The NES was not the first home console. However, it was the system that defined a generation and revived the video game industry for the better. There are just too many games for one person to play legitimately in a single lifetime.
Some of those games had the ability to live on with other systems, bringing to life the sprawling franchises that exist to this day. It’s hard to talk about the NES without the Mario series as an example. Then there were the games that might have gotten a sequel or two on the NES but didn’t move on after that. These are some of the forgotten highlights.
8 Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers was based on the popular Disney Afternoon cartoon of the same name. It was innovative at the time because it had a simultaneous co-op mode. It’s one of the many great platform games that Capcom made for Disney when they were close together.
There was a sequel to this on the NES, in addition to Game Boy ports as well. Both games have been re-released in The Disney Afternoon Collection in 2017 for a plethora of platforms, but there was never a direct sequel.
7 The Fate of an Emperor
The Fate of an Emperor was another game made by Capcom but was very different from the Disney games. It was a turn-based RPG that was based on the Chinese epic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms that’s also what the Dynasty Warriors series is loosely based on .
The West got the first game, but they didn’t get the sequel. However, fans have taken on the task of translating the second game for everyone to enjoy online. Capcom has never made too many RPGs, so it’s sad to see a great potential series like this die in one console generation.
6 Don Doko Don
Don Doko Don started out as an arcade game before it quickly got an NES port. Since the sequel was exclusive to the NES, this series is still considered thriving and dying during the NES generation. The first game was a fitting arcade-style experience in which players had to take out enemies in a series of fast-paced challenge rooms.
The sequel changed things by turning it into an action platformer. This NES sequel was only released in Japan, but it doesn’t contain much Japanese text. Both NES games have only been released in Japan, but they are easy to play without a fan translation.
There have been a ton of crossover games, from fighters to RPGs, that have brought together Shonen Jump characters. Famicom Jump: Eiyuu Retsuden was one of the first games to try this lofty crossover experience.
Dragon Ball is easily the most recognizable anime in this game. It was an action RPG from above similar to The Legend of Zelda. It should come as no surprise to anyone that this game and its sequel were never released outside of Japan. This was before the big anime and manga boom where companies eventually figured out that westerners would like to play anime games too.
4 The Goonies
The Goonies was a Japanese adventure game for the NES. It was arcade like with simple puzzle rooms and mechanics. It was based on a movie of the same name. While the movie didn’t get a sequel, the video game did and it took place after the events of the original.
It was a lot more complex in nature and reflects the old-fashioned Metroidvanias, which makes sense since this was a Konami game. Unlike the original, this saw a release in the West.
3 Konami Wai Wai World
Konami Wai Wai World is another Konami game and a different crossover experience for the NES. Both games are action platformers in which power-ups will turn the original protagonist into a classic Konami character.
contrary and Castlevania should be the two biggest franchises that western fans will recognize as represented in these games. Both were only released in Japan, but they are easy to play without fan translations, even though they’ve been worked on. It’s not a direct sequel, but the only thing that comes close would be Konami Krazy Racers what was a Mart Kartlike racer for the Game Boy Advance.
2 Power Blade
There are technically only two games in the Power Blade series. However, the original game was released in two versions. The original Japanese release was a cuter action platformer with super deformed characters.
When it was moved to the West, it got a makeover to seemingly appeal to a wider audience. The sequel retained this more mature art style in both regions. Both games, or more like all three, are criminally underrated gems for the NES that must be found and played no matter what.
1 StarTropics
The StarTropics series was Nintendo of America’s attempt to make a more western version of The Legend of Zelda. The original featured two gameplay styles. There was a top down overworld like in the original The Legend of Zelda, but things improved graphically in the dungeons. It’s like how models changed between the overworld and the dungeons in Zelda 2.
Also interesting, this game was not initially released in Japan and the same goes for the sequel, Zoda’s Revenge: StarTropics 2. The series is referenced in games like Super Smash Bros. but a real sequel was never released.
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