(Untitled)

[gtajake]

I looked mournfully at the endless pile of boxes spilled from one of the many pallets I had been tasked with moving. They were everywhere, except on the pallet where I needed them to be. I sighed, already suspecting she did this on purpose. No one puts all the tiny boxes on the bottom and the heavy ones on top unless they're an idiot or they're

Comments

[gtajake]

Well honestly, it really depends on what you're looking for. The NES's biggest strength is probably its countless platformers, but it crosses a huge spectrum, which is probably why it's fun to collect for pretty much everybody.

There are of course, the obvious ones:
- Super Mario Bros. 1,2 and the greatest platformer of all time, 3.
- Castlevania 1,2, or 3. The first is still my personal favorite.
- Megaman 1 to 6, though the peak is arguably 2 or 3. I pick 2.
- Contra or the sequel, Super C.
- Ninja Gaiden 1,2 or 3. I'd say the hardest NES games in existence, and that's a hell of a statement, but damn are they ever fun.
- The Legend Of Zelda, or its sequel Zelda II.
- Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!
- Final Fantasy
- Excitebike
- Metroid

I would say every single one of those are must-own, but if I had to pick say 3, then: Super Mario Bros. 3, Megaman 2, and the first Zelda. It would also be remiss of me to not mention Duck Hunt, but you'd be hard-pressed to *not* run into that damn game. Most are familiar with all of the above, but that really only scratches the surface.

Platformers/Beat'emups/etc:
Kirby's Adventure
Batman
Kid Icarus
Double Dragon 1, 2 or 3
Duck Tales 1 or 2
Little Nemo: The Dream Master
Battletoads
Bionic Commando
Wizards & Warriors
TMNT 1,2 or 3
Any of the Adventure Island games.

Shooters/Action:
Gradius
Lifeforce
Crisis Force
1943
Zanac
Gyruss
GunNac
Sky Shark
Blaster Master
Super Spy Hunter
Star Soldier

There's also:
Bubble Bobble
Dragon Warrior 1,2,3, or 4
Dr. Mario
Crystalis
Adventures Of Lolo 1,2, or 3
Wario's Woods
Bomberman 1 or 2

I'll stop now before I just outright list my entire collection. Keep in mind, that's only a tiny fraction of the entire library of games for the entire system. That's a little scary.

The strongest 3rd party companies on the NES were arguably Konami and Capcom. Now see where they are today. The most recognizable names in the industry. It's amazing how far video games have come just from looking at that old grey box, much less something like an Atari 2600 or a Magnavox Odyssey.

If it seems overwhelming (it certainly did for me), do what I did. Pick 5 random ones off the list, whether that's my list or Wikipedia even, seek them out, play 'em and see if they grow on you.

Funny thing is, while it was part of my childhood, I never actually owned one up until I was able to work and earn my own money. I grew up with the Sega Genesis. Talk about influence.

How's that for a recommendation? :P

[angelchan_2004]

That's quite the recommendation! And I appreciate every one. I keep thinking of getting an NES to fully enjoy the experience, and this certainly does help edge me closer to doing so.