1.

Super Mario Bros

Released: 1985

It was the block punching, pipe-travelling exploits of two Italian plumbers that finally
administered the medicine to the videogame crash’ of the Eighties, ridding it of the noxious
Martian antibodies of Atari’s ET. Shigeru Miyamoto knew how to conjure up golden game
icons and the Mario Bros are two of his most prolific. Placing the plumbers into a daring
princess/mushroom rescue mission, inside a vivid, smooth-scrolling fantasy world, the game
pioneered concepts such as level warping and head stomping. Super Mario Bros
encapsulates everything that makes a game timeless: catchy theme, fluid gameplay, iconic
characters and a hot princess.

2. Punch-Out!!
Released: 1986
Nintendo’s port of its popular Eighties arcade puncher was somewhat lost in translation
when it appeared in its 8-bit glory. The arcade’s transparent fighter was omitted and in his
corner stood a pale, pint-sized pugilist on a mission to topple heavyweight hard-man, Mike
Tyson. It quickly collected acclaim for its accessibility and colourful roster of cartoon boxers
who were forced to sop up each blow of the games trademark playability. The NES homes
the finest version of Punch-Out!!, still managing to pack more punch than its technically
enhanced SNES sequel and arcade counterpart.

3. Tetris
Released: 1986
Tetris is a tile-matching video game created by Russian software engineer Alexey Pajitnov. It
has been published by several companies, most prominently during a dispute over the
appropriation of the rights in the late 1980s. After a significant period of publication by
Nintendo, the rights reverted to Pajitnov in 1996, who co-founded The Tetris Company with
Henk Rogers to manage licensing. In Tetris, players complete lines by moving differently
shaped pieces (tetrominoes), which descend onto the playing field. The completed lines
disappear and grant the player points, and the player can proceed to fill the vacated spaces.
The game ends when the playing field is filled. The longer the player can delay this inevitable
outcome, the higher their score will be. In multiplayer games, the players must last longer
than their opponents, and in certain versions, players can inflict penalties on opponents by
completing a significant number of lines. Some adaptations have provided variations to the
game's theme, such as three-dimensional displays or a system for reserving pieces.

4. Megaman 2
Released: 1988
Don’t let Megaman’s mountainous energy bar fool you, trying to finish Megaman 2 is like
trying to stay alive without any kidneys. This is an unforgiving platform blaster where each
level demands pinpoint precision and patience. The order in which you blast through Dr
Wily’s levels is up to you, but don’t think you can use the easier stages to stockpile lives.
Each level houses a bionic-boss whose special power can be acquired. These abilities give
Megaman an advantage over another boss, so choosing your route through the game was
how you maintained a healthy blood pressure.

5. Dr. Mario
 Released: 1990
If there's one falling block puzzle game that outshines all others on the NES, it's Dr. Mario.
Tetris is Game Boy's killer app, and NES versions of the Soviet hit never landed with the
same impact. Dr. Mario, however, is an institution. Perfectly presented with endless replay
value, this puzzler often found fans outside the usual video game demographic, including
older players. I have a friend whose father bought a NES just for Dr. Mario and never took
the game out for years. It's that good.

6. River City Ransom

Released: 1990
River City Ransom takes all the best elements of NES Double Dragon II—cathartic beat 'em
up martial arts action, pulse-pounding music, light fantasy elements—and sticks them into a
chibi style RPG adventure. As you defeat enemies, they drop coins, which you can use to buy
new techniques in the shops along the way. You can also use the money to buy food for
health and stat upgrades. Best of all, you can do it all with a friend, making this one of the
best co-op games on the NES.

7. Dragon Warrior II
Released: 1992
As the culmination of the Dragon Quest series on the NES (as it is known in Japan and later in
the US as well), Dragon Warrior IV is the largest game on the platform with a huge multi-
chapter story involving dozens of characters. It's a random-encounter JRPG featuring party-
based combat (with some members partially controlled by the computer) and transport by
balloon or ship later in the game. The graphics feel stuck in 1987, but with a quest this deep,
you hardly notice them.