All these and more!

Welcome to the Quick Ratings Reference Guide for the NES. Back in 2001, three of us got together and decided to create a handy reference guide for the games released for the Nintendo 8-bit system, originally with the intent of boiling it down to the best 25 games for the system. The Guide soon evolved into an ongoing labor of general pain...well, for one of us at least. But he started it, so he had to finish it. As you may have guessed, despite the "Nintendo Seal of Quality", there are quite a few wretched games out there. That makes the purpose of this guide all the more relevant, even if the machine itself is becoming less so. Simply put, this guide is here to help you separate the jewels from the coal, and everything in between.

The rating process was a simple, if highly unscientific, process. The games were plugged into the machine, and each of us played for a while, adding factors of graphics, gameplay, innovation, etc., into the mix. Then we each came up with a score, from 0 to 10 and involving half-points, that we felt best represented the game. Now, we admit up front that some games may be unfairly judged because they take some time to get going. We tried to factor in potential, but some games are just gonna slip through. Keep that in mind. Also, some games were just too complex, so that we simply did not feel justified in giving the game a rating; hopefully we can devote more time to the game later to properly rate it.

But it's not over. There are over 700 Nintendo games, and I think it's unlikely that we'll ever rate all of them. We have over 400 here, and we're always adding more, but we need your help! If there's a game you want to rate, whether it's on the list or not, let us know, either via Twitter or Facebook. The more people rating, the more accurate the score. If there's a game you feel isn't getting the credit it deserves, or isn't being exposed for the contemptable trash that it is, feel free to let us know.

We hope you enjoy this little guide, and find it useful too. And don't forget to read the Comments after the ratings!

A note about titles: Generally, this guide uses the complete title, usually as found on the end label of the game. This usually doesn't change things, but there are a couple exceptions (Super Off-Road becomes Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off-Road, etc.). So, if you don't see a game, there's a chance it's just listed under its complete title.

Click each column to sort the results by that heading. A rating in italics indicates a revised score.

Comments:

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
     "Wow, this is in the running for most annoying video game theme song of all-time. That aside, 'Rocky & Bullwinkle' is a rather poor platformer, and Bullwinkle is so big that collisions are almost inevitable." -Adam

Alien³
     "The only game I've ever played where falling down the stairs to your death is a valid strategy." -Charlie

Anticipation
     "This is a surprisingly good multiplayer party game. For how childish it looked, we really got a lot of distance out of this title." -Charlie

Back to the Future Part II & III
     "Wow, this game is exactly like the movies! It's particularly effective at capturing the post-apocalyptic green wasteland feel of Hill Valley in 2015." -Adam

Baseball Stars
     "This is one of the most fun sports games of all time in my opinion. Not only was it extremely ground-breaking in the fact that you could CREATE players and teams, but you could improve your players' ratings (stamina, power, etc.) the more you played and won. Also, it kept stats for you." -Dan

Bible Adventures
     "Even God doesn't know what Wisdom Tree was thinking when they created this game. Most disturbing is their very loose interpretation of the word 'Adventures'. This is for masochists only. I am a lesser man for having played. Stay away if you have any regard for yourself or loved ones." -Charlie

Big Bird's Hide & Speak
     "Excellent voice emulation, considering it's a classic Nintendo game. I think kids could learn from this, which is more than I can say for most 'educational' games." -Charlie
     "Clockwise movement only: lame. Voice: good! Replay: low." -Alex

The Black Bass
     "As fishing games go, this one's decent." -Joe M.
     "A fishing game without fish...yeah..." -Alex
     "The key to fishing is patience...you may have to wait a few hours while playing this game to catch a fish." -Charlie

Blaster Master
     "I had this game as a kid...it takes a little while to get into, but it's a great game when you do." -Adam

Bubble Bobble
     "An arcade masterpiece. Damned if I'll ever beat it correctly, but a solid all-around game." -Charlie

The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle
     "This is not a fun game for me." -Celeste (age 3)

BurgerTime
     "Hours of burger-making fun." -Alex

Caesar's Palace
     "Nice realism factor." -Alex

Captain Comic
     "It looks pretty good and moves decently, but it seems awfully repetitive." -Adam
     "I might have given this game another point if the enemies didn't keep regenerating while you stood still." -Charlie

