
Just a quick reminder that there's still time to rate your favourite NES games from those available for Nintendo Switch Online. Only a few hours after this article went live last week, Nintendo announced new additions to the NES and SNES catalogue including Rygar for NES. Naturally, we've added this to the options below.
After a relatively slow start, the library of NES games available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service has grown to an impressive 53 titles, not to mention the 29 playable Super NES. That catalogue of games--some of them absolute, stone-cold classics--is certainly a welcome piece of added value for anybody who pays to play their Switch games online.
These NES games playable on Switch also come with the added bonus of save states and a rewind feature, and you can even buy authentic-feeling wireless controllers that mimic the look and feel of the originals. For the average player, this is a great way to enjoy the classics without digging an old console out of the loft, or trawling eBay and paying through the nose for a nostalgia hit.
With over 50 NES games now included, we'd like your help in ranking every game available with an NSO subscription (in the West) and finding out which ones are the cream of the crop. In a similar manner to our reader-ranked lists of the top 50 3DS games, Game Boy games, Nintendo DS games and GameCube games, we're looking to assemble a ranking of the games below based on their User Ratings from this very website.
You can rate any (or every) game using the specially designed tool below. Simply scroll through the alphabetical list and click the star to score the relevant game with a rating of 1-10. All 53 games currently available are listed below, and you can search for your favourites using the search box at the top of the list - type first few letters and rate it directly from the results that pop up. Remember, you're assigning a score to the games, NOT ranking them from one to ten - we'll take care of assembling the order from all your individual User Scores.
We'll reveal the results next week, but in the meantime feel free to rate your favourites from the list below, and maybe fire up a classic or two!
53 games, some indisputable classics of the medium, others... not-so-much. Team NL already ranked the 26 Super NES games available with the online subscription (three more are arriving on 20th May), although we wouldn't deny you the chance to have your say on those at some point, so look out for that in the future, too. In the meantime, let us know your NES favourites below and we'll reveal the results in due course.
Comments (100)
Only a couple of 10s from me, Ninja Gaiden and Tecmo Bowl.
Smb3 and Loz1 take the cake. 9s from me. Pretty close to 10s, honestly.
~leans into microphone~
Old and stale, can only be replayed so many times/10
SMB3 is my only 10 of the ones I've played. If I could only have 1 NES game ever, that'd be it.
SMB3: easy 10
Blaster Master: 9
SMB2: 8
Dr. Mario: 8
Kirby's Adventure: 8
Super Mario Bros: 7
Donkey Kong: 7
Donkey Kong Jr.: 7
The Legend of Zelda: 7
Ninja Gaiden: 7
Clu Clu Land: 7
Balloon Fight: 6
Mario Bros.: 6
Metroid: 6
Lost Levels: 6
Zelda II: 6
Ice Climber: 5
Donkey Kong 3: 5
Summer Carnival '92 Recca is also an easy 10 for me what with it being one of the coolest Famicom games ever, but... that's not on here.
A good reminder that the service is lacking for me...
@RunGMhx I couldn’t agree more
52 games is very impressive, I didn't know I had so many games on my account. Can't wait to get more free games, and happy I'm not paying for these, I'd be broke.
My top 10 are these:
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. River City Ransom
3. The Legend of Zelda
4. Shadow of the Ninja
5. Crystalis
6. Metroid
7. Kid Icarus
8. Ninja Gaiden
9. Journey to Silius
10. Kirby's Adventure
Adventure of Link and Mario Bros 3 are both excellent. The rest... meh.
I gave some easy 10’s to Super Dodge Ball, Ninja Gaiden, Zelda, and the Super Mario Bros games.
Vast majority rated as 1, I don't know if I could even put together a list of 10 I'd even buy. So many are just throwaway titles that make the list quantity over quality.
I've been wondering lately if we'll ever see some new additions to this thing. If we do I've love to see Faxanadu at some point!
