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Yoshi · Sep 8, 2016

KEY RULE: You MUST put a comment for one of the choices in your ballot, or your ballot will not be counted. Ideally you will put a comment for each game, but it is not necessary. But keep in mind that these are not meant to be list threads, but threads for discussion.

please don't make preliminary lists or reserve spots. i do not have parser and i will not comb this thread a second time for updated posts unless they're pointed out to me.

this is also a companion to the NeoGAF's Soundtracks of the 1st-3rd Generation Voting Thread, so be sure to check that out too!

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GAF Games o' Gen ≤3 (NES/Sega Master System/Atari 7800 and more) Voting Thread

AniHawk made a splendid job at collecting votes for and presenting the GAF Games of each generation starting from generation 4. However, due to low turn-around for generation 4 and expected lower interest in an even older generation, AniHawk decided not to hold a vote for generation 3. He allowed me however, to continue his line of threads with a voting for generations 1-3. I decided to merge these three generations into one vote, for one, because of expectancy of a low exposure towards the older generations, but also because the first generation in particular was still a time of getting started at all and generations 1-3 are really the pool of creativity where most genres we know today were established one after another. I hope that a lot of gems and creative highlights will be discussed in here and hope you enjoy the voting. Please also remember to vote for the soundtrack of generations 1-3.

List up to 10 games, in order from 1 to 10.
Your list must have a minimum of three games to be counted.
Add your thoughts! As with timetokill's and Anihawk's threads, I'll be using these in the awards thread. Plus, it's good reading.
At least one of the games in your list must have a comment by you, or your entire ballot will be disqualified.
You may list Honorable Mentions. These must be indicated by a “x.” in your ballot. You may have as many of these as you want.
Non-numbered lists will assume the top vote is first place, then second, etc.
Multiple votes for the same title will disqualify your entire ballot.
Each user may only vote once, but you may edit your ballot as often as you like until the deadline. If you do make an edit, please PM me with your original list and your changed one or make a new posting to point it out to me.
Games must have been first released in your region in this generation for them to count. You may also include imported titles.
Remakes of games may be included. Compilations are only valid entries if they add a new game or new content. Since there are no previous generations to considered, ports should not be an issue.
Remakes of games from this generation cannot be the basis for a vote either (so no voting for Super Mario Bros. if your only experience with it is Super Mario All-Stars).

Voting Ends 1st of October, 2016 AOE

Sample Ballot
1. Game A ; Your thoughts on Game A.
2. Game B ; Your thoughts on Game B.
3. Game C ; Your thoughts on Game C.
4. Game D ; Your thoughts on Game D.
5. Game E ; Your thoughts on Game E.
6. Game F ; Your thoughts on Game F.
7. Game G ; Your thoughts on Game G.
8. Game H ; Your thoughts on Game H.
9. Game I ; Your thoughts on Game I.
10. Game J ; Your thoughts on Game J.
x. Game K ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game K.
x. Game L ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game L.

Game Selection
Avoid ambiguous abbreviations if you want your votes to count.

Cool: Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda
Not Cool: FF, LoZ

Scoring

1. Game A ; 4 points
2. Game B ; 3 points
3. Game C ; 3 points
4. Game D ; 2 points
5. Game E ; 2 points
6. Game F ; 2 points
7. Game G ; 1 point
8. Game H ; 1 point
9. Game I ; 1 point
10. Game J ; 1 point
x. Game K ; 0 points
x. Game L ; 0 points

Honorable mentions will not receive points, but they will be tracked, assuming you list them appropriately.

What Platforms Count?
NES
Sega Master System (and its Japan-exclusive predecessors)
Atari 7800
Casio PV-1000
Super Cassette Vision
Dina (Telegames Personal Arcade)
Atari XEGS
Action Max
View-Master Interactive Vision
VTech Socrates
Amstrad GX4000
Commodore 64 Games System
Fairchild Channel F
Atari 2600
Bally Astrocade
Magnavox Odyssey
Intellivision
Emerson Arcadia 2001
ColecoVision
Atari 5200
Vectrex
1292 Advanced Programmable Video System
RCA Studio II
APF-MP1000
VC 4000
Epoch Cassette Vision
Milton Bradley Microvision
Nintendo Game & Watch (pre-90s)
Entex Select-A-Game
Entex Adventure Vision
Epoch Game Pocket Computer
Home Pong
Binatone TV Master
Coleco Telstar series
Nintendo Color TV-Game series
PC up to 1987
Arcades up to 1987

Note that this list is not necessarily exhaustive, it is based on the Wikipedia entries for generations 1-3.

What Games Count?

Voting for imported titles is allowed. If you list an import game, please mention which country you are from. Otherwise I will assume you didn’t read the rules and the vote will not count.
If you’re unsure about a game or platform, just ask!
Asked about games that are allowed: Homebrew stuff released after the official generation is allowed. I don’t see why not as long as you played it on the platform itself (ex: Pier Solar on the original Genesis cart when it was originally released before getting ported. You cannot vote for Pier Solar HD). If you played the version of Sonic Blast for Sega Master System, please specify that you played it on that platform.
Asked about games that are not allowed:

IrishNinja · Sep 8, 2016

oh man, i grew up with Master System (everyone else had an NES, of course), gonna be tough doing just my top 10 from that era! space reserved, i'll work on my list between now & Oct 1st - thanks OP!

Yoshi · Sep 8, 2016

Please don't reserve spots. Due to the way I comb through the thread, I may miss your ballot otherwise. If you now add your ballot, please also send me a PM - should it be after several other people have posted their lists.

Khaz · Sep 8, 2016

Games must have been first released in your region in this generation for them to count. You may also include imported titles.

No modern homebrew then? Stuff that was programmed today but run on the original hardware.

[edit] should it have been released in my region, or do import count? The phrasing is confusing.

woopWOOP · Sep 8, 2016

Gonna have to look up a list of Arcade games before cobbling a list together. Pretty much grew up with just the NES and without an arcade around, but games like Outrun still deserve a mention.

Yoshi · Sep 8, 2016

Khaz said:
No modern homebrew then? Stuff that was programmed today but run on the original hardware.

[edit] should it have been released in my region, or do import count? The phrasing is confusing.

Import counts,but please note it. This is, because some games may have been released in a later gen in a specific region, but then only count if marked as import. For instance, the precious Master System gem Sonic Blast may be counted only if you are Brazlian or have imported that game on Master System. If you only played Sonic Blast on Game Gear, it is not applicable here. This rule probably is mostly irrelevant to most ballots, the only place where I can think of it being relevant is Master System / Game Gear, because the Master System lived on for so long in Brazil, that numerous games from Game Gear still made their way to Brazil even though they were only developed for Master System before. Sonic Chaos would be an example where European can vote for it without imports, but US Americans not.

Modern homebrew stuff that runs on original hardware is fine.

This rule probably is most important for PC, rather than consoles, because with consoles, the line is drawn with console generations, but with PC, it's drawn by year, so some games might slip out of the window.

