Topic: Aged well or not?

Some time ago I bought some of the nes classics on the eshop. My initial plan was to play through series such as Zelda and Megaman in chronological order. After realizing how difficult these games really are and with the prices on the eshop I am starting to think that maybe I'm better off skipping some of the older ones in favor of later installments since there is no loss in story and I lack any nostalgic attachment to these games.

So do you think all of the older games are worth playing or are there any games that I should avoid?

Many people here like to pretend that NES games are just as good or better than games from today, but they are wearing nostalgia glasses.

Unless you grew up playing 8-bit and 16-bit titles, most of them would be a struggle for modern gamers and kids to play though, based on both difficulty, memorization and design choices.

Games like A Link to The Past, Super Metroid, and Super Mario World still hold up today, but I doubt most people (i.e. younger gamers) would have any fun playing the NES Zelda games.

Mega Man 2-6, Super Mario Bros 1-3, Blaster Master, Kirby's Adventure and Punch-Out are the games that have aged the best.

If you're a fan of Castlevania, Zelda, Earthbound, Ninja Gaiden series' then go for those NES entries as well as even though they are rough around the edges they are still playable, though if you're not huge fans of those series then there's not much point as you can get indie games that will be more enjoyable.

edit Also if you just want to know what the fuss is about with the NES era then Nes Remix 1&2 is great for this as they offer you highlights and iconic moments from those games without having to slug through them all.

Well they're harder that's for sure. They're also less narrative so the focus is on the gameplay. I'm not denying that nostalgia plays a role but you're coming off as dismissing them all simply because 80s kids grew up in that time.
If someone can't appreciate the challenging platforming mario series or the pure adventure, no hand holding Zelda 1 & 2 then what are they doing with their gaming time?

...Pretty much this.

I find the first Zelda to be perfectly playable and enjoyable (except for that second dungeon I can't ever find without a map).

I first played it in the GBA, so that's my favorite version. I think the WiiU VC uses the same translation as that one.

I've seen Super Mario Bros mentioned a lot as one that has aged pretty well, but I'm not so sure (even though I'm a huge Mario fan). The mechanics quite a bit more aged than Super Mario Bros 3 for example, especially jumping. Just my thoughts though.

The only games you should avoid at all cost is the original Zelda, Zelda 2, Dragon Quest 1, Final Fantasy 1, Metroid, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Ghost and Goblins, and even though I kinda like the original Mother, Earthbound Beginnings. Pretty much everything else that not a license game is fine however.

I'd agree with pretty much all of these; even Dragon Quest if we're talking about the NES version. If anyone is looking to play the first Dragon Quest game though I'd recommend any of the remakes, like the GBC one where it came bundled with the second, or, if you cant stand iOS gaming, those ports.

NES Legend of Zelda only becomes difficult when you attempt a No-Sword Challenge. Other than that, it's fairly simple imo. Of course, I grew up playing NES games.

I found a lot of the classics on the VC to be kind of meh. Not that they were too hard or whatever (but they were that too), just that they weren't that fun. Maybe because I don't like platformers, but thought I'd like those because everyone said they were 10/10 games.

I had some luck just grabbing games recommended by people on here though. I had fun with NES Open (but I'm a golf fan), and Sword of Hope II was a really unique RPG (it's text-based, and I've never played one of those before). For me, the VC holds up better when the games I get aren't just older versions of games that I could play now. Like, NES Open is outclassed in every way by Mario Golf but it's not like I've ever played a 2D golf game.

But I think if you're not feeling the VC, just do like other people said and play eShop games in the same price range! it's kind of fun to look at where games were, but that can be pricey if it's not something you will play often!

Zelda 2..... yeah that one is too difficult. I'd actually like a remake of it, to make it accessible for once. It earns points for being different.

save states and suspend features make it much more enjoyable. i always found it frustrating on the original NES when you lost EXP because you had to turn the console off.

Castlevania is probably the best example of a game that's aged shockingly well. It's frustrating and occasionally unfair, but it is so brilliantly designed and so fun in a challenging way. I literally grew up with the Metroidvania style titles and never played it, so I have no nostalgia for old school Castlevania. It's simply just a great game.

I would still recommend a good chunk of NES games that people still talk about. Honestly, I still like Megaman 2/3, Castlevania 1/3, Mario 3, Kirby's Adventure etc more than most new games. They're just brilliant platformers condensed to such a quick, easy to pick up experience. Even games that try to be like these games frequently don't live up to them.

