Fave Games Vol. 1: NES

Quite simply, in this blog series, I list some of my favourite games from various consoles. Today, fittingly, for volume one, I start with my first console, the NES. These aren't in any particular order, and this isn't all encompassing. We'd be here all day if it was.

Super Mario Bros.

What can you say about SMB? The game that almost singlehandedly rescued gaming from being relegated to history and nothing more. Great platforming gameplay with eight colourful worlds to explore.

Super Mario Bros. 3

This game is basically SMB on steroids, and made up for the disaster that was SMB2 (if you can even call it that) in a BIG way. The game was huuuge, beautiful, and extremely well designed. And, you could fly!

Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones

One of my favourite beat em ups of all time. People say it was too difficult and perhaps it was but I don't care, it controlled great, looked great, and had two kickass moves for the player to utilize against the street gang scumbags: the guillotine throw/somersault hair toss and the motherf'n spin kick of doom.

Contra

Am I crazy or does that turret look like a middle finger?

Hello, I'm Contra, an unassuming horizontal shooter that will KICK YOUR ASS, and make you come back for more. Thank science for the Konami code. Oh, and am I the only one who thought that the robotic turrets looked like bullet shooting middle fingers?

Castlevania

Take a whip, enter Dracula's castle, and take it to the undead en route to the man himelf....if you can make it there. Another hard ass game and some stiff controls hold it back but it's an early game and thusly forgiven. It's also very fun.

Afterburner

Tengen, Tengen, Tengen. Bad bad. Tisk tisk. You released this game on the NES without gaining the proper license to do so. And I thank you for that. This was one awesome shooter with a really memorable soundtrack.

Shinobi

And Tengen is at it again. Tengen, Tengen, Tengen. Bad bad. Tisk tisk. You released yet another game on the NES without gaining the proper license to do so. And again I thank you for that. One of my all time favorite games, this is. It's a side scrolling ninja action game that has you using shurikens, knives, and even a gun to combat the bad ninja clan (forget their name) through varying levels and areas on the way to fight one of the weirdest end bosses of all time. This game was a huge step down from the arcade version, but it's an NES port, and an unlicensed one at that, so I forgive it.

Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos

I think by now you all know what I think of the Ninja Gaiden series. This game is almost perfect. An amazing mix of excellent platforming and intense action with absolutely butter smooth controls. Great animation, awesome soundtrack, and probably some the most excellent balance between fair yet insane challenge you'll ever experience.

Ninja Gaiden

The beginning of Ninja Gaiden on the NES. Great graphics and excellent gameplay, with some ridiculous challenge make this game notorious and both loved and hated. I happen to love it, although I curse level 6-2 and I also think this one is somewhat inferior to its above mentioned sequel.

Blades of Steel

Am I crazy, or is this still one of the best sports games ever made? I mean, when two players get in a fight, the loser goes to the penalty box and the winner gets away with it! You get punished for losing fights (and the fights also happen to be insanely fun). The penalty shots in this game are so much fun, as are the shootout periods. My brother and I always used to tie on purpose so we could go to the shootout and then screw with eachothers' minds when we were shooting and the other sibling was the goalie. I loved telling him I'd shoot in a certain direction and actually do it, since he'd excpet me to be lying.