The 20 best NES games of all time, according to Rolling Stone

It was in October 1985 that the Nintendo Entertainment System first arrived in North America, with an initial test launch of 100,000 units sold exclusively in the city of New York. After the video game market crash post-Atari 1983, no one was sure there would be an appetite for yet another new digital toy to connect to the TV. But after the huge response to the device and launch titles like Baseball and Duck Huntthe potential was clear. It was a new era of games, and the Japanese company Nintendo was leading the charge.

That first month, Super Mario Bros. also arrived, later becoming a title that accompanied the console in the national launch of the NES the following year. With its killer app firmly established, the NES would begin its pop culture domination that lasted well into the 1990s, totaling nearly 62 million units sold across all regions — a success so huge that it is credited with saving the home console market as a whole.

And although it was powerful enough for its time and introduced several hardware innovations (the NES Zapper is a work of genius), the legacy of NES will always be defined by its absolutely absurd library of software. In addition to its own first-party games like Mario, Metroid and The Legend of Zeldathe console Nintendo original was home to start-up franchises from external partners such as Konami, Capcom and Tecmo — all working symbiotically (and sometimes antagonistically) with the Big N. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Ninja Gaiden; So many of today’s gaming dynasties began in NES.

It can be difficult to determine which of the console’s games are the best. While nostalgia is a factor, it’s simply a fact that much of your collection feels dated playing today. But looking back, there are a surprising number of releases from NES that hold up to modern standards, and even those that may appear rough around the edges retain an undeniable impact. An authentic classic can always be measured by how much you love it, even when it sucks to play.

So, from revolutionary platformers to stylish shooters, these are the best games NES of all time.

20. ‘Tecmo Super Bowl’ (1991)

19. ‘Bionic Commando’ (1987)

18. ‘Blaster Master’ (1988)

17. ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project’ (1991)

16. ‘Excitebike’ (1984)

15. ‘Super Dodge Ball’ (1988)

14. ‘StarTropics’ (1990)

13. ‘RC Pro-Am’ (1988)

12. ‘Duck Hunt’ (1984)

11. ‘Life Force’ (1986)

10. ‘Punch-Out!!’ (1987)

9. ‘Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation’ (1988)

8. ‘Against’ (1988)

7. ‘Metroid’ (1986)

6. ‘Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse’ (1989)

5. ‘Ninja Gaiden’ (1988)

4. ‘The Legend of Zelda’ (1986)

3. ‘Super Mario Bros.’ (1985)

2. ‘Mega Man 2’ (1988)

1. ‘Super Mario Bros. 3’ (1988)

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