Casino Kid
     "Just like Vegas, but with fake money, pixelated women and no booze. Some potential, but the crappiness of gambling games bogs it down." -Charlie

Castle of Dragon
     "All you do is hit forward and slam on the B button for 10 minutes, then attempt to jump over a cliff, at which point you die." -Charlie

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
     "Hands down, my favorite game for the NES. A great storyline, awesome gameplay, and the transitions from day to night were cool too. A fantastic game, no matter what genre you like." -Adam

Championship Bowling
     "'Championship Bowling' is much more fun and exciting than 'Wii Sports Bowling'. 'Championship Bowling' is the one with the motion sensing controller, right?" -Alex
     "At one point during the game I had taken the controller, put it facedown on the floor, and smacked the whole thing with my thigh. I went on to win. I don't think that's right." -Adam

Classic Concentration
     "Once there was a picture of something that looked like a cane or club, between the letter 'M' and a gun. Both Alex and I cleared the board and had no idea what the answer was. So I guessed, 'Harry McCanegun'. The game responded with, 'Harry Morgan' is correct!" -Adam

Contra
     "This is a solid, challenging game. Each level is unique and the differing scrolling and perspective on each level keeps it from being becoming tedious the longer you play." -Charlie

Cyberball
     "This IS the future of football." -Adam
     "Obviously I could play it for a while, but the beeping did get annoying." -Kara H.

Darkman
     "If I were a kid, and I got this for Christmas, I'd be very disappointed. Yet another example of why movie licenses don't tend to make good games." -Adam

Death Race
     "<whimper>" -Adam

Defender II
     "Perhaps better known as 'Stargate' (well, that's what they called it in the arcades), 'Defender II' is the sequel to the pioneering shooter, and as such it comes with the usual changes, advancements, etc...and in this case they're generally an improvement. The stargate itself is a fun touch. It's still hard as hell, but it's also a lot of fun. A reasonable translation to the NES." -Adam

Déjà Vu
     "A reasonable adventure game, hampered by two problems: one, this game is clearly designed to be played with a mouse, and the NES version suffers as a result; and two, it's simply too short. We were able to complete the game in a night, even with wandering back and forth doing things we should have done the first time. I like a little more mileage out of my adventure games, but that said, there's nothing wrong with this one." -Adam

Demon Sword
     "Wheee! It's like 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'! Look at him jump! This is a decent, though not outstanding, action platformer. It's fun - just not a classic." -Adam
     "The Nintendo's answer to "Sonic the Hedgehog." -Alex

Dig Dug II
     "Hmm...this isn't exactly the sequel most people probably expected after the brilliance of the first 'Dig Dug'. However, in its own way, 'Dig Dug II: Trouble in Paradise' is just as addicting and fun as the first one. There's a new element of strategy, and it's as much fun placing cracks in just the right place as it was to line the Pookas up under that rock...A fun, innovative game." -Adam

Donkey Kong 3
     "Donkey Kong 1 minus Donkey Kong 2 equals Donkey Kong 3." -Alex
     "A port of a lesser-known arcade title is always welcome, and 'Donkey Kong 3' is an interesting gameplay mechanic. That said, there isn't a lot of variety and it does become slightly repetitive - but am I the only one who'd like to see Stanley appear in a Smash Bros. game? I am? Oh." -Adam

Dragon Power
     "One of the most unintentionally funny games I've ever played...I think Bandai should have hired some better translators." -Adam

Dragon Spirit: The New Legend
     "Fantastic." -Adam
     "Great shooter. The story's a little confusing, but who cares? Blast away." -Charlie

Dr. Mario
     "A fun variation on the 'Tetris' theme. One does have to question the subject matter of this game though, which seems to imply that it's ok to play with drugs. For a system (and therefore game) generally aimed at the youth, this seems highly questionable, and I'm a little surprised that (as far as I know) this wasn't mentioned in the Senate hearings on video games.
     To digress for a moment, 'Dr. Mario 64,' this game's successor, was responsible for one of the funniest moments in my time playing video games. It was a four-player mode, and Alex, John, Charlie, and I were going head-to-head. After a while of competition, Alex cries out, 'Who keeps combo-ing me?!' And Charlie says, 'I uh-oh.....'
     You probably had to be there." -Adam
     "It's a little known fact that this game was originally developed to train medical students, until lawsuits were filed years later by patients complaining of 'being hit in the head with large pills.' Luckily for Nintendo, the game was fun too." -Charlie

