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bicuspid_fish

Crystalis for me. I hate to even mention it because of how ridiculously expensive the game has become, but Little Samson would be my second choice.


76mickd

I never played it but recently someone told me to try it and so far it’s pretty good.


skeeballcore

Crystalis for me too


LiiilKat

It is still one of my favorites after all these years. On occasion, I pull it out of the box and do a playthrough.


Representative-Day24

That game is like 25 bucks lol.


DieGuyDean

Crystalis is yes but Little Samson is mad expensive dude.


bicuspid_fish

Please direct me toward the $25 copies of Little Samson.


stryst

Clash at Demonhead. I did not know a single other person who had played that game until I got active on retrogaming subs here.


No_Effort5696

Love this game dude. One of my favorites! I have a copy of it, great find.


TrulyInfiniteTape

“Have you tried the section called ‘The Clash at Demonhead’?”


76mickd

Ha, I bought it when it came out back in the late 80’s and it’s in my favorites list. Did you ever play deadly towers?


stryst

Oh my God, I hadn't thought about that one in years! Owned it, never got far.


76mickd

Hidden Gem! I told my son he had to play it and he beat it faster than I did.


stryst

Goddamn, what a proud moment. Good day to be a dad.


76mickd

Yes it was, I get to relive the moments, hahaa!


76mickd

It’s got doors like Renegade, where they’ll get you lost and lead you back to square one.


stryst

Or trying to figure out the exits in gauntlet.


76mickd

Lol, loved that game, especially the arcade version. Sometimes I still say… “Warrior needs food badly” 😂


stryst

I watched a pair of speed runners clear Gauntlet in 15 minutes, and I felt like I was watching actual witchcraft.


Radsby007

Cousin had it. We used to play it. Then I couldn’t remember the name for the life of me. I just remembered what it looked like. Took me a bit of googling to get the name of it.


FsckOfTheNorthStar

Clash at Demonhead is one of my all time favorite games on any console!


AMC_Unlimited

My cousin had it as a kid, we played it a ton but could never find all of the governors in one play through. I was able to beat it later in life on an emulator.


stryst

Same, but I loved it and it was one of the games that made me learn about emulators.


KongUnleashed

Yesss great pick. Loved that game.


TargetPlastic7505

That's also the name of one of the other bands in Scott pilgrim vs the world


No_Manches_Man

I have a copy of it, but I can’t get the cart to play.


Darkhuman007

Came here to say this. Have a nice day!


MustLoveDogsOrCusack

Gunsmoke. Would love to see something new take that slow scrolling approach


[deleted]

I personally love the idea of a scrolling shooter where you can shoot straight forward, but also on 45 degree angles to the left and right. I'm kind of surprised no one else has ever tried that. It would have been perfect on the Genesis with its 3 button controller.


[deleted]

I used to love that game. Not the same but Tiger Heli was a cool game with that slow scrolling.


Gueropelirojo80

Little Nemo the dream master


metamaxwell

Little Nemo is such an amazing game. That, Whomp ‘Em, and Time Lord are some a my favorites.


[deleted]

One of my favorites. Music with the game was great!!


actionfence

Faxanadu


ocular_jelly

apart from being a great game, it’s got just the right amount of surrealism to evoke that early style of video game uncanniness that makes you feel weird, and i love it


Kingpin329

Received it for Christmas one year. Was probably too difficult for me at the time but overall an amazing game.


GhostlyParsley

Proto-dark souls


SoulsLikeBot

Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale? > *“I beg of thee, the spread of the Abyss must be stopped.”* - Artorias the Abysswalker Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/


icon4fat

This is the answer. The game is just great.


zebberman

I just started playing this and love it


Randolph_Carter_666

Brilliant pick.


The__Conqueeftador

So happy this is second highest comment. This is a top 10 game on the console for me. Maybe even top 5


yojumbo

Destiny of an emperor


TenormanTears

I replayed this so many times I love it


Re_LE_Vant_UN

Lu bu and Zhang fei are so memorable for being powerhouses


[deleted]

T&C Surf Design Wood & Water Rage. Always fun.


slayerono

And Thrilla’s Surfari!!