I do still truly love SMB3, SMB1, Kirby's Adventure (love that it's a Kirby game with easy bits and harder stuff), Zelda, Zelda II (nice to be able to play with rewind, ha) and Punchout!!!...I'm sure I could add five or so more to my list if I actually tried them. I tried that VICE game when it was put on, and it was actually impressive. I wish I didn't struggle with games like Metroid and Kid Icarus, but I do. Probably same with Ninja Gaiden.
I should also try Adventures of Lolo, Solomon's Key and StarTropics...I sympathize with those bored with the NES catalogue, but think they could get into a few games if they tried. That being said, I want some more SNES games (come on, get more DKC on there, Earthbound...people will pay for online just for those!!!), it's one of my favourite consoles. N64 and Gamecube as well (or Gamecube remasters). I'd pay.
The games I would give a 10:
Ice Climber
Ice Hockey
Startropics
Super Mario Bros. 3
I am trying to get into Crystalis. And then maybe Star Tropics.
I'm rating these on a scale- for an NES game Balloon Fight gets a 10 from me. It's the most underrated game on the system and a blast to play.
Meh only SMB3, Kirby and Dr Mario hold up today. The rest have aged poorly and are unfair boring games. Maybe if Castlevania 1 was here but even then.
My favourite NES game of all time is Gimmick! from Sunsoft. Until that game arrives on the service, I won't be satisfied.
Honestly, the best games on here are basically the standard Marios and Zeldas. This service doesn't include any of the more interesting games such as Faxanadu or U-Four-ia or EarthBound Beginnings
My only 10s were Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Legend of Zelda. What would probably surprise most people is my utter distaste for beat'em ups. They were my least favorite genre on the NES. Not a single one listed rated higher than a 3 for me.
Unfortunately Vice Project Doom won't get a high place in the list, which is a shame because it seems that many people never heard of it, but it's a pearl! An excellent game!
I rated these games:
Baseball - 3/10
City Connection - 2/10
Double Dragon - 6/10
Double Dragon II: The Revenge - 6/10
Dr. Mario - 8/10
Eliminator Boat Duel - 8/10
Excitebike - 5/10
Ice Climber - 7/10
Ice Hockey - 5/10
Metroid - 6/10
Ninja Gaiden - 8/10
Shadow of the Ninja - 8/10
Star Soldier - 6/10
The Legend of Zelda - 9/10
0. I've probably spent less than 1 hour with all of them combined.
Didn’t have a NES as a kid (they weren’t huge in the UK) so no nostalgia factor. As a result not many I really like
However, please give Vice a play if you haven’t already. Great game.
SMB, SMB3, and Zelda are easy 10s. Kirby's Adventure and Zelda II are both 9s.
I can't rate Metroid, though. It's one of the few games on here that genuinely has not aged well. Do I score it based on its playability today, on its playability in '87, or on something else?
If the Mega Man Legacy Collection hadn't been released, MM2 likely would've been on the service, which would be an easy 10 from me as well. As a bonus, here are my ratings for the NES Mega Man games:
MM1: 7
MM2: 10
MM3: 10
MM4: 9
MM5: 8
MM6: 8
...what can I say, I'm a sucker for these games.
Not a huge fan of NES games really but have rated what I can. Not sure people really want them as part of their NSO subscription but we get them anyway.
@John_Deacon vice project doom is by far the most underrated game on this list 9/10 easy. Better than ninja gaiden
@Maulbert "what can I say, I'm a sucker for these games"
That's because Mega Man games are awesome
I hope people give vs. excite bike some due respect here, vastly improves on an already fun game
@wazlon I wouldn't be a gamer today if it weren't for Mega Man 3 (my introduction to the series). I can beat it from start to finish in under an hour.
Eliminator Boat Duel is an under appreciated gem. An 8/10 for me.
The NES was the first console I ever owned, I got it with super mario bros, Teenage ninja turtles and Barman from Sunsoft, hope they release Batman it was a great looking game on the NES.
