Final Fantasy 3 - one of my Favorite RPGs, it did everything FF1 did and so much more. The Class switching was the easiest and most intuitive in the series, there was a lot to do and explore for a straight forward RPG of its day, and the difficulty was very balanced, with some solid Turn-based gamelay. FF4 actually felt like a huge step back in comparison.
Super Mario Bros. - THE definition of a classic, there are few platformers I enjoy more than the game that started it all. The level design is great and easy to memorize, with lots of little secrets to find that made the game that much easier. The music's great and really catchy. It's just a fantastic, classic game that could do no wrong.
Contra/StarTropics - A Tie between two of the most challenging yet rewarding games I've ever played. Yes, they're cheap. Yes, they're unfair. But I love a game that forces you to learn the levels, since there's nothing more satisfying than beating a game a its own game.
SMS:
Phantasy Star - Another 8-bit RPG Great, while the gameplay was simple, it was always rewarding. Exploring the worlds in PS was lots of fun, and I'm always up for some First-person Dungeon crawling. The games was packed full of charm and creativity, and I was alwayslooking forward to seeing what was right around the corner. The Best part about it was the pitch-perfect difficulty, which never left me frustrated, but still kept me on my toes, forcing me to think and prepare before I act. Its second only to FF3 as the best old-school RPG I've experienced.
Wonder Boy III: Dragon's Trap - A very unique game that's hard to pin down, It had some really interesting level designs, an interconnected, fully explorable world, and some of the catchiest music I've heard in a video game. The platforming was fun, exploring was fun, and collecting upgrades wa fun. It was, quite simply, a very fun game. I can't say it did any one thing exceptionally, but it did what it did well enough.
Ys: The Vanishing Omen/Power Strike 2 - Another Tie, this time an odd one. Ys was the closest thing the SMS got to Crystalis that was any good, and I got a good kick out of it. The unique approach to combat brought the game up to a whole new level, and made grinding more fun that any other action-RPG could ever hope to accomplish. The story was pretty interesting too, at least for an 8-bit RPG. It was a real looker of a game, too, with some good music that I actually felt topped the music in the TGCD remake. As for Power Strike 2, it was just a really good shooter, the best on the SMS. I personally preferred Zanac on the NES (Made by the same guys), but it was close enough.
PC:
Ultima: The First Age of Darkness - The Super Mario Bros. of RPGs, it's simply a fantastic game that I feel has no true equal to this day. Everything about it was top-notch, with few flaws to speak of, although the difficulty could've used some work, and some actual music would've been appreciated.
Civilization - Another Classic, it's about as fun as a strategy game could get, and I've poured hours into it so far, yet I've only scratched the surface. It's simply one of my favorite Turn-based strategy games, topped only by Master of Orion.
Wizardry - Quite simply THE most punishing game I've ever played, yet somehow I love it to death and I can't stop playing no matter how many times I die. They just don't make RPGs quite like that anymore.
The NES Mega Man games. I just find them enjoyable to play over and over again, even though I've beaten them all several times. Also can't go wrong with Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Legend of Zelda.
@ Megamansmash91 I totally know what you mean about Mega man. I must've beaten every game at least 200 times and never get tired of them. Blasting evil robots is great fun and Wily makes the perfect nemesis. A deranged scientist who never knows when to quit.
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The original freeware PC game qualifies if it was released during that time period.
Otaku, it says 8-bit era, not 8-bit games. The 8-bit era predates Pokémon by quite a bit.
I have to say Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 (NES) is my favorite game from that era.
Ash: Professor Oak, how's your Bulbasaur?
Prof. Oak: Oh, it only hurts when I sit.
...
Prof. Oak: It's only Chansey if Krabby won't let go. Bye, now.
Ash: I don't think I'm going to call him anymore.
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My favorite would definitely be Mega Man 2. I just started playing Zelda 2, and it's pretty good too.
Also, let's clear this up real quick. Here are the major 8-bit consoles.
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Sega Master System (SMS)
And then the 16-bit ones that followed.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive (GEN/MD)
@Odnetnin: Cave Story neither looks 8-bit or was made in the 8-bit era. At least I'm pretty sure the 8-bit era ended before 2004. But I could be wrong.
Sonic must have combined Mickey's favorites of Final Fantasy 3 and Phantasy Star 1, both of which are listed. It happens. Just go sit in the corner for awhile and think about what you've done.
The first three NES games that come to mind are: Nightshade, Ducktales, and Super Off-Road. All classics that I would be happy to play again today on VC if the option was available... luckily Super Off-Road has been "reincarnated" on WiiWare as Driift Mania.
Edit: Can't believe I forgot to mention Bubble Bobble!
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