So, settle down for a scroll through the best NES games on Nintendo Switch Online in the West (see our full list of every Nintendo Switch Online retro game for Japanese exclusives). We begin, naturally, at the bottom…
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: 18th Oct 1985 (USA) / 1986 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
Donkey Kong Jr. Math adds some arithmetic to the basic vine-swinging and platforming of Donkey Kong Jr. in a title that sucks all the fun out of both gaming and mathematics. It combines ‘education’ and ‘entertainment’ to make — you guessed it! — a terrible game. Think of the poor kid who got a launch NES console and this. There must have been at least one.
Don’t feel too sorry, though. Boxed versions of Donkey Kong Jr. Math are worth a pretty penny these days, so silver linings and all that. The title makes the game sound dreary, and it very much is, but at least it delivers on the promise of its name, and a unique, surprisingly fun two-player experience is this retro curio’s saving grace.
Previously available via Virtual Console and now on NSO, it’s technically playable on GameCube, too, as it’s one of the NES games included in the original Animal Crossing.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: 12th Nov 2007 (USA) / 10th Aug 2007 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
Certain entries in Nintendo’s ‘Black Box’ series have aged better than others and, unfortunately, Volleyball went off long ago. In fact, we’d go as far as to say it’s the worst of Nintendo’s early sports titles, providing only the very basics of the game in a rather unattractive package.
We much prefer a round of Tennis when it comes to ball-based net sports, but we suppose you’ve got nothing to lose in firing up Volleyball for a match or two.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: 1st Jan 2007 (USA) / 15th Dec 2006 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
When Urban Champion was released it would surely have been mediocre even for its time, but played in the modern era it’s painfully bad. It’s rubbish, and we’d rather take to the streets and pick random fights — which we’d in all likelihood lose — than play this again.
However, there’s no arguing that as the first entry on a very short list of Nintendo fighting games, it’s a significant entry in the company’s catalogue.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: 1st Jan 2007 (USA) / 29th Dec 2006 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
Another rather primitive take on a national sport, the ‘Black Box’ title Baseball is a slow-and-steady game that takes time to master, but persevere and you’ll find it to be a fun, if simple, experience – especially with a second player in tow. It’s more of a historical document at this point, but there’s fun to be had if you give it a chance.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: 19th Nov 2006 (USA) / 22nd Dec 2006 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
The beautiful game has seen more than its fair share of digital iterations over the years. This quaint early effort won’t keep you occupied for long, but Soccer is an intriguing look into early sports titles on the system and worth firing up at least once.
Publisher: HAMSTER / Developer: Jaleco
Release Date: 26th May 2008 (USA) / 25th Jul 2008 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
City Connection didn’t look or feel particularly good back in the day, and time has not been kind to Jaleco’s city-hopping arcade port. With so many other options available in the NES library, getting behind the wheel of this one again isn’t recommended unless you’re determined to take every last NES title available for a quick test drive.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D2
Release Date: 10th Oct 2013 (USA) / 10th Oct 2013 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
This is the game, originally programmed by HAL Laboratory’s Satoru Iwata, that was hidden in Switch’s firmware as a good luck charm for the system in 2017. Golf may not be the most exciting game on the NES, but it set the template for almost every video game version of the sport until Wii Sports arrived over two decades later.
Publisher: Electronic Arts / Developer: Sandcastle
Release Date: Nov 1990 (USA)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
An isometric fantasy action RPG published by EA, The Immortal might not be the NES classic that springs to mind, but it was generally well-received when it released back in 1990.
Developer Sandcastle’s port of the Apple IIGS game dumps you in the Labyrinth of Eternity and charges you with searching the dungeon for your character’s tutor, Mordamir. On the way, you inevitably have to battle beasties, cast spells and perform general wizard-y deeds.
Publisher: Toshiba-EMI
Release Date: TBA
Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia is, as the title suggests, the sixth entry in a seven-part series. As the only game released on the Famicom, it was apparently simplified considerably when compared to the previous games to account for Nintendo’s younger audience.
Nevertheless, the game displayed a pretty sophisticated visual design and certainly posed a challenge despite the apparent nerfing. Heck, weren’t all NES games challenging to some degree?
Publisher: Sunsoft / Developer: Sunsoft
Release Date: 17th Apr 1986 (JPN)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
Sunsoft went bold with The Mystery of Atlantis in Japan and dubbed it, “The game that surpassed Super Mario!!” And, sure, it certainly has more levels than Super Mario Bros., but we’re not sure the company managed to achieve such lofty ambitions. Its jump mechanic doesn’t feel half as precise, and the strict timer can be a bit distracting.
That said, there’s a strong sense of place with Mystery of Atlantis — originally Atlantis no Nazo for its Japan-only Famicom release — and it’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of platformers in general.
Publisher: Culture Brain / Developer: Nihon Game
Release Date: 1988 (USA) / 5th Mar 2015 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
You’ll need to bring a second player along to get the most out of Kung-Fu Heroes. It’s a simple martial arts game but the combination of decent moves, power-ups and the tactical options that come from having two players controlling Jacky and Lee makes this one worth a go, especially if you’re a fan of kung-fu fighting.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: 1st Sep 2008 (USA) / 6th Mar 2009 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
If you can stomach the odd controls and steep difficulty, you may well be able to mine some fun from Clu Clu Land, and as a ‘Black Box’ title it’s certainly got curio kudos. That said, this arcade puzzle-style maze game is unlikely to keep your attention unless you’re a real Nintendo enthusiast or scholar. We’d be tempted to leave our Rupee collecting to Link.
