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NeoGAF Games of the First Three Generations Awards

Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Previous results:
Games of Generation 4
Games of Generation 5
Games of Generation 6

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
Super_Mario_Bros._3_coverart.png

HerroRygar said:
What a phenomenal game. Nintendo took the tight control and mechanics of the already ground-breaking first title and married it with a much richer world. (...)
Click to expand...

Lynx_7 said:
I always thought SMB 3 was on a level of its own as far as gen 3 games are concerned. (...) It wasn't just ahead of its time, it's downright timeless and one of the few games from the era that I can still go back to without any sort of hang-ups and have a blast every time.
Click to expand...

Celine said:
One of the the greatest 2D platform game ever made. Simply a classic.
Click to expand...

2. The Legend of Zelda (NES)
Legend_of_zelda_cover_%28with_cartridge%29_gold.png

redcrayon said:
(...) The sense of freedom combined with snappy combat was a revolution to me coming off of Amstrad games, where adventure games typically were 2D or Isometric with little room to manouver. While LTTP and LA have long since replaced it in my affections, it's still my favourite 8-bit game.
Click to expand...

timetokill said:
(...)This was the game that made me a lifelong player, and started my desire to be a game designer. (...) It still holds up today, and I try to play it once a year. (...) From the opening music to the iconic music of the overworld, this game is a true gem and a masterpiece.
Click to expand...

3. Out Run (Arcade, Master System)
Out_Run_Coverart.png

batfax said:
A generation defining classic for driving games. From it's memorable cabinet design to it's music, sound, graphics, and the feel of the digital open road laid out before you in a branching path, it's hard to believe a strict time limit and skill-focused gameplay could be so relaxing in the hustle and bustle of the arcade.
Click to expand...
gelf said:
No arcade was complete without Outrun, it was the driving game of the age.
Click to expand...

4. Mega Man 2 (NES)
Megaman2_box.jpg

Jamix012 said:
I'm honestly not a huge fan of games before gen 4, generally speaking, but there is one game that punches so far above it's weight and it's this one. The music is out of this world good and the platforming is ultra tight. With challenge just at the right level, this is one of my top platformers of all time. Incredible achievement for the time.
Click to expand...

5. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)
Zelda_II_The_Adventure_of_Link_box.jpg

Morfeo said:
The perfect marriage of plattformer, action, adventure and rpg. This game had a sense of scale like no other at the time, it had deep combat-mechanics, interesting exploring, spell, towns and awesome bosses. Oh, and the reputation it has as too hard it bullshit. This game is balanced perfectly.
Click to expand...

6. Dragon Quest IV (NES)
Dragon_Quest_IV_cover.jpg

djtiesto said:
One of the finest games in the storied DQ franchise. The chapter system was so revolutionary back in the day, especially playing as Taloon (Torneko) and having to run your own store. (...) The monster designs, scope of the game, storytelling, were all mindblowing.(...)
Click to expand...

7. Super Mario Bros. (NES)
Super_Mario_Bros._box.png

Eolz said:
It changed the whole industry and became a standard in game design, even decades later. Hard to not put it at the top.
Click to expand...

8. Punch Out!! (NES)
220px-Punch-out_mrdream_boxart.PNG

StrangeRoboMemory said:
Masterful action-puzzle game that hones the concept of video game combat down into its purest, sharpest essence. Iconic character designs and simple but challenging gameplay.
Click to expand...

9. Phantasy Star (Master System)
Phantasy_Star_box.jpg

Shion said:
Master System's magnum opus, a landmark for JRPGs and a better game than both Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
Click to expand...

10. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)
Castlevania_III_Dracula%27s_Curse.jpg

Nocturnowl said:
I still have nightmares about stage 9-3 (aka the one with the dope "riddle" theme music), a gauntlet that makes the original CV axeman and medusa head corridor seem small time. (...) Multiple gimmicked characters, alternative routes, soul crushing challenge and really pushing forward the blend of strategically fixed platforming and enemy whipping.
Click to expand...
 
Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Game (Publisher) Points (Honourable Mention)
720 Degrees (Atari) 0(1)
Ancient Ys Vanished Omen (Nihon Falcom) 0(1)
Archon (?) 0(1)
Balloon Fight (Nintendo) 0(1)
Batman Oc(EA)n 0(1)
Black Tiger (Capcom) 0(1)
Bugs Bunny’s Birthday Blowout (Kemco) 0(1)
Commando (Capcom) 0(1)
Darius (Taito) 0(1)
Defender (Williams) 0(1)
Digital Devil Stoy: Megami Tensei II (Atlus) 0(1)
Excitebike (Nintendo) 0(1)
Fantasy Zone (Sega) 0(1)
Fantasy Zone II (Sega) 0(1)
Final Fantasy II (Square) 0(1)
Frogger (Konami) 0(1)
Golden Axe (Sega) 0(1)
Golden Axe Warrior (Sega) 0(1)
Ikari Warriors (SNK) 0(1)
Jetpac (Ultimate Play the Game) 0(1)
Joust (Williams) 0(1)
Juno First (Konami) 0(1)
Kabuki Quantum Fighter (Nintendo) 0(1)
Land of Illusion (Sega) 0(1)
Little Computer People (Activision) 0(1)
Master of Darkness (Sega) 0(1)
Mega Man 5 (Capcom) 0(1)
Micro Machines (Camerica) 0(1)
Minelvaton Saga: Ragon no Fukkatsu (Taito) 0(1)
Mr. Gimmick (Sunsoft) 0(1)
Ninja Gaiden 3 (Tecmo) 0(1)
Number Muchers (MEC) 0(1)
Parodius: The Octopus Saves the Earth (Konami) 0(1)
Pole Position (Namco) 0(1)
Pong (Atari) 0(1)
Power Strike (Sega) 0(1)
Psycho Fox (Sega) 0(1)
Sansara Naga (Victor) 0(1)
Shadowgate (Kemco) 0(1)
Smash TV (Williams) 0(1)
Space Quest (Sierra) 0(1)
Starflight (EA) 0(1)
StarTropics (Nintendo) 0(1)
Swords and Serpents (Acclaim) 0(1)
Tetris (?) 0(1)
The Battle of Olympus (Brøderbund) 0(1)
Thexder (Game Arts) 0(1)
Word Munchers (MEC) 0(1)
Xevious (Konami) 0(1)
Zork (Infocom) 0(1)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Sega) 0(2)
Centipede (Atari) 0(2)
Dragon Quest 2 (Enix) 0(2)
Dragon Quest 3 (Enix) 0(2)
Little Nemo: The Dream Master (Capcom) 0(2)
Little Samson (Taito) 0(2)
Mega Man (Capcom) 0(3)
California Games (Epyx) 1(0)
Chucky Egg (A&F) 1(0)
Duck Hunt (Nintendo) 1(0)
Fire Emblem Gaiden (Nintendo) 1(0)
Gangster Town (Sega) 1(0)
Gauntlet (Atari) 1(0)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (Capcom) 1(0)
Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu (Hudson) 1(0)
Kangaroo (Sun) 1(0)
Metal Gear (Konami) 1(0)
Metal Storm (Irem) 1(0)
Mr. Do (Coleco) 1(0)
Q*Bert (Gottlieb) 1(0)
Qix (Taito) 1(0)
R.C. Pro-Am (Nintendo) 1(0)
Rastan (Taito) 1(0)
River City Ransom (Technos) 1(0)
Stargate (Williams) 1(0)
Sweet Home (Capcom) 1(0)
The Gr(EA)t Giana Sisters (Rainbow Arts) 1(0)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Infocom) 1(0)
Yoshi's Cookie (Nintendo) 1(0)
Crystalis (SNK) 1(1)
Missile Command (Atari) 1(1)
Shatterhand (Jaleco) 1(1)
Uforia (Sunsoft) 1(1)
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Sega) 1(1)
Donkey Kong (Nintendo) 1(2)
Dragon Quest (Enix) 1(2)
Final Fantasy (Square) 1(2)
Arkanoid (Taito) 2(0)
Barbarian (Epyx) 2(0)
Batman (Sunsoft) 2(0)
Batman Return of the Joker (Sunsoft) 2(0)
BurgerTime (Data East) 2(0)
Gyruss (Konami) 2(0)
Jar's Revenge (TSRI) 2(0)
Karateka (Brøderbund) 2(0)
Kid Icarus (Nintendo) 2(0)
Rainbow Islands (Taito) 2(0)
River Raid (Activision) 2(0)
Sinistar (Williams) 2(0)
Star Wars (Atari) 2(0)
Super Turrican (Imagineer) 2(0)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (Konami) 2(0)
Wizards & Warriors 2 (Acclaim) 2(0)
