Top Ten NES Games On Virtual Console

Millions of people have fond memories of playing games on Nintendo’s NES. The celebrated 8-bit system played host to numerous hits, some of which reside on the Wii’s Virtual Console. Regardless of whether you’re a nostalgic longtime fan or experiencing it for the first time, these top ten gems deserve your undivided attention.
#10 Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

Castlevania played a huge role in the NES’ popularity, with Dracula’s Curse leading the charge. This intense action romp sends you on a mission to slaughter Dracula and his minions, but in this case, you may call on three assistant characters (including Alucard, star of Symphony of the Night) and have multiple paths to follow. In addition, Konami ditched the annoying exploration element from the game’s predecessor, Simon’s Quest.
#9 Super Mario Bros. 2

We consider SMB 2 the oddball of the Mario series, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. On the contrary, Nintendo’s quirky platform game provides several hours of fun, thanks to multiple playable characters (including Princess Peach), a new villain in Wart and the gang’s vegetable throwing antics.
#8 The Legend of Zelda

Nintendo redefined adventure games with The Legend of Zelda, introducing players to an open world to explore, dungeons to conquer and of course, a young and soon to be iconic hero named Link. We played it for hours while flipping through issues of Nintendo Power for tips.
#7 Mega Man 3 

At the end of the day, you should download all of the Mega Man games on Virtual Console, but we love the third installment. Sure, it follows the basic formula of all Mega Man games, where you defeat robot masters and take their powers, but this game introduced the ability to slide, as well as the hero’s faithful canine companion, Rush.
#6 Kirby’s Adventure

By 1993, the NES was a dinosaur compared to the SNES, but Nintendo managed to squeeze a few hits from its dusty console, including Kirby’s Adventure, a fun and cheery platform game starring an adorable pink puffball. What separated it from the competition was Kirby’s ability to inhale his enemies and use them as weapons. It’s a bit on the easy side, but the fun gameplay and catchy music make it a huge favorite.
#5 StarTropics

Zelda's a great game, but we prefer the underrated StarTropics.  The game revolves around Mike Jones, a kid who goes in search of his kidnapped uncle and embarks upon a wonderful adventure full of monsters, a talking parrot, a submarine and even aliens. It looks great, features enjoyable combat (with a yo-yo, no less) and packs quite a challenge. Good luck escaping the whale.
#4 Punch-Out!!

Most of us remember this game for Mike Tyson, but his replacement, Mr. Dream, didn’t ruin our enjoyment. Nintendo’s excellent boxing game puts you in control of Little Mac, an up and coming fighter who attempts to climb the ranks by defeating a series of trademark brawlers, including pushover Glass Joe and the much tougher King Hippo and Great Tiger. It's without question one of the NES’ defining games.
#3 Super Mario Bros.

You can’t talk NES without mentioning one of the greatest launch games of all time. Super Mario Bros. was huge for a plethora of reasons that go beyond introducing us to the publisher’s famous mascot. Yes, Mario was cool, but we also dug the side-scrolling action, secrets, power-ups and that trademark music. It’s no surprise that it’s still a joy to play after all these years.
#2 Metroid

Nintendo scored with Metroid, a 2-D smash hit that let players guide bounty hunter Samus Aran through an alien world teeming with dangerous critters. The fact that Samus turned out to be a woman was huge, since it proved that virtual ladies were every bit as powerful as the dudes, but overall, this was a stellar game with slick power-ups, interconnected levels and plenty of drama towards the end. On top of that, it has some of the best theme music in gaming.
#1. Super Mario Bros. 3

Let’s face it, the NES has a ton of quality hits, but none of them top Super Mario Bros. 3. Nintendo’s incredible sequel ditched vegetable throwing in exchange for good old fashioned goomba stomping fun, complete with more levels, warp whistles, air ships, a world map, Bowser’s bratty Koopalings and the introduction of suits that imbue Mario and Luigi with special abilities. Whenever we need an NES Mario fix, it’s always the first game we go back to. Both timeless and fun, Super Mario Bros. 3 should be at the top of your downloading list.