Lothar · Sep 8, 2016

1. The Legend of Zelda - I still think it's the best Zelda for it's challenge, lack of hand holding, total freedom to go everywhere, and an overworld that's littered with secrets (compare to the large barren overworlds of OoT and Twilight Princess)
2. Battletoads - Excellent challenge, graphics, music, humor, controls, and incredible amount of variety in stages. Contrary to popular belief, the challenge is very very fair. You get continues, lots of extra lives, warps. Some of the trickiest areas gives you infinitely spawning 1-ups. The pattern of the Turbo Tunnels is a simple Up down up Down up down. The last section of the Turbo Tunnels where the walls are going really fast would be so much trickier if they changed the pattern up, but the game actually isn't trying to trick you. I can beat Battletoads but there are some NES games where I can't beat one level.
3. Dragon Quest 4
4. Mega Man 3
5. Blaster Master
6. Super Mario Bros 3
7. Contra
8. Metroid
9. Mega Man 2
10. Ninja Gaiden 2
HM. Double Dragon 2
HM. Life Force
HM. Zelda 2
HM. Super Mario Bros 2

Firemind · Sep 8, 2016

top ten nes games

cool

Yoshi · Sep 8, 2016

Firemind said:
top ten nes games

cool

We will see, C64 and Master System were actually quite popular here in Europe, and Master System was very popular in Brazil. Also, there's basically all of Atari. I don't know if that suffices to "break into the NES stronghold", but I think chances are it does.

Nice to see the first voter

.

Dark Schala · Sep 8, 2016

I'd like to see a few SMS games and C64 games get through too, since I've played a bunch of those. But that's perhaps down to demographics and availability of games overall. Nevertheless, non-NES platforms have good ports (Ultima IV) or good games (Phantasy Star), so I'm looking forward to what folks have to say.

Thanks to Yoshi for getting in touch with me to make the companion soundtrack (which is over here)!

Celine · Sep 8, 2016

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) - One of the the greatest 2D platform game ever made. Simply a classic.
2. Out Run (Arcade) - Speaking of classic, there is no doubt in my mind Yu Suzuki's team did a miracle with this racing game that used a scaler arcade board. SMB3 edge it out but just slightly.
3. Dragon Quest IV (NES) - My favorite DraQue. Yes DQIV would benefit greatly from a few QoL improvements in the user interface but the core gameplay and scenario is nothing short of amazing. Basically a set of different little RPG scenarios to help newcomers that come together when the the cast of characters reunite in the final quest.
4. Bubble Bobble (Arcade) - Fantastic single screen action game by Taito. Trapping enemies, eating fruits and getting power ups never was more fun.
5. Mega Man 2 (NES)
6. Ninja Gaiden 2 (NES)
7. Uforia (NES)
8. Rastan (Arcade) - Great sidescrolling hack and slash by Taito deeply inspired by the cult movie Conan the barbarian. The sequel was a huge disappointment.
9. Punch Out (NES)
10. River City Ransom (NES)

HM. Phantasy Star (Master System)
HM. Life Force (NES)
HM. Little Nemo (NES)
HM. Mr. Gimmick (NES)
HM. Super C (NES)
HM. Duck Tales (NES)
HM. Kirby's Adventure (NES)
HM. Little Samson (NES)
HM. Dragon Quest III (NES) - With this chapter the Dragon Quest series became truly great. Just a honorable mention because it didn't want multiple games in the same series in my TOP 10.
HM. R-Type (Arcade): Awesome horizontal scrolling shooting game by Taito. Could have been in Top if I hadn't forgot about it.

Nocturnowl · Sep 8, 2016

We're actually doing this? and so soon?
Good thing I recently refreshed my memory on Sonic 1 MS.

Dark Schala said:
Thanks to Yoshi for getting in touch with me to make the companion soundtrack (which is over here)!

Whew, I'll be listed out by the time this years GAF GotY stuff arrives.

Yoshi · Sep 8, 2016

Nocturnowl said:
We're actually doing this? and so soon?
Good thing I recently refreshed my memory on Sonic 1 MS.

Whew, I'll be listed out by the time this years GAF GotY stuff arrives.

Well, as far as I know, next year Anihawk is holding the Gen 7 voting, so I thought it'd be good to have the 1-3 voting realtively close after the gen 4 voting.

Lynx_7 · Sep 8, 2016

1. Super Mario Bros. 3: I always thought SMB 3 was on a level of its own as far as gen 3 games are concerned. Give it some shiny HD sprites and it could still easily pose as a platformer made in this day and age, and in my opinion still outclasses every single one of its 2D successors in one way or another (sorry, SMW). 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.

2. Dragon Quest III: To the people that read my impressions in the DQ community thread I'm probably gonna sound like a broken record, but when I started this game I had no idea it would actually be every bit as great as the fans make it out to be. Dragon Quest III deserves every bit of reverence it gets in Japan as it's likely the most impressive NES game I've ever played. Its sheer ambition, scale and sense of adventure are unmatched in console role-playing games of the era. It's also remarkably well designed and balanced for a JRPG of its age, such a huge step up from I and II in every way. I don't know what it says about the genre, but I would easily still put it somewhere between the 20 greatest JRPGs ever made.

3. Dragon Quest IV: While III impressed me with its world and freedom, IV did the same with its narrative, which is probably the most well executed and ambitious in a JRPG for its time (save a few games I still haven't played that might pose a challenge to it such as Final Fantasy II). Also, it has both the best villain in the franchise and the best main cast too. Either this one or a tie with VIII.

4. Super Mario Bros.: I don't think this one needs any explanation. When you revitalize an entire industry simply by existing, you don't need any introductions. It's Super Mario Fucking Bros. Enough said.

5. EarthBound Beginnings: I'm glad Nintendo finally released this in the west through the virtual console as it's a wonderful beginning to the Mother trilogy. What it lacks in polish and balance(and boy, does it ever. Looking at you, Mt.Itoi) it compensates in charm and a rather unique atmosphere that's almost entirely absent from its sequels. It's hard to pin down exactly, but there's a certain sense of melancholy throughout your journey. Maybe it's a combination of the visuals, the barren overworld and the soundtrack. Speaking of the latter, Mother has so many memorable tunes. From Polyanna to Magicant and, my personal favorite, the original Eight Melodies. The game also started the franchise's penchant for really memorable and unique final boss encounters so, all in all, despite its many flaws, it's a game I remember very fondly.

6. Castlevania 3: This game is hard as balls, but it's also my favorite of the original trilogy. The different routes you can take, the characters all with their unique gameplay mechanics, the bosses, DAT SOUNDTRACK! This game is distilled 8-bit Konami awesomeness at its best. Sorry, Contra fans.

7. Castlevania: It set the standard for the franchise and is still enjoyable to play nowadays, even if its controls are quite clunky and the difficulty of some of the later levels unforgiving (dat medusa head/knight hallway).

8. Out Run: I can vaguely remember spending hours as a child playing this. Never got very far in any given track as my time would always run out, but I still enjoyed watching my father go all the way to the end back when he still indulged in videogames. Still my favorite Master System game, even if I only replay the better versions nowadays.

9. The Legend of Zelda: As much as I respect many of its ideas and how it set the foundation for the entire franchise (later polished and further developed in ALTTP), it's a bit hard to go back to this game. I always enjoy my time with it at first, but find myself quite overwhelmed by the time the 6th or 7th dungeon starts rolling out. Just a bit less crypticness would've been appreciated, and while I enjoy the challenge, the controls can feel too limited compared to later entries. Still a good entry in the franchise and I do think its ideas merits a revisit, which BOTW appears to be doing.

