RFGen's Top 20 games for NES

[MetalFRO]

I went through my collection, and figured out which games were my top 20, relatively speaking, and included a couple that I don't have on cartridge yet, for various reasons.

[lendelin]

List sent.

It was fun to do! Surprisingly it was pretty easy and fast. I just numbered the top 20 games I finished (altogether around 90 NES games) and made a lasting impression on me.

I'm curious what the results will be.   I encourage others to participate as well, the more participants the more reliable the result.

[EZ Racer]

It has been really fun so far to see all the different opinions, and for those who have provided thoughts behind their ranking, thanks again. It'll add to the quality of the combined list at the end of the month.

A few interesting stats so far (out of 5 lists) -

66 different games have appeared on at least 1 list.
Zero games have been on all 5 lists.
All of the games voted at #20 have been on only 1 list.

Looking forward to seeing where some of the classics end up once the month is over.

[lendelin]

It has been really fun so far to see all the different opinions, and for those who have provided thoughts behind their ranking, thanks again. It'll add to the quality of the combined list at the end of the month.

A few interesting stats so far (out of 5 lists) -

66 different games have appeared on at least 1 list.
Zero games have been on all 5 lists.
All of the games voted at #20 have been on only 1 list.

Looking forward to seeing where some of the classics end up once the month is over.

I completely overlooked  the possibility to comment on the more unusual games in the submitted list. I'll certainly drop you another pm doing just that. This is where the list will be the most interesting. The classics and high quality games are well-known and will prevail, but the underrated games according to experienced gamers will be the salt in the soup.

The result so far doesn't surprise me at all. The NES has just such a diverse library with fantastic games in every genre so that the number of listed games spread out. More than ten years ago I participated in a list for the favorite NES games among authors of a fanzine. The result was that every author (around ten) named a different title as their favorite game.

I'm curious about the result. Very good idea, EZ Racer!

[Disposed Hero]

I think I've locked in my Top 20, now I'm just trying to add in my thoughts for some of my picks.

[Disposed Hero]

List submitted! I'm looking forward to seeing the results!

[EZ Racer]

Only a week left to get lists submitted. Looking forward to seeing how a late push will affect where everything currently stands.

[singlebanana]

Only a week left to get lists submitted. Looking forward to seeing how a late push will affect where everything currently stands.

Yeah, really excited to see these results.

[Normatron]

Sorry it's so late but I will drop my list off to you.

[EZ Racer]

So everything is put together and the final list will dropping soon. Boy it was fun to put together, and I hope everyone enjoys the results.

But before it hits, I'd like to reveal some favorites that didn't make the cut. First, the games that got one vote between #16 and #20. Comments provided when possible by the voter:

-Received 1 20th place vote-

Skate or Die
Burgertime
Capcom's Gold Medal Challenge
Deadly Towers- "I have played this game for years and even though it is not a good game for many people, I will always love this game"
Arkanoid- "Crazy addictive, even without the special rotary controller. Just loads of fun to play."
Willow- "Not only the best movie-to-game adaptation in the NES library, a first-class game on its own. A well-balanced game of smart movie references, a rewarding levelling-up system, great usage of weapons and magic, pacing and an interesting and colorful world which comes to life. A great and underappreciated classic."
Ninja Gaiden- "Tough-as-nails, and precise-as-hell action game. One of the best soundtracks on the system and some cool story telling. Get's a little too rough right at the end, though."

-Received 1 19th place vote-

Felix the Cat
NES Open Tournament Golf
Godzilla: Monster of Monsters

-Received 1 18th place vote-

Super Spike V-Ball
Shadowgate
Gargoyle's Quest II
Solar Jetman- "One of the first sci-fi space games I got to play. I loved the mechanics to the ship; how when you pick up different items you feel the gravity pull you, and that makes think of different ways to get them to your lander."

-Received 1 17th place vote-

Spy vs. Spy
Marble Madness
Dig Dug II- "A different way to play Dig Dug. Nothing feels better than using the jackhammer and sinking most of the enemies in the water at the same time."
Wrath of the Black Manta- "This is a bit of a personal favorite, so it's on the list just because. I love this game's ultra cheesiness, and it's a solid game in its own right."

