Top 10 Best NES Exclusive Games

The Nintendo Entertainment System was one of the early mainstream video game consoles. It also has one of the largest libraries of any system. Despite this the games that defined it have been released countless times on other hardware. There are very few NES exclusives these days, and even fewer good ones. Decades later developers have taken every opportunity to cash in on games they’ve already released. As a collector titles released only once are my focus. This is why I decided to highlight the top 10 best NES exclusive titles. Before we begin let’s start with a few rules for this list.

• Obviously the games here have never been ported to another system.
• I’m excluding any titles that have been remade for any other hardware.
• You also won’t find any games re-released digitally, or in any kind of compilation.
• So a game was released for another platform but in a separate region? It won’t make this list.
• Some games share the same name but are completely different. They don’t count as the same game even if the title is identical.
• I’m not including imports. I’ll save that for another day.

With those caveats out of the way let’s begin. These are the top 10 best exclusive games on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

#10. – Tiny Toon Adventures

Licensed games aren’t easy to port anywhere else, or even re-release. That’s where Tiny Toon Adventures comes in. This platformer was released post Super Mario Bros. 3 and it shows. The developers clearly took a few notes from Nintendo and focused on what was then modern level design. You can change characters, find secrets, and obstacles/foes are well placed. Tiny Toon Adventures is a great platformer even if you’re not a fan of the franchise on which it’s based. It’s easy to see why it wasn’t released anywhere else, but it’s definitely worth seeking out.

#9. – Gotcha! The Sport

The NES Zapper didn’t get a whole lot of use unless you were like me and loved to play Duck Hunt. Few developers took advantage of it, but thankfully, the ones that did came up with some pretty neat ideas. Enter Gotcha the Sport. This game simulates a match of capture the flag using paintball guns. It’s a little complex, and has a learning curve, but the game is a lot of fun regardless. This is the only NES game that requires both the zapper and standard controller as far as I know. It’s pretty easy to see why this game is still an NES exclusive to this day.

#8. – Clash at Demonhead

Open world games were just a sparkle in most developer’s eyes back in the 8-bit days, but Vic Tokai made a game that was far ahead of its time. This is Clash at Demonhead. It’s a 2D side scrolling action platformer where you have a huge world to explore and it’s largely non-linear. What’s also interesting is the fact that this one has a pretty detailed storyline for the time in which it was released. Clash at Demonhead has aged really well, and the only way to experience it is by plugging in the old NES hardware.

#7. – The Legend of Ghost Lion

When you think RPGs on the NES it’s natural to think of Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. Not many role playing games were localized for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The genre wasn’t very popular back then outside of Japan, and that’s why Legend of Ghost Lion was largely overlooked. This forgotten role playing game has you assuming the role of a young girl tracking down her parents in a fantasy world, and participating in turn based battles while doing so. Instead of fighting herself this gal uses spirits that she can summon into battle. It’s kinda similar to Pokemon, but predates it by almost a decade. Legend of Ghost Lion is a very fun RPG that’s been long forgotten.

#6. – Monster Party

Here’s a wacky side scrolling action platformer that you’ve probably never heard of. Monster Party is flamboyantly horror with several genre tropes. The thing is the game rocks. There weren’t a lot of horror themed titles localized for North American audiences. You play as a character named Mark who is armed with a baseball bat. You trek your way through a variety of different horror tropes and can even transform. There’s a surprising amount of dialogue and it’s all good clean fun. Monster Party is still fun to this day, and is easily one of the best NES exclusive games.

#5. – Willow

Who remembers the fantasy film Willow? I sure don’t, but I didn’t let that hold me back from playing this action RPG. This game was developed and published by Capcom which makes it all the more surprising that it hasn’t been released anywhere else. Willow is best described as a Zelda clone. You view the action from overhead and battle enemies while solving light puzzles. It never reaches the heights of its source material, but Willow is still a lot of fun.

#4. – Motor City Patrol

Before Grand Theft Auto there was Motor City Patrol. The main reason this one was never released elsewhere was because it uses the matchbox license. Remember those little cars you could buy as a kid? This is them. I rented this one as a kid and I instantly fell in love with it. You play as a police officer who is trying to stamp out crime. It’s your job to drive around from an overhead perspective chasing down criminals. You can shoot your gun out the window, but you’re best off not doing so because it’ll get you in trouble more often than not. Motor City Patrol was very much ahead of its time.

#3. – Little Samson

Little Samson has the notoriety of being one of the rarest games on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Those that have played it know that it’s among the best platformers on the system. In Little Samson you transform into three different characters, and you’ll need to do so frequently to get past a myriad of different obstacles. Each has their own abilities and that’s a big part of why the game is so fun. You have to switch between them frequently. Where the game really shines is in its level design. Every single stage is a pure joy to play, and while it’s no Ninja Gaiden there’s a fair challenge here. Little Samson may not be worth the price of admission but it’s still quite fun.

#2. – Little Nemo: The Dream Master

Little Nemo was a neat little platformer released by Capcom near the end of the NES’ lifespan. This is one of the few games that the house of Street Fighter didn’t port to every piece of hardware ever released. This is probably because of the fact that it’s based on an obscure animated film license. Either way, Little Nemo is absolutely incredible and a real joy to play. Remember all of those different suits that Mario could use in Super Mario Bros. 3? This entire game is based around that concept, and there’s ten times as many here. The platforming action is tight and fun, but as I mentioned earlier the power-ups are where it’s at. This is truly one of the best NES exclusives.

#1. – The Guardian Legend

While combining unlikely genres is commonplace now back in the 8-bit days it was pretty rare. Developers normally chose a style of play and stuck with it. This is why the Guardian Legend is so unique. It’s part overhead shooter (and a really good one, at that) and the rest is action adventure. These sections of the game feel like a sci-fi based Zelda, and it’s just as fun as you would imagine. It also helps that the graphics and soundtrack are absolutely incredible. This is easily one of the best action adventure titles on the platform. Some days I’d say it’s even better than Zelda.