When Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the industry as a whole shifted. Countless clones of the formula created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo were released, some were great, others, not so much.
The platformer was the biggest genre in the third and fourth generation of consoles, and because of that some of the best games the genre has ever seen were released during that period. Nintendo Entertainment System had an exceptional collection of platformers, as it was the console that bred the genre. To look back at the console that birthed the platformer, here are 10 of the best games in the genre to be released on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
10 Metal Storm
Metal Storm was developed by IREM, the creators of the R-Type series, in 1991, making it a very late release in the console’s lifecycle - something that is evident when looking at the game’s visuals.
In Metal Storm, the main character is mech with the ability to hop from the ceiling to the floor, with the majority of the game being centered around this ability. The game provides a great challenge that ensures players will need complete mastery over the game and the hopping mechanic to make it to the credits.
9 Batman
Sunsoft was at the top of their game during the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. They made many great classics for the system including Journey to Silius, Ufouria, and Blaster Master. They decided to take a chance and try making a licensed game that coincided with the release of the 1989 Batman movie called simply Batman.
In Batman, the player given a variety of bat-themed weapons to take out enemies and progress through stages. The player also has the ability to hop off of walls as a way to avoid obstacles, get to higher platforms, and even complete some of the games platform-based puzzles.
8 Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando started off as an arcade game developed by Capcom, before being brought home to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. Instead of being able to jump like in most platformers, in Bionic Commando the player uses a grappling hook to make it onto platforms.
The player is also equipped with a gun to take out enemies with, and after the enemies are taken out they will drop a small white pick-up. Every 4 that's picked up will increase health, which is essential for getting through the game, as there are very few lives and no continues.
7 Ghosts n’ Goblins
Ghosts n’ Goblins is a notoriously difficult Nintendo Entertainment System game. The player is Arthur, attempting to save Princess Prin Prin from Satan by going through the Ghoul Realm and taking out ghosts, goblins, gargoyles, or whatever else the game throws out.
There are 6 difficult stages to make it through, each with a boss and different infuriating enemies. Once the game is completed, the player is told it was all for nothing and they must complete the entire game again in one sitting to see the real ending.
6 Gargoyles Quest II
Gargoyles Quest II stars Firebrand, the red gargoyle that makes an appearance in the Ghouls n’ Ghosts and Ghosts n’ Goblins game as an enemy. The player is capable of flying for a short period of time and shooting out a single fireball to take out enemies with.
As the game progresses, players find more and more power-ups that allow longer flight and give different abilities for attacking and traveling through the world. The game is predominantly a platformer with some RPG elements and an overworld the player uses to go from one level to the next.
5 Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden is an incredibly solid platformer with very tight controls. Players must have patience and reflexes similar to a ninja in order to beat the final boss, as each level must be mastered to make it through.
While the game does offer unlimited continues, if a player loses all of their lives at any point after stage 5, they must start at the beginning stage 5, one of the hardest stages in the game, even if the player was at the end of stage 6. Ninja Gaiden also has a story about a young ninja named Ryu who is looking for his lost father, which is told using cutscenes.
4 Duck Tales
Back in the 80s and 90s, Capcom and Disney partnered up to bring some of the best games of the era. Aladdin, Castle of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse, Darkwing Duck, and Goof Troop were just a few examples of the great games that spawned from this partnership, with Duck Tales being one of the finest among them.
Duck Tales stars Scrooge McDuck, who is on a never-ending quest to find more and more riches to add to his wealth. Players have the ability to use his cane as a pogo stick to bounce on enemies and go through obstacles.
3 Mr. Gimmick
Mr. Gimmick is a Japanese exclusive Nintendo Entertainment System game that stars Gimmick. Gimmick has the ability to shoot stars out of his head, which can be used as projectiles or as platforms if the player is quick enough. Mr. Gimmick is filled with bright, detailed graphics that really show what the NES can do.
In each level, there is a secret plant that the player must find to both earn more lives and unlock the game’s true ending. Unfortunately, Mr. Gimmick is a relatively unknown game that will more than likely not see much love outside of its country of origin.
2 Castlevania
Castlevania is a perfect example of game design. Each level is well constructed and perfectly compliments the delayed whip attack used by Simon Belmont. As the player progresses through the game, challenges progress at a fair rate, with each beaten level also being a lesson in how exactly the game should be played.
While the bosses can easily be overcome, it is only after players have perfected the level leading up to them that they will have the tools necessary to make it an easy fight. On top of the expert level design, Castlevania also provides an excellent soundtrack that helps create the gothic horror atmosphere the game is attempting to achieve.
1 Super Mario 3
Super Mario 3 still stands as the pinnacle of the side-scrolling Super Mario games, with every other game after it using it as an influence. At the time of its release, Super Mario 3 was a phenomenon; there was a big-budget movie announcing the game, marketing everywhere, and even a cartoon based on the game.
Super Mario 3 is the first game in the series to provide an overworld players used to traverse from level to level. Not only does the overworld create a feeling of cohesion throughout the game, but it also leads to the discovery of some of the game’s many secrets.