Yesss I love@@hungrygoriya 's transitions! Also in another video, you did a similar thing with boxes sliding in alternating directions for each game - very nice touch
River City Ransom was my go to game when I had friends over. When netplay came to the emulators I fell in love with it again playing with tons of random folks from forums.
bought the Hockey game of the series for my Famicom... had played it on emulator around 2000 and needed that in my life, MORE than River City Ransom. But I also got RCR last year for NES :D Still love Nintendo World Cup the most though for these characters and love Super Dodge Ball !!
@@Gatorade69 It's considered a remake, it's called River City Ransom EX. It's got quality of life improvements like an expanded moveset and battery backup to save character progress and there's also an optional boss fight against the Lee brothers from Double Dragon.
When I wrote that bit, I felt like people wouldn't believe me for saying it, haha... knowing they were in there and could get me at any time just kept me on edge and excited and paying attention rather than just roaming around feeling bored.
You have very quickly become one of my favorite retro game channels. Starting with the best password screen song down doesn’t hurt. Thanks for another great one!
Wow, I'm so used to Goriya knowing such obscure hidden gem games that when I heard this was a list all about games you hadn't heard of, i expected some real, real niche stuff. Turns out I not only knew most of the games on this list, but I anticipated a few of them just based on their music! Incredible.
I've gotta mix it up once in a while eh? These are all games I played starting back in 2018 and never reviewed, and I've been itching to give them their due for a long while. This format felt right to me!
Kid icarus was so far ahead of its time, it deserves a lot more praise and could probably have an entire video just on the complexity it has. Would like to see a video on StarTropics, this was my Aunt's favorite game and I have fond memories of playing it with her when I was a child, it's a very clever game and at the time, we didn't have the instruction manual, so she literally brute forced the code to progress like a boss, starting at 001 going up...just nuts.
If I truly understood all the ins and outs of how that game works, I'd be happy to review it more fully. That was my biggest hesitation for not spending an entire individual video on it. All of the stuff is hidden away and I have no idea how any of it works except through hearsay. Your aunt sounds like a real trooper, haha... good for her for pushing through like that!
The moment you asked for suggestions at the beginning of the video, I thought "GUARDIAN LEGEND!" and look what game you started with! Zelda + Lifeforce. It's nice to know that other gamers appreciate how good it is.
Plus, you can tell it was made by the same team that did Govelious on the Sega Master System, even having the same mascot Randar (the blue ball guy). Govelious is a little... lesser, than Guardian Legend, but that game captured my attention as a boy until Ys III stole it away.
@@ChargeQM Guardian legend is basically a sequel to Guardic, a vertical shoot em up, in Japan it's called Guardic Gaiden. It's made by Compile, which was the king of shmups in the 80s and 90s.
Strange, I was just reminded of Little Nemo for the first time in years earlier today, and I spent an hour listening to the soundtrack. What a coincidence!
@@hungrygoriya Nemo's House and Nightmare Land are my favorite stage music, but I think my overall favorite is the little jingle that plays when Nemo is asleep between levels lol
Thank you for posting this when you did! The first game in the list is a game I been trying to hunt for descriptor words to tell my friends about my entire 38 years on earth. Thank you for finally reuniting me with Guardian Legend.
I'm pretty sure as a kid, I had nightmares about eggplant wizard rooms that I've suppressed over the years. Some of my earliest rage quits. But level 2 was a lot of fun. Also, I vote for a Magic of Scheherazade video!
the eggplant rooms are nerve racking! kid icarus was one of my favs as a kid, and i actually spent so much time in order to defeat medusa. was and is a satisfying event in my life. but screw having to run to the nurse to get cured of eggplantism!
Back in middle school me and my best friend used to rent River City Ransom over and on Fridays and spend the whole weekend just causing mayhem. We never beat it, it was just a blast to beat up everyone and hear that satisfying money-collect sound. I think I always overlooked Xexys because I kept mistaking it for Xevious....
Oh the sound effects in RCR are really good! I agree! And you know what? Until I played Xexyz and put some personal experience to its name, I also always confused it with Xevious!
Oh, dang. I'd love to see a review of Magic of Scheherazade. And I'm glad to see you greatly enjoyed The Guardian Legend, as I only tried out the game a couple of years ago and found its combination of vertical shooter and top-down exploration to be both fresh and fun.
Of the four on the poll I created, that's the one I'm the furthest along in writing about. I'm curious to see how the results turn out, but that's a game I've rarely seen talked about and would love to cover. The Immortal too! Crystalis and StarTropics are both great but they've seen a lot more discussion over the years.
YES! That side scrolling train level on Nemo drives me crazy. That's about where I always wind up quitting too. I have fond memories of this game from my childhood, now in my forties I found a used cart at my local game store... And I still love it, but man! That blasted level.
Haha I'm glad it's not just me that got mad and huffed away frustrated over the train level. I didn't play it for almost a decade out of principle, but a friend of mine encouraged me to give it a try again and I ended up loving it. I hope you can get past the train someday. I won't say it gets easier from there, but that's definitely one of the harder stages for me to get through.
StarTropics is amazing and I'm surprised not many people I talk to seem to know about it. If anyone reading this hasn't gotten around to the sequel but liked the first one, it's definitely a must play as well.
I've tried to get into the sequel a few times and it has never stuck. I think I just love the first one too much and am always disappointed it's not exactly more of that! One day I hope to give it a full go.
I thought it was fantastic. Very trolly and mean, but I find that stuff hilarious rather than frustrating. I've yet to play the sequel, but it's definitely something I'm interested in trying someday.
River City Ransom is a game I come back to again and again; It was an open world sandbox before those were really a thing. I always loved how you level up your stats not buy tedious battles, but buy buying items in the shopping centers located around town. If you liked W&W, the sequels are even better(Ironsword is my personal favorite). And if you loved Darkwing Duck, you should check out the Rescue Rangers games. Edit: Spelling.
Having money replace experience points is a really keen way to do leveling up in a game, lets you choose for yourself how badly you need to upgrade your stats.
It was certainly neat being able to pick and choose which of your stats you developed. Could grind octopus sushi at the Grotto Mall for weapon damage one playthrough and save up for the expensive boots for big kicking power the next. =)
River City Ransom had some really neat mechanics in it but you're definitely right about how it's a neat open world experience. You can go anywhere if you can live long enough! I've actually beaten Ironsword long ago, but I cheated so I don't count it. I did some password manipulation to get more lives after the game stops letting you continue, haha... I need to do it legitimately one of these days. And I've played a little bit of Chip & Dale, but haven't gotten too far in it. Never touched the sequel either. Thanks for the suggestions!
@@hungrygoriya I could not have gotten through the NES era without a game genie. I literally sold my NES and games after some kid absconded with said cheat device (not sure why it didn't occur to me to buy a new one) and I found i couldn't beat any levels anymore. I don't blame anyone one bit for cheating on older stuff. especially in the 16-bit era when games were deliberately made unfair, to stop people from just renting them.
They're both fantastic games. I especially love Little Nemo. It's so easy to pick up and play! The Guardian Legend is amazing and I need to replay it soon!
I was about to also mention vice project doom but whan i looked at the time stamps i was suprised to see its already ther! Truely one of my top favorite games
Your channel is honestly the best retro gaming channel on youtube and it has been for years. It looks like it's becoming more popular and recognized too. Well deserved! Also, Darkwing Duck is one of my all time favorite games
That's very nice of you to say! I'm really glad people are enjoying my videos here. This and livestreaming have both been very fulfilling hobbies for me and I'm really grateful for the experiences I've had and the people I've met doing it. Darkwing Duck was awesome! It was unexpectedly quick but still a lot of fun to play through. And I loved the controls too!
The Guardian Legend has inspired my imagination. Coming from the Atari, I was accustomed to filling in the gaps of a game that the technology would have to leave. The Guardian Legend has more going on than is being shown, and it makes my head tell stories.
I wish I'd started on the Atari just to have had this experience. I did dabble in some Vic20 back in the day though, but that was at the same time as I was playing NES. It would've been an awesome experience to have that "awakening" in this context.
I loved the Eggplant Wizards too! So fun. XD Excited to see you go through Star Tropics. That was a big source of enjoyment for me on the NES when I was younger! Crystalis too I think you'll really enjoy fully. Here's another 9 games you might enjoy that share similarities with the ones on your list and my apologies if I've forgotten that you've played some of them already: Air Fortress Conquest of the Crystal Palace Codename: Viper Ninja Gaiden II Power Blade Shatterhand Whomp 'Em Little Samson Strider Wizards & Warriors II: Ironsword is a bonus 10th on the list just because I'd be surprised if you hadn't played that yet if you enjoyed the first game. Maybe you mentioned it before and I forgot.
What a fantastic list!! Thanks so much for the suggestions here. I think I own most of those outside of Little Samson, and of the ones I've only played a little bit of, I haven't come close to beating yet. I did play Ironsword through to the end but had to cheat to win. I manipulated my password to give me more lives when the game stopped letting me continues, but I need to sit down with it again someday and do it legitimately!
I did not discover Guardian Legend until I was an adult but could only imagine the hours I would’ve spent playing it in my younger years. As far as wizard and warrior, I rented this game so many times at my local video store. The cover art drew me in and the hours that myself, my brother and father played it were probably into triple digits. Another great video! Love your channel!
