What are your favorite and most hated NES games?

[Train Wreck]

Truly, you cannot discuss Pro Wrestling without invoking Seanbaby's take.

Having Don Flamenco and Kin Korn Karn as guest game reviewers was genius.  But then again, so is most of the stuff on SeanBaby's site.

Anybody know what he's up to nowadays?  If he's still writing, I need to know where, damn it.  I came across his SG blog, but he updates it about twice a year.

Too bad he's blocked from work.  Too much foul language and whatnot.  The SG link would probably get it blocked, too.

[ahoythematey]

Ask and you shall receive.

[schild]

Ask and you shall receive.

I thought he was writing for some schlocky rag, but I couldn't remember which.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

[Toast]

Love:
Baseball Stars
Master Blaster
Final Fantasy
Metroid
Zelda
Bases Loaded (Paste 4TW)
PunchOut
Ice Hockey (Fat, Medium, and Skinny Guys)
Contra

Hate:
Legend of Kage (bought this instead of the arkanoid pack with special controller. Regretted it so deeply)
Super Mario 2 (total non-sequitur)
Total Recall
Batman

[Shockeye]

Search them. Play them.

[Shmtur]

To be honest, all of you should be listing River City Ransom.  Several times.

It's just too good to pass up...beat em ups nowadays don't have the depth that game had.

Acro circus jump followed by a dragon kick to the back of the head while stunned, gets the bad guys every time.

[Triforcer]

What's with you cockmunchers and the TMNT hate...I loved it, care to explain?

My list:
Best:
Mario Bros. 1 and 3
TMNT
Double Dragon (the one with the dematerializing helmet guy at end of first level)
FF2/5
Ninja Gaiden
Super Tecmo Bowl- still the best sports game ever made, even today.

Worst:

Mario Bros. 2- so very, very shitty.
All racing games

[Margalis]

I think a lot of people listed 'hated' games as games too hard for them, including TMNT, Ninja Gaiden, Batman and Blaster Master, all great games.

TMNT was cool. I loved the whole switching turtles thing. And Ninja Gaiden is the best action game ever made. EVER!

[Rasix]

If a game continually kicks your ass when you're like.. ohh say 10 or 12, you're not exactly going to love it.  Blaster Master and TMNT were still shitty games outside of the difficulty.   Thanks for playing though.

[Jain Zar]

Love:
Dragon Warrior 4
Castlevania
Contra
Life Force

Like:
Le Empereur
Ninja Gaiden
The other Dragon Warriors
Both Zelda games

Hate:
X Men and everything else LJN released for the NES.

I don't have the fannish love for the NES most people did.  Owned it a year then got a Commodore 64.  2 years later got a Genesis.   I vastly preferred both systems to the NES, cept it was easier to rent games for the NES and more people had them so I could borrow stuff from them.

[Kail]

Hmm... I never owned an NES, so this is all formed over the course of the three or four hours I could stay at my friend's house before his mom gave me the boot, but here goes.

Games I liked:
     TMNT (In retrospect, the game sucked, I was just a frothing TMNT fan so I liked it at the time.)
     TMNT2 (I think, this is the one... it was a port of the arcade game... I loved this game)
     Zelda
     Super Mario 3
     River City Ransom (when I found out about it, which was only a few years ago)
     Rampage (smashing stuff was fun when I was ten)
     Megaman 2 (played it a ton... the music in this game is just incredibly sentimental for me... it's like the soundtrack for that part of my life)


Games I disliked:
     Metroid (I love just about every other Metroid game I've ever played, but the first one I just can't stand... so boring....)
     Zelda 2

     There was some dart game we rented once... I forget what it was called... you could choose different characters (a robot, a monkey, etc.) and they (presumably) had different stats and stuff, but they also had these special abilities where, for example, the robot's arm would telesope out and he'd just stick the dart into the dartboard wherever he wanted.  The computer knew how to do these moves, but we didn't.  Much cursing ensued.

[Azhrarn]

The trick to Duck Hunt was to play it on a B&W television. No matter where you aim at the television, it registered as a hit.

I thought I was just really good :(

Remember liking:
Super Mario Bros 1 & 3
River City Ransom (played this a lot, due to 2 player co-op)
8 Eyes (again, co-op)
Zelda
Deja Vu
Fire 'N Ice
Final Fantasy
Ghost Lion (Both this and FF my first RPGs I believe)
Shadowgate (actually played this on an old mac, but it was a good game)

Don't remember all of the ones I didn't like, there was a lot of shit.  P.O.W. stands out as one that was insanely hard and annoying though.

[Johny Cee]

Man.....  Tecmo Bowl.  The only sports game I ever enjoyed.

I remember epic battles against my brother.  It basically boiled down to two team choices.