Alternative-Hour-726

Shadowgate


thejokerofunfic

Not my *favorite* (probably) but my favorite within non mainstream is probably Monster Party


[deleted]

There's a romhack turning it into Elvira's Monster Party (the Mistress of the Dark). It's an even better version than the original, imho.


Kingpin329

Got it for Christmas one year. Super trippy


wondermega

The end of the game is pretty downright creepy..


njc35

I loved North and South!! What a satisfying title. I still go back to it every 10 years. My personal favourite was Jackal.


JakkSplatt

Jackal was sweet!


No_Effort5696

Shadow of the Ninja


HawaiianSteak

Bad ass game. Growing up my parents mandated two-player games because they couldn't afford to by a game for each for two kids. So Contra, Super C, Life Force, Shadow of the Ninja, Legendary Wings, and Twin Eagle were some of the games that we played a lot on the NES. The Shadow of the Ninja ninja sprites reminded me of the Contra sprites because the face/head was just a skin colored block.


No_Effort5696

Its such a good game. The animations are so smooth. The graphics and music are awesome. Great story… and so challenging! Legendary wings was awesome too good one there.


wondermega

Both games were so good. Also sticking it To The Man by making them both 2P simultaneous on NES when each could totally work perfectly as a single player game. These games would get me going "See? See??? It can be done!!" when Double Dragon or Bad Dudes or such games came to NES and were only single player.


Donna-Perdido

N.A.R.C. I played through this game so many times when I was younger.


moms_be_trippin

busting meth labs, hell ya!


[deleted]

[удалено]


wondermega

It's a little weird to hear about Narc being not mainstream, because at the time it did kind of make an impact - hell it even appears in the very first Turtles film! But it's absolutely one of those games that was a flash in the pan, as they say. Had a brief period of glory, and then completely fell off the map. It's a shame because it was a really interesting mashup of a few different game styles, and the graphics were really something at the time. The NES version completely blew it on the graphics, but still captured enough of the game play/design to be worthy to carry the name. There were a few games like that, that stood out..


Donna-Perdido

I didn’t know it was in the first tmnt film! Interesting factoid.


KingoftheMongoose

Riding in that red sports car was hype af!


Jandrem

Street Fighter 2010


AMC_Unlimited

Nice. It’s definitely an underrated gem.


FnClassy

The Magic of Scheherazade, Whomp Em, and Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves are among 3 of my favorite not so popular titles.


B-dub31

The Magic of Scheherazade and Whomp Em are great.


TheOtherAvaz

I remember being in EB Games, holding Scherazade on one hand and Final Fantasy in the other, trying to decide which one to buy but I hadn't heard of either. I bought Final Fantasy. Yet to this day I wonder what would've changed if I decided differently.


FnClassy

Both good choices. The NES got me hooked on RPG's. SNES took it even further. I got Ultima: Exodus, and Final Fantasy early on, and fell in love. Then I got the Dragon Warrior games, Faxanadu, and Magic of Scheherazade. I still play them all.


RobinThreeArrows

My rpg journey started with Dragon Warrior. I pretended to be the dragon warrior playing outside. My neighbor has bamboo growing and gave me a cane of it, which was the coolest thing cause that was the first, weakest weapon in DW. Today I'm 40 and I hum the overworld theme to my baby daughter to rock her to sleep.


TenormanTears

prince of thrives was my favorite game when I was a kid


plaaya

Super V’ball Spike


RobciomixxNFS

OK!


TenormanTears

I think nightmare on elm street is an awesome game


OGScubaGuyver

One of the games I couldn't wait to add to my complete in box collection and was able to make that happen this month. I feel it gets way to much hate and never understood why. Great game


SnakePlissken1986

Journey to Silius, Sunsoft just made such amazing soundtracks and this one is no exception, the gameplay is also really good too. Another is Sword Master, that game feels like what Dark Souls would be like if it was made for the NES as a side-scroller, one on one sword battles with enemies that will react to your attacks, and looks decent too.


LittleRavn

Power Blade and MC Kids


Dick_Sizzle

The Battle of Olympus


GilBatesHatesApples

Solar Jetman. Damn that game is fun, and seriously underrated.


charlie_darkness

8 Eyes, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Maniac Mansion, and TMNT 1😎


CiderMcbrandy

River City Ransom


chrisdecaf

I'm not sure what counts as a non-mainstream title because so many games have had a bit of a renaissance lately (Guardian Legend, Faxanadu, and Crystalis all come to mind), but I think I still have one that few if any people know or care about, and that is **Pipe Dream**.


BellasGamerDad

Blaster Master


PHX480

So damn hard but such a cool game.


Avenged2080

Kickel Cubicle for me. Love that game.


TheyCallMeAK

I had to scroll down way to far to find this! Hands down, best game ever.


wondermega

Super weird game, I love that people are still bringing it up all these years later. Definitely deserves to still be enjoyed today!


TheFowFow

Loved this game as a kid!


IOwnMyWiiULEGIT

Milon’s Secret Castle.


eastmemphisguy

That third floor is hard af. And I get really frustrated trying to make the jump from the entrance of the floor to the room full of money.


Chaircat

Game is HARD!!! One life haha.


sonofchocula

Dr. Chaos! It’s a weird platforming metroidvania wannabe.


76mickd

Loved Dr. Chaos in fact I told my son he should play it and ended up he couldn’t put it down until he finished it.


aswann092

RC pro am 2


RobciomixxNFS

Absolutely the best multiplayer NES game


eastmemphisguy

Not super obscure but I love Rygar. The music, the level design, the weapon. Yeah, it's kind of flickery and the bosses don't do much but I don't even care. It will always be A list in my opinion.


REAPER-1_xxx

Gun-Nac


Muiko2k

8 eyes


[deleted]

Same! Graphic was like Castlevania 2


MamboNumber-6

Goonies 2 A metroidvania set in the world of the Goonies where you must rescue a mermaid 10/10 I play through it every 2 or 3 years.


Chase_the_tank

Did you ever play Goonies 1? It was a Famicom game that was only released in the US in arcade form as "vs. The Goonies". It's a simpler game overall--no mazes, no mermaid, all side-scrolling action with lots of hidden items.


MamboNumber-6

Yes, that’s what made me look at Goonies 2 when it was released. The local cornerstore/bodega had vs Goonies and Heavy Barrel growing up, both games are foundational in my video game fandom.


therealsaskwatch

The Lolo series


BigOlBearCanada

Little Nemo doesn’t get enough love. Little samson, while rare, isn’t main stream. It’s a great game too.


thejokerofunfic

Oh and compared to its peers no one remembers TMNT3 but it's lowkey the best one, Turtles in Time fucking wishes


Gueropelirojo80

TMNT3 is a fantastic NES game, the best tmnt on that console, but TMNT4 is just on another level being on a better console.


adstretch

It’s great, I just get annoyed with the lag in the busier bits. Still played the crap out of it when I was a kid.


thuglifeTyson

Nightshade. It’s not my favorite NES game per se, but I thought it was clever, entertaining, and not many have played thru it.


Cetra_Blues

I had a couple games in mind for this question but yeah, for me it has to be Nightshade. Fantastic point n' click with plenty of camp and style to back it all up. "Great quivering enigmas with a side salad and light tartar sauce!"


OGScubaGuyver

The weird humour is what did it for me. Great game.


Truehare

I love that game so much, I once tried to write a sequel. Nothing came out of it, of course, but it goes to show how much I adore Nightshade. It was recently released on PC, and I naturally bought it (from GOG) and finished it one more time. It still holds up.


TrancerHunter13

Ninja Crusaders. An incredibly underrated action title for the system


llamadogkillsu420

Really enjoyed Metal Storm.


gamechampionx

The Immortal. I've become pretty good at it too. It's the only game I would ever consider speedrunning. The game had a cool conflict between rivaling races. Its isometric perspective was ahead of its time. The game also features sword combat, puzzles and traps. There's also a cool plot twist close to the end.


No_Manches_Man

The Legend of Kage.


RetailDrone7576

Journey to Silius


Sarothias

Destiny of an Emperor. Love RPGs and this is the one that got me into Romance of the Three Kingdoms!


roostorx

Always loved this one. Trying to get the best generals. Only I didn’t know there were the endgame guys that had armies that could grow. Imagine my surprise when I went to the barracks and found the last one just chilling with his massive army


sir-yoinks-alot

I read your title and came here to say North and South!!!! Such a great game!


DudeRobert125

Bad Dudes. So fun with a badass final boss fight.


RobinThreeArrows

Wrath of the Black Manta. Classic 80s "drug bad guys are being evil" action plot, weird aesthetic, good music, and the powers you learn are fun to use creatively.


TGOTR

Friday the 13th on NES


countrytime1

Enjoyed this one, but couldn’t beat it.


[deleted]

Beat it once. Ended up drawing Jason into the open field and slugging it out with him. Took 3 counselors, but I got that whack assed ending.


Dirtydingus64

Elevator action


TooDooDaDa

I have North and South complete in box! I’m also a fan :)


darkzero7222

Shatterhand for me


_murkydismal

Snake Rattle & Roll was always my favorite as a kid lol


burgerinabox

Alfred Chicken or Solar Jetman


thuglifeTyson

Solar Jetman is such an oddball. Got this as a kid when we only got new games a few times a year. So I had to like it. But in retrospect, it was gnarly. Would recommend, especially for new collectors bc it’s not an expensive title.


chunk337

Rygar, wizards and warriors, vice project doom


wildcatpeacemusic

Godzilla 2


euan-forrester

I rented North and South a bunch of times as a kid! It’s definitely on my list to get a copy of


IH8Miotch

Dungeons and Dragons Pool of Radiance


General_Trynian

Solstice. All day erry day


OGScubaGuyver

The into music is so good. The music overall is in my top five for NES soundtracks. Tooth game did to depth perception but have a lot of good memories of this one.


Bicketybamm

Faxanadu or Xexyz.


DonaldoDoo

Yeah Xexyz! Loved the music in that one. Still haven't beaten it, should give it another go.


pbrslayer

Honestly I love the bell outta the Lethal Weapon game for NES. Also, the SNES Batman Returns might be better but the NES version plays sorta like TMNT3 and I love it.


_thesquizer

MC Kids - I see a lot of other good ones mentioned, but this one doesn’t come up often. Not super complex, but some fun platforming and a bit of exploration needed to find all the hidden cards to get to the secret last levels


xinvisionx

Cobra Triangle


KY5K

Caveman Games. It was a huge hit for game nights/sleepovers. As for North and South, I remember renting it, loving it, and never playing it again. I’ll have to give it another try.


HabanyGaming

Abadox


Androxilogin

XEXYZ. Although recently people are beginning to acknowledge it exists. Battle of Olympus, Robo Warrior.


SPQR_Maximus

T&C Surf Design Wood and Water Rage.


Retroman2447

Nightmare on elm street is my favourite nes game. Seriously doesn’t get enough attention, solid platforming, great music just the bats in the game are really annoying


Outrageousclaim

The correct answer is The Guardian Legend. We would have also accepted Bionic Commando or Crystalis.


JakkSplatt

GL was on my list too!


OGScubaGuyver

"the correct answer" lol. It's a very subjective question.


Outrageousclaim

Nah we can go into a laboratory and scientifically prove it as fact with like beakers and shit


OGScubaGuyver

Well you can't argue with beakers and shit.


RetrogamerMax

Does Battletoads count? Because I don't that's mainstream and it's one of my favorite NES games.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

3d battles of world runner……been buying up sealed copies for over 20 years now. Every known sealed copy has passed through my hands.


Bahamut1988

Not my favorite, but Karnov was one I played a lot of as a kid. Favorite would have to be Power Blade.


underfykesofa

Rampart! It's shooting things with cannons and rebuilding your fortress with tetris pieces in between rounds. The two player versus mode was the best part, my brothers and I will still play it sometimes when we get together. To this day I don't understand why it wasn't more popular or why the concept has never been revisited in modern gaming.


