It started with talk about what it would be like to meet someone who was never been allowed to play games, and now they want to know what all the fuss is about. What started out as thinking out loud turned into a debate about which games (in our opinion) everyone should play, and here is where our list began. I’m going to start with the Nintendo Entertainment System, and then work my way through to today. I could have started earlier, but my experience with Atari, Intellivision and the like is almost nonexistent, and I don’t feel like I would be able to do them justice. Also keep in mind that this is all based on my own experiences, and since I did not have some consoles growing up (a Sega Genesis, Saturn or Dreamcast, nor the Sony Playstation) I will focus on the games I have played. If I miss anything vital, let me know in the comments section or fire off an email; I would love to know what other games people feel are must plays. Anyway enough babbling, on to the games!
The System that Saved the Industry
1. Super Mario Bros. 3:
I cannot think of any better game to start with than this. Not only is it considered by many to be the best Mario game ever, it is also considered to be one of the best games ever made.
By today’s standards, the lack of a save feature is sure to bother a lot of people who never had books full of pass words, yet aside from that, I cannot think of anything that really hinders the game play experience offered by Mario 3. Sure some of the levels can be devilishly hard, but that was the nature of game design back in the 80s; a lot of developers still had that arcade mindset where difficulty was directly tied to profits. The more times you die, the more quarters you pumped into the machine. Does Mario 3 suffer from this? I really don’t think so, and I am guessing a lot of people tend to feel the same way.
The power-ups in this game are one of its strongest points. Not only does the fire flower return, turning Mario into a fireball firing machine, but you also get things like the frog suit (making the inevitable water level bearable), a Kuribo’s Shore, and the racoon suit that lets you fly. They all help to diversify the game play, and help you to find the many secret warp-pipes and other secrets hidden throughout the levels. All in all, it’s still an amazing game by today’s standards, and I think anyone new to games should play this.
2. The Legend of Zelda:
It would be blasphemous to not introduce someone new to games to the game that started one of the most beloved of Nintendo franchises; hell, one of the most beloved game franchise ever. Is it the best in the series? Not really, but it is nice to be able to play this and see how Nintendo is constantly improving on the Zelda formula. I also think playing this will help to show how little some games have changed (aside from the move to 3D) over the years; why mess with a good thing?
3. Metroid:
I am including Metroid simply because it is the start of one of my favourite series, and it sets the stage for the magnificent Super Metroid (a game we will come to when I get to the Super Nintendo), and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
I am not saying that this is an excellent game by any means. While I do enjoy playing it from time to time, things such as the password system that only records how deep you made it into Zebes, not your current energy and missile count and only starts you off with minimal supplies is an exercise in frustration. Like most games on the NES, this is a game I feel people should play so they learn to appreciate the little things (such as full saves, and battery saves) that are so common in the industry today. Also, after giving this game a go, I would suggest playing the Game Boy Advance remake, Metroid: Zero Mission.
4. Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt:
This game bundle was sold with the NES across North America in 1986; not only did this introduce players new to the world of Nintendo to Mario (a character who then went on to became a cultural icon), it also gave us the NES Zapper light gun peripheral and a dog that would openly laugh at the player.
Super Mario Bros is still a great platformer, and its iconic first level is like playing a part of history, and Dunk Hunt is still one of the best uses of any light gun, and that dog that laughs at you when you miss a duck is hilarious.
I wish I could say more about the games of the NES era, but I never had one and by the time I started to realize that I loved games, the 16bit console war was just starting. I also thought of adding games such as Battle Toads and Ghouls and Ghosts, but then I remembered how soul crushingly hard those games are and how little fun someone new to games would have dying over and over.
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