60. Mappy-Land (NES)

Mappy-Land is a fun, if slight, game that shows its age in its lack of variety. As such, Mappy-Lane's appeal will be limited to those who enjoy its innately dated style and play mechanics. Fans of old-school arcade games will likely enjoy it to a certain degree — it offers solid 8-bit retro diversion — but don't expect anything particularly sophisticated or groundbreaking.

59. Mystery Tower (NES)

Originally released only in Japan on the Famicom, Tower of Babel (renamed Mystery Tower for its debut in the West via Nintendo Switch Online) is a 1986 puzzle-platformer from Namco starring large-nosed Jones-alike Indy Borgnine.

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You control the archaeologist as he uses L-shaped blocks to climb the titular tower and reach the exit of each of its 64 storeys. Mystery Tower is hardly a must-play from the Famicom library, but as a title that was never previously localised, it's a very welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch Online catalogue.

58. Wrecking Crew (NES)

Wrecking Crew isn't something we'd recommend spending vast sums on, but it's definitely worth checking out as part of the Nintendo Switch Online package of NES games.

It can be a frustrating experience and it lacks the control finesse players would come to expect from later Nintendo efforts, but as an early 8-bit Mario puzzle-platformer, cautiously and with context, it warrants investigation.

57. Xevious (NES)

Xevious on the NES was a solid and very straightforward port of an arcade classic. While there are no additional bells and whistles, the game represents everything that was great about the original and still makes a simple yet fun shooting experience.

The OG version is still the pick, of course, but this isn't a bad conversion for Nintendo's 8-bit machine. If you appreciate old-fashioned arcade shooters, definitely give this a try.

56. Yoshi (NES)

Known as Mario & Yoshi in Europe and Yoshi's Egg in Japan, Yoshi is hardly the most scintillating of puzzlers, but we've played worse tile-matching games in our time and it does have a relatively unique plate/column switching mechanic. We'd recommend firing it up for a moment or two to see if the concept catches on. If so, great! If not, move along.

55. Solomon's Key (NES)

A challenging game with imprecise controls that you'll be pleased to have the rewind function for, Solomon’s Key is nonetheless an enjoyable action-puzzler from Tecmo that's worth playing today - provided you've got the patience for it.

54. Donkey Kong 3 (NES)

Perhaps most notable for introducing Stanley the Bugman into the Nintendo canon, Donkey Kong 3 is an odd departure from the previous entries in the series from back when sequels didn't mean rinsing and repeating the concept from the previous game ad infinitum.

It's certainly not up to the standard of the arcade original but it's still a fascinating slice of Nintendo history and worth firing up at least once.

53. Ice Climber (NES)

Ice Climber is a solid concept let down by finicky controls. Scaling its mountains can offer diversion if you can overcome how awkward it feels in a modern context, but anyone checking this out on the strength of the characters' inclusion in Smash Bros. best prepare themselves for a cold shower.

52. Super Dodge Ball (NES)

A game in the Kunio-kun canon (him of River City Ransom in North America or Street Gangs in Europe), Super Dodge Ball is a silly, shallow little nostalgia trip that's well worth playing, especially for Kunio fans. It won't keep you entertained for hours, but it's a charming, humorous little sports title best enjoyed with a friend.

51. Dig Dug II (NES)

Dig Dug II is quite a different game from its predecessor, but the gameplay is still comparable, allowing you to clear levels the quick and easy way with few points, or the long and hard way with many points. It's a novel concept, but it never really goes anywhere and eventually starts to get a little repetitive. If you love highscore games, it's still a decent time, though.

50. Mach Rider (NES)

Mach Rider might not be remembered as fondly (or as often) as other NES launch titles, but with its unique aesthetic, fun gameplay, and impressive sense of speed, it certainly deserves to be. Though the action can get repetitive, three distinct modes and a track editor make it easy to jump into a slightly different game each time, and score-chasers will find plenty of replay value in revisiting racetracks for better times and scores.

Pop-up obstacles and the faux-3D perspective will date the presentation for gamers raised on modern (or even Mode 7) motorways, but retro-race enthusiasts will enjoy revving up this overlooked old-school experience.

49. NES Open Tournament Golf (NES)

As with nearly all of the games in the NES library, the formative systems and mechanics put down in games of the '80s have advanced a lot in the interim.

