The NES revived gaming after the 1983 crash and laid Nintendo's foundations: Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Metroid, Mega Man. This Top 100 gathers the console's best 8-bit games, re-tested and re-ranked by RomWize. For each, its re-evaluated score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value — a prime hunting ground for collectors.
"Probotector II, the European version of Super C. Same robotized excellence for this Contra 2. Intense action, varied levels, just as essential for run'n'gun fans."
"Western version of 1943 with some welcome adjustments. The Midway historical backdrop is nicely used. A classic 8-bit shoot'em up worth revisiting without apology."
"A kabuki warrior in digital cyberspace: visually unique concept. Snappy action-platformer, varied bosses. Overlooked but very well executed. Fully worth discovering."
"Mega Man 5 with its eight varied Robot Masters and polished soundtrack. The series shows some signs of fatigue but remains high-quality. An excellent platformer despite the familiar formula."
"The compilation of the first two Final Fantasy games on one Famicom cartridge. Practical and economical to explore the origins of the saga. FF II is particularly rare to find separately."
"The third Konami TwinBee on Famicom. The kawaii saga enriched with new mechanics and more characters. Just as colorful and addictive. One of the best in the series."
"The European version of Ninja Gaiden II. Same trilogy peak as the original: even more dramatic cutscenes, refined mechanics. Essential in any version."
"The sequel improves everything: controls, levels, variety. One of the best beat'em ups on NES. The attack direction system is far more intuitive. Essential for genre fans."
"The start of a timeless saga. Plant bombs, trap enemies, collect power-ups. In multiplayer it's pure social magic. One of the most elegant concepts in gaming."
"Taito's Rainbow Islands sequel on NES. Bubble Bobble in a new adventure with umbrellas. Colorful, addictive, charming. Overlooked but truly excellent. A high-quality arcade platformer."
"The peak of the original trilogy. Creatable characters, immense world, legendary final twist. DQ III caused queues in Japan and you can see why. A J-RPG masterpiece."
"A technically breathtaking late-NES Japanese tactical-RPG. Deep turn-based strategy, elaborate story. Entirely in Japanese. One of the best hidden strategy games on the console."
"A Japanese action-platformer starring a tengu. Mechanics are solid and the Japanese folkloric atmosphere is well captured. Little known outside Japan but genuinely enjoyable."
"Capcom's vertical shooter ported to NES with care. The plane can barrel-roll to dodge, enemy formations are well designed. Not revolutionary but solid, snappy, and well paced for short sessions."
"The direct sequel introducing dinosaurs as mounts. Improved mechanics, more colorful visuals. A solid step above the first entry, recommended to all 8-bit platformer fans."
"The direct sequel brings new enemies and even more inventive levels. Slightly more difficult than the first. For Bub and Bob die-hards looking for more content."
"A humorous NES strategy game on the American Civil War. Strategy maps and interspersed action phases. Sharp humor, explosive two-player. An unjustly forgotten classic."
"Taito's brick-breaker ported to near perfection on NES. Simple, precise, addictive. The rotary controller is not essential but appreciated. A timeless game that still plays effortlessly."
"G.I. Joe NES sequel with five playable characters and enriched mechanics. More generous than the first in content and variety. One of the best licensed games on the console."