Publisher: Jaleco / Developer: Jaleco
Release Date: 22nd Oct 2007 (USA) / 21st Sep 2007 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
Jaleco’s Ninja JaJaMaru-kun wasn’t released outside Japan until the arrival of the Virtual Console on Wii. The game takes place on a horizontal playing field with four storeys, between which are solid concrete floors and weak brick floors that you can break to jump through.
It can get pretty dang hard later in the game, so if you’re one of those people who can’t even beat the first stage of (Super) Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, this one probably isn’t for you.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: 18th Dec 2006 (USA) / 22nd Dec 2006 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
Rudimentary is perhaps too kind an adjective to describe Tennis, although we’ve always had a soft spot for it (and its Game Boy brethren, in particular). It’s an extremely simple take on the sport, and not one that’ll keep you occupied for any length of time, but at the very least it’s fun to see how far we’ve come.
Game? Why not. Set? Hmm, perhaps. Match? Nah, you’re alright. Let’s play Mario Bros. 3.
Publisher: Technos / Developer: Technos
Release Date: 12th Oct 1990 (JPN)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
A sequel to River City Ransom (as it was named in the West), Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day! is also available on Switch as part of the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle.
It’s an athletic meet compilation with some extreme and hilarious events, much like its sequel (which was released in the West as Crash ‘n the Boys: Street Challenge). Both games were extremely popular, primarily due to their excellent four-player mechanics and mechanical depth.
Publisher: Tecmo / Developer: Tecmo
Release Date: 7th May 2007 (USA) / 27th Apr 2007 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
A relatively unique offering from Tecmo, Mighty Bomb Jack won’t click with everyone and couldn’t be described as ‘essential’. However, if you’ve played through all the obvious NES platformers and are looking for something a bit different, this hybrid platformer offers a good challenge that’s fun to control. Worth a look for arcade-style platforming fans.
Publisher: Electro Brain / Developer: Sculptured Software
Release Date: Nov 1991 (USA) / 29th Apr 1993 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
One of the lesser-known entries in the NES lineup, Eliminator Boat Duel is worth firing up if you’ve never taken its powerboats for a spin. A bird’s-eye view racer from the early ’90s, it isn’t likely to rock your world, but it’s a solid addition to the console’s library and there are many worse ways to spend an hour or two than at the wheel of a ruddy great 8-bit powerboat.
The odd ’90s mix of 12-year-old boy’s fantasy and technicolor on the cover alone makes it worth investigating at least once.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: 18th Oct 1985 (USA) / 1st Sep 1986 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
There just isn’t that much to say about Pinball. It’s a small piece of history, teaching us what home console video games were (essentially not-as-good versions of their arcade brethren) before they knew what they could be — a lesson that can be fully learned by most in one sitting.
Nothing here is bad; in fact, the game functions quite well. It’s just repetitious, lacking variety, and overshadowed by better options we’ve enjoyed in the decades since. Those who were around when the NES launched and have fond memories of Pinball will surely find value in revisiting it, but anyone else would probably fare much better going with a modern alternative instead.
Easily accessible for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, there is fun to be had here, but it’s simple and limited.
Publisher: Ultra Games / Developer: Beam Software
Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
An action-adventure title with point-and-click gameplay elements, Beam Software’s Nightshade offered an odd mixture of gangland action on the mean streets of Metro City with an intriguing system which monitored the main character’s popularity of the eponymous vigilante crimefighter.
Intriguing, but ultimately unsuccessful, this late NES title (it released in 1992) is perhaps best remembered as the precursor to the much better Shadowrun on SNES.
Publisher: Hudson / Developer: Hudson
Release Date: 1988 (USA) / 1988 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
As vertical shooters go, Star Soldier hasn’t aged brilliantly, and looks particularly drab these days. It’s not without merit, and shooter fans may get a kick from it, but better alternatives are readily available. One for ‘fans of the genre’ only, then.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D3
Release Date: 1st Mar 1987 (USA) / 15th Sep 1987 (UK/EU)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
“A WINNER IS YOU.”
This game is worth playing at least once just to see that iconic meme phrase in its original context. It’s a simple interpretation of professional wrestling with a slim roster, but it’s charged with nostalgia and personality, and given the sorry state of the genre in recent years (Fire Pro Wrestling notwithstanding), you could do much worse than returning to Pro Wrestling for a bout.
Publisher: Namco / Developer: Namco
Release Date: 6th Aug 1985 (JPN)Available On: Nintendo Switch Online
Namco’s The Tower of Druaga hit Japanese arcades in 1984, with the Famicom port arriving the following year. Designed by Masanobu Endo, creator of Xevious, it’s a top-down maze game that fuses ideas and imagery from the likes of Wizardry with video gaming’s most famous maze-runner, Pac-Man.
A massive hit in Japan, it’s a little tough to return to all these decades later. If you have the patience, though, it’s worth checking out on NSO, as Tower of Druaga was an influence on home console RPGs and fantasy action games that would follow, including Zelda.