Your Three Most-Played NES Games

roker

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I know why people like save states but for me it doesn't make much sense unless you're playing some rusty ass NES RPG game or something. Personal preference really but for me the fun thing about old consoles is to play it in shorter bursts that are basically regulated by the game being short or pissing you off. You beat the game or lost at the second half of the game? Ok, power off, come back to it another day.

Actually this is what most appeals to me about arcade games, too. It doesn't overstay its welcome and it's short enough to master.

Now what does tickle my curiosity is -- how does the everdrive implement savestates? That's some sci-fi shit.

Save state completions make sense if it's a game you want to see the ending to and have no desire to invest the time and such into. I only use it for RPGs or those old games that required an obscene amount of code like Metroid and Kid Icarus.
 
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Hattori Hanzo

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it is by far the easiest games
It's probably the easiest Castlevania but this doesn't automatically mean it's a bad game. It's the best version to start in the series. III is already a tough one but compared to the Sharp X68000 version it's also just a walk in the park. I don't think that Akumajou Dracula on the Sharp X68000 is better just because it's harder. The arrange mode on the PSX lowers the difficulty to Dracula's Curse level (on normal). Better not talking about the later loops. Programmers had some serious fun with that one.
 

Azathoth

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I loved the RetroFreak because it had save states and it was awesome

The Retron 5 deserves all the criticism it gets but that's one aspect I like above anything else. Having an auto save/load option by default every time you insert a cart made me go back and play a lot of shit I wouldn't have otherwise. Makes a huge difference on score chasing games like shmups or pinball. Auto save states, using any controller on any system, and built-in Game Genie codes are the only reason I ever use it.

Bought it from AliExpress, it creates an SRAM-copy of every game you play

Nice, I might bother with upgrading from my old as shit Powerpak. It supports savestates with a custom firmware but it's very hit and miss.
 

egg_sanwich

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Pretty sure the best of the best got recommended, but how about these:

Technos Dodge Ball (great music, fun game, flickery)
Burai Fighter
Vice: Project Doom

Dodge Ball is sooooo much fun, the Kunio version spent a lot of time in Famicom's cart slot.

Has nobody mentioned Blades of Steel yet? Too much fun with some bros and brews.

Chip and Dale is another fun co-op title.
 

@M

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Taboo the Sixth Sense. A NES tarot card reading is just a bizarre experience and I don't know how something like that even got the green light. It even used to rope in my family members who wouldn't touch a video game otherwise. Complete and utter bullshit, but, amusing.
 

ShootTheCore

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A few great titles I don’t think have been mentioned yet:

Gremlins 2
Cobra Triangle
Micro Machines

And three great Famicom sleepers:
Gimmick
Recca
Gradius II

My three personal favorite NES games that I play the most are Battletoads, Blaster Master, and Zelda 1 (with Mega Man 2 as honorable mention). I replay those games all the time.
 

Takumaji

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It's probably the easiest Castlevania but this doesn't automatically mean it's a bad game. It's the best version to start in the series. III is already a tough one but compared to the Sharp X68000 version it's also just a walk in the park. I don't think that Akumajou Dracula on the Sharp X68000 is better just because it's harder. The arrange mode on the PSX lowers the difficulty to Dracula's Curse level (on normal). Better not talking about the later loops. Programmers had some serious fun with that one.

IMO there is no way around the NES originals if you really want to know what made people fall in love with Castlevania and why they (including myself) still hold the 2D games in high regard. The rather abstract, gothic, Western-style horror depicted in the NES games in combination with the vast technical experience and decidedly Japanese creativity of the late 80s/early 90s Konami developers led to games with very challenging but also highly rewarding gameplay that makes you come back for more even if it kicks your ass left and right.

What's more, the music of the NES games set the standard for things to come, some of the themes have become major classics of video game history and still sound as great and fresh as back in the day. Even if you don't pay much attention to it, the music compliments the visuals and gameplay perfectly and adds another dimension to the game.

Lastly, there is the overall level of difficulty and also frustration but I think Konami dosed that just right (well, with a few exceptions...), some parts are relentlessly difficult and make you tear your hair out but this makes it feel all the more rewarding if you finally manage to overcome them. In most cases, the developers found the magic sweet spot between challenge and frustration and gave players a task that seems overwhelming at first but is doable with enough practise and persistence, and you will gladly invest the time because it's just insanely fun to play.