10. Final Fantasy I: The encounter rate in this game drove me insane. Who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to have constant enemy ambushes with upwards of 6 enemies on screen every 3 steps of the way?!?! SAKAGUUUUCHIIIII!!!!!! Anyway, still a nice game for the time, but yeah, not all that pleasant to go through nowadays.

Honorable mentions: Ninja Gaiden 1-3, Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2 USA, Pong, Pac-Man, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Dragon Quest I and II. The classic Mega Man games which I've still yet to beat, sadly D:

batfax · Sep 8, 2016

I'm bad at ranking so here's a list just in the order they came to mind:

1: Out Run - 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.

2: Phantasy Star - One of the best console RPGs of the generation, bringing things that wouldn't become standard until much later like cutscenes and more well defined party members that takes you on a big, space faring journey across three planets featuring some great first-person dungeon crawling. Pretty grand for 1987.

3: EarthBound Beginnings - The start of something special. Though it has a harsh difficulty, an unrelenting encounter rate, and some of the obtuseness of the time, it still managed to provide memorable characters, moments, and set the groundwork for one of my all-time favorite series. Shame it had such massive flaws in balance and making early (and late, in the case of Mt. Itoi) combat fun. Bless 4th-D Slip.

4: Maniac Mansion - While I'm on the subject of great games that set in motion things to come, Maniac Mansion is the pioneer of the SCUMM games, giving way to such classics as Loom and Monkey Island, but is fantastic in it's own right as well. Multiple endings, fun puzzles, humor, and in the NES version, some great music too!

5: The Guardian Legend - An amazing action adventure/shoot 'em up hybrid that's tons of fun to explore and accompanying music to do it with. A great, unique game for the time.

6: R-Type - Fantastic, if short sidescrolling shooter that introduced a real cool mechanic by giving the player an indestructible tool they could attach to the front or back of their ship, or launch as a weapon.

7: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - My first, and still most memorable, text adventure. Great humor, puzzles, and storyline that one might expect when Douglas Adams himself is the man behind the project.

8: Bionic Commando - You shoot Hitler in the face with a rocket launcher. Also the arm thing was cool.

9: Metroid - I started looking at my NES collection way too late into the list and realized I hadn't included the obvious heavy hitters of the system yet. Oops. I don't think it's gonna hurt any of their chances though. Absolute classics, the lot of them.

10: The Legend of Zelda Ditto.

x: Kirby's Adventure - Ditto.

x: Super Mario Bros. - Ditto.

x: Super Mario Bros. 3 - Ditto.

x: Little Computer People - Interesting, memorable, and weird little thing but not much of a "game" unfortunately. Still a great concept, even if it lacked a lot of player interaction. At least, I could never make my little guy do much interesting.

Shame Wasteland came a year late to count. Oh well.

SatelliteOfLove · Sep 9, 2016

I really can't vote on this one. It's all fog and modern, late 30s take on classics and not-so-classics-that-a-9yo-played-due-to-being-9. I will have a SOTY for whenever that is.

Shpeshal Nick · Sep 9, 2016

1. Wonder Boy 3 The Dragon's Trap - This is the game for me that first made me put in a "session". Playing the game in 5 to 8 hour bursts. At the time, the world seemed so vast and the ability to enter new areas based on the animal I turned into was mind blowing. The way it blended platforming, RPG and Metroidvania elements was stupendous. Can't wait for the remake.

2. Mike Tyson's Punch Out

3. Zelda II

4. Super Mario Bros. 3

5. Shinobi (Arcade)

HerroRygar · Sep 9, 2016

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 - 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. The level design, the art, the music and the characters were absolutely top notch. Many old games were good for their time but aren't exactly fun to play now; though the lack of saved games could have tipped the game in this direction, the ability to skip around with warp whistles makes this game just as enjoyable today as it was on release. Miyamoto could have never made another game after this one and still been a legend.

2. The Legend of Zelda - This is the first fictional world and character I can remember truly falling in love with as a child; I still recall my dad telling me that I needed to eat more if I wanted to grow up to be strong like Link. What's not to love about a brave warrior heading off into the unknown with only a sword by his side, finding danger and wonder at every turn? Like Mario, this series has produced some of gaming's most enduring icons.

3. Castlevania - Unlike the previous two entries, this game doesn't necessarily hold up that well today. A modern gamer would likely be frustrated by the stiff controls and serious difficulty coupled with lack of progress saving. That said, it's clear how much creativity and heart went into the game. The monster designs are a fun tribute to the founding fathers of horror cinema, and the memorable soundtrack sets the mood perfectly. Simon Belmont was a badass character, no matter what the Captain N cartoon portrayed him as.

jett · Sep 9, 2016

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 ; It's probably still the best 2D platformer ever made.
2. The Legend of Zelda
3. Outrun
4. The Legend of Zelda 2: Adventure of Link
5. Karateka
6. Ninja Gaiden
7. Super Mario Bros. 2
8. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
9. Battletoads
10. The Great Giana Sisters

Honestly these early days of gaming are mostly clouded by nostalgia. A lot of games released back here really don't measure up, especially C64 games.

NipplesAndToes23 · Sep 9, 2016

Damn, I thought this shit wasn't going to happen until next year. I've still haven't played much games in this gen since I was little, little, so I ain't going to vote.

djtiesto · Sep 9, 2016

1. Phantasy Star - I can't think of any game that has had more impact on me growing up than this one did. I've told my story plenty of times but it still resonates so I'll tell it again. When I was in 4th grade I was hooked on Final Fantasy 1, spending the whole summer playing through it... but then a friend who I used to friendly-tease about owning a SMS invited me over. He showed me this one game that totally BLEW MY MIND. It was like Dragon Quest, Ultima: Exodus, and Final Fantasy, but in the future! And you got a spaceship! And it had bright, detailed visuals and 3D mazes... totally blew my mind with what an RPG could be. This is the single game that made me fall in love with (Japanese) RPGs and got me interested in game design due to wanting to create something as majestic as this title. Which led to learning about 'programming', and that eventually led to a Computer Science degree and employment in software development (though not in gaming).

2. Dragon Quest 4 - 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 final chapter where all the heroes from the previous chapters join up was cool, too. The monster designs, scope of the game, storytelling, were all mindblowing. I like DQ3 a whole lot too (especially dat ending twist :O) ) but 4 edges out 3 for me.

3. Mega Man 3 - The perennial argument, 3 vs. 2. I have to give the edge to 3 due to the addition of the slide adding a new dimension to gameplay, less gimmicky level designs, a larger scope, and a slightly better soundtrack (though MM2's Wily Stage 1-2 will always be the GOAT).

4. Super Mario Bros. 3 - The hype for this game back in the day was out of hand, I dragged my parents to take me to see The Wizard just for a glimpse at this. When it finally released and my next door neighbor got it before me (and rubbed it in my face) I got pissed! Later got it as a present for receiving Communion and unlike the majority of big budget games today *cough*NoMansSky*cough* actually lived up to them, probably exceeding them. Tons of levels, each with its own distinct theme, and filled with secrets I still am discovering on replays. The Hammer Bros suit, Kuribo's Shoe, my discovery that using the Whistle while already in the Warp Zone will take you to the final level. So good.

