Cheap NES Favorites from Childhood

[McMurphy]

Everyone remembers the big-budget NES classics, but how about those hidden treasures that we played because, if not for any other reason, they were cheap. I can think of three all time examples from my childhood:

Excitebike. Nevermind the fact that your biker isn't going around in a circle yet somehow makes laps. It was fun, simple, and players could even make their own tracks. Too bad the "Save" and "Load" options were, as the manual put it, only to be functional in later editions....which never came out, by the way, unless you count Excitebike 64.

Yo Noid! Remember this '80s mascot for Dominos Pizza? The game was dirt cheap, but somehow addictive. The programmers must have been strapped on time and resources because the game would freeze up if Noid tied the opponent in the pizza eating contests. The funny thing is that the makers even addressed the fact in the manual. The expired coupons that came with the game was also a nice touch.

North & South. The game was boring as a single player cart, but I remember a friend and I staying up all night playing this pixel version of the Civil War.

What were your favorite cheap NES games?

 

[Neon]

I totally agree about Excitebike, it was awesome. Some of my other favorites include:

- River City Ransom
- Bionic Commando
- Blaster Master
- Ice Climber (I think that's the name)

NES will forever remain a classic.

 

[BionicGriff]

I love Excite Bike and Bionic Commando.

My contribution though will have to be Snake Rattle 'N' Roll!

 

[BionicGriff]

Oh, and also Silk Worm.

Kind of like what McMurphy said about North and South. It was ok by itself, but me and my friend used to stay up all hours of the night with that one, lot of good memories there.

 

[Starbeast]

TOP FAVORITES
(no order)


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RYGAR
MARIO BROTHERS 1 & 2
METROID
CONTRA
ABRADOX
DUCK HUNT
NINJA GAIDEN
PRINCE of PERSIA
PUNCH OUT
SPY HUNTER
DONKEY KONG
ELEVATOR ACTION
GALAGA
JOUST
DEFENDER
WORLD RUNNER
POWER BLADE
XEVIOUS
(probably more, but I can't think of them - lot of game rentals in my past)





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V=

 

[BionicGriff]

(probably more, but I can't think of them - lot of game rentals in my past

​

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What memories, there was nothing like going to the video store to rent a game! I'm going to miss taking my boys to do that when they get older.

 

[AlexH]

I had Excitebike, and Excitebike 64, which was brilliant - probably the best bike racing game of it's kind at the time. I remember playing it years later, and the handling still stood up.

I had a couple of good budget games on the NES - Time Lord and Digger T. Rock. They were by Rare, who went on to Donkey Kong Country, Goldeneye, Blast Corps, Banjo Kazooie, Perfect Dark etc.

Time Lord was an action game set in 2999, and you had a year to save Earth from aliens, travelling back to different periods in human history. A day in game time equalled about 5 seconds in real-time, so you had 30 minutes to complete the game (or something like that).

Digger T. Rock was a puzzle/platformer, where you played as an explorer.

My favourite NES game ever was also by Rare, Snake Rattle 'n' Roll, though I don't think it was in the budget category: