Retro Thursday: MoneyLaunderer's Top 5 NES Games of All Time.

Previously on "Retro Thursday": Emulators. Missed it? Check it out here.

I hope some of you had a chance to check out a few emulators and what they have to offer. It's really an awesome way to play the classics in the HD world.

But, enough of that. It's a new week, a new edition of "Retro Thursday". So, let's get into it.

This week, I'm going to give you my top 5 Nintendo Entertainment System titles of all time. This is more of a personal preference, but I have amazing taste in games (among other things), so these are definitely worth checking out if you haven't experienced them before. I am going to warn you about one thing, though. There will be NO Super Mario Bros. titles on this list. We all know they're classics. No need to say it again and again and again.

I'm guessing a title or two may not surprise you, but a few may have you wondering. And that's fine. I'm here to make you think, in addition to fueling your desire for all things retro. 

And now, I give you...The NOC List. I hope you got the "Mission: Impossible" reference. If you didn't, I'm disappointed and sad.

Number 5

The first Batman game I played back in 1990. Side-scrolling action featuring the Caped Crusader fighting his way through the thugs and criminals of Gotham City en route to a showdown with the Joker. Batman can wall-jump, à la Ryu Hayabusa in Ninja Gaiden, which is a useful skill when trying to avoid enemies or pools of waste from 'Axis Chemicals'. In typical Batman fashion, he has multiple tools at his disposal. His trusty Batarang, spear gun, and 3-disc blade launcher. The latter weapon is fierce and destructive. You fight some familiar foes in this one, as well. Deadshot, Killer Moth, and The Electrocutioner, to name a few. But it all comes down to your fight with the Joker. This was one of the more challenging games I experienced in my youth and it still holds up over time. While not many Batman games featured quality gameplay, and was something the Dark Knight struggled with throughout his video game career, this one was ahead of it's time when it released in 1989. The music is killer, as well. But let's face it, most 8-bit soundtracks were.

Number 4

Mega Man 2: the crown jewel in the Mega Man 8-bit lineup. As the blue blazer himself, Mega Man, you traverse 8 stages on your way to battle the evil Dr. Wily. Along the way, you encounter 8 bosses whom you must defeat to capture their special power in order to infiltrate Dr. Wily's compound: Metal Man, Air Man, Bubble Man, Quick Man, Crash Man, Flash Man, Heat Man, and Wood Man. Each boss features a level unique to their special ability. For example, Heat Man features a level based on fire, Wood Man's level is in a forest, and Bubble Man is an aquatic-themed level. And each boss has a weakness to the power of another boss. In addition to the special abilities gained by defeating bosses, you also acquire special abilities from Dr. Light that help you reach areas you previously could not.

I'm guessing if you've owned a Nintendo, you've played Mega Man 2 or have seen someone playing it. It's by far my favorite in the franchise and features my favorite soundtrack to any NES title ever made (Ninja Gaiden is a close second). Featuring great platform/action gameplay and a difficulty level that can cause frustration, Mega Man 2 is definitely one of my top 5 NES titles of all time.

Number 3

Maniac Mansion was a bit of an acquired taste, as it was well ahead of it's time. The game had a difficulty level many players couldn't overcome without the help of a guide or walkthrough (which, back when this game was released, wasn't easy to find).

The premise of  the game is your girlfriend is kidnapped by Dr. Fred, who wants to harvest her brain for experiments. Her boyfriend, Dave, and two of his friends plot to rescue her by entering Dr. Fred's mansion and breaking her out. Along the way, you'll encounter Nurse Edna, Weird Ed, 2 sentient tentacles (one purple and one green), and Dead Cousin Ted. This was an adventure game featuring a point-and-click mechanic that was difficult to grasp at first with the NES controls. There were times when, to avoid capture, you needed to click on an area of the screen quickly, but the NES D-pad was extremely unforgiving. But this didn't destroy the gameplay. If you were captured and thrown into the dungeon, one of your comrades could break you out with a rusty key or by pushing a 'loose brick' in the cell (this would open the cell door) if locked up with you. Eventually, you solve various puzzles through the house and work your way to Sandy, eventually saving her from Dr. Fred...if you don't accidentally blow up the house in the process.

This was one of the most entertaining games on the NES featuring a cast of interesting characters. Plus, like the other titles on this list, the soundtrack doesn't disappoint. Actually, each of the playable characters features their own soundtrack when controlling them. This was a title not to be missed.

Number 2:

River City Ransom, or RCR, was one of my favorite co-op games on the NES. A beat-'em-up game with a touch of RPG elements, As Alex and Ryan, you fight your way through the streets of River City to rescue Ryan's girlfriend and River City High from Slick, your arch-nemesis. Along the way, you battle various street gangs with interesting names like "The Jocks", "The Squids", and "The Generic Dudes". Very intimidating names, I'll tell you. One by one, you take them down and work your way to Slick. When you defeat enemies, either through hand-to-hand combat or with different weapons like chains, pipes, and brass knuckles, they drop coins. These coins can be used at shopping centers, restaurants, or book stores throughout the game. You can buy power-ups like Stone Hands and Dragon Feet that make your attacks stronger or health items and power-ups that permanently increase stats.

With it's open-world environment, you can venture back to turfs you've already conquered or push on towards the final showdown with Slick. This game had a very Double Dragon-ish feel to it, but with it's own added charm. Sitting down with a friend and playing through this game was one of the first co-op experiences I had in gaming and it's one of the best gaming memories I have. If you've never sat down and played River City Ransom, you need to correct this colossal mistake. It's aged very well and offers one of the best gameplay experiences on the NES.

Number 1

Number one with a bullet. The best NES title ever created. The Legend of Zelda. This one probably tops 9 out of 10 "all time" lists out there, but leaving it off my list would have been a travesty and a lie. The first adventure of Link in Hyrule was my introduction to the RPG genre. It would be followed by Final Fantasy, another of my favorite NES titles, but this one took the grand prize. I can't tell you how many times I've played through this title. At least 20. And each time, I love it. The gameplay, the music, the environment, the weapons, the dungeon design. Everything about this game screams "masterpiece". Gamers are all familiar with The Legend of Zelda and hold many RPGs to the standard this game brought forth. Even today, game developers are paying homage to this gem. For example, 3D Dot Game Heroes on the Playstation 3 was a game that took dozens of cues from The Legend of Zelda. It's basically a generic clone, but manages to capture the charm of the 8-bit game, while adding a higher difficulty and extended gameplay world. And imitation is the purest form of flattery.

So, there you have it. My top 5 NES games of All Time. What games would round out your top 5? Do you agree with my list? Disagree? Sound off in the comments below and let me know what you'd like to see on next week's "Retro Thursday". Always looking for next week's topic.

Thanks for checking it out. And, as always...

Game on.

-ML