NES Classic Edition Review
The Nintendo Entertainment System, to this day, is probably the only Nintendo console I do not personally own or have experience with. I’m not counting stuff like the Virtual Boy or Pokemon Mini (or, really, any of the handhelds here), but just to get to the point, the NES was just not a system I ever added to my collection for one reason or another, even after making considerations. I have played various NES games through different re-releases such as those on the 3DS and Wii Virtual Console, but I’ve never owned the original system myself, nor do I have any memory of playing it. There will probably be a day where I do obtain one, but for a variety of reasons, ranging from the aging hardware, having too many consoles as it is, the cost of the system and it’s games and being able to play it’s best titles on newer hardware I ultimately just have not gotten around to picking up one for myself. And with the nostalgia for the original NES, there definitely is a market of people who want to play it’s games - whether that be older people wanting to revisit childhood classics or younger people who are just interested in the oldies - but unfortunately due to a variety of reasons of their own not everyone has access to a Nintendo Entertainment System. Hence, Nintendo has released various NES games on later hardware, but in 2016, they came out with the NES Classic Edition. This was a dedicated console that looked just like a Nintendo Entertainment System… but smaller. It could not accept the original cartridges, but it had 30 games installed, being essentially the most representative of the classic NES library. It even came with controllers that very closely resembled the originals.
Now, these sort of systems aren’t a new thing. Over the years, there’s been various variations of these for the Atari 2600 and Sega Genesis in particular, even some bootleg NES clones. But unlike those, this came from the original company, opposed to being unlicensed or outsourced by the company to another, and the quality of emulation was pretty much guaranteed to be great. I originally really wanted one for Christmas after it came out in 2016, I figured it was going to be my top item for that year.
That was… until it actually came out. You may be asking, was it bad? Well, no, it really wasn’t - it seemed just like a quality product that I expected from the reviews. It’s just that Nintendo decided to understock the system everywhere, creating artificial scarcity and leading me not to be able to obtain the system. If you were one of those people that wanted to get an NES Classic after it launched, you probably know what I’m talking about. The system could not be found in stock anywhere, and those who had managed to get their hands on one themselves were selling it for hundreds of dollars as opposed to it’s recommended retail price of $60. And just so we’re clear, there is no way I’m going to pay hundreds of dollars for 30 games I can easily just emulate even if the product is coming on is close to the original. And what made it worse was that it was discontinued pretty fast. By early 2017, only a few months after it came out, Nintendo announced that they had stopped producing the NES Classic - basically, a giant fuck you moment to anyone who wanted it. It was supposedly intended as a limited run sort of deal, but Nintendo had not considered that a lot of people wanted these things - it wasn’t just the niche retro market that had interest. And with there still being demand for the system, Nintendo finally released it again in 2018, along with the SNES Classic, and produced both of the systems in mass quantities until the end of the year.
I managed to get mine towards the beginning of 2019, when there was still stock left in certain stores that had not sold out. I was originally somewhat on the fence, but I decided to just pick one up anyway along with the other “classic” systems I had bought by then, including the SNES Classic. I had not had much experience with the original NES system like I said, but I figured this was probably the closest I was going to get without shopping the used market. And to be honest I’m pretty happy I did because I actually ended up playing this quite a bit over the past year between revisiting games I had played before while being introduced to some that I had not before played, and just giving me more respect for the NES as a classic console.
So, first of all, presentation. I’ll say right away that the box of the system itself is quite nice - it resembles the original NES box with a picture of the system in front of a starry background, and gives a few examples of games that it comes with. A big yellow star on the front even tells you that there’s 30 games included. The back of the box lists all of the games that it comes with and includes some screenshots and original cover art. The system itself is pretty much an exact replica of the original NES, only much smaller and having inputs for it’s power cable and HDMI. The controllers it comes with are also pretty much exact replicas of it’s original counterparts in terms of looks and design. Unfortunately I don’t have an actual NES controller to compare it with, but from what I can guess it’s about the same feeling. One complaint I have though is the length of the wire, which is honestly way too short. This was a common complaint with the system and even then I was extremely surprised by how short it was. Even when I pull up a chair in front of my TV I feel like I can barely hold on to it without pulling on the system. That in of itself is a pretty big negative on it’s own, but on the bright side it’s probably the only major problem I have with the system. Turn it on and you get hit with a nice home screen that fits the system in general with it’s 8 bit look and original music. The games are all neatly put next to each other, and when you leave it idle for a bit it even shows a nice little animation demo with Mario and Luigi with the background displaying various sprites from the built-in games before showing some demos of the games themselves. Go to the top and you have a few things to select. One of them being display options, allowing you to choose between viewing games with a CRT filter, 4:3 or “pixel perfect.” Personally I like to use the CRT filter, just because it’s a nice and fitting throwback for these kinds of games. There’s also an options menu, languages, legal notices and a screen containing a QR code that’ll lead to the original manuals of the game, which I think is pretty cool. I did find it disappointing that there were no options for borders, but I would imagine they didn’t think of adding that until the SNES Classic a year later.
But now, let’s get into the game selection, in alphabetical order.
