Today…
…the NES is
dead. Nintendo finally closed the curtain on its 8-Bit system with the
release of Wario's Woods, just in time for Christmas 1994. By then, the
Super Nintendo had already been out for three years, and it wasn't easy
for the NES to live in the shadows of a better-looking and more powerful
sibling. 16-Bit consoles, 3D graphics, CD-ROMs and anticipation for the
Saturn and PlayStation were fast reducing any market the once dominant
NES could hope for. What this meant for late generation Nintendo-produced
titles like StarTropics
and NES
Play Action Football was that they had to compete (and ultimately
make way) for legions of flashier 16-Bit titles on the shelves.
Wario's Woods |
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NES Play Action
Football |
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Like all things
that have passed, the NES lives on through its fans. As we revisited the
back catalogue of NES classics for this feature, we were (pleasantly) reminded
of why the system is still relevant in this new millennium. It's pretty
simple, actually. The NES is chock full of awesome games. Stuff like graphics
and sounds will always fall to the ravages of time -- what separates the
good from the mediocre is the element of fun. Call it soul, if you
will. This timeless essence is what keeps gamers coming back to the NES
time and again. Apply this concept to your favorite PlayStation or Dreamcast
titles today and you'll discover the common lineage of fun.
So what are
the really special games on the NES, you ask? In the next section, we've
come up with a list of categories (stuff like best graphics, best RPG,
etc.) and took a staff vote on our favorite games for the NES.
If you haven't
already experienced the NES, well… you know what to do. As a console gamer,
you owe it to yourself to know your roots. And if you're already down with
NES, don't forget to pay that 8-Bit friend a special visit.
Happy 15th anniversary,
NES -- and thanks for all the great memories.
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