1. Super Mario Bros.
Packshot © Nintendo
Super Mario Bros. was the best selling title for the NES, followed by its sequel, Super Mario Bros. 3 as the number two best seller and Super Mario Bros. 2 in the third spot for the system.
2. The Legend of Zelda
Packshot © Nintendo
Due to Zelda's complex RPG elements and lengthy gameplay, a save sysem was necessairy, so the game ended up being the very first console cartridge to have a built in battery-powered RAM memory.
3. Final Fantasy
The original Final Fantasy stands as the most influential RPG title of all time, setting the standard for all RPGs to come. Although originally criticized for its slow pace and numerous random encounters with enemies, the game has proven itself to have been far ahead of its time, with most modern RPGs still using the same conventions and systems.The game features three continents for players to explore, allowing them to move across the land via a map system in parties of four characters, each with a unique skill set. Unlike most adventure games, the player has limited control of their characters, making them wait their turn in combat and assigning specific tasks for the character to perform instead of directly controlling them.
4. Mega Man
With over 100 sequels and spin offs, Mega Man is undoubtedly one of Capcom's most solid franchises and it all started with this little game featuring some of the worst (and misleading) pack-art of all time. Regardless of how bad the box art was, word of mouth spread on how good the game itself was.Referred to as Rocketman in Japan, but changed to Mega Man in the US due to trademark issues, MM follows an Astro Boy inspired adventure of a robot assistant reprogrammed to become a super hero so he can battle the evil robots created by the mad scientist Dr. Willy. Each time Mega Man defeats a level boss he absorbs their special abilities, adding it to his arsenal and skills.
5. Metroid
Packshot © Nintendo
Creator of the Game Boy, Gumpei Yokoi, set out to produce a game that took the best elements of the Mario and Zelda series and mixed them with non-stop action. In this side-scrolling platformer, exploration and power ups are key as you infiltrate a Space Pirate's World to stop them from using the biological weapon known as the Metroid Creatures, to take over the universe.
Metroid was the first action game to feature a female protagonist, Samus Aran, a bounty hunter whose protective suit takes on special abilities depending on the different power-ups she snags.
6. Metal Gear
Not only is Metal Gear the first game in the monumentally successful Konami franchise, but it is the first ever "stealth game", creating an entirely new genre of video game. Although originally released in Japan for the MSX2 computer system, the NES iteration of Metal Gear was the only version of the game to release in the United States at the time. Although the games creator, Hideo Kojima, viciously hated the NES port, it ended up being responsible for making the game one of the most popular titles ever.
7. Castlevania
Considered to be one of the top platforming titles of all time, Konami took a genre normally reserved for cutesy kiddy fare and added a dark and sinister horror tone, focusing on vampire slayer Simon Belmont's journey to destroy the resurrected Dracula. The combination of solid controls, smooth gameplay, high quality music and serious tone lifted Castelvania into video game history as its sequels are often compared to the original as a mark of quality.8. Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!
Later renamed to simply Punch Out!! with the bad boy of Boxing's name and image removed, the original Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! is considered one of the most popular and influential home console boxing games of all time. Based on the Punch Out!! arcade game, the NES version is more of a reimagining of the arcade title rather than a port, as it features dramatically different visuals, style and gameplay. This is one of the few cases where the console version surpasses the original arcade game in popularity.
Instead of having the player take the roll of Tyson, you play as a generic boxer nicknamed Little Mac by fans, a name which eventually stuck for the sequels. Tyson here is the final boxer you must defeat to win the game.