Excitebike
     "The real joy of this game is making your own horrible tracks and subjecting your friends to them." -Charlie

F-15 City War
     "Why are there TIE Fighters in level 3? Did they just assume no one would get far enough into the game to consider suing them? 'Cos that is totally a TIE Fighter wearing a hat." -Adam

Final Fantasy
     "Fairly solid. Unfortunately, it is hard to play such a linear game after playing the rest of the series." -Charlie

Fire 'n Ice
     "A surprisingly simplistic and addictive puzzle game. Well worth a look." -Charlie

The Flintstones: The Rescue of Dino & Hoppy
     "Remind me, why do we want Dino and Hoppy back...?" -Charlie

Flying Warriors
     "It's a nice attempt and an interesting concept, but 'Flying Warriors' fails on execution. Sluggish controls and bad collision detection hamper this martial arts-cum-RPG." -Adam

Godzilla
     "Ah, many hours were spent in front of the TV (or in my case, the Commodore 1702 monitor) trying to conquer this game. The storyline's whacked (save the solar system as Godzilla?), but it's still fun to play. Plus, how cool is it to actually be Godzilla? Well, not as cool as it is to play as Mothra! Still a fun - though challenging - game." -Adam

Gold Medal Challenge '92
     "A fairly fun Olympic events game, but there's a little too much intense button mashing for my liking. The marathon's a nice change of pace, however. A lot more fun with some friends." -Adam

Golf
     "Although I do believe this is a great game, I must admit that I am very biased, as this was the first game that I ever owned, as my dad didn't get the NES package that included 'Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt'." -Dan

The Goonies II
     "I've beaten this game at least 15 times, but it's still great fun. 'Ow, what do you do?' " -Charlie

Gradius
     "This side-scrolling shooter is better than most. Dependence on power-ups makes it a bit of a pain when you die, so practice makes perfect!" -Charlie

Guerrilla War
     "The game that punishes you for dying...is not this. Very entertaining top-down shooter." -Adam
     "Wow..." -Charlie

Gumshoe
     "Yet another game I used to own and am probably biased for having owned. I dunno, I like it. It was also pretty tough, which I enjoyed." -Charlie

Gun.Smoke
     "One of the best shooters for NES. You can buy different weapons, like a shotgun or a machine gun, which is cool. The one downside is that since you spend your money, there really is no running tally of your score. A separate counter for overall score would have been nice." -Charlie

Heavy Barrel
     "Basically just an inferior 'Ikari Warriors' clone." -Adam

Home Alone 2
     "I can't quite place my finger on it, but there's something just fundamentally WRONG about 'Home Alone 2'. Maybe it's the fact that Alex DeMeo had a hand in such a wretched game. This platformer does try, but it frustrates too quickly and is not nearly as intuitive as it should be. The graphics, however, are some of the best ever seen on the system." -Adam

Hook
     "This game really makes me want to swear." -Charlie
     "It's a game based on a movie, and it's not 'Lord of the Rings.' What more do you really need to know?" -Adam

Hudson Hawk
     "The competition is admittedly stiff, but this may be the worst movie license game I've ever played." -Adam
     "The jumping could have been worse." -Charlie

Ice Climber
     "Simplistic, yet awesome nonetheless. The hardest part is seeing if you can resist the urge to kill your partner." -Charlie

Ikari Warriors
     "This game is fun because you get to blow things up. Also people. Hooray for violence and tanks." -Charlie

Impossible Mission II
     "I've never been able to tell if my copy is just messed up or if the game is actually supposed to look the way it does, but in any event the NES version of 'Impossible Mission II' isn't actually all that good. The original's playability is missing, and instead there seem to be a lot of jumping puzzles instead of thinking ones. The colors are hideous as well. It's entertaining enough in its own right though; it's just not as great as the first one." -Adam

Jaws
     An actual conversation during the playing of this game:
Adam: "I hope points are worth something in this game."
Charlie: "Sorry, crabs and starfish aren't a valid form of currency. Only conch shells!"