Blaster Master (Sunsoft) 2(1)
Gradius (Konami) 2(1)
Baseball Stars (SNK) 3(0)
Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (Konami) 3(0)
Dragon's Lair (Cinematronics) 3(0)
Duck Tales 2 (Capcom) 3(0)
Elevator Action (Taito) 3(0)
Flashgal (Sega) 3(0)
Galaga Arcade, (Namco) 3(0)
Gargoyle's Quest II (Capcom) 3(0)
Sonic Chaos (Sega) 3(0)
Super Hang-On (Sega) 3(0)
The Oregon Trail (Brøderbund) 3(0)
Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon (Nintendo) 3(1)
Mega Man 4 (Capcom) 3(1)
Mega Man 6 (Capcom) 3(1)
Ninja Gaiden (Tecmo) 3(1)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega) 3(1)
Life Force (Konami) 3(2)
Castlevania (Konami) 3(3)
Kirby's Adventure (Nintendo) 3(3)
Super C (Konami) 3(3)
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (Tecmo) 3(4)
Battletoads (Tradewest) 4(0)
Dig Dug (Namco) 4(0)
Elite (Firebird) 4(0)
Bionic Commando (Capcom) 4(1)
Bubble Bobble (Taito) 4(1)
Double Dragon 2 (Technos) 4(1)
Metroid (Nintendo) 4(1)
Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (Nintendo) 4(1)
Space Harrier (Sega) 4(2)
Duck Tales (Capcom) 4(4)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (US) (Nintendo) 4(5)
After Burner (Sega) 5(0)
Mother (Nintendo) 5(0)
Nethack (The NetHack DevTeam) 5(0)
The Guardian Legend (Nintendo) 5(1)
Ninja Gaiden (Tecmo) 5(2)
Ms. Pac-Man (Namco) 6(0)
Pac-Man (Namco) 6(2)
Final Fantasy III (Square) 7(0)
Maniac Mansion (Lucasfilm) 7(0)
Robotron: 2084 (Williams) 7(0)
Shinobi (Sega) 7(0)
Tetris (Nintendo) 8(0)
Contra (Konami) 8(1)
R-Type (Hudson) 9(3)
Mega Man 3 (Capcom) 12(4)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega) 13(0)
Castlevania 3 (Konami) 13(2)
available on Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, 3DS Virtual Console
Phantasy Star (Sega) 13(2)
Available as part of Sega Mega Drive Collection on Xbox 360 and PS3, as well as Wii Virtual Console
Punch Out!! (Nintendo) 14(2)
available on Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, 3DS Virtual Console
Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) 18(3)
available on Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, 3DS Virtual Console, also with improved graphics (but arguably botched up controls) as part of Super Mario All-Stars on Wii
Dragon Quest 4 (Enix) 20(0)
available as a remake on Nintendo DS
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Nintendo) 20(1)
available on Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, 3DS Virtual Console
Mega Man 2 (Capcom) 27(2)
Available on Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, as well as in the Mega Man Collection for 3DS, Xbox One and PS4.
Out Run (Sega) 30(1)
Lesser console ports available for instance on Virtual Console, lovingly crafted 3D port / make over available as 3D Classic on 3DS.
The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo) 36(1)
available on Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, 3DS Virtual Console
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo) 61(2)
available on Wii Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console, 3DS Virtual Console, with remade graphics also part of Mario All-Stars on Wii
 