-Received 1 16th place vote-

Kickle Cubicle
Maniac Mansion
Pinball Quest- "I have always loved pinball games, but mixing RPG elements with pinball just sounded like a bad idea. I still can't believe it worked out."
Snow Bros.- "What you get when you drop your Bubble Bobble in the snow, but with less levels"
Abadox- "Another amazing shooter on the NES, and while not as well recognized as Life Force, is worth any fan's time because of its excellence."
R.C. Pro-Am II- "Takes everything right about the original, a classic in its own right, and adds elements of Super Off Road, another Tradewest racing game. The end result is fast and fun, and possibly the best racer on the NES."


A lot of great or nostalgic games, and that's just the beginning...

[Crabmaster2000]

Wow, this is going to be an interesting list. That's a pretty diverse bunch of games ready.

Who the heck picked Deadly Towers? I would have assumed Duke.Togo, but it looks like he didn't participate. Hard to believe there are two crazies out there that found joy in that game. Dig Dug II, Arkanoid and Abadox are also big surprises to see. I have fairly low opinions of all of those.

Nice to see some solid games like: Willow, NES Open Tournament Golf, Super Spike V'Ball, Shadowgate, Gargoyle's Quest II, Marble Madness, Snow Bros, Kickle Cubicle and RC Pro Am II get some love.

Also cool to see Pinball Quest and Solar Jetman get some attention. Neat games for sure.

Now to chew the rest of you out for snubbing Ninja Gaiden!! That game is so freakin good it should be on everyone's list!

[cverz2]

OH MAN, I cant believe I missed this.  Completely bummed.   Cant wait to see the list though.

[EZ Racer]

OH MAN, I cant believe I missed this.  Completely bummed.   Cant wait to see the list though.

Hopefully you'll join in on some of the other lists we do. February's is for Super Nintendo.

Dropping some more of the single votes...

-Received 1 15th place vote-

Bomberman II
Kid Icarus
Adventures of Lolo-"A puzzle game that lets you take your time to solve your way out of each room. Just the right amount of challenge to test you, but not break you. Also one of the catchiest main themes ever"
Shadow of the Ninja-"Natsume took the Ninja Gaiden formula, and made it palatable for those of us who don't have lightning reflexes."
Faxanadu-"The unusual graphics and the first-rate soundtrack make this game one of the best NES games with an unique atmosphere. The RPG has a very rewarding levelling-up system, the controls are good, and the game design is an invitation to explore an interesting world."

-Received 1 14th place vote-

Dragon Warrior II
Metal Gear
R.C. Pro-Am
Heavy Barrel-"One of the games that I always played with my brother or my dad. Co-op is really the way to play this game, and when you finish building the 'Heavy Barrel', just lay waste to everything!"

-Received 1 13th place vote-

S.C.A.T.-"One of the best shmups on the NES, and very unique. "Contra in space" should not be a pejorative, but a superlative."
Werewolf: The Last Warrior-"This game has one of my favorite 8-Bit era looping stage songs. Plus you get to play as A guy named Werewolf who can transform into a werewolf. What’s not to like about that?!... It’s the controls; while basic moving and jumping is fine, some of the more complex abilities require some practice to perfect. Understandingly, this can turn people off a decent game with a fairly interesting story. Also it came with a comic book.... so that’s got to be worth some kind of bonus points. Right?"

-Received 1 12th place vote-

Metal Storm
Dragon Warrior III
Mega Man 4
Ice Hockey
Mega Man 6-"Tried a few unique new ideas for the series that unfortunately didn't stick such as branching paths and Rush Adapters. Music isn't up to par with the series, but everything else is top notch."

-Received 1 11th place vote-

Rad Racer
Little Nemo: Dream Master-"A lighthearted adventure through a magical world. Fun exploration with the help of a pocket full of candy and a few animal buddies"

I realize I should have posted this yesterday, but nearly 100 games got at least 1 vote. I do believe it's important to give all the games people voted for some attention, especially the ones that have an explanation behind them. With so many (a good problem to have), it's better to release the info for the also-ran's in segments.

Enjoy! More to come tomorrow...

[Crabmaster2000]

That's a great group of games there!

[Normatron]

Are you saying deadly towers didn't make your list???😁