@johnvboy Batman won't be released, old licensed games never are. They're a legal rights nightmare.
I'm really good at Donkey Kong so I play that and Lost Levels a lot.
@Gravitron,
Takes me back, although with the fact I am so used to 3D games now, the 2D platform game just seem so hard, not very good at Donkey kong, and I was forgetting about the zapper gun and Duck hunt.
@Maulbert,
So true fella, one can live in hope, or buy a modded NES mini.
Ninja Gaiden and Mario 3 are the only 10's for me, Adventures of Lolo and Star Tropics are up there with the 2 Zelda games of which I actually prefer Zelda 2
@johnvboy it's actually not too difficult to mod yourself. I've done it, and know little about such things. I followed this video:
https://youtu.be/nEjQraNaUoU
Blaster Master is fun and a hell of a lot more tolerable with save states.
Super Mario 3 will always be legendary for me.
Startropics is good times and a series Nintendo should consider reviving at some point.
Boat Duel is actually wickedly fun. Kind of reminds me of RC Pro AM.
NES Open Tournament Golf is not only the best game on the service, it's also the killer app for the Switch
SMB 3 and Ninja Gaiden may be the 10's from me. There are a few 9's and 8's but I'd give a lot of these games 6 or 7 out of 10.
Nintendo could have a service far superior to Xbox's Game Pass if they actually gave a damn about their online service. All the IPs they have, it would be a no brainer.
More people need to be talking about Adventures of Lolo. Is it perfect? Probably not. Is it an amazing puzzler that actually holds up to the tests of time unlike most all of the other "great" games on the NES? Definitely.
Oh, Adventures of Link... To me, you are a 10/10 NES game, but a 3/10 Zelda game.
(Was going to say 1/10, but gotta leave room for CDi games)
@Desrever Quite a difference in scores! I adore Zelda II, and its biggest issue, namely, the tough-as-nails gauntlet to and through the final dungeon, is remedied on Switch thanks to save states.
I don't really like rating games but I managed to find enjoyment out if every NES game on hear, even the ones I really didn't care for. Last one I played was Silius, and it was pretty fun.
I feel like we are due for an update though.
@Cheez
Jokes aside, great game.
@johnvboy Batman Return of the Joker is probably the most impressive NES game I’ve ever played, even more so than Kirby. It really doesn’t feel that much off from the SNES even with the massive power discrepancy.
SMB3 and Kirb are my only 10s. a few 9s and 8s and a whole lot of 3s or less.
My only 10’s make a solid top 5
Excite bike
Kirby
Metroid
Super Mario Bros 3
Tecmo Bowl
I honestly havent used it since a week or so after SNES came to the service. I generally forget it's even there.
My top favorites would be The Legend Of Zelda, Kirby's Adventure, Yoshi, SMB3, and NES Open Tournament Golf.
Maybe in that order.
I was a Master System person back in the 80s, never ever had a NES. So for me having 52 games I'd never played before for less than 5p a day not counting all the SNES games, (yes I know it's "only" 52 games), I was very pleased. My favourite and most played game so far? NES Open. Brilliant game. Worth every penny. I love a good golf game and this is a damn good golf game.
Good idea, I'll be taking notes. I was too young to really appreciate the NES, so I'm playing most of these now, thanks to the NSO service.
Of those I tried out for the first time last year: Super Mario 3 is an 11, Kirby a 10, and Vice a 9. I'm also going through the original Zelda, which is probably a 10, and Solomon's Key, which I'd give an 8.
The NES was an interesting, transitional era for videogames. There's so much stuff there that's practically unplayable today — but the good stuff... well, the good stuff is eternal.
This poll is broken: I was all set to vote for Rygar. But hey, I get it. It's not coming until May 20th.....
Honestly as much as I love Switch and defend Nintendo, this aspect of their current offerings has been such a let down. This is it? This is all the NES games on offer from them after over a year? And SNES games even fewer...
I miss Virtual Console so much...
