Remember when video games were about having FUN!?
Written: Nov 02 '05 (Updated Nov 03 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Huge selection of games; cheap to buy now; FUN FUN FUN!!
Cons: Original console not very durable.
The Bottom Line: The Nintendo is the best console ever because it's all about having FUN!
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| Chad9976's Full Review: Nintendo NES |
When it comes to video games, one console should stand the test of time of being the absolute best platform ever made. And no, I'm not talking about PS2 or X-Box, I'm talking about the original 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The NES took the idea of what a video game could be to higher levels. The roots of almost all video games today lie with the NES. It was a system that realized video games are serious forms of entertainment and software companies devoted a lot of effort to putting out quality games.
The Atari 2600 only had 4-bit graphics and sound, meaning most of the images on the screen were blocky, cartoony and sometimes all-out misshaped. Their games had little memory so there wasn't much of a challenge - either a game repeated itself over and over infinitely (Pac Man, Frogger, Space Invaders), or was easily beaten in one sitting. Not so with the NES. Its 8-bit capacity not only doubled the graphic and sound quality but the console was rooted in memory so that multiple backgrounds could move simultaneously; two or more players could play and interact with each other; the games were more challenging and many gave you the option of coming back later.
But I think what makes the original NES so great is that it's just so much fun to play. Maybe my own personal love for this machine and all the nostalgia that goes along with it is clouding my judgment but hear me out. When the Super Nintendo came along in the early 90's it was basically the same as the NES but only the graphics and sound had be advanced. The skill levels were still basically the same and game designers seemed much more interested in showing up their programming ability than making a good game. Ever go to a big budget movie that has great special effects but the story is awful? Same idea. Video games are much more complex and challenging now more than ever with the advent of PS2, X-Box and PC games since they can make employ games that eat millions of bytes of memory and can takes months to play through... but for some reason they just don't do it for me.
To this day there are some games for the NES I still can't finish, and there are some that I can finish easily and I still play them over and over because they're so much fun. It's like your favorite album - you know the lyrics, the beat and the music by heart but that doesn't mean the 1,000th time you've listening to it isn't as great as the 1st time!
Unlike the Super Nintendo or any Sega console ever made, the NES has aged very well. Take my own college experience for example. I had two roommates: one had N64, one had Playstation and I had my NES. Guess which console we played the most? Want more proof people still love the NES? Online you can download shareware programs of video game "emulators" which simulate a console and the games (ROMs). Everything from a Vic 20 to PS2 is available to download for free but ask any webmaster of these pages which is the most popular and you'll always hear the NES. Playing it on the computer just isn't the same since you really need that rectangular controller in your hand for the dexterity you need to play the games that involved a lot of quick button pushing.
It's a shame so many people threw out, traded, sold or just plain lost their NES and games. The original rectangular console was kind of a piece of junk, though. I used to think I was the only one who had to blow on the connectors of all my cartridges before I put them in, or the only kid who had to sometimes wedge a battery in there to keep the game fully in. However, after reminiscing with other former NES owners it turns out almost all of us had those problems. I never understood why Nintendo didn’t anticipate these problems when they were designing and marketing the console in the early to mid 80's. To their credit, they DID release a low-profile, top-loading console but it was at the peak of the 16-bit game boom and got looked over by so many gamers who considered the NES out of style at the time. You can find one of these today at a flea market or online for fairly cheap and if you have any games lying around they should work no problem.
Okay, that's enough nostalgia. I think I've made my point about the NES and just to rant and rave some more and hopefully get some good discussions going, I present:
TOP TEN GAMES EVER MADE FOR THE NINTENDO:
10 1/2. Mega Man 2 - On this list because it was one of my favorites as a kid but playing it recently I realized it's a bit too easy. The graphics and music are incredible and it's fun to fight through all those boards but there isn't enough of a challenge to make this a truly excellent game.
10. Ninja Gaiden 1 & 2 - Probably two of the most simple video games for the NES, but also two of the most fun. So what if 99% of the game is just running, jumping and slashing at the enemies? It's not nearly as easy as that concept, especially the final bosses on both games. But what gave the Ninja Gaiden games their appeal was the backstory and the animated "movies" between levels. You felt as if you were really doing something interactive instead of just hitting a bunch of buttons in sequence. Bonus points for the beautiful background art and soothing music.
9. Super Mario Bros. - The first "real" game by Nintendo for Nintendo. This started the whole "Mario Bros." franchise but it's such a great effort considering the situation. SMB is action-packed with lots of various levels and strategies to get through them. You can play this game, master it, and play it again and again without ever getting bored. Now that's what I call a good game!