5. Contra - One of the all-time finest co-op games. Not sure if it was the pioneer of the run-n-gun gameplay style but it set the template so many others would follow (Gunstar Heroes, Metal Slug). Great graphics and music, memorable boss fights, and was one of the most famous takes on the Konami Code that still acts like a secret handshake for all of us retro gamers or lapsed gamers.

6. Ninja Gaiden 2 - The original Ninja Gaiden was famous for introducing manga-influenced cutscenes between the levels to advance the story (which I later found out was done by Masato Kato who also wrote the story for some obscure little SNES game called Chrono Trigger), and NG2 continues with a slightly darker tale. The gameplay has been refined to emphasize less cheap enemy placement and more nimble wall climbing. But like its prequel, it features a globe-spanning adventure with diversity of levels, excellent aesthetics, challenging and tense level design.

7. Life Force - Played this at my neighbor's house, the same neighbor who also showed me Contra for the first time. Noticed that both games had similar silver box art and was made by some company called Konami... later tried out games like Jackal, Stinger, and Castlevania and fell in love... those silver stripes and that Konami logo generally meant a stellar game (which makes what they've become even more pathetic). But anyways, this was what got me interested in the shooter genre. The setting, traveling through an alien's body, was (and still is) quite novel, and the soundtrack is one of the finest on the platform.

8. Crystalis - One of the more underrated titles in the NES library. A fast-paced action RPG by SNK that has a lot of tributes to 80's Miyazaki anime (Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky).

9. The Legend of Zelda - An all-time classic and one of the first games I played on the system (and the first game I ever beat!). It's pretty obtuse in spots but I love the whole concept that there could be a secret behind every rock wall or underneath any tree. Unlike most of the series, combat is rather challenging. And one of the most mindblowing early secrets in games was that once you beat it, there's a whole nother remixed world to play through.

10. Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon's Trap - The only game on this list that I didn't play back in the day. Discovered it based on recommendations when I bought my very own SMS back in the mid 2000's. One of the best ever Metroidvanias, where you change into different animals with different abilities to make progress. It seems that more and more people are discovering this game's greatness, what with Virtual Console re-releases and a remake being in development. And it has a smoking pirate pig shopkeeper in it, what more could you want?

Lothar · Sep 9, 2016

Blasian Persuasion said:
Damn, I thought this shit wasn't going to happen until next year. I've still haven't played much games in this gen since I was little, little, so I ain't going to vote.

There's still plenty of time. The good news is the games are mostly all short. You could go through all the Castlevanias, all the Ninja Gaidens, all the Marios, Megs Man 2-4, Contra, Battletoads, Blaster Master, etc in a weekend. And those are some of the best games ever.

Secret Character · Sep 9, 2016

This list is going to be depressing to see when it gets tallied. The amazing arcade atmosphere really crushes (most) everything that was out on home systems at the time, but so few of them will ever be voted on because of NES nostalgia.

Here goes anyway:

1. Elite (PC) - What can be said about Elite that hasn't been said already? This is a game that literally changed the scope of what is possible when it came to computer gaming back in the 80s.

2. Outrun (Arcade) - The quintessential racing game of the pre-3D era. Between the amazing graphics, cool music, and great sense of speed, Sega had accomplished so much than everyone thought was possible for the time.

3. Dragon's Lair (Arcade) - This game isn't a good game, but it was important in the grand scheme of technology and the advancement of gaming as a spectacle. Seeing a cabinet for Dragon's Lair for the first time is a truly breathtaking experience. The animation is smooth as butter and the overall presentation is phenomenal. The game itself is hard to play and really limited in scope, but watching somebody who knows how to get through the whole thing is a very fun ride.

4. Dragon Quest IV (NES) - Straight up, the best RPG for the generation by a very wide margin. The story covers several chapters and a large variety of characters. The game is still a blast to play to this day (on the 3DS, especially.)

5. Sinistar (Arcade) - This was the first game to give me a legitimate adrenaline rush. You begin as a spacecraft gathering bombs and shooting at things while this ominous celestial being is slowly being assembled. Then out of nowhere, you hear "BEWARE, I HUNGER!" blaring out of the speakers in the cabinet and you're being rushed down by this huge space robot trying to kill you. The concept of something so menacing wasn't done nearly as well until this moment.

6. Star Wars (Arcade - the Atari one...) - Vector based gaming was a big thing for a while in arcades, but it was usually something that had very little impact. Battlezone was a simple tank battle and Tempest was some kind of abstract tunnel game. Star Wars, though, was something very familiar. You pilot an X-Wing during the Death Star battle, and it is incredible to play. It's unfortunate that this game is so hard to play in it's original state now, as it's still one of the best Star Wars experiences you can have.

7. R-Type (Arcade and other systems) - Gradius might have been more well known at the time, but R-Type is simply a better game.

8. After Burner (Arcade) - Another one where the action and speed are simply out of this world. Even today, this game is impressive to play and can be super challenging.

9. Gaultlet (Arcade) - BLUE WIZARD NEEDS FOOD BADLY.

10. Mega Man 2 (NES) - I prefer it to MM3. It's either one or the other.

FN-2187 · Sep 9, 2016

1. Ms. Pac-Man (Arcade)
Timeless masterpiece that will never stop being fun. If I ever had the opportunity to own an arcade cabinet, this would be the one (okay, maybe it would be #2 after Daytona).

2. Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System)
The finest 8-bit console game ever made. Wonderful Metroid-style exploratory platformer with great graphics, a well-designed map and an awesome gameplay hook (instead of getting new equipment to gain new abilities you transform into different creatures). No console game from that generation brought me as much joy and I continue to love playing through it every few years.

3. The Legend of Zelda (NES)
The first video game to truly take you on an adventure.

4. Mega Man 2 (NES)
One of the few perfect games.

5. Galaga (Arcade)
Much like Ms. Pac-Man, a timeless masterpiece that is just as much fun 30 years later.

6. River Raid (Atari 2600)
The best game on one of the most important consoles in video game history. No Atari 2600 game has aged better.

7. Missle Command (Arcade)
Graphically simple but incredibly intense action game with great sound and amazing trackball controls -- just ask John Connor.

8. Phantasy Star (Sega Master System)
Engaging story and unbelievable graphics and animation, including stunningly smooth 3D dungeons. The finest console RPG of its day.

9. Gangster Town (Sega Master System)
Amazingly fun light gun game with lots of variety, an absurd amount of detail and many easter eggs. Possibly the best console light gun game until the 32-bit era.

10. Qix (Arcade/Atari Computers)
There was no game on my family's Atari XE computer that I played more. The first time I saw the real arcade cabinet at a hockey arena I was floored as I had no idea there was an arcade version.

gelf · Sep 9, 2016

I need to look up what years my favorite arcade games where released in for this one, I'm not entirely sure how early some of my faves that I would have only played after the 87 cutoff point were actually released. It'll be an arcade focused list for sure though.

swarley64 · Sep 10, 2016

Just to confirm, can we consider Tetris a Gen 3 game? I know the Game Boy version is the most iconic, but it came out on the NES and a bunch of 80s computers. I always thought of it as Gen 3.

