Classic NES Games: The Definitive Ranking

The Famicom (known as the NES in the West) brought home consoles into the spotlight: one cartridge, two controllers, an entire summer vacation. The GGEMU Famicom library includes 159 playable online 8-bit classics; the following are ranked byhistorical sales, control feel, level design, and speedrunning community.

Famicom Classics: S Tier

Game	Developer / Year	Core Mechanics	Historical Significance
Super Mario Bros. 3	Nintendo · 1988	World map + power-up flight + costumes	Over 17 million copies sold on Famicom; an AGDQ speedrunning staple
Contra	Konami · 1987	30 lives via the Konami Code; same-screen two-player co-op	Shooter co-op cultural icon
Super Contra	Konami · 1988	Diagonal shooting, perspective shifts	Steep difficulty spike; big firepower gap between the L gun and S gun

Play right here: try the classics online

The embeds below come from the GGEMU browser emulator and can be played directly on this page—no need to follow an external link.

Super Mario Bros. 3 — World map and item flight

Contra — 30 lives Konami Code

NES classics, Tier A

Game	Highlights
Double Dragon II	Combo chains and two-player co-op in the NES version; smoother than the arcade version
Ninja Gaiden II	"Shadow" difficulty and cinematic storytelling; wall-jump rhythm
Battle City	Map editor + two-player co-op; strategies for the Eagle's Nest stage
Jackal	Top-down vehicle rescue; two-player division of labor
Rush'n Attack	One-life infiltration; knife combat + grenades
Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club: Soccer Story	Nekketsu series slapstick violence; Super Shot secret technique
Downtown Nekketsu Story	Open-ended school action + shop upgrades

Classic NES (Famicom) Games, Tiers B–D (Complete List)