I think I would've also really enjoyed The Guardian Legend as a kid. Maybe I would've developed some shooter skills back then to carry over to my adult years! Wizards & Warriors was just good clean fun to me. There was nothing egregious about it. Something about the music really drew me in as well! And thanks very much :) I appreciate you saying so!
I haven't played Power Blade yet, but I did buy it a little while back. Thanks for the suggestion! I had all these games that I enjoyed at some point in recent years but hadn't had enough to say about them to make full review videos. I'm glad I got to shine a little light on each of these.
So refreshing to see such an honest take on some obscure NES classics. Loved this, and appreciate the insight on each game! :D EDIT: Relatively obscure, I should say :P
Hey thanks man! I've been wanting to talk about most of these games for ages, but didn't really have enough to say for a full review. This was a good way to discuss them I think! Thanks for making the time to watch :)
There's a lot of great ones in here! Which ones didn't make mine that are on yours? I love a lot more than this, but I tried to keep this video just about games I've never spoken about on the channel before.
It's a shame that pretty much all the sequels were very inferior to RCR. Really makes this and its prequel (forget the name) stand out. The modern River City Girls is surprisingly amazing.
I hope you enjoy Adventure Island 3. I thought it was more of the same as 2 but slightly more polished in some ways. Definitely keeps the difficulty high, but it was really rewarding to work through. And thank you so much!
Discovering games you love as an adult is always a little bittersweet for me, as I always have it in the back of my mind that I wish I knew it existed when I was a kid :(
I hear this! I do also look to the "better late than never" idea to reassure myself that there are still lots of good experiences to have, even as an adult.
Thanks for the great video. I would love to see a review for all 4 of those games they are amazing titles. Some games I would recommend if you haven't played them are Ghost Lion, Dungeon Magic, Arkista's Ring, Blaster Master, A Boy and His Blob, Maniac Manson, GI Joe (Both are Great), Solar Jetman, Batman, Shadow Gate, Déjà vu, and Uninvited. Those are few I would recommend. My apologies if you have already played them.
Oooo this is a fantastic list! And no need to apologize. From your list there, I've played Arkista's ring (first loop), Blaster Master, Maniac Mansion, Shadowgate, and the first GI Joe. The rest of those are phenomenal recommendations though! Thanks so much!
Wizards & Warriors was one of the first games I ever got for the NES. Had a ton of fun with it. Also River City Ransom was always a blast with my brother. Among those games at the end I personally liked Star Tropics the best but Crystalis is also fun. Other games to consider are Karnov (tough but fun), Clash at Demonhead (hilarious and well out together), and GI Joe the Atlantis Factor (much more to it than I'd have first thought). Happy gaming!
It's great that you got to experience some of these as a kid. I'm glad I eventually got around to them. Did you happen to vote in the poll I posted about the game choice? I thought it'd be easier for me than trying to tally comments, but there's nearly a three-way tie. So funny! I've played Clash at Demonhead, but not Karnov or the second GI Joe game. Funny, I just finished the first GI Joe a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the suggestions!
River City Ransom was a childhood favorite for me. As for great retro games discovered as an adult, I owe you my gratitude for bringing Faxanadu and Rygar to my attention. Of the games you showed at the end, I'd love to see a review of Crystalis next!
River City Ransom was so great. I wish it was a bit longer honestly, but with the guide, it went by pretty quick. I'm always glad to bring some others over to game I enjoy an awful lot. Especially Faxanadu! Thanks for giving the game a shot and coming out a believer :) Crystalis is in the lead, so you might just get your wish! Thanks for the thoughtful reply here.
Fire and Ice is an awesome puzzle platformer and one of my favorite games growing up, if you haven't played it. Unfortunately it's price has exploded with the speculation market, so you might have to settle for a repro cart or an "any way you can" solution
I've been intrigued by Fire and Ice, but yeah... the price is not so great. I'll keep an eye out though! I still need to find a copy of Solomon's Key and give that a try.
I can also tell DW Duck was a Capcom game. The way the bullets bounce off of the enemies is a direct rip from Megaman. You should try that series. Megaman 2 is my favorite on NES, but Megaman 3 is often other people's favorite.
I looooved Blaster Master. I talked about it in my 8 Hardest NES Games video from a few months ago, and I tried to make this one about games I'd never discussed on the channel before. If I opened it up to all my favourite NES games here, this would've been hours long! Great choice!
The NES continues to amaze me with its library of games that I've just never seen or heard about. I grew up with it, but in short order we had the SNES and that became our go to platform for a long time. I'd recommend Star Tropics, since that's the only one of the four that I know for sure is fun!
To me, the NES library has rarely turned up a bad time. I can't wait to try out more games soon enough. I wish I could get into more SNES stuff. There's definitely some great games I've played, but I've had way more knockout experiences with the NES.
@@hungrygoriya If you are to play any of them pick the second one. It improves on the first and the third is way, way too hard and unforgiving. In the last half of Double Dragon II it becomes a platformer and can be pretty infuriating but It's still great fun, especially that level in the helicopter. The second game has 2 player, the first actually doesn't have 2 player support.
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@@Gatorade69 The version for Master System has 2 players and it fantastic👌
@@Gatorade69 Good to know! Did you know that the Master System version of Double Dragon has 2 player co-op? It feels a little janky though... I only tried it for a few minutes!
Fun video, Grumbles.. you know how I feel about NES and most of these are near and dear to my heart as well. I'm glad you've enjoyed experiencing these amazing adventures and that they now live in your heart now too :)
Cher-a-zod-e is a hidden gem, Immortal has great music, StarTropics needs bonus sheet for frequency, Crystalis one of the best RPGs for the NES, with music that is top notch!
I went back and re-watched most of Darkwing Duck during the pandemic lockdown. Can safely say that it still holds up well today. Not one of those things where you're better off with fond memories than being reminded of the reality - and the modern remake of Ducktales (which does have Darkwing crossovers) are pure gold.
Right on! The Immortal and StarTropics are pretty neck in neck with Crystalis at the moment. I'm going to eventually review them all, but I'll see which one comes out on top to prioritize here. I've never played Solomon's Key. That's the single-screen puzzle game eh? I'd like to try it out someday.
This is Luis from the future (7 months in the future to be precise) about the guardian legend, it’s made by compile (they were masters of the shooting genre) and if you loved the shooter section whenever you see their logo go ahead and play the game with the exception of power strike their shooters got a pretty manageable difficulty curve. Who knows, we may make a bullet hell champion out of you
I'd like to think I could become a bullet hell champion someday, but I also tend to get overwhelmed with shooters a lot of the time. So much so that I just stop paying attention to what's going on... maybe some day I'll get serious and try out some tougher games in the genre!
hell 10 was a lot of games back then, I think I had... four cartridges. mario bros / duck hunt, mario 3, tmnt 2, and king of kings the early years... though of course through the magic of friends and rentals, I did get to play a bunch of others. I had no idea how expensive games were back then! nobody told me! I assumed they cost, maybe, the same as 4 action figures.. yknow, 6 at most. But those things cost 12 to 15 times what a figure would cost, so.. I was lucky to get those.. then again I never got any games new, always used from Funcoland.. buuut.. they really overcharged for those. a used NES in 1992 should not have cost 100 bucks.
You know, growing up with a relatively small family, we only ever got games on holidays as kids. And after I was old enough to learn about thrift stores/pawn shops, I was cruising around those looking for old games but didn't have enough money to buy them. I still remember buying A Link to the Past with the box but no manual, and the guy wanted $30. I remember being hesitant to buy that because of how expensive it felt to little kid me. It's only in the last little while that I've had the chance to branch out to new NES stuff, and I've really been enjoying what I've been playing.
I didn't see Metal Storm in your list. Do you have it? if not, it would be a great game in your collection. You would love playing it too, because it look like a lot games in your list.
Man, Faxanadu is still one of my absolute favorite NES games, the soundtrack is just *chef's kiss*! Nemo, also, absolutely made me rage quit on that stupid train level as a kid. Usually because id make it to the end and find out id missed one of the keys. Wizards & Warriors was a neat play. Took me FOREVER to beat it, but once i figured out that the kick was actually SUPER OP it wasnt as bad. W&W2 was a bit rougher around the edges but still fun, 3 however was a nightmare. It had AMAZING ideas at the time, but executed them kinda poorly. Xexyz was another game that almost nobody seemed to have heard of when i was a kid, but was fantastic
I'm really glad I'm not the only person who rage quit Little Nemo! I'm glad you liked W&W and Xexyz too. There's a lot of charm and mystery in both of those ones. I hope more folks will try them out soon. They're both good in their own way!
I also didn't play River City Ransom until really late and for a while it was my favorite game of all time. It's crazy to me that they were already blending genres like that when the beat'em up genre was only a few years old when it came out. Another one that really got its hooks into me long after the era of the NES was Crystalis, where I was similarly surprised that there was this action RPG from such a long time ago that I'd never seen. I actually discovered Crystalis because of some Flash game knock-off of DDR that had one of the main themes as a playable track.
I wish I would've tried River City Ransom earlier in life, like many games I've been playing these days. Maybe I would've loved beat 'em ups more these days if I'd been exposed to them a bit more back then. Crystalis is a great game too. I played it years ago at this point but thought it was wonderful. I'd love to replay it again sometime just for a refresher on how awesome it was!