The first game we have is Balloon Fight - one of the “black box” NES games indicating that it’s one of the earlier NES titles. The gameplay is often compared to the 1982 arcade game “Joust,” and you have to defeat all the enemies in a stage in order to progress by popping their balloons and then hitting them again when they are on the ground or have their parachute out. It can be played with 1 or 2 players, and there’s also a sidescrolling “balloon trip” mode where you avoid lightning sparks and collect balloons, and is pretty much ongoing with the intention of competing for high scores. It’s classic, simple arcade-y gameplay. This was still coming off the heels of the Atari 2600 era where games were a lot more simple and just “pick up and play” material, and for what it is… it’s pretty fun. I don’t have much else to say about it though.
The next game is Bubble Bobble. Like Balloon Fight, it’s pretty simple arcade-y gameplay. With this game the goal is to defeat all the enemies in a stage. Although, there is a total of 100 levels, an ending and password system which gives more incentive to play the game. It’s a pretty fun title with nothing too deep about it. Again, I don’t really have much else to say. The story has some… transformation kink though if you’re into that.
Then there’s Castlevania and I feel like this is where the real iconic titles begin. Of course, this game is often considered one of the best on the system - especially considering the series that it ultimately spawned after it’s release that continues even to this day. It’s also a pretty damn difficult game, but at the same time I still do have fun with it. I had first played it on the 3DS through it’s Virtual Console, but with the NES Classic it definitely feels better to play with a NES controller (or at least a replica of one). It’s a challenging but fun game, one of which that could be described with the “NES Hard” difficulty.
In addition, there’s also Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest on the system. It’s another solid game in my opinion, albeit not as good as the first one. It is a lot more tedious and requires more backtracking, and that’s not really helped by the cryptic hints you are given throughout the game by talking to the NPCs. It’s definitely a lot more of an adventure game compared to its predecessor and I do have to agree with the Angry Video Game Nerd’s criticisms… but it still has that Castlevania goodness and is worth playing. I will say I do find it odd that they didn’t add Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse on here - it seems strange that they would have the first 2 games on the system but not the entire trilogy, especially considering that from what I can tell it’s also often considered the best of the NES games.
Donkey Kong. What else do I have to say other than, it’s classic Donkey Kong, one of the most famous and iconic arcade games ever created, one of my favorites, and pretty much being responsible for creating the Mario franchise - arguably the most iconic game series out there. The NES version is definitely one of the best home console releases of the game too, with my only real complaint is it still lacking the “pie factory” level of the arcade game. Otherwise, a definite classic and one that deserves it’s place on the NES Classic. The sequel, Donkey Kong Jr is also on the system and again is a fun, classic arcade game. I could talk about the fact the lack of Donkey Kong 3 on the system, but I’m not really too surprised by that given it’s obscurity compared to its predecessors.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge is another classic NES title - a beat ‘em up, and probably the most iconic beat ‘em up on the system in general from what I can tell (I didn’t grow up with the NES so you’ll have to cut me some slack here if I get something wrong). And I can definitely understand why out of the Double Dragon games for NES they chose the second one - from what I can tell it’s more well received than the NES port of it’s predecessor and it allows for two players at once as opposed to alternating play in the first game. They could have also done Double Dragon 3, but seeing as that was ultimately a commercial failure and is notorious for it’s spelling error of “Bimmy” I can definitely understand why they would choose the second game over it. I don’t have much to say, but it’s a fun, classic beat ‘em up.
Dr. Mario was one of my favorite puzzle games growing up, although that’s not a big surprise because I liked just about anything with Mario when I was 10 years old or so. It is fairly iconic and has been ported to several Nintendo systems so it’s understandable as to why this was put on the system. The original NES version still holds up well - it doesn’t have any of the new features that later variations would have, but is still fine on it’s own and gets the job done. It probably isn’t too big of a deal if you have any of the later games, but it’s worth playing and definitely worth being on the system.
Excitebike, another one of the most iconic NES titles and another one of the “black box” games indicating that it was an earlier title. It’s a pretty fun and challenging motocross game that for the time had a pretty good amount of features, especially for an NES title. I mean, you can even create your own courses, which I imagine was pretty innovative for the time. And while you couldn’t save your work in the original game, the NES Classic Edition allows for save states to let you do just that, which is pretty cool. It’s a simple game, yet can get surprisingly intense as you try to trip over your opponents, ride over obstacles and perform moves. Again, this was definitely a must for the NES Classic Edition, and very worthy of it’s place.
Final Fantasy was the start of a series that would be among the most iconic in gaming, and would only manage to explode in popularity later on with the release of Final Fantasy VII in 1997. That alone makes it’s place on the NES Classic Edition understandable. As an RPG, I would say it’s still worth playing, especially if you enjoy the later titles and want to see it from the beginning. It’s nothing particularly amazing by today’s standards, especially compared to later entries in the series, but can be fun.
Galaga, the port of Namco’s classic arcade game. I actually had this on the Wii Virtual Console prior to buying the NES Classic Edition, and it’s still a pretty fun arcade game, and the NES version is still one of the best ports of said game. Nothing else to really say here, but it’s a good selection.
