Most underrated NES games

[figgler]

I don't know why everybody complains about Broderbund. With the exception of  Legacy of the Wizard, their games were quite good.

 

I contend that only those who have never played Legacy of the Wizard for any amount of time would dare bash it.

I have and always will stand behind this game as one of the best ever released for the NES. Uber-difficulty, five playable characters, a HUGE dungeon and some of the very best music in all the history of gaming. Legacy is easily one of the most brilliant games, and surely the most underrated.

Again, I submit that it is so simply because no one takes the time to get into it. Once you start crawling that dungeon, getting your first crown, empowering the family and such, oh man that game is so friggin fun and demanding it's in a class by itself

[moycon]

I was suprised Crystalis didn't have more of a following and spawn sequels.

In my opinion it's one of the best NES games...period.

[Flojomojo]

What was that game that had some kind of text messages pop up on the screen.  There was a helicoptor too.  Something tells me you were hunting for someone.  The person you find turns out to be bad...  Oh boy, memory is failing.  You were named "Super Joe" or something?

886135[/snapback]

I don't know if this is what you're talking about, but Golge 13: Top Secret Episode is one of my favorites, though it's unlikely to be in anyone's top 10.

 

I've seen a lot of love for Guardian Legend, which I've never played. Will give that one a go ...

[n8littlefield]

I always thought Milon's Secret Castle was underrated. Also, Solomen's Key.

[JB]

I was suprised Crystalis didn't have more of a following and spawn sequels.

In my opinion it's one of the best NES games...period.

886217[/snapback]

Ditto. Can't believe I forgot to nominate it. One of the best action-RPGs ever.

 

It DID get a GBColor remake. But Nitnendo messed it up badly, IMO.

Edited July 5, 2005 by JB

[Snoopy]

Magic of Scherehazade (however it's spelled ).  A little bit of dragon warrior style rpg fights with a Crystalis-like adventuring.

885554[/snapback]

 

You beat me to it! What made this game for me was definitely the music. I remember reading a long time ago that the music was written by a popular Japanese composer, although I do not recall his name. Gameplay itself was good and I always kind of wished they would have made a sequal.

 

I have great memories of magic of scheherazade. When I was in the 3rd and 4th grade, my dad and I used to stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights and play it.

[Dr. Morbis]

What was that game that had some kind of text messages pop up on the screen.  There was a helicoptor too.  Something tells me you were hunting for someone.  The person you find turns out to be bad...  Oh boy, memory is failing.  You were named "Super Joe" or something?

886135[/snapback]

Your description sounds to me like Bionic Commando. But BC is not underrated at all.

[AtariAger]

I don't know if this is what you're talking about, but Golge 13: Top Secret Episode is one of my favorites, though it's unlikely to be in anyone's top 10.

886301[/snapback]

 

I always loved Golgo 13!!! I also liked playing Faxanadu.

 

[nintendo]

I have to nominate Flying Warriors. It's like an action game that has some RPG elements mixed with a unique fighting system which makes for a good game you rarely hear anything about.

Edited July 6, 2005 by nintendo

[AtariAger]

What was that game that had some kind of text messages pop up on the screen.  There was a helicoptor too.  Something tells me you were hunting for someone.  The person you find turns out to be bad...  Oh boy, memory is failing.  You were named "Super Joe" or something?

886135[/snapback]

Your description sounds to me like Bionic Commando. But BC is not underrated at all.

886573[/snapback]

 

Yes...Bionic Commando is one of my top 10 best NES games ever!

 

[Dones]

I don't know if this is what you're talking about, but Golge 13: Top Secret Episode is one of my favorites, though it's unlikely to be in anyone's top 10.

886301[/snapback]

 

I always loved Golgo 13!!! I also liked playing Faxanadu.

 

886617[/snapback]

Wow golgo 13. Probably the only nes game that made it to the US with sexual innuendo (a short ninja-gaiden like cut-scene, nothing is shown but enough is said to imply it ). I always found funny the fact Golgo would answer everything with "...". There was a lot of that game from the anime that made it through.

 

I.E.

Hot Anime Babe: "Oh Golgo! You are the only one that understands me. Wish other guys would be like you."

Golgo 13: "..."

Hot Anime Babe: "Spend the night with me!"

Golgo 13: "..."

Hot Anime Babe: "Please? I'll make it worth your while."

Golgo 13: "..."

 

Anyways that game was hard! It was very easy to die. You had to make your way through 1st person multi-level mazes (with no automap). Many times you had to collect certain items (the game does not tells you what you need or where to find it) to be able to beat these levels. I got addicted to the challenge somehow. Took me a couple of months to beat it (made my own maps, no hints, no cheats, no Internet, no outside help!). At the time I felt pretty good when I accomplished it.

