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Top 10 Nintendo Entertainment System Games
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March 30, 2001 - Tim "Koopa Troopa" Wann (Columnist)
Ahh... the days of yore... when the big daddy in the gaming world was a short Italian plumber and the system he reigned on. It was the era of Mario, and of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). I recall it vividly... Christmas morning 1986, unwrapping my NES.... I was the first kid on the street to have one, and the last kid on the street to lose the 30 lbs. I gained that year from playing this sucker 24 hours a day with band-aids on my thumbs and a fresh stock of No-Doze and Visine at my side. It was all down hill for me since day one of owning the system that revived home video game consoles, and I've been a video game freak ever since. So to say that putting together a Top 10 List of all time NES games is more difficult that defeating Gannon without silver arrows, is an understatement. I could easily list about 30 of my all time favorites here, but alas, I only get 10. Sacrifices, sacrifices. We all had our favorites... and I'm sure mine will differ from yours... but lets unite under NESness and take a trip down memory lane...
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10. Blaster Master
Probably the most forgotten and underrated game for the NES, Sunsoft's sleeper hit, Blaster Master, was innovative and mixed multiple genres into a clever shooter/action adventure title. You are Jason, a boy who's pet frog jumped onto a nuclear reactor, mutated, and jumped down a hole in the ground. To save him, Jason follows it down the hole only to find a futuristic tank sitting there. Ahh... those old NES plots, wonderful! Great power ups that made your kick ass tank even more kick ass, superb graphics, and a hefty challenge secured this unique title at the 10 spot.
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9. Tecmo Bowl
The all-time party game, Tecmo Bowl was the first "real" football game in my book. Real players, real teams, real plays, and a halftime show that actually showed cheerleader cleavage. Now we got a game!! Sure the graphics were nothing to shout about, but this game was a blast to play. Forget those new fangled John Madden and EA Sports titles.... I'll take Tecmo Bowl over those any day of the week. "Set Down! HUT HUT HUT!!"
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8. Ninja Gaiden
Before CGI intros and cut scenes became common place, there was the cinematically engrossing Ninja Gaiden from Tecmo. Not only was the side scrolling action fast paced and challenging, but the compelling storyline and cut scenes between stages were completely fresh and pushed the NES graphics engine to its zenith. One of the first games in history to make you feel you were playing a movie. Chalk up another hit for Tecmo.
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7. Mega Man 2
The blue bomber's sophomore appearance on the NES turned out to be it's finest. Mega Man 2 was just cool... hands down. Great music, great graphics, great characters (some filling half the screen), great game play, and a great ending. This shooter had style, and the ongoing Mega Man series has become one of Capcom's finest. Even though MM has blessed virtually every home system out there, I still manage to come back to this one to have the most fun.
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6. Contra
Ohhhh yeah!!! I think this one topped everyone's "must have" list for action titles. Konami's two-player simultaneous side-scrolling shoot 'em up is really an 80's icon for blood-thirsty America. Mix "Predator", "Alien", and "Rambo", and you got "Contra". Great graphics, great music, and non-stop action made this a real heart pumper and thumb cramper. Sure I can beat this 5 times over without losing a life (even without the magic Konami code), but do I stop playing it... never! It's too much damn fun to kick alien ass! Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start. That'll be my epitaph.
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5. Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Little Mac fights his way up the ranks of the boxing world, pitted against the most outrageous riff raff to ever enter the squared circle... and the other characters besides Mike Tyson are pretty nasty too. This game is oozing with fun factor, and it's colorful cast of taunting challengers made it one of the greatest and most outrageous sports titles on the NES. "I'm hurt Doc" "Join the Nintendo Fun Club now, Mac!" Heh heh.
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4. Super Mario Bros. 2
I could easily fit all the NES Mario games into this list, but I truly feel Super Mario 2 was the best because it improved so much on the original formula with its revamped cartoon-style graphics and intricate game play. Also one could choose between Mario, Luigi, Toad, or Princess Toadstool, each with different strengths and weaknesses. This one was just plain fun, and even though it's considered the black sheep, it's still my favorite of the Mario series. Not to mention it has one of the best endings ever on the NES.
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3. Bionic Commando
Oh my God, was this ever a great game! You are Joe, a combat soldier with a bionic arm that allows you to swing from stage to stage fighting off enemy brigades while in search of your lost brother in arms. Simple formula right? Nope. Aside from slick music and graphics, this game had depth, plot, and required some technical prowess, ala Metal Gear. What starts as a cool action game escalates into a plot-twisting thriller when you find out that this whole plan was cooked up by Nazis trying to revive Hitler from his cryogenic freeze. Hitler even curses at you at the end before his face explodes! "Damn you fool!" Go Capcom!!!
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2. Metroid
Nintendo stuck gold with this original action adventure/shooter. As space bounty hunter, Samus Aran, you are sent to rid the universe of the dreaded Mother Brain. Amazingly complex stages coupled with killer power ups, this game was huge for it's time and damn cool. It was original, challenging, and had such a dark overtone throughout the game that made this one a cool drink of water from the usual cutsie games NES was famous for.
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1. The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo's second most popular mascot is non other than an elfin lad by the name of Link who debuted in this classic. A semi-RPG, semi-action adventure that drained many hours of my youth, and the same for countless other children world wide as we strived to free Princess Zelda from the vile clutches of the evil Gannon. With a slew of sequels and many on the way, this one will go down in the Video Game Hall of Fame as one of the greatest. All right... I found the Magic Flute.... I'm transporting outta here!
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Opinions, we all have them. Our's is not the same as yours. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. The point is, if you don't agree fine. If you do agree, even better. Just realize this: everything said on these pages, is an opinion, and should be taken as such. If you are offended by what is said, just don't come back. Please do not resort to childish flaming or spamming of our message board or monk.e.mail address below, but do feel free to drop us a line with any intelligent comments you may have.
Thanks,
Brad & Tim. |
DMLives@gmail.com
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