I have the "eggplant curse" sound for a notification sound on my phone. I never played Kid Icarus until I was nearly 40, and when I got turned into an eggplant I found it hilarious.
I'm glad I'm not the only person coming to this game later in life! Some folks in this comments section thought I was nuts for finding the eggplanting funny, but it's so hilarious to me too! It comes out of nowhere and was always a surprise.
Wizards & Warriors was great, especially in the time it came out. Tough and challenging but fair and ultimately beatable in your first playthrough. It made for an awesome rental game that invited you back another time.
I wish I could've experienced it when it was new. I never really rented NES stuff since I only caught wind of rentals when I was a bit older and the Sega Genesis was my newest console. I rented a lot of Toejam and Earl: Panic on Funkotron back then.
Little Nemo was one of the NES greats I actually managed to beat on my own back when I was a kid. Excellent control, graphics and creative exploration mechanics with the different animal suits complemented the beautiful music perfectly. It was a little too easy to get lost admitedly, but otherwise one of Capcom's greatest. Great video and terrific selections!
Thanks very much! Little Nemo was wonderful and I enjoyed every minute of it. The controls/companion mechanics were awesome, but the music really elevated the entire experience for me. It's a game I've come back to a few times since finishing it.
Thanks very much! I've been trying to mix it up once in a while here, especially since there are so many games I've played but haven't had time to review. This was a good way to discuss a few titles I didn't really have a ton to say about.
Wow, great list! So glad to see Guardian Legend getting some love. That opening track has to be one of the most iconic tunes on the NES. I remember being blown away by this game nearly 30 years ago and it still holds up nicely today. Now I need to dig out my console and try a few of those other ones that I missed along the way. I think that I mentioned it before, but if you like these kind of games, give Flying Warriors a shot.
The Guardian Legend deserves all the love! I hope you have fun with some of these other games. And not to worry! I have Flying Warriors on my list of things to play sometime. Thanks again for the suggestion!
Crystalis is one of my favorite games! I’ve played it as an adult on the switch and was truly blown away with how much fun I was having using that Magic sword. Made me really get into the NES library outside of the Classics.
I was actually blown away at how fun Crystalis was. I got a bit frustrated with finding some of the plot progression points, but I enjoyed the rest quite a bit.
That Vice Project Doom stage with the electricity and conveyor belts looks so much like the Power Plant Stage from Batman. And my vote is for The Magic of Scheherazade.
Just here for River City Ransom, and Adventure Island! Those are two of my favourites too! And though it might be a bit late for recommendations, I suggest giving Panic Restaurant a go!
They're both awesome games! And Panic Restaurant eh? I think I've seen a few people playing that one and it looks very cute. I'll see what I can do to give it a spin sometime. I don't think I'll ever own a physical copy due to how expensive it is.
Nice to see some retro gaming content come across my feed. I loved many of these games. Dream Master, Darkwing Duck, and River City Ransom were some of my favorites back in the day. Xexyz was the only one on this list I had never heard of. I would love to see a video on Startropics! I absolutely adored Startropics and Startropics 2!
Hooray! I'm glad you found me here and that you had such positive experiences with some of these titles. I hope to eventually review all four of the games at the end of the video here, and it looks like Crystalis is up first. StarTropics was an absolute joy to play so I'll be glad to speak on it when the time comes.
The Guardian Legend holds up so well, especially since no game since has really scratched the same itch. Also helps that the heroine is so absurdly cool
It's pretty unique eh? I wish there was some kind of sequel or another game in its style. And the heroine's pretty great. I saw the Japanese cover art for the first time recently and it's gorgeous!
@@hungrygoriya yeah, now that we've had modern revivals of other 8 bit classics like Kid Icarus, Wonder Boy, Streets of Rage etc. I really feel like we're missing out on some kind of Guardian Legend sequel or reboot
I could not beat Kid Icarus as a lad, and did not manage to do so until the 3D version on the 3DS a few years ago. I used to literally shout curses out loud at the Aubergine Wizards from the dungeons, even when I wasn't playing the game. The fact that you call them a 'favourite' makes light of my suffering.
I by no means ever mean to make light of anyone's suffering! They just kept the action suspenseful for me, and whenever they'd get me, it felt like a jumpscare in a movie, followed by a good laugh for me.
This list is some of my favorite games of all time, especially Darkwing Duck. Crystalis and Star Tropics are both amazing as well and I hope to see a reveal of them.
There are some great games on the NES, for sure! I've already reviewed Crystalis if you wanted to hear my thoughts on that one. I hope to get to a StarTropics review soon too. I liked it!
Nine mini reviews in one video! Kid Icarus is the only game on this list that I had any experience of playing during the era when NES was the current system. It was actually my friend's copy, and although I had a quick try at it every now and again, as a 1-player game, I mainly watched him determinedly trying to make it through to the end. The fact that it was a vertical scroller (in parts) made an impression on me, as did the music, which faithfully stuck in my memory for decades until I heard the soundtrack again just a few years ago. The jingle that plays when the Reaper goes crazy was especially memorable to me! Also, what a wonderful instruction booklet; how I miss not having a physical manual with new games. The only other game of the nine that I've played is River City Ransom, and that was only for about an hour, when my cousin brought a selection of games for us to try during Christmastime about 5 years ago. We had a blast with that one - we didn't really know what we were doing, but it was a real laugh! I haven't played it since... As for the other seven games in this video..... I can see I have some catching up to do!
It's great that you at least got to experience a couple of these, even if it was only a little. Kid Icarus was a thorn in my side for many years because I just couldn't understand why I was struggling so hard with it. It didn't seem all that difficult even compared to other things I'd mastered by that point, but when I finally broke out of world 1 and saw what lay beyond, it was like the clouds opened up and the angels sang. What a difference! One thing on my list of things to buy is the instruction manual for Kid Icarus. I'd love to have a physical copy for myself, though the scan of that one online is quite lovely and clear! River City Ransom feels like something I would've really liked as a kid but like you, wouldn't have known what the heck was happening. I hope you do get the opportunity to catch up on some of these sometime, or have time for a little more gaming in general. I'm still anxiously awaiting your inaugural stream of Adventure Island...
I'm slowly getting more & more into the NES library, and some of these games look great! Crystalis and Little Nemo were already on my list, too :) I just found your channel today, and I'm excited! Not only are the games retro, but your style and positive engagement feels very "retro youtube." I admire the thoughtfulness and passion evident in your videos.
Hey thanks so much for your kindness. I'm a hobbyist and have loved games since I was a kid, so it's nice to be able to share my experiences with everyone here. I hope you find some real gems in your search through the NES library. This video covers a few of my favourites I haven't talked about in other videos, but there are some other great games I loved too, like Legacy of the Wizard, Blaster Master, The Battle of Olympus, Solstice, and many many more. The NES has definitely delivered the most exciting experiences so far.
Guardian Legend looks interesting. I didn't know that Little Nemo had a video game, I just remember the movie (kind of weird, but still enjoyable). I can't remember playing any of these, and hadn't even heard of some of them. Xexyz kind of reminds me of Rygar, which was one of my family's favorites (well, my brothers and I... not so much my sisters). Great video, keep playing!
Guardian Legend is amazing, and so is Little Nemo! I've never watched the Nemo movie or read the comics but there are several games made around that property if you're interested in it in particular. Most of these are on the shorter side overall if you decide to play any of them. And thank you about the video!
Thanks very much! I like putting out something a bit different every once in a while. I first learned about Adventure Island 3 watching a streamer playing it one day, but not paying close enough attention to notice it wasn't the second game at first. And when they ducked, I was like "OH REALLY" and I immediately started looking for it, haha
Awesome choices!! As a kid I had Darkwing Duck(and the Rockman hack), also Adventure Island 3, Vice Project Doom, River City Ramson but all 3 japanese bootlegs and played them on black and White tv with VHF conecction. It didin´t matter as long as I could play and have fun. Here in Argentina, back in the day, an original game and/or console it was kind of a rare thing to see. The only thing you'll find were famicom knockoffs. It was super fun tradring cartridges with the kids in the neighborhood. Another of my favorites are Jackal, Boku Drakula Kun, Wherewolf The Last Warrior and "Robocop 3" but it was Tokkyu Shirei Solbrain.
Oh nice! Your extended list there has some games I'm really curious to try, especially Jackal! And I've heard about a lot of bootlegs and knockoffs in your part of the world. My best friend growing up had a Famicom knockoff cartridge that we played a ton. It was a 72-in-1 and it had so much good stuff on it! I'm glad you still got exposed to so many games despite not having the actual system back then.
Glad to see Xexyz on the list! I loved that game as a kid, but I never got more than maybe half way through it. I might need to give it another go as an adult. Vice Project Doom looks awesome, I'll have to check that out sometime too. Thanks for another great video!
I really love the... goofiness, I suppose, of Wizards and Warriors. The game feels fresh and lighthearted to me without being outright silly or comedic, and it's oh so charming for it.
That's a great descriptor for Wizards & Warriors. I think it's a very funny experience and not too tough to muddle through, save for a few tough boss fights. It's just good clean fun.
Great video HG, I agree that most of these are indeed great NES classics. I forget if you've played it yet or not, but if you find a copy of Arkista's Ring it's definitely worth picking up.
