System: Nintendo Entertainment System Release date: 1989 Faxanadu on the NES is the game that proves the side-scrolling action RPG was capable of genuine ambition long before anyone invented the phrase “Metroidvania.” This Faxanadu title dropped you into a dying World Tree, handed you a sword, a handful of gold, and an increasingly grim quest…
System: Nintendo Entertainment System Release date: 1990 Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers on the Nintendo Entertainment System is a charming, colourful and thoroughly likeable platformer that still brings plenty of smiles. This Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers NES title turned the pint-sized cartoon heroes into proper 8-bit legends. As the Rescue Rangers in Chip ’n…
System: Nintendo Entertainment System Release date: 1986 Kid Icarus on the NES is a quirky and ambitious classic that mixes platforming, exploration and light RPG elements into something genuinely unique for its time. This Kid Icarus NES title sends angelic hero Pit on a perilous quest to rescue the goddess Palutena from the clutches of…
System: Nintendo Entertainment System Release date: 1986 Excitebike on the NES is a cracking early motocross game that still delivers a fun ride today. This Excitebike NES classic brought arcade-style dirt track thrills straight into living rooms everywhere. You tear around bumpy courses packed with jumps, whoops, mud and rival riders all trying to knock…
System: Nintendo Entertainment System Release date: 1991 Shadow Warriors on the NES is a stylish and ambitious ninja action game that still impresses with its movement, storytelling and atmosphere. This Shadow Warriors NES title (known as Ninja Gaiden elsewhere) follows Ryu Hayabusa on a globe-spanning quest for revenge against the demonic Jaquio. Wall-running, shuriken storms,…
System: Nintendo Entertainment System Release date: 1989 DuckTales on the NES is a proper little gem and one of Capcom’s finest Disney efforts. This DuckTales NES classic turned Scrooge McDuck into one of the best 8-bit platforming heroes around. As the world’s richest (and tightest) duck, you bounce across the globe from the Amazon to…
System: Nintendo Entertainment System Release date: 1987 Punch-Out!! on the NES is a timeless classic that still delivers one of the most satisfying boxing experiences around. This Punch-Out NES title turned tiny underdog Little Mac into one of the most memorable heroes on the system. Facing off against a gallery of larger-than-life opponents from Glass…