Ghosts ‘n Goblins is a title that is noted for being among those that coined the name of “NES Hard.” It’s pretty well known for being, well, hard as all hell, arguably one of the hardest on the system even over stuff like Castlevania and Mega Man. However, it’s still considered a classic for the system, and it’s place on the system definitely makes sense - by all means, it’s an “NES Classic.” An extremely difficult NES Classic at that. I have heard some argue that the NES version isn’t a great port, but considering it’s still considered among the best and most iconic NES titles, it’s worth being on the system.
Gradius is another fairly challenging title, this time being a 2D space shooter, which is actually a genre I do enjoy, making this a pretty fun title and that at least to me is worth checking out and going back to. I will admit that it’s not really an NES title I ever really heard of prior to it’s inclusion in the system, but I won’t complain about it’s inclusion too much.
Ice Climber was one that I didn’t really care for. I mean, I don’t really consider one of the most iconic for the NES in general and I’m pretty the only reason people are aware of it these days is because the Ice Climbers being in Super Smash Bros. As a game, it’s fine I guess, but the controls are kind of awkward and it doesn’t really have anything that makes me want to go back to it. This makes it one of the more questionable titles on the NES Classic Edition, and one that I don’t really see myself going back to that much. There are probably people out there who will think of it as a classic NES title and are happy that it’s on the system, but to me it just hasn’t really aged well and isn’t really that fun to play.
Kid Icarus is one game that at the time didn’t receive the best reviews but over time has become a cult classic of sorts, and the series is probably most well known these days for the release of Kid Icarus: Uprising on the 3DS. It’s a good choice for the system, especially with the series somewhat being brought back into attention following the 3DS game, so I definitely find it worthwhile of it’s place on the system.
Kirby’s Adventure is a great choice for the system. While it was released pretty late into the NES’ lifespan, it’s still considered one of the best games on the system, and seeing as how Kirby in general is one of Nintendo’s most iconic IPs, it makes a lot of sense for it to be here. I would definitely say this is one NES game that’s held up pretty dang well overall, as the controls are still tight and fun to use, and the levels are still interesting and fun to play through and explore. This game is also potentially one of the most impactful on the rest of the series, since it was the first to introduce Kirby’s signature copy ability. It’s understandable as to why this is considered among the best NES games, and I would say it’s worth playing.
Mario Bros is another classic arcade game that would introduce Luigi into the Mario series and the whole concept of them being plumbers. Actually, now that I think about it, this is probably the one game where I’ve really see them act as plumbers at least aside for the cutscene at the beginning of Super Mario 3D World. But anyway, this has always been one of my favorite arcade games, although I had mostly grown up with the GBA version that came with all of the “Super Mario Advance” games. As far as the NES version goes, I will say that it did take me some time to get used to the controls compared to the GBA version (mostly with how jumping works and the player needing momentum to jump), but I still had fun with the original version of this game and I’ve found myself actually fairly addicted to it. Hell, it’s even one I actually enjoy playing a lot on the Nintendo Switch’s online NES library so… there’s that.
Mega Man 2 - again, another iconic NES title and a part of a bigger series. I do find it kind of odd how none of the other Mega Man games are on the system, but considering the first game didn’t really take off in the West and that out of not only the NES Mega Man games but the Mega Man series in general, Mega Man 2 is arguably the most iconic and loved at least aside for Mega Man X, this was probably the best option to go with if Capcom had to choose only one Mega Man game. I will say that I’ve never really been that into the Mega Man series in general, and it was never really my kind of thing, but I did still enjoy what I played of Mega Man 2. It’s a challenging, fun game that is definitely up there among the best for the system, and remains a great, classic title for a lot of people, so it being on the NES Classic Edition was definitely worth it.
Metroid is another game that would spawn into it’s own series, one with it’s own group of fans that are still waiting for new information on Metroid Prime 4 as it’s approaching three years since it’s an announcement date. But anyway, like Mega Man I’ve never really been too into the Metroid series, and a lot of people I’ve been around generally agree that the first game hasn’t aged too well and has the issue of being cryptic and too maze-like. But it is safe to say that the game had a legacy of it’s own, not only spawning into a series of it’s own, but also create a new approach to game design that would inspire later games and in particular the “Metroidvania” genre as a whole. So, I’d still say it’s worthy of being on the NES Classic Edition and worth playing if you want to try out the first of it’s kind. Just don’t expect anything too particularly amazing. Also, spoiler alert: Samus is a woman. That’s forced diversity in my game and I will not take this, 0/10.
Ninja Gaiden is another NES game noted for it’s high difficulty, but also did bring some stuff of it’s own to the table - namely it’s anime-like cutscenes and an elaborate story, something that I can imagine wasn’t too common around the time it came out. Looking up information about the game it seems like it was a massive hit when it came out to the point of receiving media attention, so I can understand why this game is on the NES Classic Edition and can be heralded as a classic NES title.
Pac-Man. It’s Pac-Man alright.
