dragon Warrior was first, and back then a lot more people played it. FF didn't really become popular (in the U.S.) until it's SNES releases.

The Legend of Zelda - Everyone knows this game and why it's on here. Adventure gaming at it's rawest, and greeatest. It inspired other adventure games after it for generations to come.

Mega Man - The first game in the 2D action-platform series that spawned an entire franchise that's still thriving today, and spawned 6 games on the NES alone.

Metroid - Completely unique at the time in it's seeming endless corridors and freedom of movement anywhere on the map, whenever you wanted. And it had a heavy emphasis on exploration.

Super Mario Bros. - Definetly the game the REALLY got Nintendo's NES going and brought gaming back to the forefront of people's minds again. One of the greatest games ever made, and a gem of a platformer.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - One of the most-hyped games of all-time, and suprisingly enough in the end it delivered the goods and then some. I, along with millions of other gamers were blown away by this masterpiece of gaming which still holds up today.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game - Co-op beat-em greatness that most anyone that had an NES in that era played. Beat-up tons of Foot Clan Soldiers, and great boss battles. Not as cool as the actual arcade version, but you do get an extra-level in return.

Tetris - The ultimate puzzle-game that sold millions.

Hey, nothing wrong with posting a topic on something that may have been discussed somewhere earlier, especially for us newer memebers who never had a chance to voice their opinions on it or have the time to dig back far enough to locate the original?

Anyways, looks like you covered the basics there, although I never cared for Dragon Warrior. IMO I would also inlcude:

Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Excitebike
Batman
T&C Surf Designs
Pro Wrestling
Double Dragon (1 and 2)
Tecmo Bowl
Ducktales
RC Pro Am
Dr Mario

[Bradtemple87]

A thread is going in the "Other Platforms" section of the forums. I liked the thread and thought, why not have an NES one? NES is system just as important as the Atari 2600 to the history of gaming.

What games do you think defined the NES?

Castlevania - 2D action-platforming series based on horror themes that's alive and well to this day. Centers around whips, vampires, monsters, challenging gameplay, and difficult platforming.

Contra - The funnest run-n-gun co-op game made until Halo: Combat Evolved came out decades later.

Donkey Kong - I could have put a number of games here. But the real reason I include this one is that it represents the perfect arcade ports of late 70s-mid 80s arcade hits that other systems like Atari 2600 and Colecovision couldn't quite do but NES did perfectly. So I picked this one in particular because it was Nintendo first video game hit in the arcades.

Dragon Warrior - The first JRPG released on home-consoles. Final Fantasy fans are probably gonna go nuts that I included this and not Final Fantasy. Dragon Warrior was first, and back then a lot more people played it. FF didn't really become popular (in the U.S.) until it's SNES releases.

The Legend of Zelda - Everyone knows this game and why it's on here. Adventure gaming at it's rawest, and greeatest. It inspired other adventure games after it for generations to come.

Mega Man - The first game in the 2D action-platform series that spawned an entire franchise that's still thriving today, and spawned 6 games on the NES alone.

Metroid - Completely unique at the time in it's seeming endless corridors and freedom of movement anywhere on the map, whenever you wanted. And it had a heavy emphasis on exploration.

Super Mario Bros. - Definetly the game the REALLY got Nintendo's NES going and brought gaming back to the forefront of people's minds again. One of the greatest games ever made, and a gem of a platformer.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - One of the most-hyped games of all-time, and suprisingly enough in the end it delivered the goods and then some. I, along with millions of other gamers were blown away by this masterpiece of gaming which still holds up today.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game - Co-op beat-em greatness that most anyone that had an NES in that era played. Beat-up tons of Foot Clan Soldiers, and great boss battles. Not as cool as the actual arcade version, but you do get an extra-level in return.

Tetris - The ultimate puzzle-game that sold millions.

Hey, nothing wrong with posting a topic on something that may have been discussed somewhere earlier, especially for us newer memebers who never had a chance to voice their opinions on it or have the time to dig back far enough to locate the original?

Anyways, looks like you covered the basics there, although I never cared for Dragon Warrior. IMO I would also inlcude:

Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Excitebike
Batman
T&C Surf Designs
Pro Wrestling
Double Dragon (1 and 2)
Tecmo Bowl
Ducktales
RC Pro Am
Dr Mario

Ducktales, good form sir

[YoshiEgg25]

Hey, nothing wrong with posting a topic on something that may have been discussed somewhere earlier, especially for us newer memebers who never had a chance to voice their opinions on it or have the time to dig back far enough to locate the original?

Anyways, looks like you covered the basics there, although I never cared for Dragon Warrior. IMO I would also inlcude:

Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Excitebike
Batman
T&C Surf Designs
Pro Wrestling
Double Dragon (1 and 2)
Tecmo Bowl
Ducktales
RC Pro Am
Dr Mario

Ducktales, good form sir

Good job missing the best one. *cough*TecmoBowl*cough*

[k.vlaros]

A good list but unless I'm mistaken none of your selections use a peripheral. When I think of Nintendo, especially those early periods, I think of "fun" almost to the extent of gimmickry (wait, that's still Nintendo!), so I'd put in something using the light gun, ROB, or sports mat.

Also, I think a thread like this could be very useful along side the "official" RB thread in the sense that RB's is clearly a "best of the best" list, but when I think of platform-defining games that has to include some of the worst as well, or rather some of the most infamous.

[BurningDoom]

DuckTales is an awesome game. One of my favorites and one of the best 2D platformers ever made. It's in my collection.

However I didn't include it because even though it's good, I don't feel it really defined the NES. Most casual gamers from that era probably never played it.

[Urban Champion-e]

DuckTales is an awesome game. One of my favorites and one of the best 2D platformers ever made. It's in my collection.

However I didn't include it because even though it's good, I don't feel it really defined the NES. Most casual gamers from that era probably never played it.

Think you're wrong about that one buddy. It sold almost a million in the US as did the Game Boy version. Duck Tales 2 on the other hand.....

[Bradtemple87]

DuckTales is an awesome game. One of my favorites and one of the best 2D platformers ever made. It's in my collection.

However I didn't include it because even though it's good, I don't feel it really defined the NES. Most casual gamers from that era probably never played it.

Think you're wrong about that one buddy. It sold almost a million in the US as did the Game Boy version. Duck Tales 2 on the other hand.....

Yea this led to the rarity of the second title

[BurningDoom]

DuckTales is an awesome game. One of my favorites and one of the best 2D platformers ever made. It's in my collection.

However I didn't include it because even though it's good, I don't feel it really defined the NES. Most casual gamers from that era probably never played it.

Think you're wrong about that one buddy. It sold almost a million in the US as did the Game Boy version. Duck Tales 2 on the other hand.....

How do you guys know these things? It's amazing.

[Pabstblueribbon]

Ducktales was the first game I ever beat, and is still one of my favorite games to play through.