I’ve written extensively about the best NES games, the most challenging NES games, the most quintessential NES games… Nintendo’s NES was—and still is—my favorite game console. So I write about it often! But since I started my eBay store, I’ve noticed that certain games keep coming up over and over again.
These tend to be cheap games, and surprisingly few are the outdated, long-running games that you probably immediately think of. To be honest, I was surprised at how often these games are bought and sold on eBay. These are the games that are almost impossible to keep in stock, even if they are a mass of common use. Actually, I was impressed.
So, in strictly arbitrary order, here are the best NES games that almost every ’80s kid played. And if you think I’m wrong, there’s a comment section below. I’d love to hear what games you think I’m missing and what games helped shape your childhood.
- Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt
Let’s start with the obvious. If you owned an NES, you almost certainly had this combo cart. Early adopters could get a single Super Mario Bros. and/or the Duck Hunt single if purchasing the Zapper separately.
Almost every collection I buy has one of these carts. Likewise, every console bundle I sell includes one. And yet, it’s the most popular single cartridge in my store, usually selling for around $13 shipped. I had so much trouble accumulating them that I had to raise the price by a dollar. But don’t worry. I’ll return it as soon as I’m done.
- Top Gun
I tried this game once as a kid. It was at the Walmart demo station. And being the avid gamer that I was (and maaaaaaaybe still am heh), I expected to have a ton of fun playing while my parents were out shopping. I also thought it was amazing that no one had played this already. After a few minutes I realized why…
That’s not to say that Top Gun is a bad game. It was normal for its time. But it was definitely repetitive and lacked the gameplay qualities of the era’s most popular games.
- Tetris
This game was very popular. It had broad appeal for all ages. Even adults. Makes sense. There is no reference to children’s films, there are no licensed cartoon characters. Actually no characters. Graphics were simple shapes that allowed for really crisp graphics.
And of course, the reason Tetris was so appealing was that it is, pixel by pixel, one of the greatest games of all time. In my opinion, at least. It has everything you love about a video game. It’s satisfyingly easy to learn, and the difficulty level is low enough that even n00bs feel accomplished at the start. But experienced players can adjust the difficulty, allowing even the most avid gamers to earn money.
This one is certainly not as popular as some of the others on this list, but it has definitely earned its spot.
- I fight Billy
Like Top Gun, Bayou Billy has many detractors. A lot of hate. I tweeted about this game (now called “X” by some) and I always hear responses like “throw it in the trash” or “kill it with fire”.
Not sure why all the hate, really. It’s a pretty decent game that straddles the line between genres better than most multi-genre games. This there is harder than rocks, so maybe it’s just a childhood trauma.
However, Bayou Billy seems to keep going into the store and keep coming back, impossible to keep in stock. It seems to be as ubiquitous as Mario or Zelda among retro collectors. Crazy.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
There are few cultural phenomena like TMNT. And while the franchise itself has shown incredible longevity, being reimagined time and time again, the original NES game is still one of a kind. The next NES games were brawlers, which were fun and all, but I have absolutely no love for a good platformer.
Like Top Gun and Bayou Billy, TMNT has taken a lot of offense over the years. This is mostly due to its painful difficulty in the second half of the game. Most gamers of that era remember the dam level as a nightmare. I admit, when I was 7 years old, this level seemed very difficult. But if you try it now, I think you will overcome this level.
… but the next levels are waiting for you on the other side … These are still total kickers. Especially the last corridor of the Technodrome that leads to the final fight against Shredder.
- WWF Wrestlemania
Here’s this one power to be a little more niche. I felt like the only 80’s kid who didn’t care about wrestling, but even I ended up playing the game at friends’ houses. They thought it was great. I still can’t understand.
- Skate or die
I thought this game was legit. I was wrong.
That’s my opinion, but I don’t think I’m alone. This one sells out every time I get it in stock. I wonder if the adults who buy this have the same fond memories as I do. I played it at my cousin’s house (he had everything) and the downhill segments were a lot of fun. But the rest of the game I was lucky more than anything else.
The sequel, Skate or Die 2, included a halfpipe game that plays much like the seminal Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Before THPS, it was pretty damn fun. Better than anything in Skate or Die. And yet, the first game seems to have the biggest footprint among nostalgic gamers.
Let’s end this list with a big one. Super Mario 3 was probably more popular and more popular, so let’s just pretend it’s on this list. But Super Mario Bros 2 came at such a perfect time!
Here in the States, we didn’t know the “real” Japanese Mario 2. We thought that was it. And given the popularity of the original, we were certainly excited to try the new one! And that’s great! Possibly my favorite Mario game yet and definitely unique in the franchise.
It came out around the time the NES was reaching critical mass as gamers were using it faster and faster. It was a game of the moment and we loved it.
A lot more
There are probably a ton more games that have passed through most NES-owning families. Games like Contra, Baseball, Mega Man 2, and Simon’s Quest were also extremely popular. So feel free to let me know what I missed. And if any of this unlocked the main memory for you, feel free to check out my eBay store and pick some up yourself.
Thanks for reading!