Tier	Game	Developer / Year	Key Points
S	Contra	KONAMI · 1988	A classic run-and-gun action game where players control commandos Bill Rizer and Lance Bean to battl
S	Super Contra	Konami · 1988	Super Contra is a side-scrolling and top-down run-and-gun shooter released for the Famicom, serving
S	Super Mario Bros. 3	Nintendo · 1988	A side-scrolling platformer where Mario or Luigi traverse eight diverse worlds to rescue Princess To
A	Battle City	Namco · 1985	A classic top-down tank shooter for the Famicom where players defend their base from enemy tanks.
A	Double	Technōs Japan · 1991	A side-scrolling beat 'em up in which players control martial artists on a global quest to collect sacred stones.
A	Double Dragon II	Technōs Japan · 1989	A side-scrolling beat 'em up in which players control the martial artists Billy and Jimmy Lee on a mission
B	Super M	— · 2017	Super Mario Bros. 4: The Undiscovered Zones V2 was developed by Hack and released in 2017 for the Ni
B	Yie Ar	Konami · 1985	A classic one-on-one fighting game in which players face a series of martial arts masters in a tourname
B	Bomberm	Hudson Soft · 1985	A classic maze-based action game in which players control Bomberman, strategically placing bombs and
B	Super M	Nintendo · 1985	A classic side-scrolling platformer in which players control Mario to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bo
B	Circus	Konami · 1984	Circus Charlie is a side-scrolling action game in which players control a circus performer named Charli
B	Champio	Hudson Soft · 1985	A puzzle-platformer in which players control a character who must collect all the gold while avoiding enemi
C	Lode Ru	Hudson Soft · 1984	A classic action-puzzle platformer in which the player controls a character who must collect all the gold
C	Nekketsu	TECHNOS JAPAN · 1992	A 2D fighting game released for the Famicom, featuring characters from the Kunio-kun series.
C	Gomoku	Nintendo · 1983	A digital adaptation of the classic abstract strategy board game Gomoku, released for the Famicom. P
C	Three-Eyed One	TOSE · 1992	A side-scrolling action platformer based on the manga series by Osamu Tezuka, in which players control
C	Teenage	Konami · 1993	A 2D fighting game based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, released for the Nintendo En
C	Jackal	Konami · 1988	Jackal is a top-down run-and-gun arcade-style shooter released for the Famicom/NES, where players co
C	Saiyuuki World	JALECO · 1991	A side-scrolling action-adventure game based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, where
C	Chinese Chess	Nintendo · 1991	A digital adaptation of the traditional Chinese board game Xiangqi, released for the Famicom console
C	Kirby's	HAL Laboratory · 1993	Kirby's Adventure is a side-scrolling platformer in which the pink hero Kirby gains copy abilities by inhaling enemies
C	River C	Technos Japan · 1989	A side-scrolling beat 'em up with RPG elements in which players control high school students Alex and R
C	1943	Capcom · 1988	A vertically scrolling arcade shooter ported to the Famicom, in which players pilot a WWII fighter p
C	NINJA G	Tecmo · 1991	The third and final installment in the classic NINJA GAIDEN trilogy for the Famicom/NES, continuing
C	Life Fo	Konami · 1987	A horizontal and vertical scrolling shooter in which players pilot the Vic Viper spacecraft through org
C	Mighty	Capcom · 1993	A side-scrolling beat 'em up for the NES featuring chibi-style versions of the Final Fight cha
C	Super C	Konami · 1992	A side-scrolling run-and-gun action game released for the Famicom, featuring four unique playable ch
C	Crisis	Konami · 1991	A fast-paced horizontal shooter for the Famicom in which players control transforming fighter jets agai
C	Nekkets	Technos Japan Corp. · 1992	A side-scrolling beat 'em up for the Famicom in which players control one of four high school fighters.
C	Dragon	CULTURE BRAIN · 1991	A side-scrolling action platformer in which players control a dragon warrior battling through a fantasy world.
C	Nekketsu	TECHNŌS JAPAN · 1986	A side-scrolling beat 'em up featuring high school delinquent Kunio Kun fighting rival gangs.
D	Lode Runner	HUDSON SOFT · 1987	A high-difficulty custom map made by Su Xiaohuan, a member of the Gold Rush Enthusiasts group.
D	Ice Climber	Nintendo · 1985	Ice Climber is a vertical platformer in which players control Popo or Nana as they climb mountains, break th
D	F1 Racing	SEGA · 1984	A Formula One racing game for the Famicom in which players compete in high-speed races on various track
D	Nekketsu	TECHNOS JAPAN CORP. · 1993	A basketball sports game featuring characters from the Kunio-kun series, known for its arcade-style
D	Chip 'n	CAPCOM · 1990	Platform game based on the Disney animated series in which players control Chip and Dale to rescue Gadg
D	Ike Ike	TECHNOS JAPAN · 1992	A hockey game starring the characters from the Nekketsu series, known for its fast-paced action and c
D	Tennis	Nintendo · 1984	A classic sports simulation game for the Famicom that simulates a tennis match between two p
D	Chip 'n	Capcom · 1994	A side-scrolling action platformer in which Chip and Dale battle robots and rescue their friends from F
D	Mahjong	Nintendo · 1983	A classic tile-matching game for the Famicom based on the traditional Chinese game, featuring single
D	Hudson's	Hudson Soft · 1986	A side-scrolling action platformer in which players control Master Higgins as he runs, jumps, and throws
D	Dr. Mario	Nintendo · 1990	A puzzle game in which players control Dr. Mario as he throws vitamins into a bottle to eliminate
D	Antarctic Adventure	Konami · 1985	A simple racing game in which players control a penguin running across Antarctica, avoiding obstacles and
D	Tiny Toon Adventures	Konami · 1993	A side-scrolling action platformer based on the animated series, in which Buster Bunny and friends must
D	God of War	PACNSACDAVE · 2014	An unlicensed action platformer for the Famicom/NES loosely based on Greek mythology, featuring a wa
D	MAPPY	Namco · 1984	Mappy is a side-scrolling platform arcade game in which players control a police mouse navigating a mul
D	Darkwing Duck	Capcom · 1992	A side-scrolling action platformer based on the Disney animated series, in which players control the ma
D	Tetris	Nintendo · 1989	A tile-matching puzzle game in which players rotate and drop falling tetromino shapes to create and cle
D	Tiny To	Konami · 1991	A side-scrolling platformer based on the animated series, in which players control Buster Bunny on a qu
D	Kung Fu	Nintendo · 1985	A side-scrolling martial arts action game in which the player controls a hero fighting through a multi-

NES Two-Player Co-op and Classic Cheat Codes

Game	Cheat Code / Co-op
Contra	Konami Code: ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA → 30 lives
Super Contra	Same Konami Code; two-player overlapping firepower
Battle City	Two-player split-screen co-op; edit and share maps
Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu: Soccer Hen	Super Shot: pause → ↓↑↑→← + B

How do we rank these?

Category	Data source	Weight
Platform lifetime sales and recognition	VG Sales Wiki, Nintendo shipments	35%
Controls and level design	AGDQ speedruns, speedrunning community	30%
Innovative mechanics	Local co-op, map editor, RPG elements	20%
Playable online	GGEMU NES library	15%

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