S

Sir_Crocodile

Member
Petty decent list. Maniac Mansion should be there even with the bugs, but I guess lots of people never played it, or got deadended.
 
Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
The full list is now included. I plan on also making some special lists and platform lists for some platforms (NES, Master System, Arcade, PC), but genre lists are probably not too expressive, considering the low turn out. Still I hope everyone involved enjoyed the voting and the results. Please also have a look at the comments by the posters in the voting thread, because many voters put a lot of thought in there.
 
Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Mega Man wassuffering from having six entries that generation I think. Some people posted ballots with a one-per-franchise rule, others might just have named their one or two favourite Mega Mans. Overall I think Mega Man has got quite nice results, with two strong achievers and all six games having at least an honourable mention.
 
T

To Far Away Times

Member
I never knew Zelda II had that much love. The first Zelda has always been pretty rough around the edges too, though I can respect what it was doing for the time.

To me, the Zelda franchise didn't have it's first great entry until Link's Awakening.
 
C

CrashPrime

Member
To Far Away Times said:
I never knew Zelda II had that much love. The first Zelda has always been pretty rough around the edges too, though I can respect what it was doing for the time.

To me, the Zelda franchise didn't have it's first great entry until Link's Awakening.
Click to expand...

I hated it as a kid. I never could wrap my head around how it was supposed to be played. Zelda 1 made sense to me.
 
S

Sir_Crocodile

Member
To Far Away Times said:
I never knew Zelda II had that much love. The first Zelda has always been pretty rough around the edges too, though I can respect what it was doing for the time.

To me, the Zelda franchise didn't have it's first great entry until Link's Awakening.
Click to expand...

Zelda 2 & 3 are two of the all time best zelda games imo.

The combat in 2 is incredible, the dungeons are huge and the music is great.
 
J

Jucksalbe

Banned
Surprised to see Dragon Quest making the list, but I guess that's mostly because of the low turnout.

CrashPrime said:
Tetris with one vote? Huh? I swear every mom of Gen 1-3 knew it and had a momentary addiction.
Click to expand...

Tetris is mostly associated with the Game Boy version that was part of the gen 4 vote.
 
Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
CrashPrime said:
Tetris with one vote? Huh? I swear every mom of Gen 1-3 knew it and had a momentary addiction.
Click to expand...

Besides the thing with the Game Boy version being the most popular, Tetris also suffered a bit from version fracturing. Someone voted for Tetris, but explicitly some arcade version as opposed to the NES version. Since Game Boy versions were not applicible for this voting, I feel Tetris' placement is allright, as far as I know it only got big with the Game Boy.
 
O

OrbitalBeard

Member
To Far Away Times said:
I never knew Zelda II had that much love. The first Zelda has always been pretty rough around the edges too, though I can respect what it was doing for the time.

To me, the Zelda franchise didn't have it's first great entry until Link's Awakening.
Click to expand...

The first two Zelda entries remain my favorites in the entire series.
 
D

DMONKUMA

Junior Member
Hmmm.....I have never played any of the top 10 and skimming through the list all of the games listed there too.
 
Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
You have never played any of the first three Marios, any of the first two Zeldas, any of the first four Dragon Quests, any of the first three Final Fantasys, any of the first six Mega Mans or any of the early Sega & Namco arcade games? Have you played anything from the first three gens? Because if not... I think even though the voter turnout was lower than I had hoped for, this list could be a great pointer to many of the origins of today's greats :).
 
kunonabi

kunonabi

Member
Can't argue with the list too much although I'd have castlevania in the top 5 and replace zelda 2 with metroid.
 
O

OricWindstar

Member
I'm surprised to see Outrun at 3. Not because of it's quality, I just didn't expect to see it up with Zelda and Mega Man. Great list.
 
D

DMONKUMA

Junior Member
Yoshi said:
You have never played any of the first three Marios, any of the first two Zeldas, any of the first four Dragon Quests, any of the first three Final Fantasys, any of the first six Mega Mans or any of the early Sega & Namco arcade games? Have you played anything from the first three gens? Because if not... I think even though the voter turnout was lower than I had hoped for, this list could be a great pointer to many of the origins of today's greats :).
Click to expand...

Well I think it's because I wasn't born during this time and didn't have the desire go back and revisit some of these classics. :p

I could be wrong about Super Mario 3 but as far as anything I haven't played any games from this era.
 
Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
DMONKUMA said:
Well I think it's because I wasn't born during this time and didn't have the desire go back and revisit some of these classics. :p

I could be wrong about Super Mario 3 but as far as anything I haven't played any games from this era.
Click to expand...

Well many games I voted on myself are older than me or so old that I couldn't play them in their prime, yet I think it was worth it to play some games to see where the ideas originated (Metroid, Zelda, Final Fantasy for instance), others just because they are games that are just timeless classics (Mario, especially 3, many of the arcade games particularly). Since you were interested enough to have look into this thread, maybe you will enjoy playing these games today, as well :). I think I will add to the top rated games where they are available today for anyone who wants to experience them now.
 