Punch-Out. Not Mike Tyson’s Punch Out since the license expired. Just… Punch-Out. Featuring Mr. Dream. Since Nintendo no longer owns the license to Mike Tyson’s name, the NES Classic Edition comes with the later rebranded version which is also the version that is most common among ports of the game in cases such as the Wii Virtual Console. But either way, Mike Tyson or no Mike Tyson, this is another game often heralded as one of the NES’s best titles. I have heard the NES Classic port of this has some lag issues and can fighting Mr. Dream harder, but either way I’d still say it’s worth playing.
StarTropics is a game that hadn’t heard of until the NES Classic Edition came out, but for what it is it’s still a solid, Zelda-like titles that’s worth playing. That’s about all I have to say for that.
Super C is another fairly challenging game for the NES and another one that is considered among the best for the system. I am surprised that they didn’t put the original Contra game on here, but looking it up there seems to be some sort of legal issues with it that I’m too lazy to look into that not only affects the NES Classic Edition release but pretty much any digital re-release of the game. Still, if they couldn’t get the original Contra game, Super C is still a good choice for the NES Classic Edition and it at least allows one form of callback to the challenging NES shoot ‘em up.
Super Mario Bros 1 through 3 are on the system and… honestly, do I really have to talk about them? They are definitely musts on the NES Classic and in any sort of callback to the NES in general. Mario is probably the most iconic game franchise out there, and the series’ first three titles on the system were all well received and are classic games that are still fun to play to this day. One thing I do find slightly odd here is the lack of the Japanese Super Mario Bros 2, or as it’s known here as “Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels.” It’s nothing I’m going to lose sleep over, especially considering it’s one of my least favorite Mario games in the series, but it’s just somewhat odd to see it completely excluded from every form of the NES Classic Edition. Considering that there are exclusives on the Japanese NES Classic Edition (or I guess the Famicom Classic Edition), I would’ve at least expected that Japan would’ve gotten their Super Mario Bros 2, or the Lost Levels, while the rest of the world got it’s Super Mario Bros 2, or Super Mario USA, or “Doki Doki Panic.” But looking at the Japanese Famicom Classic Edition library, not even that seems to be the case as they just get Super Mario USA and not their Super Mario Bros 2. It’s not really a huge complaint, but I feel like there had to have been some people in Japan who were confused as to why they got Super Mario Bros 1 and 3 (as well as USA) but not 2.
Tecmo Bowl is another… questionable option for the NES Classic Edition. Some probably could make the case for it being on here, but to me it just kind of feels like a generic football game that hasn’t really aged well, especially considering the millions of Madden games that are available for newer systems. Granted, I’m really not a big fan of football in general, and I’m not really that familiar with all the different football-based video games out there, but I really don’t feel like the NES Classic Edition would be any worse off without this game.
But we end on another high note with the inclusion of the first 2 Zelda games. These were, again, a must for the system, as Zelda is definitely one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchise, up there with Mario and Pokemon, and the first game in particular is still considered a great, groundbreaking classic. I’ve never that into the Zelda franchise myself, but I can definitely understand why the first 2 games in the series were included. The second game isn’t looked back on as fondly as the first, but it still makes sense for it to be on there as both games were really what kicked off what would become a bigger series.
So, that’s the entire library. I don't have a lot to say about these games, but keep in mind I'm mostly judging them based on their reputation as a classic NES title and seeing how they fit onto the NES Classic Edition rather than doing any sort of full, deep review on them. But anyhow, if you read my PlayStation Classic review from last year or so, I stated one of the biggest things going against it was it’s library. While it did have a few titles that I would consider to be classic, iconic PS1 games such as Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid, I felt like overall the games on the system felt chosen largely for brand recognition rather than for their reputation as true PS1 classics or at least among the best for the system, if even that - some games didn’t even really have that going for them and just felt chosen out of a hat. And the reason why I bring this up is to compare it to how I felt about the NES Classic Edition library. And with the NES Classic Edition library, it actually felt like they chose arguably the most iconic games for the original NES system. And it’s safe to see why the NES Classic Edition generally had a better reputation than the PS1 counterpart. I’m not going to say every choice on the NES Classic Edition was a great one, there were a couple games on the system that I feel could’ve been swapped out for something else, but for the most part, it felt like the inclusion of every game on the system was justified. Even the games that were questionable in my personal opinion can easily be justified by someone else. Pretty much every game on the system could easily be considered a classic NES title, and if not that, still one of the system’s very best. As a result, the NES Classic Edition feels like a true tribute to the original console that pretty much started it all. Some will argue that the NES library hasn’t aged too well, and there are cases even with games on the NES Classic Edition where I can see their point, but at the very least it felt like every game on the system was among the system’s best and/or most iconic. Compare that to the PlayStation Classic Edition, and I can definitely see why the NES (and later SNES Classic Edition) sold like crazy whereas the PlayStation Classic only barely picked up steam when it was being sold for $20-$40 by most retailers.
I will say that the NES Classic Edition isn’t perfect. The system’s biggest issue is definitely the short controller wire that pretty much forces me to play it right against the TV. But, other than that, it’s definitely a good product that serves as a great tribute to the NES. The look of the system is well-crafted - essentially being a mini version of the original console, and even stuff like the menu still feels like it had passion put into it. The library is overall solid, and full of classic titles.