Thanks very much! I know I'm not saying much here that hasn't already been said, but I've been meaning to shine a spotlight on these for a long while. I have played Arkista's Ring, but not too far past the end of the first loop. Those ninjas are the worst!!!
I think my favorite NES game might be Bucky O' Hare. It's the game I currently feel like I can pop in any time and that I haven't played to death already. Its challenging yet forgiving with its unlimited continues that start you off at the last screen you died at, and I absolutely love how like in mega man clearing a stage gives you a new ability.
This is the best list of it's kind on TH-cam. One that didn't make the list is "The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy", but there's a bunch of really good ones on here.
They were all a blast. And isn't that manual awesome? I spent a lot of time with a couple in childhood, and if I'd had that one, I'm sure I would've read it to death as well. I love the artwork from that era.
Monster Party, DuckTales 1&2, Battle Toads, Batman 1&2, Bionic Commando, Conquest of the Crystal Palace, Getsufumaden, Low G Man, KickMaster...to name a couple😅 Fantastic vid!👾
One game I loved as a kid that comes to mind that i never see people mention is RESCUE. You're a swat team member and there's a few different styles that are all completely different from one another. I can't remember any game that tried what it did at the time and it actually had blood in it, which was a little shocking when i was 11 years old.
Apart from your great pacing and nice attention to detail by breaking down all of the parts of a game people are looking for (graphics, controls, music, story, difficulty, etc) what I love about your channel is that it helps remind me of the games I used to play and decide which ones are worth a revisit with my unfortunately sparse gaming time. Seeing The Guardian Legend on this list was delightful. I first encountered it when I was 11 or so and it was too hard to manage the first level. But when I found it again a few years later I remember having a really good time with it and it was the first game I recall seriously starting to map out. I'd love to see you do Star Tropics, (don't forget to bring the letter so you remember the radio frequency!) but Crystalis is DEFINITELY in your wheelhouse and I think you'll have a blast with it!
Awwww thanks so much! That's super nice to hear. I'm only experiencing a lot of these games for the first time these days, but I think it's so awesome that yourself and so many others had these memories as a big part of your childhoods. I wish I'd gotten to experience more back then myself! The Guardian Legend is sooooo much fun! I was surprised at how much I clicked with it given my inability to get much done in shooter games, but the exploration parts really shone for me. And I do plan to review StarTropics sometime. I played it through a few months ago, and someone who hangs out in the streams was kind enough to take a photo of their wet letter for me! And I just reviewed Crystalis not too long ago here if you're curious to hear about that one from me. Either way, thanks for a thoughtful comment!
Stellar list! A few I'd also recommend would be Conquest of the Crystal Palace, Bucky 'O Hare, Gargoyle's Quest II, and Batman. If you're into ROM hacks, Legend of Zelda: Amida's Curse is an excellent Zelda 2 hack, as is Legend of Zelda: Outlands for Zelda 1.
Oh nice! These are great suggestions! I need to track down a copy of Bucky O'Hare one of these days. I haven't tried too many ROM hacks, but I love me some Zelda 1. I think I'd be scared to try a hack of Zelda II. I love the original, but it's very tough for me!
My vote is for The Immortal to have a full video on. I’ve finished StarTropics and Crystals, but never got even close with Immortal. That game is no joke! 😅
My sister went to blockbuster one night, knew I loved darkwing, saw the game, rented it for me.. the clerk forgot to scan it out. Free Darkwing Duck game. I was sooooo PSYCHED. Loved this game so much.
Nice! Right now it's just slightly trailing behind Crystalis in the poll on my community tab, so if you'd like to see that sooner than later, please go ahead and vote over there!
Kid Icarus was the first game i played as a kid where i HAD to draw my own dungeon maps by hand. Eff them Eggplant Wizards! I bought that game used, with no instruction manual and no strategy guide so there was A LOT i missed out on but it was still satisfying to trial and error that classic.
Eggplant wizards still make me laugh, but they're definitely bothersome. And I'm glad you were able to make it through Kid Icarus without the manual. I love the artwork in it and really enjoyed reading through it when I played as an adult, but there's so much that the manual doesn't straight up tell you anyway!
![[UNCUT] “ช่อ พรรณิการ์” ปะทะเดือด “มัลลิกา” ชี้หน้า สั่งหยุด! I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 22 ส.ค. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cJ_z_bHnvIE/mqdefault.jpg)
Sliding the carts to the side was a nice way to build suspense 👍
Hey thanks! I had a whole other transition set in the works that didn't end up panning out, so I'm glad you liked it!
Im just not getting away from the damn wizards and warriors music, am I?
@@hungrygoriya Loved it!
Yesss I love@@hungrygoriya 's transitions! Also in another video, you did a similar thing with boxes sliding in alternating directions for each game - very nice touch
Hungry's very good at the subtle details of delivery. Delivery is a big underappreciated part of making videos.
Crystalis is one of my all-time favorites on the NES.
100% I even remember where I got the game in NYC. I was many times before I said to myself "I need to get that."
It's a fantastic game! I played it a few years ago at this point and the music still pops up in my head a lot.
Crystalis is like a prototype of Secret of Mana with some great Miyazaki references tossed in.
It's SO good! I somehow owned this baby growing up, and it kept me stumped for a few years until I finally stumbled my way through it.
Absolutely brilliant game; one of the best on the NES, by far.
River City Ransom was my go to game when I had friends over. When netplay came to the emulators I fell in love with it again playing with tons of random folks from forums.
Ever play the GBA remake? That one's pretty sick.
bought the Hockey game of the series for my Famicom...
had played it on emulator around 2000 and needed that in my life, MORE than River City Ransom.
But I also got RCR last year for NES :D Still love Nintendo World Cup the most though for these characters and love Super Dodge Ball !!
@@nopenop1495 There's a GBA remake ? Like an actual remake or is it just another Kunio Kun game that is similar ?
Oh no way! That's cool that you got to play it online like that!
@@Gatorade69 It's considered a remake, it's called River City Ransom EX. It's got quality of life improvements like an expanded moveset and battery backup to save character progress and there's also an optional boss fight against the Lee brothers from Double Dragon.
“My absolute favorite though, was the eggplant wizards.” You have the true gamer’s spirit, my friend.
Great list.
When I wrote that bit, I felt like people wouldn't believe me for saying it, haha... knowing they were in there and could get me at any time just kept me on edge and excited and paying attention rather than just roaming around feeling bored.
You have very quickly become one of my favorite retro game channels. Starting with the best password screen song down doesn’t hurt. Thanks for another great one!
Awww thanks so much! I appreciate it :)
Is that the intro music for the channel - I'd always wondered if it was out of an Nes game, do you know what it is?
must be one I don't own! 👍
@@infinityeight8705 Faxanadu
@@infinityeight8705 faxanadu
@@trialbyicecream Thanks - kinda embarrassing now, as I actually have the game, but have never played it!!
Wow, I'm so used to Goriya knowing such obscure hidden gem games that when I heard this was a list all about games you hadn't heard of, i expected some real, real niche stuff. Turns out I not only knew most of the games on this list, but I anticipated a few of them just based on their music! Incredible.
I've gotta mix it up once in a while eh? These are all games I played starting back in 2018 and never reviewed, and I've been itching to give them their due for a long while. This format felt right to me!
Kid icarus was so far ahead of its time, it deserves a lot more praise and could probably have an entire video just on the complexity it has.
Would like to see a video on StarTropics, this was my Aunt's favorite game and I have fond memories of playing it with her when I was a child, it's a very clever game and at the time, we didn't have the instruction manual, so she literally brute forced the code to progress like a boss, starting at 001 going up...just nuts.
If I truly understood all the ins and outs of how that game works, I'd be happy to review it more fully. That was my biggest hesitation for not spending an entire individual video on it. All of the stuff is hidden away and I have no idea how any of it works except through hearsay. Your aunt sounds like a real trooper, haha... good for her for pushing through like that!
The moment you asked for suggestions at the beginning of the video, I thought "GUARDIAN LEGEND!" and look what game you started with! Zelda + Lifeforce. It's nice to know that other gamers appreciate how good it is.
It's a great suggestion! I would really like to replay that one someday.
I just wrote pretty much the same thing to her about Guardian Legend! 😂💛
Plus, you can tell it was made by the same team that did Govelious on the Sega Master System, even having the same mascot Randar (the blue ball guy). Govelious is a little... lesser, than Guardian Legend, but that game captured my attention as a boy until Ys III stole it away.
@@ChargeQM Guardian legend is basically a sequel to Guardic, a vertical shoot em up, in Japan it's called Guardic Gaiden.
It's made by Compile, which was the king of shmups in the 80s and 90s.
Good way to describe it
Strange, I was just reminded of Little Nemo for the first time in years earlier today, and I spent an hour listening to the soundtrack. What a coincidence!
Fantastic music. Junko Tamiya is a legend.
Indeed! Topsy Turvy's my favourite tune from that game. Do you have a favourite?
@@hungrygoriya Nemo's House and Nightmare Land are my favorite stage music, but I think my overall favorite is the little jingle that plays when Nemo is asleep between levels lol
@@Toast_Points I love that too!