O

orthodoxy1095

Banned
Yoshi said:
Mega Man wassuffering from having six entries that generation I think. Some people posted ballots with a one-per-franchise rule, others might just have named their one or two favourite Mega Mans. Overall I think Mega Man has got quite nice results, with two strong achievers and all six games having at least an honourable mention.
Click to expand...
I was just kidding around, but yeah, that's what I figured even without looking at the numbers.
 
S

StrangeRoboMemory

Member
Thanks for your work on this vote, Yoshi! I wish more people had voted, but the results are quite solid. I'm surprised but delighted to see Out Run so high, and Castlevania 3's placement reminds me how much it needed to be included in the upcoming NES Mini instead of Simon's Quest.

For all you young 'uns out there or people who just missed this gen, the top 50 or so from this list is a great way to jump into this era of gaming.
 
S

Sir_Crocodile

Member
StrangeRoboMemory said:
Thanks for your work on this vote, Yoshi! I wish more people had voted, but the results are quite solid. I'm surprised but delighted to see Out Run so high, and Castlevania 3's placement reminds me how much it needed to be included in the upcoming NES Mini instead of Simon's Quest.

For all you young 'uns out there or people who just missed this gen, the top 50 or so from this list is a great way to jump into this era of gaming.
Click to expand...

Japanese got CV1 on the mini. Weird that no-one got the best one.
 
O

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
MekaDragon said:
No Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System) in the top 10?

:(
Click to expand...

Not much SEGA at all really. Nintendo dominated NA so even though I think it's easy to argue that games like Phantasy Star or the Wonder Boy / Monster World games are better than games which rank higher on this list, not nearly as many people played them over here. It's a popularity contest.

Fantasy Zone got 1 vote.
 
InfiniteCombo

InfiniteCombo

Banned
SMB3 in its rightful place... The top.

It's really the best game of Gen 3, and better than most games that came afterwards. Truly a masterpiece in presentation, sound and level design.

My second favorite game of all time, behind RE4. I do at least 2 100% playthroughs of it every year.

The rest of the top 10 though... Hot damn. So many good games.
However...IMO, a disproportionately high percentage of games from those early gens have aged pretty fucking badly.
 
Megatron

Megatron

Member
I dont know how I missed the voting thread. I was looking forward to it, too.


Crazy low turnout. Prorbably needed to run longer and be bumped more.
 
Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Well it ran for a month, it's probably a problem with low interest in the generations. I tried promoting it in the community threads for the platform, but overall I still think we have a neat list in the end and one where at least the top ~30 games should be well justified to be up high.
 
S

Secret Character

Member
Yeah, this list is really depressing. Not to say the games that made the top aren't great, but so many killers are overlooked because they weren't NES games. My votes were almost exclusively arcade and PC games (only Mega Man 2 was on my list.)
 
T

timetokill

Banned
MegaMan 3 juuuuust missed the Top 10.

Shocked at Zelda 2 in the Top 5, tbh

Happy to say I've played all in the Top 10 except Dragon Warrior.
 
C

CrashPrime

Member
I think it's time to see if I can stomach an 8-bit Dragon Warrior game. They are so damn long that I don't know if its worth even trying, considering I've never touched the series, but with IV so highly ranked, maybe there is something to it.

I also find it amusing how a vast majority of the top 10 are going to be available as a stocking stuffer in 2016 via the NES Classic. So cool.
 
J

JinjoUnchained

Member
Somehow missed this thread, though I voted on the other gens. Perhaps it wasn't bumped enough? Great Top 10, I must say. Here's what my ballot would have been:

1. Mega Man 2
2. Super Mario Bros
3. Mega Man 3
4. The Legend of Zelda
5. Super Mario Bros 3
6. Legacy of the Wizard
7. Star Tropics
8. Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest
9. Crystallis
10 Battle of Olympus

Edit: honorable mentions to Pac Man and Adventure Island 2.
 
C

Celine

Member
Remember always put a link of the result thread in the voting thread because many subscribed to that thread and may miss the result thread otherwise (as I did, had to go through your posting history).

CrashPrime said:
I think it's time to see if I can stomach an 8-bit Dragon Warrior game. They are so damn long that I don't know if its worth even trying, considering I've never touched the series, but with IV so highly ranked, maybe there is something to it.
Click to expand...
My favorite DQ.
I suggest to play the DS remake.
 
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