80. Metroid (Nintendo, 1987)
The genesis of another legendary Nintendo franchise and an equally legendary genre, Metroid was notable at the time for its large world and gameplay that was almost completely open-ended - rather than giving you a set goal and a linear stage to progress through to reach it, you were pretty much just left to explore a giant enemy-laden labyrinth and discover its secrets yourself. A pretty daunting thing in an era before in-game maps were the norm. Thankfully, Metroid delivered enough content to keep players engaged for a good, long time with its eerie organic environments and a well-composed soundtrack that only made the in-game world all the more unsettling. Better yet, once you were used to the game it had five different variations for the ending screen, challenging players to complete the game in progressively shorter times to see them all. This could be considered the forefather to the whole speedrunning community!
79. Fester's Quest (Sunsoft, 1989)
A game that quickly became notorious for its exceptional difficulty (even the
TV commercial gleefully boasts that one death sends you all the way back to the start) and its somewhat baffling tie-in to the Addams Family of all things, Fester's Quest is a common target for caustic reviewers. But I always had a soft spot for it - I rented it as a kid, I've played it through several times, and honestly, once you know the ins-and-outs of its design (and know to bring a turbo controller) it's a pretty fun top-down shooter. It's got that polished Sunsoft design, some nicely creepy atmosphere, eerie boss designs and, of course, some excellent music. I'm also probably the only person in America nerdy enough to import a European copy; the European release famously toned down the difficulty a lot, allowing your shots to pass through walls and halving all enemies' health. So while many gamers may malign it, Fester's Quest is one I'll always have some fondness for. After all, you don't sell over a million copies without doing something right.
78. Astyanax (Aicom, 1990)
A fairly popular game in its time that isn't talked about much these days, Astyanax was quite a sight to behold on the NES. Large sprites with a surprising number of animation frames, elaborate and detailed backgrounds, some imaginative (and gruesome) boss designs, and gameplay slightly reminiscent of Castlevania. The player gets a choice of three weapons, though the way they operate is slightly odd - some get more damage from simple swings but cause the player's magic attack to consume more or less of the gauge in return. A relatively fun game to play through regardless though, and the imagination employed in its visual design alone certainly makes it worth a look for fans of obscure gems.
The Japanese version might just have my favorite Engrishy title of all time, too: "The Lord of King."
77. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Konami, 1989)
A game which may be the focus of a lot of mockery and ridicule these days for having very loose ties to the source material and some occasionally baffling design, but one must also remember that this was the first video game based on a popular property, and weird or not, your game doesn't sell over four million copies without doing something right. TMNT was certainly ambitious for its time, combining side-scrolling action segments with top-down, open-world exploration broken up into several stages, and the variety of enemies, sub-weapons and creative stage designs make it well worth a look. That, plus Konami's consistently high standards for visuals and music, quickly made it into a pretty big hit. People nowadays mostly talk about the arcade beat-em-ups, but being one of the first games I owned and played quite a lot of (but never actually finished as a kid), this one will always hold a special place in my memories. And an occasional revisit on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
76. Rygar (Tecmo, 1987)
Rygar was a pretty decent hit in the arcades, with fast paced sidescrolling combat and a uniquely weird Greek mythology inspired setting. The NES game of the same name was a very different beast, though, taking the same basic setting and storyline but changing up its gameplay into a nonlinear Zelda-styled adventure. In fact, it actually predated Zelda's release in North America by about a month, so technically this was the very first game of its type on the NES. Fittingly, the game works in a fair number of RPG elements - there are spells to cast, defeating enemies gradually boosts your "Tone" (attack power) and "Last" (health), and throughout the game you gain new items that grant you access to new areas - a grappling hook to climb to higher ledges, a "wind pulley" to cross gaps, and potions of health, among others. Boss fights also appear throughout, and the gods themselves appear in numerous hidden rooms to give you advice. It's even got some pretty detailed graphics and solid music for the time period. A relatively early NES adventure, but one still well worth visiting.
75. Darkwing Duck (Capcom, 1992)
Yeah it's another Disney-licensed action game from Capcom, but I'm certainly not going to complain about that. Based on the cartoon series that spoofed many tropes of superhero comics and cartoons, the game looks and plays very similarly to Mega Man 5, released around the same time, though Darkwing does have a few abilities the blue bomber doesn't. For one, he can grab onto hooks and the underside of certain platforms, and block some shots with his cape by holding up on the D-pad. You can also only carry one sub-weapon at a time, so careful choice to get through a particular area or boss fight is key. Bonus levels can also be found to earn extra lives and power-ups, and bosses tend to be a bit more puzzle-based rather than simply choosing the right weapon and firing away. Capcom is widely regarded as one of the NES's best developers for good reason - their games are almost all solid gold!
74. Kyatto Ninden Teyandee (Tecmo, 1991 in Japan)
If you watched a lot of cartoons in the '90s, you might remember Samurai Pizza Cats - a dub/recut of the Japanese anime "Kyatto Ninden Teyandee" that ramped up the silly humor to the nth degree. I also got into emulation around that time, which led me to learn that there was a game tie-in to the show, so it quickly became one of the very first Famicom games I emulated. It does a good job recreating the feel of the show, with animated cutscenes between stages and before boss fights, several recognizable characters as bosses and recreating the protagonists' special finishing moves. Even the Rescue Squad appears, allowing you to traverse various obstacles the main cast can't - punching through blocks, tunneling through dirt, swimming through the water at great speed or even flying for short distances. While not an amazing game on its own, the fact that it captures the feel of the show so well and has such nostalgic factor will always earn it some points in my book.
73. Kickle Cubicle (Irem, 1990)
A relatively unique and well-crafted puzzle game by Irem, where you play as a snowman-esque character named Kickle who can create ice pillars and freeze enemies with his breath to turn them into cubes. Said cubes can then be pushed into the water to create floors, or pushed into other enemies to eliminate them, or ricocheted off of springs or hammers to redirect their motion (though they can easily clobber you as well, so you must be careful). Your goal in each stage is to collect the three "dream bags", though as in any good puzzle game, this quickly becomes a daunting task - avoiding enemies, being careful not to trap yourself and setting up pillars in the right time and place to avoid hazards are all skills you will have to master (especially in the bonus stages, unlocked after completing the main game). There are boss fights too, which require some quick movement and reaction speed to overcome.
72. GI Joe: The Atlantis Factor (KID, 1992)
The second game based on the GI Joe license, this time published by Capcom. Appropriately, the game also changes format, going from a mostly-linear action title to one with a free-roaming stage selection similar to Bionic Commando - visiting different areas allows you to rescue Joes (both as playable characters and assisting you with extra ammo or other benefits), collect new weapons and find caches of powerups on your way to the end. As in the previous game, each Joe has different stats and can collect upgrades, though this time you can also upgrade your melee attack - from basic punches to flying kicks to just straight damage boosts. It's not the most iconic NES action title there is, but it's a solid one that's worth a play if you can find a copy.
71. Deja Vu: A Nightmare Comes True! (ICOM, 1990)
Part of the so-called "ICOM Trilogy" for the NES, Deja Vu was a slightly more realistic take on the point-and-click adventure genre. As an amnesiac framed for murder, it falls to you to recover your memories, clear your name and uncover the real culprits behind the crime. As with the other two games in the series, some puzzle solutions are a bit obtuse and it's possible to get stuck in an unwinnable state if you're not careful, but the solid, atmospheric soundtrack and tense narrative make it an unforgettable experience regardless. Deja Vu also had a sequel was never released on the NES; however, it did eventually get a Game Boy Color port in late 1999.