AlteredBeast · Sep 10, 2016

Going to fill out my official ballot later, but if Wonder Boy 3 The Dragon's Trap isn't near the top, people have been deprived of a classic...

Lynx_7 · Sep 10, 2016

swarley64 said:
Just to confirm, can we consider Tetris a Gen 3 game? I know the Game Boy version is the most iconic, but it came out on the NES and a bunch of 80s computers. I always thought of it as Gen 3.

It's not limited to just gen 3. Anything from PONG to NES is fair game. I imagine there's no problem to vote for Tetris. Not only was the game on the NES, it already existed by 84, and computer games from up to 87 are valid so Tetris is in by all metrics available.

Yoshi · Sep 10, 2016

swarley64 said:
Just to confirm, can we consider Tetris a Gen 3 game? I know the Game Boy version is the most iconic, but it came out on the NES and a bunch of 80s computers. I always thought of it as Gen 3.

You can, if there is a Tetris game that you have played on any allowed platform. This includes NES, of course.

purdobol · Sep 10, 2016

Since I've got a feeling voting will be heavily skewed toward NES games. Will vote for Arcade games only.

1. Robotron: 2084 ; Twin stick shooter perfection. Intense action with precise controls. Has that "one more try" effect.
2. Out Run ; Finest racing game that hit the arcades. The art direction captures the 80s perfectly. Cruising through various exotic stages with hot chick on your side in a Ferrari. Blazing fast, smooth experience with branching paths. Amazing game.
3. R-Type ; Forget Darius. If you want premiere side scrolling shooter. This is it.
4. Shinobi ; You play as Ninja, throwing shurikens, rescuing children from baddies. What else needs to be said

5. Gyruss ; Tube shooter with great music and game play.
6. Burger Time ; Life of chef Peter Pepper ain't easy. But he makes delicious burgers.
7. Q*bert ; @!#?@!
8. Pac-Man ; No comment.
9. Stargate ; Phew - phew - phew. Lasers! Phew - phew - phew.
10. Mr.Do ; Basically Dig Dug but better.

Honorable mentions:
Arcade
x. Black Tiger
x. Centipede
x. Commando
x. Donkey Kong
x. Frogger
x. Ikari Warriors
x. Joust
x. Missile Command
x. Pole Position
x. Smash TV
x. Space Harrier
x. Tetris
x. 720 Degrees
NES
x. Mario Bros 3
x. Mega Man 2
x. Contra
x. Castlevania 3
x. Kirby's Adventure
x. Ninja Gaiden 2
x. Micro Machines
And many more

It's kind of weird that Arcade, Dos games count only up to 1987. While consoles don't have that limitation.

RadarScope1 · Sep 10, 2016

purdobol said:
Since I've got a feeling voting will be heavily skewed toward NES games. Will vote for Arcade games only.

1. Robotron: 2084 ; Twin stick shooter perfection. Intense action with precise controls. Has that "one more try" effect.
2. Out Run ; Finest racing game that hit the arcades. The art direction captures the 80s perfectly. Cruising through various exotic stages with hot chick on your side in a Ferrari. Blazing fast, smooth experience with branching paths. Amazing game.
3. R-Type ; Forget Darius. If you want premiere side scrolling shooter. This is it.
4. Shinobi ; You play as Ninja, throwing shurikens, rescuing children from baddies. What else needs to be said
5. Gyruss ; Tube shooter with great music and game play.
6. Burger Time ; Life of chef Peter Pepper ain't easy. But he makes delicious burgers.
7. Q*bert ; @!#?@!
8. Pac-Man ; No comment.
9. Stargate ; Phew - phew - phew. Lasers! Phew - phew - phew.
10. Mr.Do ; Basically Dig Dug but better.

Honorable mentions:
Arcade
x. Black Tiger
x. Centipede
x. Commando
x. Donkey Kong
x. Frogger
x. Ikari Warriors
x. Joust
x. Missile Command
x. Pole Position
x. Smash TV
x. Space Harrier
x. Tetris
x. 720 Degrees
NES
x. Mario Bros 3
x. Mega Man 2
x. Contra
x. Castlevania 3
x. Kirby's Adventure
x. Ninja Gaiden 2
x. Micro Machines
And many more

It's kind of weird that Arcade, Dos games count only up to 1987. While consoles don't have that limitation.

Great list. It'll be hard for me not to put SMB and Tetris at the top of mine. Among the all the time greats.

Yoshi · Sep 11, 2016

purdobol said:
It's kind of weird that Arcade, Dos games count only up to 1987. While consoles don't have that limitation.

To explain this: These votes are organised by generation. For consoles, this is quite easy, you take the systems of the generation and say "games for these systems" - though it might get tougher now with Wii U and NX both being released during the same generation, but this will not be a problem for many years to come. For PC and arcade this is not so easy, because there are no clear cut generations. Of course you could order arcade by board and PCs by (for instance) graphics chips, but this would be quite arbitrary as well and very hard to check. Since Anihawk already had organised PC and arcade by years before, I just stuck to what he did and took all years prior to the years that were allowed in previous threads / later generations.

purdobol · Sep 11, 2016

Yoshi said:
Since Anihawk already had organised PC and arcade by years before, I just stuck to what he did and took all years prior to the years that were allowed in previous threads / later generations.

Make sense. Somewhere down the line PC and Arcade gens got screwed up though.
NES was released in 85 in USA, 86 in Europe. That'll make 87 lets say middle of the gen.
With master system situation gets more interesting. NA release - september 86. Europe - 87. So it's starts where it ends.

I think it is fine as is. But still ... little weird

Jucksalbe · Sep 12, 2016

1) Mega Man 2 ; The perfect mix of challenging difficulty, short length and complete brokenness.
2) Final Fantasy III; Amazing visuals, great music and the first introduction of a variable job system to the franchise.
3) Robotron 2084; This is how twin-stick shooters are supposed to be. Short sessions, perfect visibility, no mercy.
4) Maniac Mansion; An adventure game you can approach in multiple ways and that uses (seemingly) real-time events in its design. There's just (almost) nothing like it, especially today. Right, it also introduced the SCUMM system and brought the world our beloved term "cutscenes".
5) Phantasy Star; An RPG that was clearly ahead of its time in presentation and design. A shame Sega didn't really know what to do with the franchise and this still remains the only standout title in the series.
6) Metroid; Great atmosphere, appropriately punishing difficulty. A bit held back by the hardware it is on.
7) Dragon Quest; A landmark title for Japanese RPGs. I'd probably rank its sequels higher than this, but this is the only title in the series I have played the NES version of and not just one of the remakes.
8) The Legend of Zelda; The only Zelda title (until next year) that really lets you run around and go (almost) whereever you want. And it's thankfully not as hard as its sequel.
9) Super Mario Bros.; Great controls and it's just a joy to pick up and play again for an hour or so. Warp Zones was a really clever idea to circumvent save files.
10) Galaga; The best interpretation of the Space Invaders formula. The new option of letting your ship be captured, then rescue it and use double the fire power is genius.