So, ultimately, would I recommend the NES Classic Edition? Well, if you do like classic NES games and want something close to the original without having to spend a ton of money on it, I would recommend it. However, I will warn you that the system has been discontinued since late 2018, and from what I can tell it’s going to maintain it’s value. If you can still find an NES Classic Edition for around $60, I would recommend it, but you might want to get it as soon as possible, at least before the scalpers come back. It can be a nice little novelty item at the very least, but if you just want an official way to play the NES games and can’t find this for a good price, it might also be a good idea to just stick with the Nintendo Switch’s online NES service.
Now, these sort of systems aren’t a new thing. Over the years, there’s been various variations of these for the Atari 2600 and Sega Genesis in particular, even some bootleg NES clones. But unlike those, this came from the original company, opposed to being unlicensed or outsourced by the company to another, and the quality of emulation was pretty much guaranteed to be great. I originally really wanted one for Christmas after it came out in 2016, I figured it was going to be my top item for that year.
That was… until it actually came out. You may be asking, was it bad? Well, no, it really wasn’t - it seemed just like a quality product that I expected from the reviews. It’s just that Nintendo decided to understock the system everywhere, creating artificial scarcity and leading me not to be able to obtain the system. If you were one of those people that wanted to get an NES Classic after it launched, you probably know what I’m talking about. The system could not be found in stock anywhere, and those who had managed to get their hands on one themselves were selling it for hundreds of dollars as opposed to it’s recommended retail price of $60. And just so we’re clear, there is no way I’m going to pay hundreds of dollars for 30 games I can easily just emulate even if the product is coming on is close to the original. And what made it worse was that it was discontinued pretty fast. By early 2017, only a few months after it came out, Nintendo announced that they had stopped producing the NES Classic - basically, a giant fuck you moment to anyone who wanted it. It was supposedly intended as a limited run sort of deal, but Nintendo had not considered that a lot of people wanted these things - it wasn’t just the niche retro market that had interest. And with there still being demand for the system, Nintendo finally released it again in 2018, along with the SNES Classic, and produced both of the systems in mass quantities until the end of the year.
I managed to get mine towards the beginning of 2019, when there was still stock left in certain stores that had not sold out. I was originally somewhat on the fence, but I decided to just pick one up anyway along with the other “classic” systems I had bought by then, including the SNES Classic. I had not had much experience with the original NES system like I said, but I figured this was probably the closest I was going to get without shopping the used market. And to be honest I’m pretty happy I did because I actually ended up playing this quite a bit over the past year between revisiting games I had played before while being introduced to some that I had not before played, and just giving me more respect for the NES as a classic console.
So, first of all, presentation. I’ll say right away that the box of the system itself is quite nice - it resembles the original NES box with a picture of the system in front of a starry background, and gives a few examples of games that it comes with. A big yellow star on the front even tells you that there’s 30 games included. The back of the box lists all of the games that it comes with and includes some screenshots and original cover art. The system itself is pretty much an exact replica of the original NES, only much smaller and having inputs for it’s power cable and HDMI. The controllers it comes with are also pretty much exact replicas of it’s original counterparts in terms of looks and design. Unfortunately I don’t have an actual NES controller to compare it with, but from what I can guess it’s about the same feeling. One complaint I have though is the length of the wire, which is honestly way too short. This was a common complaint with the system and even then I was extremely surprised by how short it was. Even when I pull up a chair in front of my TV I feel like I can barely hold on to it without pulling on the system. That in of itself is a pretty big negative on it’s own, but on the bright side it’s probably the only major problem I have with the system. Turn it on and you get hit with a nice home screen that fits the system in general with it’s 8 bit look and original music. The games are all neatly put next to each other, and when you leave it idle for a bit it even shows a nice little animation demo with Mario and Luigi with the background displaying various sprites from the built-in games before showing some demos of the games themselves. Go to the top and you have a few things to select. One of them being display options, allowing you to choose between viewing games with a CRT filter, 4:3 or “pixel perfect.” Personally I like to use the CRT filter, just because it’s a nice and fitting throwback for these kinds of games. There’s also an options menu, languages, legal notices and a screen containing a QR code that’ll lead to the original manuals of the game, which I think is pretty cool. I did find it disappointing that there were no options for borders, but I would imagine they didn’t think of adding that until the SNES Classic a year later.
But now, let’s get into the game selection, in alphabetical order.
The first game we have is Balloon Fight - one of the “black box” NES games indicating that it’s one of the earlier NES titles. The gameplay is often compared to the 1982 arcade game “Joust,” and you have to defeat all the enemies in a stage in order to progress by popping their balloons and then hitting them again when they are on the ground or have their parachute out. It can be played with 1 or 2 players, and there’s also a sidescrolling “balloon trip” mode where you avoid lightning sparks and collect balloons, and is pretty much ongoing with the intention of competing for high scores. It’s classic, simple arcade-y gameplay. This was still coming off the heels of the Atari 2600 era where games were a lot more simple and just “pick up and play” material, and for what it is… it’s pretty fun. I don’t have much else to say about it though.
