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.
"A Namco vertical shoot'em up with a mythological dragon. The extra-head power-ups are a delight. Polished visuals, well-measured challenge. An excellent overlooked shooter in the NES catalogue."
"A technically impressive NES boomerang action-platformer. Wide-sweep weapons, varied levels, memorable bosses. Overlooked but truly excellent. One of the console's good platformers."
"The Japanese original of Castlevania on Famicom Disk System. The source of everything. Perfect gothic atmosphere, mechanics still impeccable. Essential to understand where the series comes from."
"A Nihon Falcom action-RPG where an entire family of adventurers explores a vast dungeon. Each member has unique abilities. Vast, ambitious, still fascinating. One of NES's most original RPGs."
"The Baloo animated series as a Capcom NES action-platformer. Fly a plane through varied and colorful levels. Successful license adaptation. Overlooked but genuinely well-made."
"Fred Flintstone in a high-quality NES platformer. Varied levels, polished visuals, solid mechanics. Much better than the average licensed game. Faithfully recreates the show's universe."
"The sequel is even more generous and inventive. New enemies, new levels, charm intact. Capcom did even better with what seems the same budget. Perfectly recommendable."
"Kirby on Famicom, one of the console's most technically impressive games. Power copying is already there, colors explode, handling is perfect. An absolute pinnacle."
"The Japanese version of Mendel Palace. Flip tiles to trap enemies in this Hudson and Game Freak puzzle-action. Original and addictive concept. For genre fans."
"The Japanese Famicom version of Life Force, slightly different from the NES release. Same shoot'em up co-op excellence. For fans and collectors wanting to compare the two editions."
"Mega Man 4 introduces the charge shot and Bright Man. Slightly less inspired than the first three but still solidly excellent. The series maintains its impressive quality level."
"One of the most technically impressive games on the entire NES. Gravity reversible at will, frantic action, stunning visuals. Little known outside Japan but absolutely remarkable. A hidden masterpiece."
"Super Mario Bros. 2 on NES: Mario, Luigi, Toad and Peach in a dream world with different rules. Uproot vegetables, throw them at enemies. Original and surprising gameplay. A classic in its own right."
"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."
"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."
"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 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 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."