Giants.  Had a good offense (think this was a Super Bowl year),  but the real reason you played was LT.  He was a machine that could throw lineman around with the speed of a cheetah.  If you played him well,  he could get a sack maybe 1 out 2 or 3 plays.

49ers.  Great offense,  but it was all Ronnie Lot.  That guy could cover the ENTIRE field.  More than once,  I'd shoot a pass down to my receiver in the bottom corner of screen.  Ronnie Lot, covering the guy at the top of the screen,  would then zoom down to pick off my pass.  IN THE TIME IT TOO THE FOOTBALL TO TRAVEL TO THE RECEIVER.  Jesus.

Luckily,  Lot ran like an arthirtic 90 year old the second he had the ball.  That extra couple of pounds completely threw him off his game.

And of course,  who couldn't love the choice of 4 plays?  And if the Dee chose the right one,  your lineman would suddenly all suffer steriod-induced cardiac fits and fall to the ground,  while the coked up defense came blistering in for the sac....

Ahhh.... there's something to be said for simplicity.

[stray]

Raiders for me. Bo Jackson for teh win (referred to in Tecmo Bowl simply as: #34). You could plow through almost anyone with that guy. Touchdowns almost every time. And in the rare occassion that he didn't work, there was Marcus Allen.

I don't remember a thing about Tecmo Bowl's passing game though.

[HaemishM]

I remember lots of long bombs in Tecmo Bowl. Like 90-yard bombs that decided games.

[schild]

I remember lots of long bombs in Tecmo Bowl. Like 90-yard bombs that decided games.

I think it was Tecmo Bowl, but couldn't the QB run like 5x faster than any player, thus being able to completely herd them all together, run a few circles, and then run into the endzone?

If it was - That game was awesome.

[Strazos]

I think it was Tecmo Bowl, but couldn't the QB run like 5x faster than any player, thus being able to completely herd them all together, run a few circles, and then run into the endzone?

If it was - That game was awesome.

Possibly, but I know for sure you could also do this with at least one of the early Madden games.

But anyway, I too love Tecmo Bowl, but me and my friends are always too pissed to play it; it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a passing game, because 95% of all passes are intercepted. Manual defense FOR TWH WIN!!1!

EDIT: Oh yeah, my favorite flavor was the 49'ers, Montana/Rice a go-go.

[Rasix]

The passing game either consisted of running backwards as far as you could until the defender was almost on you, then passing down field.  It usually resulted in either a touchdown, long long completion, or an interception.  Or, if you were the 49'ers, there was a slant pass that was indefensible even if the defense picked the play it'd still complete. 

[Triforcer]

The passing game either consisted of running backwards as far as you could until the defender was almost on you, then passing down field.  It usually resulted in either a touchdown, long long completion, or an interception.  Or, if you were the 49'ers, there was a slant pass that was indefensible even if the defense picked the play it'd still complete. 

Don't forget the hopped up on roids punters.  At least in Super Tecmo Bowl, they could kick the ball from one goal line to the other if you maxed the meter. 

[Riggswolfe]

You guys are making me miss Mutant League Football. Not a NES game, it was, I think, a Sega Genesis game. Nothing like throwing a long bomb that was literally a bomb.

[Johny Cee]

The passing game either consisted of running backwards as far as you could until the defender was almost on you, then passing down field.  It usually resulted in either a touchdown, long long completion, or an interception.  Or, if you were the 49'ers, there was a slant pass that was indefensible even if the defense picked the play it'd still complete. 

Don't forget the hopped up on roids punters.  At least in Super Tecmo Bowl, they could kick the ball from one goal line to the other if you maxed the meter. 

Super Tecmo introduced player health/injuries.  This meant all your starters were broken and bloody half way through a game if you played someone with a decent defensive player.  One game where teh 49ers player was on their 3rd string QB in the 2nd quarter was enough for us to load up Tecmo.

[Johny Cee]

Raiders for me. Bo Jackson for teh win (referred to in Tecmo Bowl simply as: #34). You could plow through almost anyone with that guy. Touchdowns almost every time. And in the rare occassion that he didn't work, there was Marcus Allen.

I don't remember a thing about Tecmo Bowl's passing game though.

The Raiders were alright,  but mostly because of Bo.  If everyone else's stats went to 6, his went to 11.  He and Marcus Allen were the only thing that recommended them.

Denver wasn't bad, but another one trick pony.  Elway can only run the ball and throw around linebackers so many times....

Still, those two teams were a distint third and fourth to the Giants and 49ers.

And yes.....  49er slant pass while Montana ran like a chicken for his own endzone with LT in hot pursuit was your win condition.  That and Lott making his palsied run in for a touchdown after intercepting.

Most of the other teams passing was relegated to short passes right after the snap,  praying that unencumbered Lott couldn't zip in from 3 miles out to pick it off....

There is fun in simplicity, at times.....