The next game is Bubble Bobble. Like Balloon Fight, it’s pretty simple arcade-y gameplay. With this game the goal is to defeat all the enemies in a stage. Although, there is a total of 100 levels, an ending and password system which gives more incentive to play the game. It’s a pretty fun title with nothing too deep about it. Again, I don’t really have much else to say. The story has some… transformation kink though if you’re into that.
Then there’s Castlevania and I feel like this is where the real iconic titles begin. Of course, this game is often considered one of the best on the system - especially considering the series that it ultimately spawned after it’s release that continues even to this day. It’s also a pretty damn difficult game, but at the same time I still do have fun with it. I had first played it on the 3DS through it’s Virtual Console, but with the NES Classic it definitely feels better to play with a NES controller (or at least a replica of one). It’s a challenging but fun game, one of which that could be described with the “NES Hard” difficulty.
In addition, there’s also Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest on the system. It’s another solid game in my opinion, albeit not as good as the first one. It is a lot more tedious and requires more backtracking, and that’s not really helped by the cryptic hints you are given throughout the game by talking to the NPCs. It’s definitely a lot more of an adventure game compared to its predecessor and I do have to agree with the Angry Video Game Nerd’s criticisms… but it still has that Castlevania goodness and is worth playing. I will say I do find it odd that they didn’t add Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse on here - it seems strange that they would have the first 2 games on the system but not the entire trilogy, especially considering that from what I can tell it’s also often considered the best of the NES games.
Donkey Kong. What else do I have to say other than, it’s classic Donkey Kong, one of the most famous and iconic arcade games ever created, one of my favorites, and pretty much being responsible for creating the Mario franchise - arguably the most iconic game series out there. The NES version is definitely one of the best home console releases of the game too, with my only real complaint is it still lacking the “pie factory” level of the arcade game. Otherwise, a definite classic and one that deserves it’s place on the NES Classic. The sequel, Donkey Kong Jr is also on the system and again is a fun, classic arcade game. I could talk about the fact the lack of Donkey Kong 3 on the system, but I’m not really too surprised by that given it’s obscurity compared to its predecessors.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge is another classic NES title - a beat ‘em up, and probably the most iconic beat ‘em up on the system in general from what I can tell (I didn’t grow up with the NES so you’ll have to cut me some slack here if I get something wrong). And I can definitely understand why out of the Double Dragon games for NES they chose the second one - from what I can tell it’s more well received than the NES port of it’s predecessor and it allows for two players at once as opposed to alternating play in the first game. They could have also done Double Dragon 3, but seeing as that was ultimately a commercial failure and is notorious for it’s spelling error of “Bimmy” I can definitely understand why they would choose the second game over it. I don’t have much to say, but it’s a fun, classic beat ‘em up.
Dr. Mario was one of my favorite puzzle games growing up, although that’s not a big surprise because I liked just about anything with Mario when I was 10 years old or so. It is fairly iconic and has been ported to several Nintendo systems so it’s understandable as to why this was put on the system. The original NES version still holds up well - it doesn’t have any of the new features that later variations would have, but is still fine on it’s own and gets the job done. It probably isn’t too big of a deal if you have any of the later games, but it’s worth playing and definitely worth being on the system.
Excitebike, another one of the most iconic NES titles and another one of the “black box” games indicating that it was an earlier title. It’s a pretty fun and challenging motocross game that for the time had a pretty good amount of features, especially for an NES title. I mean, you can even create your own courses, which I imagine was pretty innovative for the time. And while you couldn’t save your work in the original game, the NES Classic Edition allows for save states to let you do just that, which is pretty cool. It’s a simple game, yet can get surprisingly intense as you try to trip over your opponents, ride over obstacles and perform moves. Again, this was definitely a must for the NES Classic Edition, and very worthy of it’s place.
Final Fantasy was the start of a series that would be among the most iconic in gaming, and would only manage to explode in popularity later on with the release of Final Fantasy VII in 1997. That alone makes it’s place on the NES Classic Edition understandable. As an RPG, I would say it’s still worth playing, especially if you enjoy the later titles and want to see it from the beginning. It’s nothing particularly amazing by today’s standards, especially compared to later entries in the series, but can be fun.
Galaga, the port of Namco’s classic arcade game. I actually had this on the Wii Virtual Console prior to buying the NES Classic Edition, and it’s still a pretty fun arcade game, and the NES version is still one of the best ports of said game. Nothing else to really say here, but it’s a good selection.
Ghosts ‘n Goblins is a title that is noted for being among those that coined the name of “NES Hard.” It’s pretty well known for being, well, hard as all hell, arguably one of the hardest on the system even over stuff like Castlevania and Mega Man. However, it’s still considered a classic for the system, and it’s place on the system definitely makes sense - by all means, it’s an “NES Classic.” An extremely difficult NES Classic at that. I have heard some argue that the NES version isn’t a great port, but considering it’s still considered among the best and most iconic NES titles, it’s worth being on the system.