The main ones I would avoid (unless you have the time/money anyway) are Metroid, Kid Icarus and Zelda 2. Metroid especially, since the remake is actually a better introduction for the series.

Having a different design decision doesn't mean they were 'rough around the edges'. That implies some actual lack of polish in the game. The knockback mechanic worked, you fought around it, it just happens to not be in the newer games.

I'd agree that Castlevania has aged very well. Mechanically it holds up and is still very fun, and the level design and challenge is great. Just make sure you skip the awful second one...

It all depends what you have experience in and what you enjoy really. Older games didn't have flashy graphics or room for long well written stories so they had to rely on gameplay and challenges to make a game. I for one enjoy games based on gameplay more then story, which is why I enjoy games like Shovel Knight, Strider, Metroidvania games more then games like Metal Gear Solid, GTA, Assassin's Creed. But that's cause I grew up in the NES era so I am familiar with those games while games like story driven games not so much.

However I know people like my son's friends who don't like platforms and are more into games like CoD, Metal Gear etc but that's what they grew up with.

In the end the reason to play a game is for fun so whatever game type you enjoy as long as you are having fun. If your not having fun playing older NES games then don't play them. If you want to see the storyline there are plenty of you tubers out there that you can watch and see the story's without having to play them yourself. One that I really like for the original Mega Man series is RoahmMythril he plays through them without taking damage and goes through the storyline as well. I highly suggest him if you want to experience the Mega Man games without playing them yourself.

As someone who has never grown up with an NES, I can tell you that very very few of them have aged gracefully, even most SNES games are pretty terribad. But back to NES, Mario 2 and 3 are still ok. Everything else I can barely play, and believe me, I went through a retro phase and tried a bunch of them, and blagh, they're gross.

The only exception was Zelda 1. It's like a tiny 8-bit Dark Souls and a lot of fun, and just as hard.

Very few of them have aged well. All of the Mega Man games are still fun to play, although I think 2 is the best place to start. Mario Bros 3 is still great. Kirby's Adventure has aged well, although there are better versions of it (namely the 3D version and the GBA version). Zelda 1 is okay with a guide, but it's completely eclipsed by the later games in the series once you get to the SNES. Blaster Master is good if you use a guide. Kid Icarus has aged pretty well in my opinion (thanks to how VC allows for save-states and not having to put in a password all the time. Were it not for that, there's no way I'd recommend it).

I haven't found Castlevania to have aged particularly well. It's aged better than most NES games, but it can feel really cheap at times, and Rondo of Blood is really where that part of the series (pre-Metroidvania) shines. Metroid 1 has aged horribly and there's no reason to play it outside of curiosity's sake, especially since Zero Mission exists and acts as a wonderful introduction to the series.

Honestly, for most of the games on NES, I'd try the later system counterparts first. If you are really into that series, then try the NES ones to see where they began.

Dark Souls is practically the modern day version of Zelda 1.

As a 20 year old that only really started gaming with the PS1, I think the NES titles have aged well, but would more than likely be better with instruction manuals intact.

I played the 3DS Ambassador NES titles and I've found them enjoyable every time I picked them up. The only one I had any real issue with was Metroid because there's no map system and I REALLY needed one so I could progress. After finding one online, I was able to enjoy it more. The original Zelda holds up amazingly well (in my opinion) and the other NES games are still quite playable.

Of course, I haven't played EVERY NES game (not even close), so I'm sure there are some that have aged poorly..., but out of the titles I've played from the VC, I feel they're worth the asking price and experience.

It's kind of hard to make something out of this since it seems like many people disagree on what is worth playing or not. So here is my impressions of the games I have:

Donkey Kong: Kinda repetitive, loses it's appeal if you use savestates. Feels like it should be in a different price range for being an early arcade port.

Super Mario Bros 1: Tried to play it the old school way but I usually just breezed through the first levels and then died on the same level multiple times. Managed to beat it using savestates excessively. Fun game but feels like it belongs more in something like the all-stars bundle rather than something I would pay full price for.

The Legend Of Zelda: It's easy to understand why this game is so appreciated. Often very difficult and therefore I have not yet played it through. Hidden upgrades and secret patterns means I often have to use a map or guides which feels a bit over the top. Probably on the same level as Mario bros if not better.

Megaman 1: Very hard game. Only managed to beat like one boss. Feels like I should have bought the sequel because that's the one people talk about the most.

From here I'm thinking about checking out Zero Mission, Castlevania and some old school RPG.