You have landed on this retro gaming article because you are looking for the best underrated NES games, right? If the answer is yes, then check out the following list of video game titles for the beloved Nintendo Entertainment System.
After you get done checking out the list of gams in this post, you might also find our recommended list of the best Sega Master System games an interesting read as well.
Here’s a selection of 10 underrated NES games in no particular order:
1. A Boy and His Blob:
A great little platform title that seems to get ignored quite a bit in the gaming community. A Boy and His Blob is not for everyone, but for a certain type of gamer, it will bring a lot of entertainment. If you enjoy games that involves solving puzzles and discovering how to use items to make progress, then this one will be right up your alley.
2. Wizards & Warriors:
A brilliant action and adventure game that every fan of retro games should play at least once. Wizards & Warriors is a game I personally played quite a bit back in the early nineties, and it’s still one of the games I have fond memories of to this day. A Super underrated gem deserving of your time and attention. It’s pure retro brilliance.
3. Double Dragon III:
Considered the worse game in the Double Dragon series in arcades, the Nintendo Entertainment System version is actually pretty decent and follows the style of the previous installment on the console. If you enjoy a challenging side-scrolling beat ’em up, then look no further than this title. Features plenty of brilliant combat moves and gameplay.
4. Friday the 13th:
Based on the iconic horror movie, the Nintendo version of Friday the 13th has been known to receive many negative reviews over the decades from numerous gaming magazines. The only way to know for sure is to find out for yourself. Considering all of that, it’s still rather good and remains an underrated title for a number of reasons. Give it a play and discover its positives.
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street:
Another video game adaption of a classic horror movie. Fans of the A Nightmare on Elm Street series who love the Freddy Krueger character should definitely give this a play. The game is very much along the lines of the Friday the 13th game on the NES, with players having to enter random buildings in search of items while avoiding Freddy himself.
6. Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti:
Fans of the first three Splatterhouse video games should check this one out for sure. It’s a less aggressive version of Namco’s original arcade game, which takes a much more comical approach to suit younger gamers of the Nintendo. Initially, it was only released in Japan, but has now become available via game compilations in recent years.
7. World Wrestling:
One of the most underrated wrestling games in existence. World Wrestling is such a mega fun NES game that any fan of the popular sport would probably enjoy immensely. It’s one of the toughest games on the system, but once you master those all those bone-crunching grabbling manoeuvres, you’ll soon be flying through each match to win the world title.
8. Mighty Final Fight:
Beat ’em up fans who love Capcom’s Final Fight series should really check out Mighty Final Fight on the Nintendo NES. Not only is it an underrated gem, it also happens to be one of the very best fighting games on the system. Some of the most impressive chunky sprites and colour backgrounds ever displayed in a NES game.
9. Spy vs. Spy:
Next up, we have another super underrated gem for you. If you have never played Spy vs. Spy, please do give it some attention, definitely you won’t be disappointed. Features a brilliant two-player option in split screen format. Highly recommended video game for competitive individuals who enjoy strategic games to play with friends.
10. Super Mario Bros. 2:
What I like to think of as the odd ball game entry in the iconic Super Mario series. Super Mario Bros. 2 is such a great little game with plenty of awesome worlds and unique enemies. This time around, Mario and gang have the ability to pick up and throw things at incoming enemies to defeat them. It’s a whole ton of fun.
11. Little Samson:
Not 100% considered an underrated title because it arrived much later in the lifespan of the Nintendo Entertainment System, and it never really got the chance to show off what it had to offer to gamers at that time. Little Samson is one of those lost gems that you really should play at some point in time down the line.
12. Gremlins 2:
I feel like Gremlins 2 is a super underrated Nintendo game that every fan of retro games needs to check out. If you like a good top-down shooter, then you’ll probably love this game. The aim of the game is to guide Gizmo through several stages to locate and destroy the gremlin control center. Features an awesome soundtrack, sound effects, and challenging gameplay.
And that concludes our NES video game recommendations for this list.
What do you think of this list of the best underrated NES games? Are there any other important one’s that you think we should have added to this retro gaming article? Please let us know by dropping a comment down in the Dark Nation community area below.
For more retro video game content, visit our Video Games category for so many more articles.