Thank you for posting this when you did! The first game in the list is a game I been trying to hunt for descriptor words to tell my friends about my entire 38 years on earth. Thank you for finally reuniting me with Guardian Legend.
Oh right on! Glad to help somehow :) If you get around to playing it again, I hope you enjoy it.
I'm pretty sure as a kid, I had nightmares about eggplant wizard rooms that I've suppressed over the years. Some of my earliest rage quits. But level 2 was a lot of fun.
Also, I vote for a Magic of Scheherazade video!
Oh no, hahaha... I can understand why. They're so scary, but as an adult, I thought that was hilarious rather than scary at least!
the eggplant rooms are nerve racking! kid icarus was one of my favs as a kid, and i actually spent so much time in order to defeat medusa. was and is a satisfying event in my life. but screw having to run to the nurse to get cured of eggplantism!
I enjoyed Magic of Scheherazade too!
Back in middle school me and my best friend used to rent River City Ransom over and on Fridays and spend the whole weekend just causing mayhem. We never beat it, it was just a blast to beat up everyone and hear that satisfying money-collect sound.
I think I always overlooked Xexys because I kept mistaking it for Xevious....
Oh the sound effects in RCR are really good! I agree!
And you know what? Until I played Xexyz and put some personal experience to its name, I also always confused it with Xevious!
Oh, dang. I'd love to see a review of Magic of Scheherazade. And I'm glad to see you greatly enjoyed The Guardian Legend, as I only tried out the game a couple of years ago and found its combination of vertical shooter and top-down exploration to be both fresh and fun.
Of the four on the poll I created, that's the one I'm the furthest along in writing about. I'm curious to see how the results turn out, but that's a game I've rarely seen talked about and would love to cover. The Immortal too! Crystalis and StarTropics are both great but they've seen a lot more discussion over the years.
YES! That side scrolling train level on Nemo drives me crazy. That's about where I always wind up quitting too. I have fond memories of this game from my childhood, now in my forties I found a used cart at my local game store... And I still love it, but man! That blasted level.
Haha I'm glad it's not just me that got mad and huffed away frustrated over the train level. I didn't play it for almost a decade out of principle, but a friend of mine encouraged me to give it a try again and I ended up loving it. I hope you can get past the train someday. I won't say it gets easier from there, but that's definitely one of the harder stages for me to get through.
StarTropics is amazing and I'm surprised not many people I talk to seem to know about it. If anyone reading this hasn't gotten around to the sequel but liked the first one, it's definitely a must play as well.
I've tried to get into the sequel a few times and it has never stuck. I think I just love the first one too much and am always disappointed it's not exactly more of that! One day I hope to give it a full go.
I thought it was fantastic. Very trolly and mean, but I find that stuff hilarious rather than frustrating. I've yet to play the sequel, but it's definitely something I'm interested in trying someday.
@@hungrygoriya The story of the sequel is ridiculous which, for me, made it seem like a cult classic B-Movie but in game form.
@@hungrygoriya I've played both, but the original is the one I keep coming back to.
@@KittyFae- I look forward to seeing what it's all about sometime! That sounds awesome!
River City Ransom is a game I come back to again and again; It was an open world sandbox before those were really a thing. I always loved how you level up your stats not buy tedious battles, but buy buying items in the shopping centers located around town.
If you liked W&W, the sequels are even better(Ironsword is my personal favorite). And if you loved Darkwing Duck, you should check out the Rescue Rangers games.
Edit: Spelling.
Having money replace experience points is a really keen way to do leveling up in a game, lets you choose for yourself how badly you need to upgrade your stats.
Barf !
It was certainly neat being able to pick and choose which of your stats you developed. Could grind octopus sushi at the Grotto Mall for weapon damage one playthrough and save up for the expensive boots for big kicking power the next. =)
River City Ransom had some really neat mechanics in it but you're definitely right about how it's a neat open world experience. You can go anywhere if you can live long enough!
I've actually beaten Ironsword long ago, but I cheated so I don't count it. I did some password manipulation to get more lives after the game stops letting you continue, haha... I need to do it legitimately one of these days. And I've played a little bit of Chip & Dale, but haven't gotten too far in it. Never touched the sequel either. Thanks for the suggestions!
@@hungrygoriya I could not have gotten through the NES era without a game genie. I literally sold my NES and games after some kid absconded with said cheat device (not sure why it didn't occur to me to buy a new one) and I found i couldn't beat any levels anymore. I don't blame anyone one bit for cheating on older stuff. especially in the 16-bit era when games were deliberately made unfair, to stop people from just renting them.
Great list, all winners in my book but the first four are particular favorites of mine... Guardian Legend and Little Nemo specifically!
They're both fantastic games. I especially love Little Nemo. It's so easy to pick up and play! The Guardian Legend is amazing and I need to replay it soon!
I was about to also mention vice project doom but whan i looked at the time stamps i was suprised to see its already ther! Truely one of my top favorite games
It's phenomenal! I really need to replay it again. It's been a few years since I played it last and that's far too long.
I really need to check it out. Always been on ,y "To play" list.
Your channel is honestly the best retro gaming channel on youtube and it has been for years. It looks like it's becoming more popular and recognized too. Well deserved! Also, Darkwing Duck is one of my all time favorite games
That's very nice of you to say! I'm really glad people are enjoying my videos here. This and livestreaming have both been very fulfilling hobbies for me and I'm really grateful for the experiences I've had and the people I've met doing it.
Darkwing Duck was awesome! It was unexpectedly quick but still a lot of fun to play through. And I loved the controls too!
The Guardian Legend has inspired my imagination. Coming from the Atari, I was accustomed to filling in the gaps of a game that the technology would have to leave. The Guardian Legend has more going on than is being shown, and it makes my head tell stories.
I wish I'd started on the Atari just to have had this experience. I did dabble in some Vic20 back in the day though, but that was at the same time as I was playing NES. It would've been an awesome experience to have that "awakening" in this context.
I love your channel 😭 you make me want to play my NES and Master System again.
Do it!
I'm gonna vote for Scherezade. It's fairly obscure but it's a very creative rpg that never gets enough respect.
It's a lovely game. I'd love to review it!
I loved the Eggplant Wizards too! So fun. XD
Excited to see you go through Star Tropics. That was a big source of enjoyment for me on the NES when I was younger! Crystalis too I think you'll really enjoy fully.
Here's another 9 games you might enjoy that share similarities with the ones on your list and my apologies if I've forgotten that you've played some of them already:
Air Fortress
Conquest of the Crystal Palace
Codename: Viper
Ninja Gaiden II
Power Blade
Shatterhand
Whomp 'Em
Little Samson
Strider
Wizards & Warriors II: Ironsword is a bonus 10th on the list just because I'd be surprised if you hadn't played that yet if you enjoyed the first game. Maybe you mentioned it before and I forgot.
What a fantastic list!! Thanks so much for the suggestions here. I think I own most of those outside of Little Samson, and of the ones I've only played a little bit of, I haven't come close to beating yet.
I did play Ironsword through to the end but had to cheat to win. I manipulated my password to give me more lives when the game stopped letting me continues, but I need to sit down with it again someday and do it legitimately!
@@hungrygoriya I hope you have a wonderful time and find a couple new favorites!
I did not discover Guardian Legend until I was an adult but could only imagine the hours I would’ve spent playing it in my younger years. As far as wizard and warrior, I rented this game so many times at my local video store. The cover art drew me in and the hours that myself, my brother and father played it were probably into triple digits. Another great video! Love your channel!
I think I would've also really enjoyed The Guardian Legend as a kid. Maybe I would've developed some shooter skills back then to carry over to my adult years!
Wizards & Warriors was just good clean fun to me. There was nothing egregious about it. Something about the music really drew me in as well!
And thanks very much :) I appreciate you saying so!
I think you would really like Power Blade, if you haven't tried it already. This was a great idea for a video.
I haven't played Power Blade yet, but I did buy it a little while back. Thanks for the suggestion!
I had all these games that I enjoyed at some point in recent years but hadn't had enough to say about them to make full review videos. I'm glad I got to shine a little light on each of these.
@@hungrygoriya Cheers. Awesome content as usual
So refreshing to see such an honest take on some obscure NES classics. Loved this, and appreciate the insight on each game! :D
EDIT: Relatively obscure, I should say :P
Hey thanks man! I've been wanting to talk about most of these games for ages, but didn't really have enough to say for a full review. This was a good way to discuss them I think! Thanks for making the time to watch :)
Wow our favorite NES games are almost idenitcal!
There's a lot of great ones in here! Which ones didn't make mine that are on yours? I love a lot more than this, but I tried to keep this video just about games I've never spoken about on the channel before.
@@hungrygoriya Just Xexyz and Vice Project Doom! Id probably swap them out for Startropics and Gargoyles Quest 2
@@BoundaryBreak Right on! I still need to play Gargoyle's Quest 2, but I loved Demon's Crest and the first game on Game Boy. Great choices!
River City Ransom was amazing. Way ahead of its time.
It's a shame that pretty much all the sequels were very inferior to RCR. Really makes this and its prequel (forget the name) stand out.
The modern River City Girls is surprisingly amazing.
yup, mechanically better than Mighty Final Fight,
but graphically nothing on NES compares to MFF.
Love RCR !!
I am a fan! I think I'd get crushed on the harder difficulty, but I'd certainly like to try it someday!