[Dones]

Yes...Bionic Commando is one of my top 10 best NES games ever!

 

886620[/snapback]

That game is hardly underrated! On the contrary, Bionic Commando is one of the best games of the library. It always gets mentioned in top 10's.

[AtariAger]

Yes...Bionic Commando is one of my top 10 best NES games ever!

 

886620[/snapback]

That game is hardly underrated! On the contrary, Bionic Commando is one of the best games of the library. It always gets mentioned in top 10's.

886634[/snapback]

 

Yes, I agree with both of you! There is no way that Bionic Commando could ever be considered underrated!

[JB]

Yes...Bionic Commando is one of my top 10 best NES games ever!

 

886620[/snapback]

That game is hardly underrated! On the contrary, Bionic Commando is one of the best games of the library. It always gets mentioned in top 10's.

886634[/snapback]

 

Yes, I agree with both of you! There is no way that Bionic Commando could ever be considered underrated!

886637[/snapback]

It COULD, however, be filed as over-rated.

[Jess Ragan]

I don't know if this is what you're talking about, but Golge 13: Top Secret Episode is one of my favorites, though it's unlikely to be in anyone's top 10.

886301[/snapback]

 

I always loved Golgo 13!!! I also liked playing Faxanadu.

 

886617[/snapback]

Wow golgo 13. Probably the only nes game that made it to the US with sexual innuendo (a short ninja-gaiden like cut-scene, nothing is shown but enough is said to imply it ). I always found funny the fact Golgo would answer everything with "...". There was a lot of that game from the anime that made it through.

 

I.E.

Hot Anime Babe: "Oh Golgo! You are the only one that understands me. Wish other guys would be like you."

Golgo 13: "..."

Hot Anime Babe: "Spend the night with me!"

Golgo 13: "..."

Hot Anime Babe: "Please? I'll make it worth your while."

Golgo 13: "..."

886630[/snapback]

 

Golgo 13 never shows emotion, ever, even when he's in the middle of intercourse. He's so stiff and wooden that I quickly gave him the nickname "AlGore 13".

 

Has anyone here seen the movie Golgo 13: The Professional? It's a movie that's so unintentionally funny and ripe for parody that it could easily have been showcased in an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. The storyline was hard to follow, the enemies were ridiculous, and the lead character had all the depth and personality of a styrofoam cup. The producers even threw in a few random computer rendered scenes (all horribly dated) just to ensure that the audience was completely bewildered. I'm telling you, the movie could have been the next Mitchell!

 

JR

[Dones]

Golgo 13 never shows emotion, ever, even when he's in the middle of intercourse.  He's so stiff and wooden that I quickly gave him the nickname "AlGore 13".

 

Has anyone here seen the movie Golgo 13: The Professional?  It's a movie that's so unintentionally funny and ripe for parody that it could easily have been showcased in an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

Yes I saw that anime movie long time ago. I remember Golgo never speaks or shows emotion, like you said. The crude computer graphics where quite cool back then though.

 

Anyway back on topic: I was amazed that Vic Tokai slipped the sex scene through Nintendo's radar unnoticed. To be fair there is nothing shown (i think they only showed an apartment window from afar with its lights going off). Mario Club did censor other games for far less offensive things (i.e. hamster in a microwave in Maniac Mansion). You know what? I bet was happened was the censor guys never got through the first level so they never saw the sex scene. Maybe it was too hard/boring for them?

[AlexKIDD]

I agree with anyone who mentioned Guardian Legend and Blaster Master,though i'd say Blaster Master is relatively popular. And I always thought legacy of the wizard was a cool game,though it is too hard for my liking. As far as stuff that noone mentioned i'd like to nominate Little Nemo:the dream master. I'm not sure how popular it was back in the day but noone ever seems to mention it now. I had quite a bit of fun with that game and I remember the graphics and music being very good for the system,though I havn't played it in awhile.

[fmctm1sw]

What was that game that had some kind of text messages pop up on the screen.  There was a helicoptor too.  Something tells me you were hunting for someone.  The person you find turns out to be bad...  Oh boy, memory is failing.  You were named "Super Joe" or something?

886135[/snapback]

Your description sounds to me like Bionic Commando. But BC is not underrated at all.

886573[/snapback]

 

That's it! Yeah, I couldn't remember the title. I don't follow NES but that was a great game. I think I'll look it up...

[Jess Ragan]

Golgo 13 never shows emotion, ever, even when he's in the middle of intercourse.  He's so stiff and wooden that I quickly gave him the nickname "AlGore 13".