Jordan vs. Bird: One on One
     "A follow-up to the computer game 'One-on-One', where Dr J and Larry Bird duke it out, 'Jordan vs. Bird' is a less-than-worthy successor. The play mechanics are a little off (especially dunking), and it seems to be very foul-prone. But what's more, most of the charm that was in the first game (such as breaking the glass after a super dunk) is missing from this version. Not recommended." -Adam

Joust
     "Not the best home version out there (that honor goes to the Atari 7800 version), 'Joust' is nevertheless an awesome game. There's nothing really wrong this version - I mean, it's still 'Joust' - so what are you waiting for? Go play one of the best games of the '80s...Buzzard Bait." -Adam

Kid Icarus
     "Practice makes perfect. This game is a little tough for the beginner, but take your time and you'll see this game's charm. Damn the Eggplant Men!!!" -Charlie

Kirby's Adventure
     "One of my favorite games of all time, I personally put it above 'Super Mario Bros. 3', and here's why:
     1) The method of advancing to higher levels is completely similar, but in 'Kirby's Adventure' you are allowed the option to travel back to previous worlds.
     2) Secrets are ear-marked in this game, so that if you miss any you can go back and find it, and you won't receive a '100% Finished' status until you find everything.
     3) Kirby was Yoshi and Mario rolled into one person.
     4) Kirby, like Mario, had many, many different guises." -Dan

The Krion Conspiracy
     "Well, the folks at Capcom have done it again, turning out another fine 'Mega Man' game...wait, what? It's not by Capcom? It sure LOOKS like it is...I wonder if Vic Tokai got in trouble for this game." -Adam
     "If I wanted to play 'Mega Man', I'd play 'Mega Man 2'. I admit it is pretty decent, though." -Charlie

Legendary Wings
     "Before there was 'Dragon Spirit' (like a year before), there was 'Legendary Wings', which did it worse. Although it's nice that there's a two-player simultaneous option, the severe slowdown that results when you and your friend attempt to shoot down the enemies is simply unforgivable. Not recommended." -Adam

The Legend of Zelda
     "My favorite Nintendo game of all time. Period." -Dan
     "One of the first games I played for NES - and still one of the best - 'The Legend of Zelda' provides for many hours of timeless, tantalizing fun and frolic." -Jason
     "In the wake of later 'Zelda' games such as 'A Link to the Past', 'Ocarina of Time', and 'Twilight Princess', the first 'Legend of Zelda' game is a frustrating experience, and progress in the game comes about from dumb luck as much as any skill. Still, it's the pioneer and, although you may no longer have the patience that you had when you were 11, 'The Legend of Zelda' nevertheless still deserves our attention." -Adam

Loopz
     "It's an interesting Tetris-esque puzzle game (make loops based on the pieces provided), but it's a little too repetitive to provide long-term entertainment. That said, the addition of a couple extra game modes extends its playability somewhat, which is nice; the two-player simultaneous mode is surprisingly fun." -Adam

Maniac Mansion
     "Great game, terrible port. The control is sluggish and awkward, the graphics are limited by the Nintendo's technology, and so it all looks a little off. Ideally, hunt down a copy for your computer instead, but this'll work in a pinch." -Adam

Marble Madness
     "This is a good game with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the part I get stuck at is a ways into the game and it's hard to play knowing you're only going to get a minute or two of practice and ultimately die at that one part. Still, 'Marble Madness' is considered a classic and rightly so." -Charlie

Mega Man
     "'Mega Man' is fun." -Charlie

Metal Gear
     "The game is so hard that it's almost unplayable. And the awkward controls make the game unnecessarily harder." -Alex
     "If you can find the patience to get past the first few screens, the game gets better. A bit. Ish. Except for the stupid pit that opens up out of nowhere!" -Adam

Metal Mech
     "I like the concept, I like the idea, but the jumping mechanic was awkward, both inside the machine and out." -Charlie
     "This game seems very similar to 'Blaster Master', and I'd rather play that." -Adam

Metalstorm
     "Not only highly innovative, but well made. The level/enemy design on this game is excellent. Give it a go, just try not to disorient yourself." -Charlie

Mickey Mousecapade
     "See, this is why I never go to the ocean." -Adam

Monster Party
     "A seriously messed-up game, but fun in its own way. The level designs are whacked and the monsters have to be seen to be believed...an innovative, enjoyable platformer. Plus, Mark pioneered the baseball bat as an offensive weapon long before Ness showed up." -Adam

