10 Best NES Launch Titles, Ranked

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The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) launched Nintendo into the world of home consoles, building on their existing success in the video game market. The console became incredibly popular for many reasons.

The NES became incredibly popular largely because of its amazing selection of games. It was clear the console would do well even from the start, thanks to strong launch titles like Ice Climber and Wrecking Crew.

Duck Hunt Is a Good Shot

Duck Hunt is a shooting game famous for its frustrating dog, who laughs at you while you try to shoot ducks. The game also includes a practice mode where you can practice shooting clay targets.

Like many early games for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Duck Hunt was created to encourage stores to buy the console. It actually played a significant role in the NES’s popularity. However, the game can be difficult to enjoy now because it was specifically designed for older TVs.

Wild Gunman Is Not a Baby’s Toy

Wild Gunman is a shooting game where you can challenge a single opponent in a duel, or fight off waves of gangsters in a shootout.

Wild Gunman isn’t a simple game, despite being played with hand motions. While it doesn’t have a ton of features, it offers a bit more gameplay variety than Duck Hunt. If the dueling isn’t enough, the shooting gallery provides plenty of entertainment.

Hogan’s Alley Is Right up the NES’s Alley

Hogan’s Alley is a shooting game designed to showcase the capabilities of the NES Zapper. Players progress through levels where they practice their aim by shooting at various targets, like cardboard cutouts and tin cans.

Hogan’s Alley stands out as the most diverse light gun shooter on the NES, making it the best in its category. While it’s harder to play now due to needing an older CRT television, it’s still a worthwhile experience if you have the right setup.

Gyromite Is More Fun With R.O.B.

Gyromite is a puzzle game where you use a robot named R.O.B., or Robotic Operating Buddy, to solve challenges. You’ll guide R.O.B. through a dangerous, broken-down science lab filled with explosives.

Gyromite is a fun puzzle game, but the experience really depends on how you play it. Playing with two people makes it surprisingly easy because of the lenient time limit. However, using R.O.B. makes the game quite repetitive, and the timer feels much stricter. Ultimately, it becomes frustrating at a certain point.

Clu Clu Land Is an Overlooked Puzzle Gem

I absolutely love Clu Clu Land! It’s all about skillfully maneuvering through these really narrow passages to get to the next stage. Basically, you’re searching for hidden ingots within the screen – it’s a fun little challenge!

Many players first discovered Clu Clu Land through later games like Animal Crossing or the Virtual Console, as it wasn’t widely known as one of the NES’s original games. However, once you learn how to play, it’s surprisingly enjoyable.

Pinball Has a Ball With Pinball

Pinball is a game featuring Mario where you try to rescue Pauline. The gameplay is split into two parts: first, a Breakout-style level where Mario bounces a pinball to clear blocks, and then a traditional pinball experience.

Even though the pinball physics aren’t perfect, Pinball was an important game for the NES and helped establish it as a quality console when it first came out. Plus, because it’s a Mario game, it’s still fun to play today, especially the main pinball game itself.

Ice Climber Is an Underrated Platformer

In the platform game Ice Climber, players control Popo and Nana as they climb upwards by breaking through blocks of ice.

While the original Ice Climber game was difficult to pick up, which may have affected its initial sales, the Ice Climbers have become popular characters, especially with their appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series. Once players get the hang of it, Ice Climber is actually a fun game to play.

Excitebike Is Exciting to Play

I absolutely love Excitebike! It’s a racing game with a cool feature – you can either race on pre-made tracks, or actually design your own! No matter what, the goal is always the same: get that first place trophy!

As the name suggests, Excitebike is a fast-paced and thrilling racing game. But even if you’re not interested in the standard races, the track editor is fantastic. It lets you build challenging courses and even design tracks that are difficult for anyone but you to master.

Wrecking Crew Is a Satisfying NES Game

Wrecking Crew is a video game where Mario and Luigi climb ladders and tear down buildings. Similar to Excitebike, the game lets players design their own levels and compete with others to see who can cause the most destruction.

Despite being a simple game among the earliest releases for the NES, Wrecking Crew is surprisingly enjoyable. The core idea – demolishing everything in sight before your opponent – is incredibly satisfying. What’s more, the game includes a level editor, letting players create and share their own challenges.

Super Mario Bros. Defined the NES

Super Mario Bros. is a classic platforming game with a story that’s been used in many subsequent Mario games. In it, Mario journeys through eight different worlds to save Princess Peach from the villain, King Bowser.

Even after 40 years, Super Mario Bros. still feels as exciting and innovative as it did when it was first released. It’s such a classic that later Mario games have actually taken ideas from it. In fact, the Mario series hasn’t felt this original since the original game.

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2026-01-04 07:12