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.
"The very first Dragon Quest: the game that invented the modern J-RPG in Japan. Rudimentary compared to its successors but foundational in essence. Historically essential."
"Kunio-kun football version on Famicom. Insane matches with explosive tackles and special shots. Fun co-op, sharp humor. The Nekketsu formula applied to football with the same joy."
"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 Japanese cartoon platformer by Sunsoft with extremely likable characters. Unique playful atmosphere, inventive gameplay. The Hebereke mascot is adorable. One of the best overlooked NES platformers."
"The western version of Culture Brain's Super Chinese 2. Action-RPG with chibi-style ninjas. Fun cooperative adventure, well-executed genre blending. Overlooked but genuinely recommendable."
"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."
"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 quintessential Konami crossover on Famicom. Goemon, Simon Belmont, Mikey from the Goonies, King Kong... Epic fan service in a colorful action-platformer. Japanese only but visually irresistible."
"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."
"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."
"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 sequel to Konami's comic Japanese thief adventures. Bigger, more varied, even funnier. Japanese folklore enters a colorful action-adventure. Japanese only but visually expressive."
"Namco's arcade in a faithful NES port. Inflate monsters with a pump or crush them with rocks: emblematic concept still satisfying. A timeless gem that can be rediscovered effortlessly."
"Kunio-kun dodgeball in its western Super Dodge Ball version on NES. Insane mechanics with spectacular special shots. Fun co-op, humor present. The Nekketsu formula exported perfectly."
"Sunsoft's absolute masterpiece on Famicom. Mr. Gimmick throws stars with staggeringly precise physics. Incredible visuals and music. One of the greatest 8-bit games ever created."
"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."
"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."