@@michaelp4122 Renegade ? I mean technically Renegade was a prequel... In Japan where the games were in the Kunio Kun series.
@@Gatorade69 That's the name, never played Renegade, but it looks as good as River City Ransom.
I really need to get into Adventure Island 3 since, like you, the second one has been a favorite of mine for most of my life. Great selection, btw.
I hope you enjoy Adventure Island 3. I thought it was more of the same as 2 but slightly more polished in some ways. Definitely keeps the difficulty high, but it was really rewarding to work through. And thank you so much!
Excellent video. Some definite classics.
Hey thanks so much!
Discovering games you love as an adult is always a little bittersweet for me, as I always have it in the back of my mind that I wish I knew it existed when I was a kid :(
I hear this! I do also look to the "better late than never" idea to reassure myself that there are still lots of good experiences to have, even as an adult.
Thanks for the great video. I would love to see a review for all 4 of those games they are amazing titles. Some games I would recommend if you haven't played them are Ghost Lion, Dungeon Magic, Arkista's Ring, Blaster Master, A Boy and His Blob, Maniac Manson, GI Joe (Both are Great), Solar Jetman, Batman, Shadow Gate, Déjà vu, and Uninvited. Those are few I would recommend. My apologies if you have already played them.
Oooo this is a fantastic list! And no need to apologize. From your list there, I've played Arkista's ring (first loop), Blaster Master, Maniac Mansion, Shadowgate, and the first GI Joe. The rest of those are phenomenal recommendations though! Thanks so much!
Wizards & Warriors was one of the first games I ever got for the NES. Had a ton of fun with it. Also River City Ransom was always a blast with my brother.
Among those games at the end I personally liked Star Tropics the best but Crystalis is also fun.
Other games to consider are Karnov (tough but fun), Clash at Demonhead (hilarious and well out together), and GI Joe the Atlantis Factor (much more to it than I'd have first thought). Happy gaming!
It's great that you got to experience some of these as a kid. I'm glad I eventually got around to them. Did you happen to vote in the poll I posted about the game choice? I thought it'd be easier for me than trying to tally comments, but there's nearly a three-way tie. So funny!
I've played Clash at Demonhead, but not Karnov or the second GI Joe game. Funny, I just finished the first GI Joe a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the suggestions!
@Hungry Goriya I did vote in the poll, thanks for checking! Always look forward to new videos.
Star Tropics. Absolutely adore those games.
This, fantastic couple of games, on par to Zelda at the time.
StarTropics 1 is my favorite game of all time
I've only played the first one so far, but I'm curious to see how the second one stacks up.
Half of these games are pretty difficult. You definitely have that gamer spirit.
Hey thanks! I enjoy a challenge.
River City Ransom was a childhood favorite for me. As for great retro games discovered as an adult, I owe you my gratitude for bringing Faxanadu and Rygar to my attention. Of the games you showed at the end, I'd love to see a review of Crystalis next!
River City Ransom was so great. I wish it was a bit longer honestly, but with the guide, it went by pretty quick.
I'm always glad to bring some others over to game I enjoy an awful lot. Especially Faxanadu! Thanks for giving the game a shot and coming out a believer :)
Crystalis is in the lead, so you might just get your wish! Thanks for the thoughtful reply here.
Fire and Ice is an awesome puzzle platformer and one of my favorite games growing up, if you haven't played it. Unfortunately it's price has exploded with the speculation market, so you might have to settle for a repro cart or an "any way you can" solution
I'll second that, and the brutally difficult predecessor Solomon's Key is also great if you're a persistent player.
It's also on Nintendo Switch Online if you're willing to pay for it!
I've been intrigued by Fire and Ice, but yeah... the price is not so great. I'll keep an eye out though! I still need to find a copy of Solomon's Key and give that a try.
Just seeing "The Guardian Legend" (which I've never played) makes me believe you'd LOVE Blaster Master. It's one of my most beloved NES games.
I can also tell DW Duck was a Capcom game. The way the bullets bounce off of the enemies is a direct rip from Megaman. You should try that series. Megaman 2 is my favorite on NES, but Megaman 3 is often other people's favorite.
I looooved Blaster Master. I talked about it in my 8 Hardest NES Games video from a few months ago, and I tried to make this one about games I'd never discussed on the channel before. If I opened it up to all my favourite NES games here, this would've been hours long! Great choice!
I've played Mega Man 2 so far, but no Mega Man 3. Those are the only two I have on NES so far.
@@hungrygoriya Yeah, I can't remember what everyone has played, but you asked for other games, so I thought I'd throw it out there! 😉
The NES continues to amaze me with its library of games that I've just never seen or heard about. I grew up with it, but in short order we had the SNES and that became our go to platform for a long time.
I'd recommend Star Tropics, since that's the only one of the four that I know for sure is fun!
To me, the NES library has rarely turned up a bad time. I can't wait to try out more games soon enough. I wish I could get into more SNES stuff. There's definitely some great games I've played, but I've had way more knockout experiences with the NES.
Guardian Legend is one if my top 3 NES games. Never thought that it would never change even after more than 30 years.
It's such a great game! I can see why you like it so much!
River City Ramsom is such a great game. IMO the best 8-bit 2 player co-op with Double Dragon
I still have to try it co-op sometime. And I still need to play Double Dragon!
@@hungrygoriya If you are to play any of them pick the second one. It improves on the first and the third is way, way too hard and unforgiving. In the last half of Double Dragon II it becomes a platformer and can be pretty infuriating but It's still great fun, especially that level in the helicopter. The second game has 2 player, the first actually doesn't have 2 player support.
@@Gatorade69 The version for Master System has 2 players and it fantastic👌
@@Gatorade69 Good to know! Did you know that the Master System version of Double Dragon has 2 player co-op? It feels a little janky though... I only tried it for a few minutes!
Fun video, Grumbles.. you know how I feel about NES and most of these are near and dear to my heart as well. I'm glad you've enjoyed experiencing these amazing adventures and that they now live in your heart now too :)
Hey, most of them are games you kindly recommended to me back when I was looking for some cool new games to try. So thank you for that!
@@hungrygoriya It always feels awesome when friends enjoy a game you love too
Little Nemo the Dream Master is one of my favorite games. I remember beating this with my brother when we were kids. Great video!
It's really fun. I'm glad you two got through it back then. Nightmare Land is no joke!
Cher-a-zod-e is a hidden gem, Immortal has great music, StarTropics needs bonus sheet for frequency, Crystalis one of the best RPGs for the NES, with music that is top notch!
I would love to see you play Crystalis, followed by StarTropics. I loved both of those games as a child!
They were both excellent. I can't wait to flesh out some thoughts about them both.
I have a few of these games. They're excellent. The ones I don't have I plan on getting. They look good.
...good look with Little Nemo.
@@Marc_Araujo Why? Is it hard?
@@TheMultiGunMan Whoops...I got Little Nemo confused with Little Samson (the most expensive NES game)...that keeps happening to me.
I went back and re-watched most of Darkwing Duck during the pandemic lockdown. Can safely say that it still holds up well today. Not one of those things where you're better off with fond memories than being reminded of the reality - and the modern remake of Ducktales (which does have Darkwing crossovers) are pure gold.
This is heartening to hear. Maybe sometime I'll get a free week of Disney+ and rewatch!
So happy to see Xexyz made your list! Really love this whole list and the trip down memory lane. Glad you're keeping up with your stream and TH-cam!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. And I love the hobby... I can't imagine my life without either channel!
Definitely wanna see your review of Startropics!! Have you ever tried Solomons Key?
Right on! The Immortal and StarTropics are pretty neck in neck with Crystalis at the moment. I'm going to eventually review them all, but I'll see which one comes out on top to prioritize here.
I've never played Solomon's Key. That's the single-screen puzzle game eh? I'd like to try it out someday.
Vice Projct Doom really is something else. I'm absolutely obsessed with the ducking run that you can do in that game Character control is top-notch
Right? It was fantastic and felt like some of the best character control I've experienced on the NES. Especially for how fast-paced the game is!
This is Luis from the future (7 months in the future to be precise) about the guardian legend, it’s made by compile (they were masters of the shooting genre) and if you loved the shooter section whenever you see their logo go ahead and play the game with the exception of power strike their shooters got a pretty manageable difficulty curve. Who knows, we may make a bullet hell champion out of you
I'd like to think I could become a bullet hell champion someday, but I also tend to get overwhelmed with shooters a lot of the time. So much so that I just stop paying attention to what's going on... maybe some day I'll get serious and try out some tougher games in the genre!
hell 10 was a lot of games back then, I think I had... four cartridges. mario bros / duck hunt, mario 3, tmnt 2, and king of kings the early years... though of course through the magic of friends and rentals, I did get to play a bunch of others.
I had no idea how expensive games were back then! nobody told me! I assumed they cost, maybe, the same as 4 action figures.. yknow, 6 at most. But those things cost 12 to 15 times what a figure would cost, so.. I was lucky to get those.. then again I never got any games new, always used from Funcoland.. buuut.. they really overcharged for those. a used NES in 1992 should not have cost 100 bucks.