[voodoolily]

Gah. Leave it up to you boys to boy it up with the sports games.

[Strazos]

If it makes you feel better, I've also played the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast games.

I whooped their asses.

[JJPasadena]

Man.....  Tecmo Bowl.  The only sports game I ever enjoyed.

I remember epic battles against my brother.  It basically boiled down to two team choices.

Giants.  Had a good offense (think this was a Super Bowl year),  but the real reason you played was LT.  He was a machine that could throw lineman around with the speed of a cheetah.  If you played him well,  he could get a sack maybe 1 out 2 or 3 plays.

49ers.  Great offense,  but it was all Ronnie Lot.  That guy could cover the ENTIRE field.  More than once,  I'd shoot a pass down to my receiver in the bottom corner of screen.  Ronnie Lot, covering the guy at the top of the screen,  would then zoom down to pick off my pass.  IN THE TIME IT TOO THE FOOTBALL TO TRAVEL TO THE RECEIVER.  Jesus.

Luckily,  Lot ran like an arthirtic 90 year old the second he had the ball.  That extra couple of pounds completely threw him off his game.

And of course,  who couldn't love the choice of 4 plays?  And if the Dee chose the right one,  your lineman would suddenly all suffer steriod-induced cardiac fits and fall to the ground,  while the coked up defense came blistering in for the sac....

Ahhh.... there's something to be said for simplicity.

^ SF and Denver were my squads...Elway was unstoppable

[Furiously]

Bubble Bobble (let's just remember, I was a 10-year-old girl)

Now I don't feel like much of a man having the theme song as my ring tone. (Arcade Version).

[Nekon]

Worste NES game ever :  Hydlide

I loved my mom for buying me it randomly, but If anyone else has ever heard of ,or played it, i'm sure they would agree it is quite possibly the worste game ever made.

[MaceVanHoffen]

Ok, so it was Big Garbage Day today, and last night I cleaned out my garage.  I found my old 8-bit NES, and went on a little nostalgia trip.  I was surprised the thing actually worked, as did all my old cartridges (including Zelda, with the battery thingy).

My favorites are the same as most here:  Zelda 1 & 2 (sidescrolling Zelda was cool, critics be damned), Metroid, River City Ransom.

My most hated game?  Metroid, but not for the reason you think.  It owned me, body and soul.  It was such a good game that I couldn't stop playing it.  Eat?  No, not unless Mistress Samus allowed me to.  Sleep?  Maybe, if I've been a good little slave and Madame Samus permitted it.  I even geeked out last night playing it.  I felt the track marks in my arm emerge again and my Dark Lady Samus called to me.

Excuse me, I need to go ... take care of something ... yes ... something ...

[WindupAtheist]

Kickass:

Super Dodgeball
Contra
River City Ransom
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
TMNT 2
Castlevania 2

[Yegolev]

Hard to remember, but apparently we all agree Fester's Quest was shit, despite the usual quality of games based loosely on black-and-white sitcoms.  Ghosts and Goblins or Ghouls or whatever was too hard.  Dying in two hits is not fun.  I had no money in the 8-bit era so I don't have a big list of hated titles.

I really liked Double Dragon and River City Ransom, Final Fantasy, Mario 1+2, and Blaster Master.  I beat Blaster Master twice as a rental.  Seems to have a bit of hate here, but I loved it.  Sort of like Metroid with a tank.

[schild]

Kickass:

Welcome back.

[Toast]

I beat Blaster Master twice as a rental.  Seems to have a bit of hate here, but I loved it.  Sort of like Metroid with a tank.

Hard core. I never did beat it.

[Llava]

Favorite:
Crystalis, especially gets points for saying that the end of the world occured on October 1st 1997.  I love how much folks in the 80s and 70s overestimated our society's ability to progress.
http://zanyvgquotes.com/crystalis/

Least Favorite:
Wolverine

[Mr_PeaCH]

Oooh.  Damn, missed the heated Techmo Bowl rehashing.  This game was big when I was in college and we played the hell out of it in our spare time.  Everybody got so good at it we had to resort to handicapping each other with the worst teams; you got to chose the team your opponent played with and vice versa.  Was actually even more fun coming up with winning strategies for those Colts vs. Browns clashes.

Loved:

Techmo Bowl
Contra
(what was the licenced NBAl game that came out?  we did the same with that game; lots of tournaments in the dorms)

Hated:
...
I think the above were the only 3 games I ever played on NES /shrug

[Yegolev]

I beat Blaster Master twice as a rental.  Seems to have a bit of hate here, but I loved it.  Sort of like Metroid with a tank.

Hard core. I never did beat it.

There were tricks to beating those damn frogs, but the other bosses just required hand-numbing persistence, particularly that bubble-blowing crab.

Why do I remember this shit?!