Gradius is another fairly challenging title, this time being a 2D space shooter, which is actually a genre I do enjoy, making this a pretty fun title and that at least to me is worth checking out and going back to. I will admit that it’s not really an NES title I ever really heard of prior to it’s inclusion in the system, but I won’t complain about it’s inclusion too much.
Ice Climber was one that I didn’t really care for. I mean, I don’t really consider one of the most iconic for the NES in general and I’m pretty the only reason people are aware of it these days is because the Ice Climbers being in Super Smash Bros. As a game, it’s fine I guess, but the controls are kind of awkward and it doesn’t really have anything that makes me want to go back to it. This makes it one of the more questionable titles on the NES Classic Edition, and one that I don’t really see myself going back to that much. There are probably people out there who will think of it as a classic NES title and are happy that it’s on the system, but to me it just hasn’t really aged well and isn’t really that fun to play.
Kid Icarus is one game that at the time didn’t receive the best reviews but over time has become a cult classic of sorts, and the series is probably most well known these days for the release of Kid Icarus: Uprising on the 3DS. It’s a good choice for the system, especially with the series somewhat being brought back into attention following the 3DS game, so I definitely find it worthwhile of it’s place on the system.
Kirby’s Adventure is a great choice for the system. While it was released pretty late into the NES’ lifespan, it’s still considered one of the best games on the system, and seeing as how Kirby in general is one of Nintendo’s most iconic IPs, it makes a lot of sense for it to be here. I would definitely say this is one NES game that’s held up pretty dang well overall, as the controls are still tight and fun to use, and the levels are still interesting and fun to play through and explore. This game is also potentially one of the most impactful on the rest of the series, since it was the first to introduce Kirby’s signature copy ability. It’s understandable as to why this is considered among the best NES games, and I would say it’s worth playing.
Mario Bros is another classic arcade game that would introduce Luigi into the Mario series and the whole concept of them being plumbers. Actually, now that I think about it, this is probably the one game where I’ve really see them act as plumbers at least aside for the cutscene at the beginning of Super Mario 3D World. But anyway, this has always been one of my favorite arcade games, although I had mostly grown up with the GBA version that came with all of the “Super Mario Advance” games. As far as the NES version goes, I will say that it did take me some time to get used to the controls compared to the GBA version (mostly with how jumping works and the player needing momentum to jump), but I still had fun with the original version of this game and I’ve found myself actually fairly addicted to it. Hell, it’s even one I actually enjoy playing a lot on the Nintendo Switch’s online NES library so… there’s that.
Mega Man 2 - again, another iconic NES title and a part of a bigger series. I do find it kind of odd how none of the other Mega Man games are on the system, but considering the first game didn’t really take off in the West and that out of not only the NES Mega Man games but the Mega Man series in general, Mega Man 2 is arguably the most iconic and loved at least aside for Mega Man X, this was probably the best option to go with if Capcom had to choose only one Mega Man game. I will say that I’ve never really been that into the Mega Man series in general, and it was never really my kind of thing, but I did still enjoy what I played of Mega Man 2. It’s a challenging, fun game that is definitely up there among the best for the system, and remains a great, classic title for a lot of people, so it being on the NES Classic Edition was definitely worth it.
Metroid is another game that would spawn into it’s own series, one with it’s own group of fans that are still waiting for new information on Metroid Prime 4 as it’s approaching three years since it’s an announcement date. But anyway, like Mega Man I’ve never really been too into the Metroid series, and a lot of people I’ve been around generally agree that the first game hasn’t aged too well and has the issue of being cryptic and too maze-like. But it is safe to say that the game had a legacy of it’s own, not only spawning into a series of it’s own, but also create a new approach to game design that would inspire later games and in particular the “Metroidvania” genre as a whole. So, I’d still say it’s worthy of being on the NES Classic Edition and worth playing if you want to try out the first of it’s kind. Just don’t expect anything too particularly amazing. Also, spoiler alert: Samus is a woman. That’s forced diversity in my game and I will not take this, 0/10.
Ninja Gaiden is another NES game noted for it’s high difficulty, but also did bring some stuff of it’s own to the table - namely it’s anime-like cutscenes and an elaborate story, something that I can imagine wasn’t too common around the time it came out. Looking up information about the game it seems like it was a massive hit when it came out to the point of receiving media attention, so I can understand why this game is on the NES Classic Edition and can be heralded as a classic NES title.
Pac-Man. It’s Pac-Man alright.
Punch-Out. Not Mike Tyson’s Punch Out since the license expired. Just… Punch-Out. Featuring Mr. Dream. Since Nintendo no longer owns the license to Mike Tyson’s name, the NES Classic Edition comes with the later rebranded version which is also the version that is most common among ports of the game in cases such as the Wii Virtual Console. But either way, Mike Tyson or no Mike Tyson, this is another game often heralded as one of the NES’s best titles. I have heard the NES Classic port of this has some lag issues and can fighting Mr. Dream harder, but either way I’d still say it’s worth playing.
StarTropics is a game that hadn’t heard of until the NES Classic Edition came out, but for what it is it’s still a solid, Zelda-like titles that’s worth playing. That’s about all I have to say for that.