x. Castlevania; A great classic platformer, that takes Ghosts 'n Goblins and changes it into a more enjoyable game.
x. Bubble Bobble; The perfect multiplayer arcade game. And it has a great main theme.
x. Pac-Man; Great labyrinth game that spawned so many clones. None of them ever really reached the great balance of difficulty that makes Pac-Man so much fun.
x. Defender; Like Robotron this is hard and you'll probably won't survive long. But it is so much fun you just want to play again. I'm just glad you don't have to pay for extra credits in the home versions of this game.
x. Xevious; One of the most influential STGs of its era. But even these days it's still a lot of fun to play. Try the 3D Classics version on 3DS.
x. Archon; Probably not as much of a classic as most of the other games on this list, but I loved to play this on the C64. It's a chess variant with added combat mode, that for once work really well together. Avoid its sequel and pseudo-sequel.
x. Out Run; It's the perfect driving game. Just hop in and enjoy the ride.
x. Space Quest; Pretty funny adventure game, a bit unfair in places, but it gives you that "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" feeling you surely desperately long for (after you finished the text adventure game).
x. Donkey Kong; Nintendo's early masterpiece. They kinda ruined the difficulty in the NES port (not to mention they cut a level), but the arcade version is just the perfect difficulty to make you want to try over and over.
x. R-Type; Compared to the other STGs on this list this is a pretty late release (1987) and it shows. Great graphics and a new satellite thing that you can throw around the level and use as a shield or a second gun. It's just a lot of fun.
x. Juno First; An old Konami STG that lets you fly around a vertical space and shoot everything you find. Great controls and chaotic enough to keep you going. I hope this is getting a proper port of its arcade version someday. Hoping for an Arcade Archives release.
x. Super C; It's Contra, so shoot everything that moves. I think this plays a bit better than its predecessor, so Super C gets my ~~vote~~ honorable mention.
x. Little Nemo; A very weird platformer that's based on a cartoon I've never read. Anyway, it plays quite different from most platformer and therefore stands out enough to deserve an honorable mention here. I do have to admit, though, that I haven't played this in over 20 years, so this is a vote purely based on my memory of that game.
x. Centipede; Trackball controls make everything more chaotic. That's a good thing, of course! Fast shooter that has you dying so quickly and unexpectedly that you'll probably want to hit your head against a wall or something. Don't get too emotionally involved.

swarley64 · Sep 13, 2016

Well, I thought I really loved the NES and early PC games, but when I actually tallied them up I only came up with about 12 games that I both played the hell out of, and are legitimately great. I have a lot of blind spots, I dont think I ever played Mega Man 2 (I owned 1, rented 4, cant remember what I played of the others) and Ive never played Castlevania or Ninja Gaiden. Maybe some day!
Ranking the top three was murder, in my head they may as well be tied I did the best I could.

1) Tetris What is there to say? Maybe the first perfect video game, its truly timeless. 100 years from now, theyll still be remaking and repackaging Tetris in one form or another.

2) Super Mario Bros. 3 I spent more time playing and have fonder memories of the original, but in all fairness I have to give the higher spot to SMB3. Its just a bigger and better game, the scale of it was astounding at the time.

3) Super Mario Bros. While SMB3 is bigger and much more varied, there is something about the simplicity and straight-forward nature of the original that is incredibly charming. I had a lot more time to play it over and over (SMB3 only came out a year before SMW), one of my earliest memories is seeing a warp zone for the first time at my friends house.

4) The Legend of Zelda

5) Arkanoid I almost forgot about this game... We played the hell out of it on our old Apple computer. Addictive.

6) Pac-Man (Arcade)

7) Donkey Kong (Arcade)

8) The Oregon Trail Fun fact: An early version of Oregon Trail was developed and playable in 1971, and actually predates Pong! Considering how early it is, the basic design of it still holds up fairly well today. Most fun I ever had with an edu-tainment game.

9) Super Mario Bros. 2

10) Duck Hunt -- Timeless. If I could get a CRT and my old NES here I'd play some Duck Hunt right now. Squeezing the trigger on that orange Zapper feels so good...

X) Mike Tysons Punch Out!!
X) Duck Tales
X) Bugs Bunnys Birthday Blowout Im not sure if this is actually good or not. But its the first game I ever beat as a kid.
X) Number Muchers and Word Munchers An edu-tainment game series for the Apple II. I remember it being pretty good.
X) Thexder Another one where Im not sure if its good or not, but it stands out in my memory as being really unique Youre this robot who normally just walks, but can turn into a jet to explore the level, and theres this weird health mechanic: When you shoot your laser it drains your health but killing an enemy would refill your health, so theres a constant risk/reward thing going on. The soundtrack was incredible, listen to this shit.

Jamix012 · Sep 13, 2016

1. Mega Man 2 ; 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.
2. Zelda II: Adventure of Link ; While I consider the original Zelda as fun to play as rolling in crap, I gotta hand it to the sequel. Play it with a guide and revel in the challenge of the platforming, combat and world building that was really not common before RPGs rose to prominence in Gen 4.
3. Mega Man 6 ; Urp. Mega Man is by far my favourite pre-gen 4 series. 6 was an incredible cap to the NES MM library.
4. Kid Icarus ; This game really isn't that hard. The hardest part is the first three or so levels and then you power up so much that the game becomes significantly easier. Still a fun game and worth the effort.
5. Mega Man 4 ; Last Mega Man on my list I swear. I don't know what it was about the even number Mega Man's but I love them a lot. 4, though not as good as the other two on my list on account of being a bit too easy, is still a blast.
6. Ninja Gaiden (Master System - It's a different game!) l; Master System Baby! The system's greatest game in my opinion.
7. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out ; I feel this was perfected in the Wii Version, but this game has aged really well mechanically and still holds up.
8. Kirby's Adventure ;
9. Sweet Home ;
10. Pac-Man ;

petran79 · Sep 19, 2016

1. Dig Dug.
One of the best arcade games I had the chance to play. Played both the Atari2600 and the arcade version. Combined the game play of Pac-Man with blasting away enemies. This and Mr Driller afterwards became both addicting and frustrating.

2. Flashgal
Side scrolling beaten up arcade platformer with the heroine resembling Wonder Woman. Had also quite a sense of humor. You also got to ride a motorcycle.

3.Elevator Action
Unique action game that had also a unique sequel. It was not just about shooting but also hiding and searching files to proceed further.

4. Jar's Revenge
Favorite Atari2600 game. Very addicting. It was one of the best games of all time, from the developer of ET.

5. Barbarian
Prior to Mortal Kombat there was this game for fatalities. Best fighting game of the 80s imo. It had even parries. Both single and two player campaign.

6. Bubble Bobble
Need I say more? Most addicting platform game, even better than all super Mario's and with co-op.Rainbow Islands as well.

7. Shinobi
Best action game in existence. Set new standards for the genre,with an even better sequel.

8. California games
Surfing.skating and ice cream. What more do you need? Fun mini games for all, best played during winter.

9.Wonderboy in Monster Land
Wish Zelda 2 had gotten the same treatment. Best platform-action-rpg in arcades. If you like straight action without passwords, rest and saves, this is for you

10.Kangaroo
Screw Donkey Kong. There is nothing more touching than a mother kangaroo trying to save her cub from evil monkeys

Lothar · Sep 19, 2016

Elevator Action over Super Mario Bros 3?

redcrayon · Sep 19, 2016

Apologies for being boring and posting a mostly-NES list. They comprise the vast majority of games from this gen that I return to as they've aged better than most of my Amstrad favourites.