However, while NES Open Tournament Golf (known as Mario Open Golf in Japan, so technically the first entry in the Mario Golf series) might lack the bells, whistles and frills we've come to expect from our golf games these days, the core gameplay here is as solid as ever. 18 holes might be pushing it, but a swift walk around the back nine will do nicely.

48. S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team (NES)

S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team is a short title but it provides a decent challenge, and should you be able to arrange a ceasefire with the alien forces there's some good music to be heard. Throw in a fun two-player mode and S.C.A.T. should provide you with plenty of entertainment for an evening.

47. Journey To Silius (NES)

This run-and-gunner was originally a Terminator tie-in until Sunsoft ran into issues getting the licence. The developer retooled it and released it as Journey to Silius, although remnants of its former life are easy enough to pick out.

It's a cracking game with excellent music that would be high on our personal lists of NES titles to check out. If you never got around to playing this in the past, there's no time like the present.

46. Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES)

Simply put, Ghosts 'n Goblins ain't no Ghouls 'n Ghosts. And Ghouls 'n Ghosts ain't no Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts. What we're trying to say is that if you're jonesing for a challenging 2D platformer from Capcom, this NES entry in the series probably shouldn't be your first port of call.

It's not bad by any means, just distinctly primitive and a tad more frustrating than it needed to be. If you're down for a tough time, though, this is one of 8-bit gaming's most famously difficult single-player experiences.

45. Devil World (NES)

A game which fell foul of Nintendo of America's nervousness around depicting religious iconography, 1984's Devil World came to Europe in '87 but never launched in North America.

Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka (and being the latter's first project after joining the company full-time in 1984), it’s easy to label it a Pac-Man clone given the obvious similarities, but this is a game that takes the basic formula of the arcade original and builds upon it in an inventive and unique way. It does become a bit repetitive over time due to the fact that the stages are very similar throughout and always presented in the same order. Despite this, the quirky theme and challenge will keep you coming back to this 8-bit curio.

Previously available on multiple Virtual Consoles, it's now part of Nintendo's Switch Online offering.

44. Cobra Triangle (NES)

One of Rare's earliest games, Cobra Triangle boasts addictive gameplay and strong visuals in spades. Racing over ramps, collecting items, and blasting enemy speedboats feels remarkably timeless, but it's the boss battles against the giant sea monster, crab, octopus, and shark that truly elevate this one to greater heights.

43. Rygar (NES)

Rygar for the NES bears little resemblance to the side-scrolling arcade original, but is an impressive action adventure game in its own right. With tight controls and a character that grows stronger as you play, it's a fine example of a quality third-party NES release and worth investigating if you're into non-linear, fantasy-style 8-bit games.

42. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES)

The 'proper' Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan, this direct sequel was once ‘the grail’ for gamers in the West who had utterly exhausted the first Super Mario Bros. and wanted more of a challenge. The Lost Levels certainly provides that. In fact, Nintendo of America deemed it too difficult to release, and you can see where they were coming from.

It's a sequel in the truest sense of the word; difficulty-wise, it picks up where World 8-4 left off and is definitely best enjoyed by seasoned SMB veterans. Players new to Mario (yes, they do exist) will likely find it bewilderingly, hilariously tough. It's almost definitely the hardest Mario game ever made.

It wasn't until Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES that the wider world got to experience this game (which is where it picked up its 'Lost Levels' moniker). It's not bad by any means, but it's the sort of thing that would be a New Game+ mode in a modern game.

The Lost Levels is incredibly unforgiving and lacks the carefully considered balance of risk and reward associated with Mario platformers. It's available on Switch for anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, so test your mettle there, if you dare.

41. Solar Jetman (NES)

Solar Jetman feels like a natural evolution of Lunar Lander, utilising similar mechanics that require you to carefully position your craft to pick up objects while blasting away any ensuing enemies. There's a great use of colour with the environments, and there's more than enough variety on offer to keep you engaged throughout its runtime. It's a tough game, but one worth the effort.

40. TwinBee (NES)

A vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up that didn’t originally release in the West, Konami's Twinbee is worth checking out if only for that reason. It's a cute little Famicom shmup that spawned a successful series and fans will probably enjoy going back to the beginning more than newcomers. Still, it's worth a look.