8. Mike Tyson's Punch-out! - Remember when Mike Tyson used to be a good guy? He licensed his name to this game and it's probably the best boxing video game ever made. Of course boxing in real life doesn't involve two guys standing directly in front of each other waiting for the other one to move but that's what gave "Punch-out" it's appeal. It's based on dexterity and to a point mathematical calculation of how to beat your opponent and deduct his weakness. The first two rounds are a bit easy but the final circuit and Tyson himself will always be a tough challenge. You can't get sick of playing this one.
7. The Goonies II - I never could tell if this was a sequel to the movie or a sequel to another Goonies game. In any case, this game is just as fun, innocent and timeless as the film was. It's quite long and somewhat complex, but it's not ridiculously tricky or confusing. The music and graphics are superb and it has an appeal that the child in every gamer can't resist.
6. Tetris - Technically this isn't a "Nintendo" game because it's been available on just about every video game system and platform ever. However, the NES version was the first commercial edition of this game and it's so addictive. The graphics are simple and pleasing to the eye, the music is fun, and the play control is excellent. You can play any of these other complex games for hours and then stop and play Tetris and you'll be just as challenged to do your best. Probably the only video game that will never age (our grandchildren will be playing Tetris but they won't be playing Super Mario Bros.)
5. Metal Gear - A brilliant game that was consistently fun and suspenseful even though the action portions only accounted for a small margin of how to get through the game. Every time you find a weapon or a key card or a hostage you feel like you've really accomplished something. This is one of the most complex games you can play because it can make you a little nuts. If you use a tips and strategy guide you feel like you're cheating because the game is such a challenge. To date I still have not beat this game but I love it anyway.
4. Double Dragon 1 & 2 - I remember when the first installment was released I was disappointed because it was so much different from the arcade game. However, this Double Dragon version was equally challenging and a lot of fun once you got to know the boards well. You CAN clear this game with a little practice. The sequel was surprisingly good but had its niche in the perfectly timed jumps you must make throughout the game. The final boss is a pretty tough guy but if you can master that spin kick you can get through the game. Special mention must be made to the fact that even though these games were about hand-to-hand combat they weren't all that graphic, which didn't diminish from the intensity of what the game was actually about - beating down the bad guys!
3. Metroid - Such a long, complex game that could be a bit tricky at times but I would never call it confusing. It was the definitive "adventure" game as it combined action with the evolution of your character and you as a player. The ending is probably one of the most challenging feats of the hundreds of NES. games every made, but it was also one of the most satisfying when you finished it. And it turns out the hero to this game was a hot alien chick.
2. Super Mario Bros. 3 - This second sequel to Nintendo's popular character Mario (their Mickey Mouse of sorts) was basically the same format as the original hit only with much better graphics, catchier music and a more challenging and interesting game. You could play through the whole thing or skip worlds and there's so many hidden treasures to find you can play it today and discover things you never knew were there.
1. The Legend Of Zelda - The single best video game ever made in history! I'd put this one head-to-head with ANY of today's most complex games. It's a challenging game that combines dexterity with a lot of puzzle-solving. You have to be as quick in the fights as you are at putting the pieces together. The music is timeless, the characters are adorable. Although I never really enjoyed the second quest as much as the first, this game is brilliant.
Other notable games: Baseball Simulator 1.000; Marble Madness; Anticipation; R. C. Pro-Am; Cobra Triangle; Contra; Super Mario Bros. 2; Zelda II: The Adventures of Link; Dr. Mario; Batman; Strider; Castlevania I - III; Gauntlet; Kid Icarus; River City Ransom; T&C Surf; Super C; Shadowgate; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Spyhunter; Blaster Master; Track & Field II; Ultima; Dragon Warrior.
GAMES THAT SUCKED:
Urban Champion: Terrible graphics and play control - you got bored after 10 seconds.
Ikari Warriors: There's no way you could beat this game without entering the secret code that gave you something like 99 lives and then I could never beat the final boss.
Fester's Quest: So wickedly long and difficult which wouldn't have been half as bad if you could save the game or get a password or something!
NES Play Action Football: the camera angle is 45 degree's directly overhead - how are you supposed to play a football game like that?
Xevious: terrible music, ridiculously difficult.
Rambo: Another really long action/adventure game that was difficult to figure out. I couldn't even beat it with the game genie.
Mag Max: Just so bad in every way possible. Let's not even talk about it.
Metal Gear II: Snake's Revenge: The original was a masterpiece, this was awkward and confusing.
X-Men: a game about cool comic book characters and it played the same as Ikari Warriors, only worse.
TMNT II: The Arcade Game: yikes! what happens when you try to adapt an arcade game to a lower-memory system scene-for-scene.
Mega Man 3 and up: Can you say unoriginal?
The Guardian Legend: The concept was basically Zelda in space but this was so difficult there's no way to beat it without using the Game Genie and even then it's not all that fun.
Back to The Future: The game was nothing like the movie, the play control was awful and the game just wasn't fun or creative.
Recommended:
Yes
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Chad9976
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Member: Chad Polenz
Location: Albany, New York
Reviews written: 664
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