We remember the excitement of finding our first in-game NES console in the original Animal Crossing for the Gamecube. For many younger gamers, these NES games were the first time they ever got to play some of the classics; for older gamers, it was like finding a package of nostalgia.
Since the original game, though, we haven't been graced with any gameception, but we can't help but hope that the NES consoles will return as playable in-game items in New Horizons. In celebration of the title, we have made a list of ten original NES games that we would love to see playable in the game.
10 Kirby's Adventure
Kirby made his first appearance on the NES, where he happily traversed Dreamland to save the powerful Fountain of Dreams. Instead of absorbing enemies for their powers, though, the game focuses a bit more on platforming and floating your way through levels. Unlike the other games on this list, Kirby's Adventure featured cuter aesthetics that made the game pop among the list of other NES games.
While many players are familiar with the pink ball of doom, younger players would be happy to play the game where his legacy started.
9 The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda for the NES is a far cry from the boundary-pushing Breath of The Wild. In fact, it's not even like the classic Zelda games Ocarina of time or Link's Awakening. Instead, the game plays more like an old action game than an open-world adventure. Zelda and Link are still present, but you will have to slowly traverse through fields to defeat enemies and save the princess.
The original game is much harder than any games in the series today, which may shock many players that have never played the first games in the series.
8 Super Mario Bros.
Mario Bros. has to make our list since it's one of the foundations of many modern popular platformers. The game series has you jumping up and down through levels to take out enemies and survive the phases of the game. The game could even let you use a second Joy-con to join in as Luigi and experience the classic game in the way it was originally meant to be enjoyed.
This would be an easy game to add-in since it is one of Nintendo's flagship franchises and could even help boost the sales of other Mario games.
7 Excitebike
Many players never got the chance to play Excitebike or simply skipped over it because of its premise. The truth is that even today, Excitebike is an addictive NES game with simple controls that many gamers will love. We are surprised that we don't already have an Excitebike remake for the Switch. Since the game was already featured in the original Animal Crossing, it shouldn't be too hard to add to New Horizons.
Even if we don't get many NES games, we do hope that this one is included since so many games haven't played it.
6 Duck Hunt
Hear us out, Duck Hunt is a great idea for Switch that needs to happen. We don't need a zapper when we have the super-accurate Joy-cons that could easily be used to aim at ducks. We would even be happy to have some Duck Hunt themed items or even a villager of the dog. While the villager isn't likely, we do hope Nintendo sees the opportunity to include the game inside of Animal Crossing.
Including this game would also be a totally different experience than many other games on this list.
5 Ice Climbers
Another series that has long stayed dormant is Ice Climbers. Outside of the duos return to Smash Bros., the series has been incredibly quiet even with the surge of interest in retro titles. Like many other NES games, Ice Climbers is a platformer where you play as two young children that are climbing a dangerous mountain. In the game, you must avoid obstacles and enemies to safely make it to the top.
This is another game that could allow two players to join in on the fun by using two separate Joy-cons.
4 Metroid
One of the most classic and still beloved Nintendo franchises is Metroid, which was one of the first series to feature a female protagonist. Samus is now a popular character in Smash Bros., and we are currently awaiting the release of Metroid Prime 4 for the Switch. Adding in this game would be a great way to get players and newcomers excited about the upcoming entry in the game series.
It would also be a great excuse to play through the first Metroid again, even if it is by using New Horizons.
3 Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus is one of the oldest Nintendo franchises and first launched in 1986 for the Famicom in Japan. The game has you play as the beloved Pit, who is on a quest to save Angel Land. Like many of the games on the list, Kid Icarus features heavy platforming that will test your skills against the monsters from the underworld. While the series has had a more recent entry, we would still love to see another game made for the Switch.
The greek themes from the game would be a breath of fresh air compared to the other settings from games on this list.
2 MegaMan
While Megaman is probably the least likely entries on the list, Nintendo has been proven to have a good relationship with Capcom. We also have to keep in mind the fact that the company is slowly rolling out legacy collections to move all the games to modern consoles. Even so, we would love to at least have the very first game in the series in are virtual Animal Crossing game room.
We have already had a few collocations with the Megaman series in the Nintendo series, so maybe we will get a surprise NES.
1 Punch-Out!!
This is another game that was featured in the original Animal Crossing and, at one point, wasn't easily available to players without hacking. Punch-Out!! is a simple, but fun series about taking on powerful opponents in the ring as Little Mac, an up and coming fighter that etched his way into gaming history. Like with Excitebike, this would be an easier game to add-in since it already existed in the series.
While we don't expect a new Punch-Out!! game any time soon, it would be a nice treat for players to be able to revisit this classic in-game.