Since it’s early days in console production in the 1970’s, Nintendo has been synonymous with videogames. There has been an incredible legacy of crafting amazing games which span over multiple series and genres. In this article, I look at some of the most influential titles of the NES era.

Super Mario Bros. (1983)

This is where it all began. For Super Mario, it is the title that made him an international superstar. For gamers everywhere, Super Mario Bros. stands as a monumental introduction of side-scrolling platformers. The fact that it can be completed in around 30 minutes is beside the point: this was and remains videogame perfection. Both stylistically speaking and where gameplay is concerned. Essential is the only tag that truly befits this game title.

Excitebike. (1984)

Excitebike is a fairly primitive game based on the charms of twitch gameplay. This is exactly why retrogamers remember this title so fondly. This is an immediate and frantic side on racer. It’s a true diamond which shines in the early catalogue of the NES’ library. Many nights I still wake, my hands twitching and I can almost hear the distinctive blip-blip sound effects echoing in my mind.

Legend of Zelda. (1987)

Mario’s debut was phenomenal, but Link’s first outing was of an equally high caliber. The sheer scope of Link’s first adventure is awesome, and it maps out the course which Link would take from this point onwards. In retrospective, perhaps the most notable thing about The Legend of Zelda is its Koji Kondo composed score. While subsequent Zelda games surpassed the original in terms of breadth and scope. The original theme tune remains one of the most memorable and inspired tunes to ever grace a videogame.

Bubble Bobble. (1987)

Taito’s single-screen platformer is legendary. Bub and Bob’s first adventure spans 100 levels of magic bubble-blowing action. The fruit reward system is tasty (watermelons and oranges mean mucho points) and the level design is perfectly poised. Then, of course, there’s the theme tune, one of the best written for an 8-bit game.

Contra. (1988)

In Konami’s Contra the side-scrolling platforming shoot-em up hybrid was brought together in a remarkable way. Paving the way for much later delights such as the Metal Gear series. Contra was ahead of it’s time. The original remains one of the standout NES releases, both from a technical standard but from a gameplay point of view as well.

These are a few of my favorites. Let us know what defined the NES era for you in the comments section.