You know, growing up with a relatively small family, we only ever got games on holidays as kids. And after I was old enough to learn about thrift stores/pawn shops, I was cruising around those looking for old games but didn't have enough money to buy them. I still remember buying A Link to the Past with the box but no manual, and the guy wanted $30. I remember being hesitant to buy that because of how expensive it felt to little kid me. It's only in the last little while that I've had the chance to branch out to new NES stuff, and I've really been enjoying what I've been playing.
I didn't see Metal Storm in your list. Do you have it? if not, it would be a great game in your collection. You would love playing it too, because it look like a lot games in your list.
I actually just bought Metal Storm a few weeks ago from a friend, but I haven't had the chance to play it yet. Good to know it was a good purchase!
Man, Faxanadu is still one of my absolute favorite NES games, the soundtrack is just *chef's kiss*!
Nemo, also, absolutely made me rage quit on that stupid train level as a kid. Usually because id make it to the end and find out id missed one of the keys. Wizards & Warriors was a neat play. Took me FOREVER to beat it, but once i figured out that the kick was actually SUPER OP it wasnt as bad. W&W2 was a bit rougher around the edges but still fun, 3 however was a nightmare. It had AMAZING ideas at the time, but executed them kinda poorly. Xexyz was another game that almost nobody seemed to have heard of when i was a kid, but was fantastic
I'm really glad I'm not the only person who rage quit Little Nemo! I'm glad you liked W&W and Xexyz too. There's a lot of charm and mystery in both of those ones. I hope more folks will try them out soon. They're both good in their own way!
I also didn't play River City Ransom until really late and for a while it was my favorite game of all time. It's crazy to me that they were already blending genres like that when the beat'em up genre was only a few years old when it came out. Another one that really got its hooks into me long after the era of the NES was Crystalis, where I was similarly surprised that there was this action RPG from such a long time ago that I'd never seen. I actually discovered Crystalis because of some Flash game knock-off of DDR that had one of the main themes as a playable track.
I wish I would've tried River City Ransom earlier in life, like many games I've been playing these days. Maybe I would've loved beat 'em ups more these days if I'd been exposed to them a bit more back then.
Crystalis is a great game too. I played it years ago at this point but thought it was wonderful. I'd love to replay it again sometime just for a refresher on how awesome it was!
I have the "eggplant curse" sound for a notification sound on my phone. I never played Kid Icarus until I was nearly 40, and when I got turned into an eggplant I found it hilarious.
I'm glad I'm not the only person coming to this game later in life! Some folks in this comments section thought I was nuts for finding the eggplanting funny, but it's so hilarious to me too! It comes out of nowhere and was always a surprise.
Xexyz is an absolute treat to have been around as a third grader. Thanks for the love and attention to it.
I bet! I would've loved playing it back then too, for sure!
Wizards & Warriors was great, especially in the time it came out. Tough and challenging but fair and ultimately beatable in your first playthrough. It made for an awesome rental game that invited you back another time.
I wish I could've experienced it when it was new. I never really rented NES stuff since I only caught wind of rentals when I was a bit older and the Sega Genesis was my newest console. I rented a lot of Toejam and Earl: Panic on Funkotron back then.
Little Nemo was one of the NES greats I actually managed to beat on my own back when I was a kid. Excellent control, graphics and creative exploration mechanics with the different animal suits complemented the beautiful music perfectly. It was a little too easy to get lost admitedly, but otherwise one of Capcom's greatest. Great video and terrific selections!
Thanks very much! Little Nemo was wonderful and I enjoyed every minute of it. The controls/companion mechanics were awesome, but the music really elevated the entire experience for me. It's a game I've come back to a few times since finishing it.
Wizards and Warriors was so good and relatively easy to beat. My friend used to come over and we would take turns playing until we beat it.
The second-to-last boss is a bit of a nightmare, but the rest of the game's pretty fun up until that point. I especially love the music.
Great video! The Guardian Legend looks like the kind of game I would enjoy. I like format of this video. It’s nice to see a selection of games.
Thanks very much! I've been trying to mix it up once in a while here, especially since there are so many games I've played but haven't had time to review. This was a good way to discuss a few titles I didn't really have a ton to say about.
Wow, great list! So glad to see Guardian Legend getting some love. That opening track has to be one of the most iconic tunes on the NES. I remember being blown away by this game nearly 30 years ago and it still holds up nicely today.
Now I need to dig out my console and try a few of those other ones that I missed along the way. I think that I mentioned it before, but if you like these kind of games, give Flying Warriors a shot.
The Guardian Legend deserves all the love! I hope you have fun with some of these other games.
And not to worry! I have Flying Warriors on my list of things to play sometime. Thanks again for the suggestion!
People never give Vice Project Doom the credit it truly deserves. Good job!
I hear ya! I rarely hear it discussed and it's a fantastic game.
You started with one of my favorite games of all time, so that's an immediate follow.
Hey thanks very much!
Crystalis is one of my favorite games! I’ve played it as an adult on the switch and was truly blown away with how much fun I was having using that Magic sword. Made me really get into the NES library outside of the Classics.
I was actually blown away at how fun Crystalis was. I got a bit frustrated with finding some of the plot progression points, but I enjoyed the rest quite a bit.
That Vice Project Doom stage with the electricity and conveyor belts looks so much like the Power Plant Stage from Batman.
And my vote is for The Magic of Scheherazade.
I agree! Batman's also a really great looking/sounding game. I need to finish that one someday!
And noted about The Magic of Scheherazade! Thank you!
So happy to see Xexyz get some representation! An excellent list of games here all around
More folks need to indulge in a little Xexyz. And thank you very much!
The magic of Scheherazade is probably my favourite nes game its so good. I would love to see a review of this game.
Right on! I hope to review it soon :)
Just here for River City Ransom, and Adventure Island! Those are two of my favourites too!
And though it might be a bit late for recommendations, I suggest giving Panic Restaurant a go!
They're both awesome games! And Panic Restaurant eh? I think I've seen a few people playing that one and it looks very cute. I'll see what I can do to give it a spin sometime. I don't think I'll ever own a physical copy due to how expensive it is.
Nice to see some retro gaming content come across my feed. I loved many of these games. Dream Master, Darkwing Duck, and River City Ransom were some of my favorites back in the day. Xexyz was the only one on this list I had never heard of. I would love to see a video on Startropics! I absolutely adored Startropics and Startropics 2!
Hooray! I'm glad you found me here and that you had such positive experiences with some of these titles. I hope to eventually review all four of the games at the end of the video here, and it looks like Crystalis is up first. StarTropics was an absolute joy to play so I'll be glad to speak on it when the time comes.
The Guardian Legend holds up so well, especially since no game since has really scratched the same itch. Also helps that the heroine is so absurdly cool
It's pretty unique eh? I wish there was some kind of sequel or another game in its style. And the heroine's pretty great. I saw the Japanese cover art for the first time recently and it's gorgeous!
@@hungrygoriya yeah, now that we've had modern revivals of other 8 bit classics like Kid Icarus, Wonder Boy, Streets of Rage etc. I really feel like we're missing out on some kind of Guardian Legend sequel or reboot
I could not beat Kid Icarus as a lad, and did not manage to do so until the 3D version on the 3DS a few years ago. I used to literally shout curses out loud at the Aubergine Wizards from the dungeons, even when I wasn't playing the game. The fact that you call them a 'favourite' makes light of my suffering.
I by no means ever mean to make light of anyone's suffering! They just kept the action suspenseful for me, and whenever they'd get me, it felt like a jumpscare in a movie, followed by a good laugh for me.
You are my number 1 favorite classic game reviewer. It is unbelievable that you don't even have 30k subs at this point.
I'm honoured! I'm just glad anyone takes the time to watch at all. Thank you for spending part of your day here!
This list is some of my favorite games of all time, especially Darkwing Duck. Crystalis and Star Tropics are both amazing as well and I hope to see a reveal of them.
There are some great games on the NES, for sure! I've already reviewed Crystalis if you wanted to hear my thoughts on that one. I hope to get to a StarTropics review soon too. I liked it!
I was just about to recommend Crystalis! Nice to see it in the honorable mentions - that was one I played as an adult and was absolutely floored by.
It won my poll so I'm currently writing up a video for it. I'm excited to get that out for you all :)
Nine mini reviews in one video!
Kid Icarus is the only game on this list that I had any experience of playing during the era when NES was the current system. It was actually my friend's copy, and although I had a quick try at it every now and again, as a 1-player game, I mainly watched him determinedly trying to make it through to the end. The fact that it was a vertical scroller (in parts) made an impression on me, as did the music, which faithfully stuck in my memory for decades until I heard the soundtrack again just a few years ago. The jingle that plays when the Reaper goes crazy was especially memorable to me! Also, what a wonderful instruction booklet; how I miss not having a physical manual with new games.
The only other game of the nine that I've played is River City Ransom, and that was only for about an hour, when my cousin brought a selection of games for us to try during Christmastime about 5 years ago. We had a blast with that one - we didn't really know what we were doing, but it was a real laugh! I haven't played it since...
As for the other seven games in this video..... I can see I have some catching up to do!
It's great that you at least got to experience a couple of these, even if it was only a little. Kid Icarus was a thorn in my side for many years because I just couldn't understand why I was struggling so hard with it. It didn't seem all that difficult even compared to other things I'd mastered by that point, but when I finally broke out of world 1 and saw what lay beyond, it was like the clouds opened up and the angels sang. What a difference! One thing on my list of things to buy is the instruction manual for Kid Icarus. I'd love to have a physical copy for myself, though the scan of that one online is quite lovely and clear!
