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Best NES games

The 17 best NES games, ranked from 1,927 critic and player ratings.

The best NES game right now is Disney's DuckTales, with a critic score of 86/100 — updated November 2026.

How this ranking is built
  • Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
  • A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
  • Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
  • Release window covered: 1970 to 2026.
  • 17 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,927 ratings between them.
  • Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 13 November 2026.

Top 17

Played them? Give your tier with the + next to each game. No account needed to try — create one to keep your tiers.

01 Disney's DuckTales Disney's DuckTales 1989 · 176 ratings DuckTales is a platform game developed and published by Capcom and based on the Disney animated TV series of the same name. It was first released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989 and was later ported to the Game Boy in 1990. The story involves Scrooge McDuck traveling around the globe collecting treasure and outwitting his rival Flintheart Glomgold to become the world's richest duck. Produced by key personnel from the Mega Man series, DuckTales would go on to sell over a million copies worldwide on each system, becoming Capcom's best-selling title for both platforms. The game was praised for its tight control, unique and non-linear gameplay and bright presentation, and is often regarded as one of the best titles for the NES, appearing on numerous "Best of" lists. 86 /100
02 Blaster Master (1988) Blaster Master (1988) 1988 · 37 ratings You've fallen down a hidden manhole into a world of creatures so terrifying they'd scare the rats away. You can panic and perish, or blast your way through an endless maze of tunnels, searching for the secret passages to your escape. And that's the easy part. Because the Masters of the Caverns lay waiting - prehistoric creatures so powerful, so gigantic, they literally fill your screen! So load your arsenal and get ready for Blaster Master. 85 /100
03 Adventures of Lolo (1989) Adventures of Lolo (1989) 1989 · 43 ratings Adventures of Lolo is a puzzle game released in 1989 by HAL Corporation for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is based on the Japanese Eggerland video game series. 78 /100
04 River City Ransom River City Ransom 1990 · 54 ratings Play as Alex and Ryan and cross River City to fight street gangs and save your girlfriend from the hands of a bad guy named "Slick." Improve your fighting experience by powering-up your characters in River City's shops, picking-up items for bonuses and using the trash bins and pipes you will find in its streets. 71 /100
05 Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) 1987 · 39 ratings You'll criss-cross your way along the 17th century Spanish Main in search of all-new adventures. You'll lead a crew of hot-blooded buccaneers into rollicking harbour towns. And risk your booty and your life plundering enemy ships! Hunt for magnificent treasures! Unravel the mysteries and clues of your adventure! Even battle your way through enemy waters on grueling rescue missions! Will you win your rightful place in history? Or will you end up shipwrecked on a distant island? The answer can only be found in the swashbuckling Pirates! Gold. 71 /100
06 Final Fantasy (1987) S Final Fantasy (1987) 1987 · 265 ratings · 1 Tier vote Final Fantasy, also known as FFI in re-releases, is the first role-playing game title in Square's flagship Final Fantasy series. The game puts players in control of four characters known as the Warriors of Light, and begins by asking the player to select the classes and names of each. The Warriors of Light can traverse the maps of dungeons and towns, which are connected by a world map, and will run into random encounters with enemies or fight bosses. 70 /100
07 Karateka (1985) Karateka (1985) 1984 · 33 ratings Karateka is a 1984 beat'em up video game by Jordan Mechner, and was his first game created while attending Yale University. It was originally programmed for the Apple II, and was later ported to several other home computers and early gaming consoles. The game was published in North America by Brøderbund, and in Europe by Ariolasoft. The player controls an unnamed protagonist who is attempting to rescue his love interest, the Princess Mariko, from Akuma's castle fortress. The game exhibits a combination of a side-scrolling platform and fighting game elements. The player uses punches and kicks to defeat Akuma and his guards and make his way deeper into the fortress. The game, as with most at the time of development, lacked checkpoints or the ability to save the game, making it a challenge to complete in a single sitting. Karateka has been well-received, particularly for its realistic animations used for the game's characters. The game was considered a breakthrough success for Mechner, and would eventually result in his development of the Prince of Persia franchise. A high-definition remake, spearheaded by Mechner, was released as a downloadable title for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, with planned ports for the iOS and Wii U systems. 70 /100
08 Balloon Fight (1985) Balloon Fight (1985) 1985 · 114 ratings Balloon Fight was developed and released by Nintendo, being the console port of the Arcade game VS. Balloon Fight (which was developed at the same time by another team, but released first). It was ported onto numerous other systems, and has more recently been released on the Nintendo Wii U. The game allowed for 1 player and 2 player gameplay, providing cooperative play to get past each stage. 69 /100
09 Kirby's Adventure B Kirby's Adventure 1993 · 203 ratings · 1 Tier vote Not everything is well in Dream Land. For some mysterious reason, the Dream Spring, a magical well that is the reservoir for all the dreams of the citizens of Dream Land, is no longer working. Everyone is being subjected to their worst nightmares every time they go to sleep. Upon reaching the Dream Spring, Kirby finds out that evil King Dedede has stolen the Star Rod, thus depriving Dream Land of the magical energy that feeds its spring. Using 20 unique tricks and your ability to steal your enemies' powers by swallowing them, you'll have to make your way through a horrific land filled with all kinds of nightmares. Recover the broken pieces of the Star Rod, and everyone in Dream Land will sleep peacefully once again. If you fail, the citizens of Dream Land will be subjected to a lifetime of terrible nightmares. 60 /100
10 Micro Machines Micro Machines 1991 · 75 ratings Micro Machines is a classic racing game. Simple, fast-paced and lots of fun. You are given the control of miniature cars, choppers, speedboats, racecars, tanks, jeeps, formulas and many more vehicles to choose and about 20 different tracks to drive on. You'll have to race AI opponents or your friends on various locations such as kitchen desks, pool tables, workshops, school desks, gardens, bathtubs etc. 60 /100
11 Disney's Aladdin Disney's Aladdin 1993 · 351 ratings 59 /100
12 Metroid Metroid 1987 · 241 ratings 58 /100
13 Bomberman (2005) Bomberman (2005) 1985 · 112 ratings 58 /100
14 Yoshi Yoshi 1991 · 32 ratings 47 /100
15 Final Fantasy II Final Fantasy II 1988 · 67 ratings 40 /100
16 Wild Gunman (1984) Wild Gunman (1984) 1984 · 35 ratings 29 /100
17 Yie Ar Kung-Fu (1985) Yie Ar Kung-Fu (1985) 1984 · 50 ratings 20 /100

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best NES game?

Disney's DuckTales currently tops the ranking with a score of 86/100 across 176 ratings. Ranking updated November 2026.

How is this ranking built?

Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.