 

Has anyone here seen the movie Golgo 13: The Professional?  It's a movie that's so unintentionally funny and ripe for parody that it could easily have been showcased in an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

Yes I saw that anime movie long time ago. I remember Golgo never speaks or shows emotion, like you said. The crude computer graphics where quite cool back then though.

 

Anyway back on topic: I was amazed that Vic Tokai slipped the sex scene through Nintendo's radar unnoticed. To be fair there is nothing shown (i think they only showed an apartment window from afar with its lights going off). Mario Club did censor other games for far less offensive things (i.e. hamster in a microwave in Maniac Mansion). You know what? I bet was happened was the censor guys never got through the first level so they never saw the sex scene. Maybe it was too hard/boring for them?

886695[/snapback]

 

Wasn't that game released early in the life of the system? Their content policies may have been more relaxed back then, before everyone and their mother was making games for the NES.

 

After writing reviews of EVERY licensed NES game for my upcoming reference guide, I could probably list dozens of games in this thread. Games like Cobra Triangle, or Shatterhand, or Eliminator Boat Duel (I may be in the minority on this one, but I was really impressed with its seamless integration of three different views of the racing action).

 

JR

[classicgamingguy]

TGL's great. Except forms oem major flicker issues on some bosses.

 

Also worth nominating: the action-adventure title Blaster Master and the platform shooter Metal Storm.

 

(interesting technical note: Metal Storm generates 3 independant background layers in software for parallax scrolling to create the illusion of depth, which was one of the major features the SNES and Genesis had over the NES).

884864[/snapback]

 

I'd have to agree with you on Blaster Master...and JB, how did you get so smart? I wish I had the technical "savvy" that you have...

 

Steve

[+kisrael]

Solar Jetman? Very polished, slick game, I don't think you hear that much about it.

 

Also there was an extremely solid port of Archon that I haven't heard anything about, like ever. And a relatively amazing port of "Smash TV"

[Dones]

After writing reviews of EVERY licensed NES game for my upcoming reference guide, I could probably list dozens of games in this thread.  Games like Cobra Triangle, or Shatterhand, or Eliminator Boat Duel (I may be in the minority on this one, but I was really impressed with its seamless integration of three different views of the racing action).

Right on! All three can be considered underrated. I share your opinion on the three: they were not popular but they were great games. Cobra Triangle shares a lot of the pick-up and play addictiveness of it's cousin R.C. Pro Am. The variety of tracks and tasks sure keeps you entertained (ie. jumping over waterfalls, rescuing swimmers, bomb defusing). On top of that they had bosses at certain levels. Shatterhand has great graphics and sound. Seems to me like a tweaked version of the Batman engine. The gameplay seemed a bit difficult but then again I didn't spend enough time practicing. Eliminator Boat Duel is a definite sleeper. The racing part is fun and enjoyable. I thought it was cool that the start of the race would have big 2D sprites of the boats going head to head (and this being actual part of the race and not a cutscene!). The big cartoony sprites babes were a nice touch too. Edited July 6, 2005 by Dones

[guitarmas]

I was suprised Crystalis didn't have more of a following and spawn sequels.

In my opinion it's one of the best NES games...period.

886217[/snapback]

 

I totally forgot I had that piece of work!

 

:::goes and plays Crystalis:::

[JB]

TGL's great. Except forms oem major flicker issues on some bosses.

 

Also worth nominating: the action-adventure title Blaster Master and the platform shooter Metal Storm.

 

(interesting technical note: Metal Storm generates 3 independant background layers in software for parallax scrolling to create the illusion of depth, which was one of the major features the SNES and Genesis had over the NES).

884864[/snapback]

 

I'd have to agree with you on Blaster Master...and JB, how did you get so smart? I wish I had the technical "savvy" that you have...

 

Steve

886756[/snapback]

*shrugs*

It just happened. I've got a tendancy to absorb information, factoids, and trivia about my chosen interests.

 

 

Metal Storm was actually a personal observation, though.

Saw the backgrounds scrolling, and (once I picked my jaw up) I counted 'em.

 

It never ceases to amaze me exactly how far the NES was pushed.

They got a LOT of mileage out of the system(I'd file it as the second-hardest-pushed console, behind only the 2600). And they did it without resorting to coprocessors on top of it all.

[Dones]

I totally forgot I had that piece of work! 

 

:::goes and plays Crystalis:::

Some of the simple pleasures of being a collector is finding that little-known game that totally surprises you.

 

I am probably in the minority but Dodge Ball was pretty good yet hardly mentioned.