1. Legend of Zelda; I still have the map I drew of this game, with the back of it covered in notes. 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.

2. Mega Man 3; The weapons feel more balanced than MM2, and it's a much meatier challenge.
3. Mega Man 2; A bit too easy but the music rocks.
4. Super Mario Bros. 3
5. Bionic Commando (NES)
6. Contra (Probotector) (NES)
7. Double Dragon 2 (NES)
8. Chuckie Egg; So simple and so addictive, the only 8-bit home computer game I still play with any regularity
9. Super Mario Bros
10. Duck Tales

swarley64 · Sep 19, 2016

redcrayon said:
Apologies for being boring and posting a mostly-NES list.

At this point I'm just happy to see another list being posted, period. This thread might not even make it to page 2.

petran79 · Sep 20, 2016

Lothar said:
Elevator Action over Super Mario Bros 3?

The age gap is huge between those two, a year less than that between Elevator Action Returns and SMB3, so I decided to focus mostly on arcades.
Or else NES games would stomp all over them

Yoshi · Sep 21, 2016

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 ; Super Mario Bros. 3 is an incredible achievement. While not my favourite 2D Mario, it still stands out as a crowning achievement of 8-bit game design. The fludity, variety and polish in this game is magnificient and it really shows off what has been learned over the course of the NES generation.
2. Super Mario Bros. ; To me this, together with Mario 64, is the biggest step in video game design ever. Super Mario Bros. created the 2D platformer genre as we know it today and was designed with so much care, that even after thirty years of evolution in the genre it can still shine as an outstanding game that should be played by everyone who likes platformers, no matter at what age.
3. Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon ; Similarly to Super Mario Bros., Fire Emblem defined a lot of what makes the series special to this day in its first game. Though never released in the west, there is a very competent English translation and provided you know a good repro maker, a modification of the original module to contain English text allows for a great experience on original NES hardware. Though still missing the weapon triangle and having some rough spots in specific missions (with loads of reinforcments to endure), it a has a lot going for it and is well balanced. [Played using English translation]
4. The Legend of Zelda ; While Zelda did not have as complete a start as Mario did, The Legend of Zelda still defined the basic genre and was the basis for the timeless masterpiece A Link to the Past, that became the ultimate template for the series. The puzzle concept was still a bit basic, but enjoyable nevertheless. In addition, the second quest was probably the best hard mode / new game plus I have ever seen.
5. Sonic Chaos ; The only Master System Sonic to capture the speed concept of the Mega Drive games properly. Sonic Chaos still is a bit more exploration heavy, but it actually feels like a Sonic game and plays rather well. The level design is good, though a tad easy and result in overall, this being the best Master System platformer from my perspective.
6. Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels ; A challenging level pack to Super Mario Bros. By extension, a fantastic game, but it pales when compared to the revolutionary original tha preceded it and the carefull refinement that succeeded it. [Played via Virtual Console]
7. Fire Emblem Gaiden ; Weaker than its predecessor, yet really interesting in its set up with two different teams that have to be managed independently for most of the game.
8. DuckTales 2 ; the NES counterpart to my first ever video game. Even though licensed games often have a stigma of being undercooked, DuckTales and - even moreso from my perspective - DuckTales 2 showed that this need not be the case. Interesting level design, unusual pogo mechanics and a nice focus on exploration and puzzle solving in addition to the traditional platforming make for an incredible game. DuckTales 2 is considerably harder than DuckTales 1 by the way and the NES version differs in level design sometimes significantly from the GB version, so I recommend playing this game, even if you know its predecessor or Game Boy counterpart.
9. Yoshi's Cookie ; Yoshi's Cookie is a surprisingly addictive puzzle game and one of only three (the others being Tetris Attack and Meteos) that I found to be of comparable quality to Tetris. Since I have not played any older version of Tetris than Tetris DX (GBC), this vote easily goes to Yoshi's Cookie.
10. Sonic the Hedgehog ; Whereas I vastly prefer Sonic 2 over Sonic 1 on Mega Drive, it's the opposite on Master System. The first Sonic game on Master System put an emphasis on exploration and precision platforming over speed - other than in the first level - but succeeds in what it sets out to do. The nice flow of the game make it an enjoyable experience to this day.

x. Super Mario Bros. 2 ; While not a true Mario game originally, it introduced a lot of elements - from a presenational perspective - that are mainstays to the series. From Shy Guys to Luigi's greater size and higher jump, this game actually defined a lot that became canon to the series. The gameplay is - imo - not as fantastic as in the "real" Mario games, but close enough to warrant a play even today.
x. Pac-Man ; The most addictive arcade experience I know. Even though it only has one level and uses only four directional inputs, it is intriguing and captivating. Always a good play.
x. DuckTales ; Most of what I said about DuckTales 2 also holds true for the first game, it's just a bit worse overall - except in the music department where it is far superior
x. Mega Man ; Nicely polished, yet at times cruel in its difficulty. The series stagnated quickly though, making the NES games quite interchangable to me.
x. Jetpac ; Great debut of one of my favourite developers. [Played in DK64 and Rare Replay]

Rumor has it I like platformers.

timetokill · Sep 21, 2016

Oh hey, I didn't know this thread existed.
The true list follows.

1. Legend of Zelda ; The battery-backed save system was a revelation for games. This was the game that made me a lifelong player, and started my desire to be a game designer. It was the first game that completely, utterly immersed me in its world and had me thinking about it constantly even when I wasn't playing it. It still holds up today, and I try to play it once a year. The economy is probably the best of any Zelda to date. From the opening music to the iconic music of the overworld, this game is a true gem and a masterpiece.

2. Baseball Stars ; Best baseball game ever. The amount of options at the time were staggering. You could create your own team, name it, name the players, purchase players from a free agent market, develop them, it tracked stats for your team over a season, and more. Later editions in the series bizarrely had fewer options, instead focusing on the presentation and making things feel more arcade-like. There's a reason those games weren't as popular as the original. The only downside of this game is that the soundtrack is really damn repetitive. I should know, I probably put more hours into this game than any other I owned. If they rereleased this game on Steam with simple network multiplayer I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

3. Super Mario Bros. 3 ; This game honestly felt like a next-gen game when it came out, especially compared to the original Super Mario Bros. Everything was better, from the graphics to the controls to the music. It was longer, meatier, packed with more, more, more. I could hardly fathom that it was on the same system. A true classic in the platforming space, and probably the first indicator that nobody would be able to match Nintendo in the platformer space.

4. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out ; A really inventive way to put boxing into a game... make it a twitch-based puzzle game that depends on your reaction time! Then, pack it full of delightful and memorable characters, and top it with one of the most heart-pumping, dramatic soundtracks of the time. It felt like I was Rocky. FINALLY beating Tyson is one of my most cherished childhood memories. For a moment I felt like I was the greatest gamer to have ever lived. I was jumping up and down and screaming like I'd just won the lottery.