MTV Remote Control
     "I changed the channel." -Adam

Mystery Quest
     "It's kind of fun, though it seems to change what kind of game it is halfway through, from straight platformer to puzzle platformer. But man is it an ugly game." -Adam

1942
     "This is the worst music ever. The first Atari 2600 game had better music than this atrocity." -Adam

Ninja Gaiden
     "I get 'Ninja' but what the hell is 'Gaiden'? Perhaps we'll never know...Annoying pitfalls and reappearing enemies keep this from being Top Ten material, but definitely worth a look." -Charlie

Pinball
     "A classic game, this one is always entertaining, and it's great to pick up for a quick game. It's not really too much more than pinball, but it's done so well that you can't help but enjoy it." -Adam

Platoon
     "We learned a valuable lesson from this game: Vietnam was not fun." -Adam

The Punisher
     "A fairly average, mindless shooter, but at least it's better than either movie version of the character." -Adam

Puss 'N Boots
     "It's got a lot of variety, I'll give it that. That having been said, it's kind of dumb." -Charlie
     "It's a decent enough game, and it's designed for children, so I don't think realism was high on their list. Charlie's just an ass. The ending has to be seen to be believed." -Adam
     "This game is obviously designed for small children with mental handicaps. Nevertheless I got a huge sense of accomplishment and self worth when I finally beat it. It took me all of 5 minutes but it never stops being hilarious. The ending is well worth having to go to gamefaqs.com to learn how to beat the last boss. You thought I was going to tell you how, didn't you? Not a chance. Best ending to a videogame EVER." -Jason Alt

Rampage
     "It looks better than the Atari 7800 version (probably one of the few games that does), it has better control...and yet in my mind it's not quite as good. There are certain elements that aren't in this version, such as Ralph, certain ways of destroying buildings, and the lovely newspaper headlines. Therefore, probably the weakest of the home console versions. Ideally, you'd want the Sega Master System version, but this is still mindless, entertaining fun." -Adam

Rampart
     "Imagine mixing 'Tetris' with medieval warfare. It's really a great game, hours of multiplayer fun." -Charlie

Ring King
     "Is that trainer doing what I think he's doing? And even if he's not, what is he actually meant to be doing there?" -Adam
     "Hours and hours of fellatious fun!" -Alex

River City Ransom
     "Ah, is there anything better than making punks with names like "Biff" and "Rocko" scream for their mothers? Yes, throwing a lead pipe at the back of your partner's head. I love this game." -Charlie

Road Runner
     "I like that this was a bit of a different arcade game - it had enough variety to maintain my interest." -Adam

Roundball: 2-on-2 Challenge
     "Let's see, where to begin...how about with simplistic graphics, annoying music (though it can be turned off), poor collision detection, and a lack of any real fun? This game can be summed up by the fact that I can line free throws up absolutely perfectly, so that the little target thing is in the middle of the net, and still have it bounce back off the rim. A fun basketball game this is not." -Adam

Rygar
     "This game quite simply kicks ass. A classic action/adventure game, with a decent leveling system. I have yet to beat the last boss.....someday." -Charlie

Shinobi
     "Nice try, but no. There's a reasonable attempt here to do this awesome game justice, but this version of 'Shinobi' simply blows. Poor graphics (if you die, you fall prone right where you are, even if it's in the middle of the air), bad control, and some lousy collision detection make for a disappointing port. Do yourself a favor: go buy a Master System and its version of 'Shinobi' and leave this one to the dogs." -Adam

The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man
     "A rather average game. Simpsons games tend to suck, and this one isn't much of an exception." -Charlie

Skate or Die
     "Ah, is there anything better than knocking your friends on their asses with giant bats? How about doing it on a halfpipe, while you snicker at them? This game brings back good memories for me, as most games I used to own tend to do. Except for the creepy guy at the skate shop... *shudder*..." -Charlie

Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular
     "Just remember: Charles Schulz was still alive when this game came out." -Adam

Solar Jetman
     "When I was younger a friend of mine lent me this game. I tried it out. 'Wow,' I thought to myself, 'this is pretty hard - it must be good later on, right?' Wrong. It turns out that the game isn't much fun, and the gravity feature, although a nice idea, is ultimately annoying. Of course, I have the same problem with 'Gravitar.'" -Adam