Super C is another fairly challenging game for the NES and another one that is considered among the best for the system. I am surprised that they didn’t put the original Contra game on here, but looking it up there seems to be some sort of legal issues with it that I’m too lazy to look into that not only affects the NES Classic Edition release but pretty much any digital re-release of the game. Still, if they couldn’t get the original Contra game, Super C is still a good choice for the NES Classic Edition and it at least allows one form of callback to the challenging NES shoot ‘em up.
Super Mario Bros 1 through 3 are on the system and… honestly, do I really have to talk about them? They are definitely musts on the NES Classic and in any sort of callback to the NES in general. Mario is probably the most iconic game franchise out there, and the series’ first three titles on the system were all well received and are classic games that are still fun to play to this day. One thing I do find slightly odd here is the lack of the Japanese Super Mario Bros 2, or as it’s known here as “Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels.” It’s nothing I’m going to lose sleep over, especially considering it’s one of my least favorite Mario games in the series, but it’s just somewhat odd to see it completely excluded from every form of the NES Classic Edition. Considering that there are exclusives on the Japanese NES Classic Edition (or I guess the Famicom Classic Edition), I would’ve at least expected that Japan would’ve gotten their Super Mario Bros 2, or the Lost Levels, while the rest of the world got it’s Super Mario Bros 2, or Super Mario USA, or “Doki Doki Panic.” But looking at the Japanese Famicom Classic Edition library, not even that seems to be the case as they just get Super Mario USA and not their Super Mario Bros 2. It’s not really a huge complaint, but I feel like there had to have been some people in Japan who were confused as to why they got Super Mario Bros 1 and 3 (as well as USA) but not 2.
Tecmo Bowl is another… questionable option for the NES Classic Edition. Some probably could make the case for it being on here, but to me it just kind of feels like a generic football game that hasn’t really aged well, especially considering the millions of Madden games that are available for newer systems. Granted, I’m really not a big fan of football in general, and I’m not really that familiar with all the different football-based video games out there, but I really don’t feel like the NES Classic Edition would be any worse off without this game.
But we end on another high note with the inclusion of the first 2 Zelda games. These were, again, a must for the system, as Zelda is definitely one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchise, up there with Mario and Pokemon, and the first game in particular is still considered a great, groundbreaking classic. I’ve never that into the Zelda franchise myself, but I can definitely understand why the first 2 games in the series were included. The second game isn’t looked back on as fondly as the first, but it still makes sense for it to be on there as both games were really what kicked off what would become a bigger series.
So, that’s the entire library. I don't have a lot to say about these games, but keep in mind I'm mostly judging them based on their reputation as a classic NES title and seeing how they fit onto the NES Classic Edition rather than doing any sort of full, deep review on them. But anyhow, if you read my PlayStation Classic review from last year or so, I stated one of the biggest things going against it was it’s library. While it did have a few titles that I would consider to be classic, iconic PS1 games such as Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid, I felt like overall the games on the system felt chosen largely for brand recognition rather than for their reputation as true PS1 classics or at least among the best for the system, if even that - some games didn’t even really have that going for them and just felt chosen out of a hat. And the reason why I bring this up is to compare it to how I felt about the NES Classic Edition library. And with the NES Classic Edition library, it actually felt like they chose arguably the most iconic games for the original NES system. And it’s safe to see why the NES Classic Edition generally had a better reputation than the PS1 counterpart. I’m not going to say every choice on the NES Classic Edition was a great one, there were a couple games on the system that I feel could’ve been swapped out for something else, but for the most part, it felt like the inclusion of every game on the system was justified. Even the games that were questionable in my personal opinion can easily be justified by someone else. Pretty much every game on the system could easily be considered a classic NES title, and if not that, still one of the system’s very best. As a result, the NES Classic Edition feels like a true tribute to the original console that pretty much started it all. Some will argue that the NES library hasn’t aged too well, and there are cases even with games on the NES Classic Edition where I can see their point, but at the very least it felt like every game on the system was among the system’s best and/or most iconic. Compare that to the PlayStation Classic Edition, and I can definitely see why the NES (and later SNES Classic Edition) sold like crazy whereas the PlayStation Classic only barely picked up steam when it was being sold for $20-$40 by most retailers.
I will say that the NES Classic Edition isn’t perfect. The system’s biggest issue is definitely the short controller wire that pretty much forces me to play it right against the TV. But, other than that, it’s definitely a good product that serves as a great tribute to the NES. The look of the system is well-crafted - essentially being a mini version of the original console, and even stuff like the menu still feels like it had passion put into it. The library is overall solid, and full of classic titles.
So, ultimately, would I recommend the NES Classic Edition? Well, if you do like classic NES games and want something close to the original without having to spend a ton of money on it, I would recommend it. However, I will warn you that the system has been discontinued since late 2018, and from what I can tell it’s going to maintain it’s value. If you can still find an NES Classic Edition for around $60, I would recommend it, but you might want to get it as soon as possible, at least before the scalpers come back. It can be a nice little novelty item at the very least, but if you just want an official way to play the NES games and can’t find this for a good price, it might also be a good idea to just stick with the Nintendo Switch’s online NES service.
Comments
Post a Comment