5. Ms. Pac-Man ; This was THE game to play in the arcades... even when the flashier games came out, I'd come back to this one eventually, because the gameplay was so damn solid, and I didn't feel "cheated" out of my quarters.

6. The Oregon Trail ; Buttman has died of dysentery, but hey, at least I killed like 5 bears. What? I can only carry 5 lbs back? But there's like 1500 lbs of meat here! Why can't we just camp out and eat bears for a month? This game had the best stories in my head and felt like a real adventure.

7. Out Run ; Dude you got to sit in a CAR and you had RADIO STATIONS and there were GAS PEDALS and EVERYTHING. IT SHOOK WHEN YOU PLAYED! It was 3D! It was like you were really there on the road!

8. Mega Man 2 ; Man, that title screen really starts shit off right. Didn't get that "fuck man it's ON" feeling again until Mega Man X's sweet intro. Loved this game and I still enjoy it the most of the series. Awesome music, one of the best soundtracks of its time, and I feel it's the most "iconic" of the series.

9. R.C. Pro-Am ; Had a time deciding between this and Super Off Road... settled with this one. My introduction to David Wise (along with Cobra Triangle), it was such a cool little game that really felt tense the whole race... And furious when you hit a oil spill that you KNEW was coming up but you hit it anyway! Goddamn it!

10. Space Harrier ; This game was intense as fuck. Back then the arcades were like looking into the future and this game was no exception. It seemed to me at the time that there must've been a fucking huge computer hidden in the cabinet because holy crap do you see how fast this game is running, and it's like... 3D and shit?! whooooa. I put this at 10 because I fucking sucked at this game and it ate up all my quarters

x. Ninja Gaiden 2 ; Really I could've listed 1 here as well. The cutscenes were like the coolest thing ever to me as a kid, and they had awesome, moody music. The main problem with the game is the bullshit enemy placement, and the fact that enemies spawn based on where you are on the map... so those fucking birds can ALWAYS swoop on you and knock you into a pit mid-jump. Fuck those fucking birds.

Celine · Sep 21, 2016

Damn, I forgot R-Type was released in 1987 in the arcades.

Yoshi · Sep 21, 2016

Celine said:
Damn, I forgot R-Type was released in 1987 in the arcades.

It's fine if you want to change your ballot. Just tell me that you did.

Shion · Sep 21, 2016

*I'm limiting myself to only one game per franchise.

1. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link: Even though I prefer the total freedom and the seamless world of Zelda 1, Zelda II is an amazing sequel that improves upon the excellence of the original game in almost every way. It offers incredibly fluid controls, an amazing sense of adventure, the deepest and most satisfying swordplay of any 8bit game and a Hyrule that actually feels like a properly populated world. Moreover, the addition of platforming elements, the introduction of the leveling system and the reliance on magic add an extra layer of depth and strategy to the game. This, in my opinion, is the best game in the series alongside Ocarina of Time.

2. Super Mario Bros. 3: A timeless masterpiece that raised the bar for all console games that followed. To this day, it's still one of the finest-crafted platformers ever made and the king of 2D Mario when it comes to art-style and presentation.

3. Phantasy Star: Master System's magnum opus, a landmark for JRPGs and a better game than both Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

4. OutRun: Blue skies, exotic locations, intense sense of speed and one of the most memorable soundtracks of all time. Suzuki's masterpiece ate most of my lunch money and made me fall in love with arcade racers.

5. Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap: Simply the best "Metroidvania" of the entire generation.

6. Shinobi: Another superb game by SEGA that marked the birth of one of the best and most consistent action series. Even after all these years, the original Shinobi is still one of my favorite action games. I just love the slow, methodical, pace of its gameplay.

7. Mega Man 2: One of the few games I replay annually, it just never gets old.

8. Contra: The pioneer of run-n-gun games and one of the best multiplayer experiences on the NES.

9. R-Type: Fantastic shmup by Irem that offers a brutal -but incredibly satisfying- challenge, an innovative weapon system and iconic visual design with influences from H.R. Giger's style.

10. Super Hang-On: Yu Suzuki strikes again with yet another amazing arcade racer.

Honorable Mentions:
x. Batman
x. Bionic Commando
x. Blaster Master
x. Castlevania III
x. Crystalis
x. Excitebike
x. Fantasy Zone II
x. Final Fantasy
x. Golden Axe Warrior
x. Gradius
x. Land of Illusion
x. Little Samson
x. Master of Darkness
x. Mega Man 3
x. Metroid
x. Ninja Gaiden II
x. Power Strike II
x. Shatterhand
x. Space Harrier
x. Starflight
x. Super C
x. Super Mario Bros.
x. The Battle of Olympus
x. The Guardian Legend
x. The Legend of Zelda
x. Ufouria
x, Wonder Boy in Monster Land

StrangeRoboMemory · Sep 23, 2016

1. Nethack

This is a deeply creative, wild, ambitious, mysterious masterpiece. It’s so unique, so funny, so weird, so challenging. It’s full of surprises and twists, and every run is different in a meaningful way. It’s not just about procedurally generated rooms and monster placements, it’s the vast number of things that can go right and wrong, the crazy number of things you can try and do. It’s still the best rogue-like and the best pure adventure/exploration game I’ve ever played. I've never beaten it, and I'm okay with that.

2. The Guardian Legend

Incredible genre-bending adventure game that combines Zelda style action/RPG with intense SHUMP action. It's still one of the most unique games ever...just a singularly awesome experience in every way, tense, exciting, mysterious, atmosphere to spare.

3. Super Mario Bros. 3

The height of 2D platform gameplay, probably never to be topped. I'm still blown away by the amazing secrets and all the little details. Completely essential.

4. Mega Man 2

Mega Man 3 is also really great, but I prefer Mega Man 2 because it’s leaner, meaner, and sharper. Unforgettable run and gun action, smart level design, cool bosses, and that awesome music. Simply one of the greatest action game experiences of all time.

5. The Legend of Zelda

Epic boss battles, tons of secrets, amazing dungeon design, and such a strong sense of fantasy and exploration. Traces of its DNA are in every single adventure game made since.

6. Punch-Out!!

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.

7. Out Run

This isn’t only an amazing arcade racer that perfectly captures the sensation of speed. It’s also a small masterwork of atmosphere: it creates a very particular sense of place and energy in a way that most arcade games never attempt. Whenever I think about this game, I can feel the wind in my hair (I’m bald, though).

8. Tetris

One of the most technically perfect games ever. Literally endless fun.

9. Shatterhand

Brutally hard, constantly rewarding, non-stop action with a lot of gameplay diversity. I think this is the best iteration of the Ninja Gaiden/Power Blade/Project Vice style of 8-bit action game.

10. Metal Storm

Wicked smart platform/action game with a great gimmick and tons of style. I love the little animation details, the bosses, the clever level design, and the music.

Honorable Mentions

x. Zork
x. Super Mario Bros. 2 (US)
x. Ninja Gaiden
x. Castlevania
x. StarTropics
x. Golden Axe

Yoshi · Sep 28, 2016

Just a quick reminder: Voting ends on Saturday!

StrangeRoboMemory · Sep 30, 2016

Bumping this - get out the vote, y'all!

Morfeo · Sep 30, 2016

This thread really didnt get any traction at all. Going to post up my list before the end of the day!

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