SMB3 seems to be a common number 1, agreed
I've updated and added Rygar
It’s frustrating that SNES versions of several of these games are absent - and they were so much better, too.
Wario’s Woods, for instance, or SMB 1-3 - all have better graphics and audio.
I placed my vote on the only NES game that truly matters: Pro Wrestling
My Top 10
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. The Legend of Zelda
3. StarTropics
4. Wario's Woods
5. Kid Icarus
6. Kirby's Adventure
7. Solomon's Key
8. Vs. Excitebike
9. Punch-Out!!
10. Super Mario Bros. 2
@nessisonett,
When I got the NES the mega drive was pretty much out in Europe at that time, and I was not really into videogames, I remember going to my loacal newsagents and buying a copy of Gamepro with Sonic the hedgehog on the front cover and was hooked, those 16 bit visuals were just so good, although as you say the return of the joker game does look amazing too.
@Maulbert,
Cheers mate, I may give it a try, first thing is to get an NES mini, although I have seen lots at my local toy store, but that was before the dreaded lock down, so who knows.
Out of this list, I really still occasionally play the following:
I’ll just go with my top 10 (still) most wanted NES games (series) instead:
1. Adventures of Lolo 2 + 3
2. Bucky O’Hare
3. Darkwing Duck
4. Ducktales 1 + 2
5. Gargoyle’s Quest 2
6. Little Samson
7. Metal Storm
8. Rainbow Islands
9. TMNT 2 + 3
10. Ufouria: the Saga
@RunGMhx what would you like from the service?
I'd love to see Nintendo make something new for the nes released on switch online. Like super Mario 4. Sure there's Mario world... But this would be Mario 4.
@tendonerd At this price point ; more stability when playing online would be a great start. I avoid some part of Mario maker simply because they're too unplayable. Smash is also hit or miss. As of now I'm paying for the exact same experience as when it was free.
Regular updates to the free games would be nice or simply a roadmap, when you pay for PSN or Xbox Live you know you'll have a set amount of games in the year, with Nintendo lately you're left hoping. More Snes games, Nes games aged poorly in my opinion, same with N64.
I would gladly pay more if it meant more free games even if not permanent, be it Gamecube, wii or even less known switch games. Some extra discount would also be nice on Nintendo games, like it was with My Nintendo in previous generations.
Yes the services is cheaper than the competition, but the quality of the free content and discount is also inferior and the online stability too. So at the end of the day I'm not exactly sure why I'm paying 20$ a year? Is it for free games? Is it for the right to play online?
In my case I'm paying for a family plan for me, my wife and my son, so the cost is not far from what I pay for Xbox Live (all 3 can play online with 1 subscription on Xbox), yet I don't really see nearly as much quality.
Kirby and the original Zelda are the only ones I really play. I remember playing Wrecking Crew when I was a child so rated that out of nostalgia.
Am I crazy or was there not an article about yesterday’s update announcement? Panel de Pon, Rygar and some other junk
@Crockin You mean : https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/05/nintendo_expands_the_switch_online_snes_and_nes_service_with_four_more_titles
@RunGMhx I guess I'm a teensy bit crazy!
@Crockin Don't be so hard on yourself... Distracted maybe, crazy no (at least based on this comment).
Haven’t played many, but Super Mario Bros. the original is great. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do in The Legend Of Zelda or Yoshi.
@Maulbert Love it! Here would be my ratings:
MM1: 8
MM2: 10
MM3: 10
MM4: 7
MM5: 8
MM6: 9
MM4 vs. MM5 are the games I always go back an forth on. The story in MM4 was pretty great the first time and does have its merits. But it has some roughness around the edges (including music). MM5 has an epic quality to it ... but also some overly long levels that don't accomplish as much as the ones in the other games. You could easily catch me flipping those scores, or putting them both at 8 depending on the day you ask me. For all its flaws, MM1 does some things that I think make it easy to underrate ... breaking into Wily's Castle is an awesome, but subtle, gaming moment. I like every part of MM6 except the story being a dud after two straight good ones.