River City Ransom feels like something I would've really liked as a kid but like you, wouldn't have known what the heck was happening. I hope you do get the opportunity to catch up on some of these sometime, or have time for a little more gaming in general. I'm still anxiously awaiting your inaugural stream of Adventure Island...
Adventure Island??? ......... Who knows what the future holds for us, eh? 😊
I'm slowly getting more & more into the NES library, and some of these games look great! Crystalis and Little Nemo were already on my list, too :)
I just found your channel today, and I'm excited! Not only are the games retro, but your style and positive engagement feels very "retro youtube." I admire the thoughtfulness and passion evident in your videos.
Hey thanks so much for your kindness. I'm a hobbyist and have loved games since I was a kid, so it's nice to be able to share my experiences with everyone here. I hope you find some real gems in your search through the NES library. This video covers a few of my favourites I haven't talked about in other videos, but there are some other great games I loved too, like Legacy of the Wizard, Blaster Master, The Battle of Olympus, Solstice, and many many more. The NES has definitely delivered the most exciting experiences so far.
Guardian Legend looks interesting. I didn't know that Little Nemo had a video game, I just remember the movie (kind of weird, but still enjoyable). I can't remember playing any of these, and hadn't even heard of some of them. Xexyz kind of reminds me of Rygar, which was one of my family's favorites (well, my brothers and I... not so much my sisters). Great video, keep playing!
Guardian Legend is amazing, and so is Little Nemo! I've never watched the Nemo movie or read the comics but there are several games made around that property if you're interested in it in particular. Most of these are on the shorter side overall if you decide to play any of them.
And thank you about the video!
Love the presentation of this video.
I didn't new about Adventure Island 3!
First one was my mum's favorite game.
Thanks very much! I like putting out something a bit different every once in a while.
I first learned about Adventure Island 3 watching a streamer playing it one day, but not paying close enough attention to notice it wasn't the second game at first. And when they ducked, I was like "OH REALLY" and I immediately started looking for it, haha
Awesome choices!!
As a kid I had Darkwing Duck(and the Rockman hack), also Adventure Island 3, Vice Project Doom, River City Ramson but all 3 japanese bootlegs and played them on black and White tv with VHF conecction. It didin´t matter as long as I could play and have fun.
Here in Argentina, back in the day, an original game and/or console it was kind of a rare thing to see. The only thing you'll find were famicom knockoffs. It was super fun tradring cartridges with the kids in the neighborhood.
Another of my favorites are Jackal, Boku Drakula Kun, Wherewolf The Last Warrior and "Robocop 3" but it was Tokkyu Shirei Solbrain.
Oh nice! Your extended list there has some games I'm really curious to try, especially Jackal!
And I've heard about a lot of bootlegs and knockoffs in your part of the world. My best friend growing up had a Famicom knockoff cartridge that we played a ton. It was a 72-in-1 and it had so much good stuff on it! I'm glad you still got exposed to so many games despite not having the actual system back then.
Glad to see Xexyz on the list! I loved that game as a kid, but I never got more than maybe half way through it. I might need to give it another go as an adult. Vice Project Doom looks awesome, I'll have to check that out sometime too. Thanks for another great video!
I hope you give them both a try and have some success with getting through. And thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I really love the... goofiness, I suppose, of Wizards and Warriors. The game feels fresh and lighthearted to me without being outright silly or comedic, and it's oh so charming for it.
That's a great descriptor for Wizards & Warriors. I think it's a very funny experience and not too tough to muddle through, save for a few tough boss fights. It's just good clean fun.
Of the ones shown at the end i enjoyed Crystalis the most, it's one of my favorite NES titles.
Great video HG, I agree that most of these are indeed great NES classics. I forget if you've played it yet or not, but if you find a copy of Arkista's Ring it's definitely worth picking up.
Thanks very much! I know I'm not saying much here that hasn't already been said, but I've been meaning to shine a spotlight on these for a long while.
I have played Arkista's Ring, but not too far past the end of the first loop. Those ninjas are the worst!!!
I think my favorite NES game might be Bucky O' Hare. It's the game I currently feel like I can pop in any time and that I haven't played to death already. Its challenging yet forgiving with its unlimited continues that start you off at the last screen you died at, and I absolutely love how like in mega man clearing a stage gives you a new ability.
I've been looking for a copy of Bucky O'Hare for many years now. I'd love to play it sometime!
This is the best list of it's kind on TH-cam. One that didn't make the list is "The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy", but there's a bunch of really good ones on here.
Hey thanks! I haven't played any Dizzy games yet, unfortunately!
Ma'am, you are the Rick Steves of retro gaming. I'm utterly charmed.
Great games! Especially The Guardian Legend, Kid Icarus, and Wizards & Warriors. Kid Icarus's manual was fantastic, one of the few I enjoyed reading.
They were all a blast. And isn't that manual awesome? I spent a lot of time with a couple in childhood, and if I'd had that one, I'm sure I would've read it to death as well. I love the artwork from that era.
Crystalis is one of my favorite games on the NES, but your playthrough of The Immortal was really good, so I would love to see either of those.
I'd be happy to talk about either game. Thanks for voting!
one of the best retro game channels. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
That's very kind of you! Thank you :)
Monster Party, DuckTales 1&2, Battle Toads, Batman 1&2, Bionic Commando, Conquest of the Crystal Palace, Getsufumaden, Low G Man, KickMaster...to name a couple😅 Fantastic vid!👾
Great list here! I think I've only finished one game on this list and haven't tried most of them out yet. Thanks!
One game I loved as a kid that comes to mind that i never see people mention is RESCUE. You're a swat team member and there's a few different styles that are all completely different from one another. I can't remember any game that tried what it did at the time and it actually had blood in it, which was a little shocking when i was 11 years old.
I'll have to take a look into that one. It sounds familiar! Thanks for the suggestion.
Apart from your great pacing and nice attention to detail by breaking down all of the parts of a game people are looking for (graphics, controls, music, story, difficulty, etc) what I love about your channel is that it helps remind me of the games I used to play and decide which ones are worth a revisit with my unfortunately sparse gaming time.
Seeing The Guardian Legend on this list was delightful. I first encountered it when I was 11 or so and it was too hard to manage the first level. But when I found it again a few years later I remember having a really good time with it and it was the first game I recall seriously starting to map out.
I'd love to see you do Star Tropics, (don't forget to bring the letter so you remember the radio frequency!) but Crystalis is DEFINITELY in your wheelhouse and I think you'll have a blast with it!
Awwww thanks so much! That's super nice to hear. I'm only experiencing a lot of these games for the first time these days, but I think it's so awesome that yourself and so many others had these memories as a big part of your childhoods. I wish I'd gotten to experience more back then myself!
The Guardian Legend is sooooo much fun! I was surprised at how much I clicked with it given my inability to get much done in shooter games, but the exploration parts really shone for me. And I do plan to review StarTropics sometime. I played it through a few months ago, and someone who hangs out in the streams was kind enough to take a photo of their wet letter for me! And I just reviewed Crystalis not too long ago here if you're curious to hear about that one from me. Either way, thanks for a thoughtful comment!
Stellar list!
A few I'd also recommend would be Conquest of the Crystal Palace, Bucky 'O Hare, Gargoyle's Quest II, and Batman.
If you're into ROM hacks, Legend of Zelda: Amida's Curse is an excellent Zelda 2 hack, as is Legend of Zelda: Outlands for Zelda 1.
Oh nice! These are great suggestions! I need to track down a copy of Bucky O'Hare one of these days.
I haven't tried too many ROM hacks, but I love me some Zelda 1. I think I'd be scared to try a hack of Zelda II. I love the original, but it's very tough for me!
The cover to Guardian Legend scared me as a kid. I didn't play it until I was an adult.
They're scary eyes, for sure!
My vote is for The Immortal to have a full video on. I’ve finished StarTropics and Crystals, but never got even close with Immortal. That game is no joke! 😅
I suppose we'll see how the poll comes out, but I'd like to review all four eventually!
I used to play wizards & warriors and river city ransom with my brother when we were young. Thanks for stirring up the good memories!
I'm glad you have such good memories from that time in your life! Thanks for stopping in here.
My sister went to blockbuster one night, knew I loved darkwing, saw the game, rented it for me.. the clerk forgot to scan it out. Free Darkwing Duck game. I was sooooo PSYCHED. Loved this game so much.
Luckyyyyyyyy!
Star Tropics is my favorite game. I love to watch any video about it.
Nice! Right now it's just slightly trailing behind Crystalis in the poll on my community tab, so if you'd like to see that sooner than later, please go ahead and vote over there!
Kid Icarus was the first game i played as a kid where i HAD to draw my own dungeon maps by hand. Eff them Eggplant Wizards!
I bought that game used, with no instruction manual and no strategy guide so there was A LOT i missed out on but it was still satisfying to trial and error that classic.
Eggplant wizards still make me laugh, but they're definitely bothersome.
And I'm glad you were able to make it through Kid Icarus without the manual. I love the artwork in it and really enjoyed reading through it when I played as an adult, but there's so much that the manual doesn't straight up tell you anyway!