Spiritual Warfare
     "This game makes me wish I were Satan." -Alex
     "Probably the best of Wisdom Tree's games, 'Spiritual Warfare' is a reasonably entertaining Zelda-style adventure. It's a fairly original concept, and it's not drawn exclusively from the Bible, which is nice. Oh, and don't listen to Alex. He just doesn't like games that try to teach him anything." -Adam

Spy Hunter
     "Pales in comparison even to the C-64 version..." -Adam

Spy vs Spy
     "A port of the First Star computer game, 'Spy vs Spy' is a delightfully sadistic game. The premise is simple: collect a certain number of items before time runs out. Of course, the other spy is trying to collect the exact same items. It's full of traps and deaths and such things that are highly reminiscent of the cartoon in 'Mad'. Highly entertaining, especially with a friend." -Adam

Stanley: The Search for Dr Livingstone
     "I laughed when I heard the title of this game. Searching through the jungle for Dr. Livingstone is certainly an odd premise. Still, the action/adventure elements make this game seem fresh, and I expect it may have even got a higher rating if I had more time to play it." -Charlie

Star Trek 25th Anniversary
     "An adventure game which does a good job of capturing the flavor of the original series. While some people won't like it, it's a good buy for anyone seeking a good 'Star Trek' game or something beyond the standard platformer. The music sounds like it comes from a Colecovision, though." -Adam

Super Jeopardy!
     "The music gets annoying and the point system is seriously messed up. What the hell? And Alex Trebek is noticeably absent. That said, this is decent enough, but I prefer the original." -Adam

Super Mario Bros.
     "If you're like me, chances are good you don't even need me to tell you about this. You've played it a thousand times before, and you know how it good it is. So it's time to reveal my secret shame: I've never actually beaten this game. Got to Bowser a few times in 8-4, but I choked every time. Oh, the disgrace!" -Adam

Super Mario Bros. 2
     "The odd one out, but it's still a great game. I actually prefer some of the mechanics in 'Super Mario 2' to the regular series, like picking up stuff and throwing it. Hmm, I must have an affection for the slightly different Mario games, since I love 'Super Mario Sunshine' too! This then is very very close to my favorite Mario game ('SMB3' just edges it out - for the moment, at least)." -Adam

Super Mario Bros. 3
     "Finally, all the planets align and perhaps the best platform game of all time is created. Play it once, play it a thousand times. It don't get much better than this." -Charlie
     "Greatest video game ever. Period." -Alex
     "Rightly praised, it's somewhat difficult now to see just how innovative this game really was. Free movement, lots of options and hidden stuff...what's not to love?" -Adam

Taboo: The Sixth Sense
     "Not really a game, this is just tarot for the NES. I guess it's executed reasonably well, but what it boils down to is a series of prepackaged computer responses that are unaffected by the player's choices and question. Not recommended, except as a laugh when you're bored, tired, and have exhausted all other means of entertainment, including self-inflicted Chinese water torture." -Adam
     "Apparently the only thing 'taboo' in this game is giving a straight answer to your question." -Charlie

Tecmo Super Bowl
     "The only NES sports game that was better than 'Baseball Stars'. Although you couldn't create players or teams, it came complete with every starting player in the NFL as well as many offensive back-ups. Also, it kept *very* extensive season stats. It even distinguished between black and white skin tones." -Dan

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II
     "Many, many nights were spent at Charlie's house in elementary school playing and beating this game over and over." -Dan

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
     "This game was very much like 'TMNT II', but it lacks the sentimental value." -Dan

10-Yard Fight
     "Makes 2600 Football look good." -Adam

Tennis
     "I would play it for a bit." -Kara H.

