Watch a gamer finish Mario in five minutes. No joke!

The 80s was a time when new wave, hair spray and shoulder pads were hip. Life was much simpler back when technology wasn’t really too developed. Everyone’s concept of fun was a walk in the park or staying over at a neighbor’s place. If those activities ever became too boring, they had a simple gadget to turn to. Enter the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) or the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) gaming console, the 80s answer to the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. The Famicom may not be capable of conjuring up detailed sprites that can be mistaken as members of the living world, but, its set of simple games can certainly rival the fun factor of any advanced game. Just like mobile phone games, 8-bit Famicom games are simple but addictive. In fact, they are so addictive that 80s kids install emulators in their computers just to get a chance to play these games once again. Anyway, here are the games that made the Famicom the ultimate leisure device during the 80’s:

10. Excite Bike

The thrill of riding a dirt bike is rivaled by few activities. Imagine leaving your opponents in a trail of dust while you cruise your way through every obstacle en route to the checkered flag. You get the chance to experience the same thrill ride in the comfort of your living room by playing Excite Bike. Excite Bike lives true to its title as it dishes out several courses with varying levels of difficulty. To make things even more challenging, it tosses-in a handful of rough opponents through every course. You can level the playing field by toppling your opponents if ever you get too ticked off. Once you have mastered the game, you can design your own course to provide new challenges. Not bad for an 8-bit racing game.

9. Punch Out

Slugging it out with bullies is always a dreadful high school experience. You either end up with a bloody nose or bruises on your face. Now, you get the chance to give bullies fat lips and black eyes by playing the best boxing simulation on the Famicom console. Punch Out lets you play a small boxer named Little Mac as he goes up against huge boxing bullies. Never mind the technicality regarding weight classes, the sheer satisfaction of making puppies out of bullies with your fists is purely gratifying. It just so happens that the game displays superior graphics for an 8-bit console and has fluid movements that makes the experience even better.

 

(Why don’t you  imitate how the famous boxers wrecked their oppponents in the Ten Most Explosive Knockouts in History  during the game.)

8. Castlevania

Vampires are threatening to dislodge humans from the top of the food chain. Dracula has sent his horde of minions to scourge the land and create followers. Fortunately for the human race, the Belmont clan has stepped up to the plate and showed everyone why vampires suck in every connotation. In the Castlevania series, you get to play the great Simon Belmont. Armed with your whip and an assortment of Vampire-repelling gadgets, you can fight your way through crowds of ghouls and zombies. This game could have been rated higher in this list since it has excellent graphics, a great storyline and exceptional gameplay, but a lot of young players complained about its difficulty level. Experienced players will definitely place this in the top 5 of their own top 10 lists.

7. Spartan X

To be the ultimate street fighter, one should have a lot of combat experience and some knowledge of deadly weapons. In the game Spartan X, all you need are nimble thumbs and good reflexes. Spartan X is a very simple fighting game with even simpler graphics. Basically, the object of the game is to knock out everything that moves. So why is this mindless game in this list in the first place? It’s because it is phenomenally entertaining. The main character can put on several good moves to scatter crowds of bad guys. The fast-paced gameplay adds to the fun factor as well. Strange as it may seem, but the highlight of the game is the laughable voice acting of the bosses, making them very irritating. You probably know that is no greater satisfaction than smacking around very annoying individuals with your bare hands.

6. Double Dribble

Shoot, pass, and slam dunk your way to victory as you play the best basketball simulation on the famicon console. Double Dribble is defined by its excellent game play and fluid movements. The sprites are small but they are very responsive. You are also treated to a cool cut scene whenever you go for a slam dunk. Overall, it may not have good graphics, but it certainly rivals every other game in the entertainment department. You can play this game for weeks and not get tired of it. Through its excellent playability, Double Dribble paved the way for all the realistic basketball games played in this current generation’s batch of advanced gaming consoles. It is just surprising to see that such a great sports game is named after a basketball infraction. Click play on the video below to view double dribble in action!

5. Donkey Kong

Seldom will you find a Famicom game named after its head villain. In Donkey Kong’s case, the villain deserves to carry the game’s title. Donkey Kong is a very irritating gorilla that drops barrels and other equipment on the main character, Mario. You have to guide Mario through waves of barrels and other projectiles until you reach Donkey Kong’s platform where you can kick his teeth in. As simple as it sounds, the game is actually very challenging because of the varying speeds of the barrels thrown by that annoying primate. Donkey Kong is also rendered to look silly, which can get to your nerves and ruin your concentration. So why is this game successful? The answer is pretty simple: everyone wants a piece of that ape.

4. Megaman

Everyone used to adore tales about orphaned children and kindhearted step-fathers. Pinocchio weaved its magic as it captured the hearts of both children and parents. If you trade Pinocchio’s childish ways for a laser cannon and the ability to absorb the powers of foes then you get the story of the Megaman franchise. Along with Castlevania, Megaman has the best storyline among all of the Famicom games released. It also features several levels that are textured with excellent graphics and challenging opponents. Each power that Megaman collects from the level bosses adds a new dimension to the game. He can reach secret areas with those powers or become a mechanical powerhouse. All in all, the Megaman series contains some of the best games to ever appear in the Famicom console. If not for the pioneering work done by the top three games in this list, it could have been number one.

3. Tetris

Watch out kids, your mothers are back from work. Instead of heading to the kitchen, they go straight to the living room and perform a hostile take over of your TV time. What else could they be planning, but to play the most famous puzzle game to ever come out for a gaming console? Tetris is a rather simple game, where variously-shaped blocks drop and pile up. The object of the game is to prevent the pile of shapes from reaching the topmost portion of your playing area. You can eliminate the pile by moving the dropping blocks to form horizontal lines. Sounds simple right? Not if you reach the latter levels, where the blocks as swiftly as raindrops. For a fact, this game is a perennial favorite of puzzle-loving moms. She can probably make you look like an amateur gamer if you challenge her on this one.

2. Contra

Explosions, gun battles, killer robots; these are only but a few samples of what you will experience when you play this Rambo-like game made by Konami. Contra is packed with eight stages of non-stop action. You can collect various weapon power-ups throughout the game and blast away at hundreds and hundreds of enemies. One of the toughest games to beat on the console, Contra has absurdly large bosses that have a dozen ways to exterminate your character. Contra may be the best action title in the console, but it’s not really the action that gives the game its replay value. Does up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, b, a, select, start ring a bell?

1. Mario Series

If there’s a video game character that best represents the Famicom console, it would have to be Nintendo’s poster boy, Mario. Mario made the console an instant hit in the 80s. Everyone clamored for a NES or a Famicom just to get the chance to play Mario Bros. Mario Bros is characterized by its lovable lead characters, Mario and Luigi. It has good graphics and groundbreaking gameplay. Mario one became the benchmark for creating good Famicom games. After a few years, a new game emerged and completely raised the standards by set by the first official Mario game. It was Mario 3. Talk about total gaming domination.

The Nintendo Family Computer is one of the most memorable items from the 80s. It gave people the option of staying at home for their leisure time. Of course, it pales in comparison to the video game consoles of today, but you can always relive some of your childhood memories by playing the Famicom’s simpler games. Try downloading some of these games onto your computer or buying the old console outright. Before you know it, you are already feeling the nostalgia.

 

(Nintendo Entertainment System has been the leader in the Ten Best Consoles In The Video Game Industry and most of the Top Ten Video Games of All Time are from this platform.)