With each passing year, prices on classic video games climb a little higher, and I doubt
this trend is going to change anytime soon.
However, there are still deals to be found, and on good games too.
The original Nintendo is no exception.
So on today’s episode of 5 games I present 5 cheap, NES games.
However, I have two requirements.
First, they must be of decent quality.
And second, they must cost less than seven US dollars.
So, here we go.
R.C.
Pro-Am is a top-down racer from Rare, and one of the better racing games on the platform.
Basically, all you need to do is finish in the top three, earn a trophy, and proceed
to the next track.
Finish last and it’s game over, but you do receive three continues.
The highlight of R.C.
Pro-Am are controls.
They are wonderfully twitchy, and maneuvering through the courses is a lot of fun.
The cars themselves also like to drift, and the best way to be successful is to memorize
the tracks.
Of course, you could also just blast your way past the competition with two different
weapons.
The missiles let you shoot cars in front of you, while the bombs let you clear enemies
behind you.
Additionally, collecting different upgrades scattered about will improve your performance.
And finally, collecting tiles and spelling out Nintendo will graduate you to the next
vehicle.
Pretty awesome.
R.C.
Pro-Am isn’t perfect though.
The rubber-band A.I.
artificially keeps races close negating the entire upgrade system, and some of the obstacles
encountered can be rather annoying.
Still, as a whole R.C.
Pro-Am is a great little racing game for the NES, and for less than $5, is an absolute
steal.
Tiger-Heli is quite possibly the very first shmup I had ever played.
But as a kid, I hated it and couldn’t get past level 2.
As an adult, with a fondness for Taoplan’s other shooters like Twin Cobra and Truxton,
I find the game quite enjoyable.
Tiger-Heli is a simple game, just shoot everything on the screen and avoid enemy fire.
Your helicopter moves a bit slow, but most of the enemies telegraph where they are going
to fire with their turret, so it is easy to get into a nice rhythm of avoiding fire, and
moving in for a kill.
Another great addition are the little helis.
These come in a couple of different varieties, firing forwards, or sideways, and greatly
add to your firepower, but are fragile and will go down in a single hit.
Compared to other shooters on the NES, Tiger-Heli is bit basic, but I do enjoy the simple gameplay,
just bomb or shoot, and the simplicity also lends to some fairly vibrant graphics with
minimal flickering and a solid frame rate.
Even better, the game is dirt cheap, and can be found for around $4.
While Tiger-Heli may not be best shmup on the NES, it is an incredible value, and easy
to recommend.
Super Mario Bros. is easily one of the best platformers of all time, and I’ll take any
excuse to record new footage and play this legendary game again.
What makes the game so terrific is how each and every platform and enemy is meticulously
placed in a specific spot.
There is nothing random here, and when you hold down the speed button and race through
the level as quickly as possible, it becomes very obvious how special this game really
is.
In addition to the awesome level design, are some outstanding controls.
Mario’s momentum is spot on, and the jumping remains some of the most fluid and intuitive
of any platformer I’ve ever played.
It’s hard to believe this game is over 30 years old, it’s rather amazing.
Add in iconic music, vibrant graphics, drug use, a ton of levels, and plenty of secrets
and it’s no wonder this game raised the American video game market back from the brink
of extinction.
As the game was bundled with many versions of the NES, there are millions of copies out
there, and it remains one of the cheapest Mario games available, and one of the greatest
values, in all of gaming.
Excitebike is another game I’ve owned since I was a kid, but it wasn’t until NES Remix
on the Wii U that I really started to get into it.
This is a side scrolling racing game, though you are really racing against the clock, rather
than opponents.
To score a podium finish you need to memorize the courses, master landing, and manage your
dirt bike’s heat.
You see, there are two gears, high and low.
Using the high gear gives a boost of speed, but increases your engine’s temperature.
If the bike overheats, you pull over and wait for it too cool down.
There are just five courses, but the difficulty increases nicely as your progress through
the championship, and beating them all is no easy feat.
After getting comfortable with the A mode, you can move onto the B mode which adds opponents
onto the course.
These guys move somewhat erratically, and running into them will cause you to crash.
Like any classic NES game, Excitebike has the perfect blend of simplistic, responsive,
controls and challenge, and this makes for an addicting experience.
Finally, there is a track designer, if you are into that sort of thing.
Clocking in at just under $7, Excitebike is another great bargain for the Nintendo Entertainment
System, and I highly recommend it.
Last, and certainly not least, is Konami’s Jackal.
You take control if a well-equipped Jeep and traverse your way through 6 levels, and 6
bosses, rescuing P.O.W.s and being an all around 80’s badass.
Jackal is all kinds of awesome and easily my favorite top down shooter on the NES.
Your Jeep has two weapons.
The first always fires up, allowing you to strafe.
The second weapon is an upgradable bomb, which fires in the direction you are facing.
The combination of the two assures no enemy is out of reach.
Your Jeep is also quite maneuverable and can move in all eight directions.
With the excellent maneuverability, and flexible weapons, Jackal never puts you in awkward
situations where enemies are impossible to hit.
There is something incredibly accessible about the game, and even if you aren’t a fan of
the genre, Jackal should provide plenty of enjoyment.
Add in some awesome bosses requiring different strategies, a classic Konami soundtrack with
plenty of 8-bit bass, cooperative play, the ability to run over enemies which is immensely
satisfying, and you have a classic game.
It’s simple, it’s Konami, and for $7, it really doesn’t get much better than this.
So there you have it, 5 cheap, yet good, games released for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Now, this is not a definitive list, nor is it intended to be a best-of, and the NES has
massive library filled with good bargains, so be sure to leave a comment and let me know
some of your favorites.