Tetris (Nintendo)
     "One of the most addicting puzzle games ever created, 'Tetris' still brings the gamers in droves. The more common of the NES versions, Nintendo's 'Tetris' is solid, but the lousy color scheme and the lack of a head-to-head mode (like in the arcade) hinder this one a little." -Adam

Tetris (Tengen)
     "It may be very hard to find, but Tengen's version of 'Tetris' is the superior one. Great colors, good music, and a head-to-head mode to take your friends on with. This is the 'Tetris' to play, and it's a shame Nintendo had to kill this one off. A bona fide classic." -Adam

Tetris 2
     "'Tetris 2' takes elements of 'Tetris' and 'Dr. Mario' and mixes them together into a 'new' game. Essentially it's nothing more than 'Dr. Mario' with different graphics, but at least it's still fun." -Adam

The Three Stooges
     "I don't know what to make of this game. It's essentially a collection of somewhat amusing minigames. It doesn't really have much in the way of replay value, but the voices are reasonably impressive for Nintendo, and the beginning is moderately amusing. However, it's really just a pretty average game." -Adam
     "Eww." -Charlie

Time Lord
     "Would be higher [than 7.5], but it was really damn hard in some places." -Dan

Toki
     "Sometimes you just gotta wonder what these video game designers were on...a port of the 1989 TAD Corp. arcade game, in 'Toki' you assume the role of a caveman-turned-ape who's off to rescue his cave-princess. A fun platformer, though the graphics suffer somewhat in the downgrade." -Adam
     "A decent game, but it gets a lower rating since I was able to make it most of the way through on the first pass." -Charlie

Totally Rad
     "An average platformer, but deserves special mention for the amazingly silly cutscenes. Totally gnarly, dude." -Adam
     "Dude, this game, like, totally sucks ass." -Charlie

Total Recall
     "Warning: Contains quotes not from the movie 'Total Recall': 'I'll be back.'" -Alex

Touchdown Fever
     "This game gave me the fever to play something else." -Adam

Track & Field II
     "Was no fun unless you had a turbo controller, but then it was great! Also carries sentimental value." -Dan

Uninvited
     "From the people who brought you 'Deja Vu' comes another adventure game, this one set in an old house. It's the same style of game, but the annoyingly frequent deaths and the significantly greater backtracking make this the lesser game." -Adam

The Untouchables
     "There are some nice ideas here, and the variety of styles is appreciated, but the controls feel too mushy, which is a real drawback." -Adam

Wally Bear and the "No!" Gang
     "HA HA HA HA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" -Adam

Where's Waldo?
     "Take the classic fun of finding Waldo, convert the rich illustrations to blocky 4-color graphics, and then spend all of your time clicking around the screen in an attempt to distinguish Waldo from all the other red and white blobs on the screen. I think you get the picture." -Adam

Widget
     "This game is too hard! How they expect their target audience of young kids to come even close to enjoying this game is beyond me. The game is cartoonish and moves well, but that's about it." -Adam
     "The only thing I hate more than a bad video game translation of a bad cartoon is a bad video game translation of a bad cartoon that is FRICKIN' IMPOSSIBLE!! Buy a copy, then destroy it to relieve the world of the misery it will inevitably cause." -Charlie

Win, Lose or Draw
     "It doesn't matter what you draw, it ends up looking like a triangle. One time the answer was 'triangle'. It took forever to guess it. However, with a group of friends this game is surprisingly fun." -Adam

World Class Track Meet
     "As I recall, we spent more time trying to find ways to cheat (beating the Power Pad with our hands, jumping off for the long jump) than playing this correctly. But, as Power Pad games go, this is one of the better-made ones." -Charlie

Wrecking Crew
     "An interesting, fun little game, 'Wrecking Crew' has unfairly been relegated to the ranks of obscure Nintendo releases. It's basically a puzzle game, but it's well-designed and surprisingly fun. The fact that Mario and Luigi can't jump may be initially off-putting to some people, but spend a little time with 'Wrecking Crew' and you'll see how fun it can be." -Adam

Xexyz
     "The game with the unpronouncable title, 'Xexyz' is a fun, largely successful merging of the platform and side-scrolling shooter genres. Never less than entertaining, colorful, and definitely a sleeper title worth checking out." -Adam

Yo! Noid
     "Ever want to play a crappy video game, but afraid you'll miss shameless corporate advertising in the process? Well, look no further!" -Charlie

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
     "It's an RPG, and it's an action [game]. Plus, you have a save feature. The main reason it doesn't get a 10 is because the last level was always impossible for me to beat. Getting the hammer out of Death Mountain was kind of frustrating too, because it would take at least 45 minutes to get there, and I would often die right in front of it, and have to start over again. Grr..." -Charlie

Bonus! Our NES Top 25 List