If you are a child of the 80s (like me!), chances are pretty good that you had an NES console as a kid. Chances are it was in the living room where you had to share screen time with your brother or your parents and you all called it “Nintendo”.
My Nintendo held a special place in my childhood, filling the gap between He-Man and Ninja Turtles in a way Thundercats just couldn’t. And even before eBay, getting my NES also opened up a whole new section of the video rental store. I remember approaching the game section the first few times, completely enthralled by the dazzling array of adventures that awaited.
The first game I rented was Mega Man 2. The cart must have been broken because the image was all wonky and weird. I didn’t know any better because I was an NES noob and a small kid at that. And after seeing a lot of Atari 2600 graphics, I didn’t expect the game graphics to be real to look like anything. So I played Mega Man 2 with sharp graphics and I still really enjoyed it. I was especially impressed by the music.
From that moment on, Mega Man 2 set the gold standard in my mind for what a fucking game soundtrack should sound like.
Reason 1: Nostalgia!
So all of this means that the first and most important reason to own an NES in 2023 is pure nostalgia. And, in my opinion, there are enough reasons for this.
You can never go back, unfortunately. Not until someone invents a real flux capacitor. But the sights, sounds, and feels of the NES provide less time travel. And even better…
Reason 2: You can share it with your kids
…assuming you have one. And if you don’t have any, consider creating a few. Or worst case scenario: get your console ready for the next time a sibling comes over with their bored kids. And if they don’t like those horrible old graphics, just make sure they know, “When I was a kid, this was all we had and we thought it was AWESOME, dammit!”
It might not be very successful, but I believe that many children are interested in these old devices. And it’s objectively good for gaming culture for the next generation of gamers to understand where Mario, Samus, and Link started. And if they’re open to it, they’ll probably enjoy NES games anyway because…
Reason 3: The games are really good!
While they may not match the vast adventures of your childhood imagination, the NES had plenty – and I mean A LOT– pine tree. … depending on your gaming preferences of course. As an avid 2D platformer enthusiast, the NES is an absolute gold mine!
Here’s a quick rundown of my favorite NES games that are still great.
All of them. The original is definitely primitive compared to the others, but you probably played it a million times as a kid, and going back to that game always gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Both of them. If the sequel disappointed you as a child, I suggest you give it another try as an adult. Solving the puzzles is much easier if you have the internet at your disposal, although I didn’t have much trouble getting to the final stage without a walkthrough. Actually finishing the grueling final stage on the other hand… IMO Dark Souls has nothing on the Z2.
Vintage sports games are almost universally uneven. But Punch Out!! surprisingly polished and satisfying. Like Zelda 2, the difficulty ramps up pretty quickly. But there’s a lot to enjoy: the character sprites are big and fun (in fact, Punch Out!! uses a proprietary graphics chip to create the biggest sprites on the NES. I should write an article about that…), the gameplay is crisp, and you might not remember, but Punch Out !! has one of the best low-key soundtracks on the NES.
Specifically, Mega Man 2 and 3. Both have fun gameplay, colorful graphics, and a great soundtrack. But Mega Man 2 is probably a bit more iconic.
All three NES entries for Castlevania are a spectacular kiss from the chef! The original is a solid game that is completely beatable. (If I can do it, so can you!) Simon’s Quest is almost certainly better than you remember (and another one of the greatest NES soundtracks!), and Castlevania III might be one of the NES’ greatest technological achievements. I never finished it, but it’s fun to try again and again.
Am I gushing? I’m sorry. I really love my NES.
Reason 4: There are tons of other games you’ve never played
Back in my day (you little gambler!) you could only play whatever games you found at your local Wally World or rental store. Because of this, there were so many games that I read about in Nintendo Power and the Game Player’s Strategy Guide, but could never find in the wild. Especially if you lived in a more rural part of the country like I did.
But one of the most important parts of life in the Internet age is that we can find any product from anywhere and have it delivered! Yass!
And the NES had such a huge library (over 700 games) that if you’re new to retro gaming, there’s probably a hundred really solid titles you’ve never even heard of. The term “hidden gems” is abused, but sometimes it feels right. Here are a few of my favorite less popular recommendations.
The game had a big feature on Nintendo Power with maps and lots of art, and I thought it looked cool, but hadn’t seen any copies until a few years ago. I scooped it up and it’s great! Ninja Gaiden heavy atmosphere, but not as soulful.
It’s a side-scrolling platformer AND a side-scrolling shooter. And it’s fun! The name is “zeck-zeez” in case you were wondering.
A side-scrolling adventure game that’s kind of like a platformer. You can choose your level (they are all very difficult) and you can hire floating robot friends to help you. It’s a bit pricey, but if you’re on a budget, it’s definitely worth checking out.
You may have heard about it. It was quite popular when it came out, but seems to have fallen off many mainstream radars. This game consists of Zelda-style top-down adventure segments where you wander around looking for secrets and unlocking weapons. After each adventure segment, the heroine transforms into a ship and soars to the next stage, battling enemies and bosses along the way in one of the best vertical shooters the NES has to offer.
“Well, of course!” I hear you say “It all sounds wonderful. So why not just use the NES Switch Online library or emulator?” And you are right. Especially when it comes to games like Power Blade 2 or Little Samson (which are currently selling for $3000+ on eBay for the cartridge only). I can’t recommend spending that much money on anything you can’t drive or live in. Except maybe college. But I guess technically you could live in college…
Sorry, I got distracted.
Emulation is a legal gray area that seems entirely justified when it comes to ridiculously rare or expensive games. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to try different games without spending anything. But if you ask me and many other gamers here….
Reason 5: There are nothing like the original equipment feel
This is of course personal preference. But I can tell you from personal experience that the difference in satisfaction between playing the game on modern hardware and the OG GOAT OEM NES (LOL) is huge. And the experience is even greater if you can dig up an old CRT TV and hook it up to a HF adapter, that little gray box that screws into the back of the TV.
Obviously, all this can be excessively high. And this hobby is not for everyone. But if you like it and have been thinking about pulling the trigger on an old gaming rig, I sincerely hope this article inspires you to head over to eBay and start looking.
what are you saying Are you so grateful that you want to use my affiliate link to benefit this site? Well, you got it! Use this link to get started and I’ll get a few cents off everything you buy. It’s not much, but you’ll have my unending thanks, and it’s worth more than money. Like. Actually, it doesn’t matter that it’s starting to get weird.
Thanks so much for reading and happy hunting!