By now, most of us have been stuck in our homes for weeks with no end in sight due to the coronavirus pandemic. Working from home might take up a good portion of our day, but that still leaves seemingly endless hours of boredom spent binge-watching TV shows and playing yet another board game. Luckily, there are always video games. We can turn off our brains, stop thinking about the outbreak and get our game on. And no, we’re not talking about contemporary games.
We’re all about getting on the nostalgia bandwagon, returning to a time when pandemics only happened in the movies. The original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is the source of this nostalgia. To help you decide what to play, we’ve graciously ranked our favorite classic Nintendo games. And don’t even think about telling us we’re wrong because if your favorite game isn’t on this list, then it’s really not that great of a game anyway.
Photo: Nintendo
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12 Classic Nintendo Games
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12. 'Castlevania'
Depending on how old you are, you might not realize that Castlevania is more than just a Netflix cartoon. The renowned vampire hunter Simon Belmont began his journey to kill Count Dracula with the original 1986 game. Play it and then watch the show. Make an evening of it.
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11. 'Contra'
The plot of Contra is so confusing that we literally didn’t even know what it was about until now. Apparently, it’s the near future and some evil organization is trying to wipe out humanity. Oh yeah, it takes place in a fictional place called Galuga which is supposedly near New Zealand.
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10. 'Duck Hunt'
No list is complete without this original shooter game. Duck Hunt was one of the first Nintendo games ever released and it’s still fun to shoot the flying fowls and wait for the dog to scoop them up. It also still boils our blood when the aforementioned dog laughs at our inadequacy.
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9. 'Super Mario Bros. 2'
Super Mario Bros. 2 is one of the strangest games of the series by far. Not only can you play as the titular Mario or his green-clad brother Luigi, you can also play as Princess Toadstool or Toad. We still love it -- and you gotta love the strange creature throwing eggs.
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8. 'Tecmo Super Bowl'
Sure, the contemporary version of Madden feels like you’re controlling an actual NFL game. But, does it have a player that’s supposed to be Randall Cunningham called “QB Eagles” or Ickey Woods? We don’t think so.
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7. 'Double Dragon II: The Revenge'
Since early Nintendo games were fairly basic, there are quite a few games that hit their stride in the sequel. The original Double Dragon is okay, but The Revenge is a classic. The graphics are way better, the controls aren’t so clumsy, and the story rules.
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6. 'Final Fantasy'
If it feels like they’ve been making Final Fantasy games your whole life, that’s because they have. When the first game was released in 1987, this fantasy role-playing game made it so we didn’t need to hide away in someone’s basement playing D&D any more. Instead we sat down there and played video games. Relive that magical time by playing it again.
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5. 'Punch-Out!'
When this game was first released, it was called Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out! After a prison stint, the company removed the famed boxer’s name and likeness. But it didn’t change the fact that this is one of the most fun, innovative games on the system. Pair it with a few beers and you have the makings of a great night.
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4. 'Super Mario Bros. 3'
With the semi-misstep of Super Mario Bros. 2 behind them, Nintendo went back to the winning formula with Super Mario Bros. 3. You can only play as Mario and his little bro, but instead of just getting the ability to be “Super,” “Invincible,” and “Fire,” you can also get a bunch of random costumes with various fun abilities that will keep you entertained all evening.
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3. 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game'
If you didn’t grow up in the '90s, you might not realize just how big the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were. You also might assume that a video game based on a popular cartoon would suck. Well, the first one did. They got it right with this arcade-style, action-packed, fairly easy game that will leave you craving pizza more than you probably should.
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2. 'The Legend of Zelda'
The first game of The Legend of Zelda series is perfect. The graphics aren’t amazing, and they don’t need to be. The gameplay is comfortable, and the world is easy to navigate. If you’ve never played it, now’s the time to mix up a cocktail and get ready for an adventure.
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1. 'Super Mario Bros.'
The original Super Mario Bros. is like Budweiser. It’s the king of video games. It’s fairly bland, simple and side scrolling, and we can’t get enough of it.