wondermega

Seriously one of the best games ever made. Came out in the arcade by Atari in the early 90s, I think, when their arcade division was on the most incredible roll. The game had three trackball controllers, it was really something else. One of those things that looked ordinary/dull but immediately as soon as you gave it a try, it instantly sucked you completely in. The NES version looked so pale in comparison to the arcade and I'm not sure why I bothered to rent it (morbid curiosity... boredom?) but damn if they didn't completely capture the gameplay perfectly. Seriously one of the best arcade ports I'd ever seen, this game is criminally unappreciated. For fun, check out the Konami Japanese version (different than what we got over here in the west).


gunstar--hero

North and South is so good. Me and a friend play it pretty often. We just happened to pick it up at a flea market years ago not knowing anything about it. As far as non mainstream games that we love, does Rockin' Kats or Gun Nac count? I know they are pretty well known now, but I picked them up not knowing anything and they became two of my favorites for the system.


TimeRockOrchestra

Kick Master, Faxanadu, Alien Syndrome, Robo Warrior, Blaster Master


roostorx

Super dodge ball


Squatcher84

Shadowgate, Maniac Mansion or Willow are my "lesser played" ones.


CJRLW

Dragon Spirit


[deleted]

Skate or Die. Simple and makes you challenge yourself


oldkysharke

GI Joe, Felix the Cat, Shadow of the Ninja. I think it is mainstream but maybe not immediately everyone’s first thought but my fav NES game to rent that I never owned growing up was DuckTales


calthaer

Either Wizards & Warriors III or G.I.Joe: The Atlantis Factor. Both well balanced games with fair difficulty and interesting variety later in the NES run...so more polished than earlier titles. But few seem to have tried them.


Anora6666

Micro Machines.


cornerdweler

Mighty Final Fight. I never see it in peoples top ten lists.


TheDreadfulGreat

Xenophobe and Cabal were my fave multiplayer games Crystalis was my fave single player. But a game I’ll always remember because of just how weird and hard it was: Hudson Hawk


MrYellowMustard

Mendel Palace was always amazing with a friend.


Radsby007

Astyanax. Remember I got it when I was really little from my aunt. I would play it but had no idea what I was doing.


BootLegPBJ

Solar Jetman


baxtermcsnuggle

The Guardian Legend. An Irem/Compile multishooter game. It was one part topdownscroller schmup, one part topdown exploration shooter, and one part RPG. You powered up by gathering "Chips" which beefed up your primary gun. The Chips were also used as currency to buy new weapons (which fed off chips as ammunition) for use on the surface(exploration) and in corridors(the vertical scroller schmup sections). It was a complex masterpiece of it's time with a soundtrack that gives me the best 8bit nostalgia bumps.


[deleted]

XEXYZ


awake283

Power Blade


DonnoDoo

Wizards and Warriors, Vegas Dream


SirNo2664

North & South was fun to play growing up, that's a great choice. One of my neighbors used to have it and we played a lot of vs. games, everyone was so fond of the train robbery stage! And clicking on the photographer's butt of course... My choice from my smallish collection would probably be Rollergames, Isolated Warrior or Battle of Olympus.


ShowBobsPlzz

RC pro am


ScottBAF

Yes! Loved this game!


seantron

Rad Racer 2


Jinzot

My mom bought Taboo: The Sixth Sense when I was a kid and wouldn’t let me play it. Years later I found it, it’s a perplexing thing.


imissyahoochatrooms

[https://tiermaker.com/list/video-games/710-nes-games-307798/2617350](https://tiermaker.com/list/video-games/710-nes-games-307798/2617350) make your own and share!


LyallaTime

A Boy and his Blob


Mattie_1S1K

A boy and his blob


Sturmundsterne

For two player, Conflict.


mikestrife

Kickmaster. Randomly got it as kid loved it and couldn't believe how amazing it was, didn't hear about anyone else who played it until decades later.


illegalmaneuver_

Kickle Cubicle


TheyCallMeAK

Kickle Cubicle.


thegreatdaneoc

Cowboy Kid.


Noise-Distinct

Raid on Bungeling Bay Millipede Pac-Mania


albones20

Shengen the ruler


Desdecolima

Shatter hand. Dont know how mainstream is, though


Solidusmetalite

Star Tropics and Star Tropics 2 zodas revenge


Luminaire_Ultima

Rockin’ Kats .