And MM9 is a 10 for me as well, MM10 is a 9
Might sound dumb, but I won't rate the NES games because it automatically adds them to my profile's games page and, I don't want to add clutter to it. I like that it's just select GameCube & Switch games, instead of a massive overwhelming list.
No 10s from me until the Magic of Scheherazade is finally brought to a Nintendo service.
@megasean I didn't rate 9 & 10 because, while I enjoy them, they aren't actual NES games, they just mimicked them.
@WoomyNNYes I was thinking about that too! I didn’t add any 3DS or Wii U games because I want to only show my Switch ones, but now it shows a whole ton of NES and SNES games.
@BabyYoshi65 On your Games page (using desktop version of this site), put your cursor over the game's thumbnail, a red circle will appear, select "Remove".
@WoomyNNYes Will my ratings of them save?
@WoomyNNYes I tested it. It deletes my score as well, so I will keep them there for now.
There’s 1 game in this list that is still mentioned with the greatest games of all time and it deserves 11 not 10. In fact if I had it my way the rating scale for NES games would be changed to 1 to SuperMario3. It is that good. Only Super Mario World and Super Metroid top it in the pre 3D 8/16bit era for me.
@Maulbert Oh, yeah, I know. I just can't help but compare them. I know they wouldn't necessarily run as-is on the NES.
@sevex if and when Faxanadu releases I’m going to be STOKED. That one is heavily missed by me.
Sure I’ve dabbled with (starts with EMU and ends with LATOR) and the like but having it officially and working like it should with rewinding and reliable save states will be the best and preferred way.
Here’s to hoping we do get it some day!
Wonder when they are going to drop some more black box era gems like Urban Champion, Pinball and DK3....Nintendo really have an inflated sense of pride when it comes to their NES catalogue don't they? (wink)
@Cotillion honestly any time I play a nes game I play it because I'm bored of everything else I own or dont want to get into anything too big. I play these crappy games for less than 39 minutes and leave. Only games I think are good are the Mario's, tetris, dr mario, kirby and castlevania and even then there has been waaay better later on. Absolutely no MUST PLAYS
My perfect 10's: Ghost n Goblins, Gradius, Punchout, Super Mario Bros 3, and Zelda.
Baseball Stars for NES is also a perfect 10, sadly it's not available anywhere. The NEO•GEO version is designed for people to pump it full of quarters, the original was the blueprint for franchise mode in sports games.
For some reason I keep playing Tennis on the NES and nothing else so I guess by default that’s my favourite.
What if you havn't played a particular game, can you still vote?
I think my most played NES game was Spy Hunter.
I hate the whole concept because I can’t buy any of these games on my switch to own and they all have that ridiculous menu at the bottom of the screen.
I don't know why people wasted their time rating these 80s games trying to make NSO sound like a reasonable service in 2020.
I havnt played most of these, but they all look fun to me.
I really like NSO. I reckon it's a bargain. Also, back in the day no kid would have had a collection like this. It would have cost thousands. You were lucky if you had 10 games in your collection.
All right, not all of these are good, far from it, but there are some classics, and great games, on this list. That speed boat game is great, I love it, and I'd never had the chance to play it before.
And if you want Megaman, spend your money on the Legacy Collections, like I did, it won't break the bank and it's often on sale on the e shop. Same goes for Castlevania, etc. Back in the day we had to buy all our games, and they weren't cheap. Stop being so tight and spend a bit of money.
@ChromaticDracula I've still got the original cart, so I can always play it that way, but I just love the idea of having all my favorites on the Switch.
@brendathecat They can add it, but I won’t be playing Urban Champion.
@Tandy255 haha! To be fair, most of those NES games in the selection are awful to play aren't they? To quote Talladega Nights: "Greatest generation my ass!"
@a_winner_is_you "and they all have that ridiculous menu at the bottom of the screen."
WTH dude... You've been able to turn that off for a long time now.
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