So, my recommendation is to tackle the series in chronological order to really see what makes it tick. Specially if you love some of the later games that came out after the NES originals you just owe it to yourself to see what kicked off the craze and made Castlevania a household name among gamers worth their salt.
 

Hattori Hanzo

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Relax Tak, I started to the series when I was 12. Didn't flame the NES parts I just praised IV like I always do. I imported an US NES for the Castlevanias and later bought a Famicom. Play the Sharp X68000 version and you will cry like all of us. Still like it but IV is way better even if it's the easiest Castlevania. IV & Sharp version are both reimaginations of the first one.
 

Takumaji

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I'm totally relaxed, it's all for the love of the game.

Bloodlines is closer to the real thing than IV IMO, the X68k version is excellent, played it on a gaming gathering many years ago. There's a variant on PSX as well (Castlevania Chronicles) which isn't on the same level but decent enough. There's also a version of it on SNES, iirc.
 

Tron

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Journey to Silius
Bucky o hare
Power Blade

Some not so much talked about games:
Dead Fox
Cocoron
Flipull
Getsu Fuuma Den
Holy Diver
Ninja Crusaders
Blue Shadow
Super Sprint (there is a PS1 compilation with the arcade port on it but the Famicom version is still very fun)
Bucky'o'Hare is on my pile of shame still. I try to finally sit down and play it all the way but i got caught up doing a marathon of castlevania games.Still a very good license game for the nes in the mid 2000's i bought the japanese version of it cib.Good thing i did,bucky'o'hare has become the most expensive game for the nes.Also i never see much talk about dead fox aka code name viper.I all ways wounder why dead fox play so much like rolling thunder then i found out it's by arc system works who also did the nes,rolling thunder port.
 

Hattori Hanzo

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I'm totally relaxed, it's all for the love of the game.

Bloodlines is closer to the real thing than IV IMO, the X68k version is excellent, played it on a gaming gathering many years ago. There's a variant on PSX as well (Castlevania Chronicles) which isn't on the same level but decent enough. There's also a version of it on SNES, iirc.
I would probably sign that for Bloodlines if there wasn't the "Easy Mode" with Eric Lecarde. He plays different without a whip. At least he doesn't throw doves. ^^
 
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I'm totally relaxed, it's all for the love of the game.

Bloodlines is closer to the real thing than IV IMO, the X68k version is excellent, played it on a gaming gathering many years ago. There's a variant on PSX as well (Castlevania Chronicles) which isn't on the same level but decent enough. There's also a version of it on SNES, iirc.
Bloodlines is absolutely amazing. It has such a killer soundtrack that really made the yamaha chip sing
 

AppleiDog

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My top 3 bootlegs

Kart fighter (Mario kart Street fighter)
Somari (Mario in sonic 1)
Resident evil 1
 

GutsDozer

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Mega Man 2

Excitebike

Trojan

Paperboy (BONUS)
 

norton9478

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I am 100% certain that the top two of all time are the following in order:
Super Tecmo Bowl
LJN MLB BASEBALL

For the third, I'm guessing that it is Super C although It may be Stinger (Twinbee Sequel)

I played so much MLB baseball that I learned how to break the physics of the game... Like catching foul balls in the stands.
 

norton9478

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I know why people like save states but for me it doesn't make much sense unless you're playing some rusty ass NES RPG game or something. Personal preference really but for me the fun thing about old consoles is to play it in shorter bursts that are basically regulated by the game being short or pissing you off. You beat the game or lost at the second half of the game? Ok, power off, come back to it another day.

Save states are useful for training purposes. Especially for mastering boss battles.
 

MCF 76

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#1 Top NES game for me is Contra hands down.

Others I dearly love and are classics to me and play often are:

Castlevania
Super C
Legendary Wings
Wizards n Warriors
Jackal
Karnov
Iron Tank
1943
Commando
 

blakeb8111

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If you like techno super bowl, go online and there are guys who make an updated version every year with the current nfl rosters and you can add it to your everdrive. It’s fun and when i have people over, even the most casual gamer remembers it as a kid and is interested in playing it.
 

prof

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Mega Man 2

Excitebike

Trojan

Paperboy (BONUS)
You should try Paperboy on the Sega Master System. It's so much better. A staggering improvement over the NES.
 
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