1. Sonic the Hedgehog
   Duck Tales
2. Pirates!
   Grand Theft Auto 5

Along with Sega's power, the Sonic games also evolved. The original Sonic The Hedgehog was first released in 1991, but today the series spans dozens of titles, both 2D and 3D, featuring a variety of gameplay styles and a few spinoffs that include a racing game, fighting game, pinball and a party game.

1. Mortal Kombat
   Wizards & Warriors
2. Top Gun
   Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Mortal Kombat is a famous fighting game and the first console game to receive a "Mature" rating. If you grew up in the '90s, chances are you, just like all your friends and classmates, were playing Mortal Kombat nonstop.

1. Ice Climber
   Base Wars
2. The Secret of Monkey Island
   Donkey Kong 94

Remember the classic misadventures of Guybrush Threepwood? The Secret of Monkey Island was a huge success in the '90s, telling the story of a young guy who always wanted to become a pirate.

1. Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers
   Pokémon Red and Blue
2. Mega Man 6
   Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode

The first two international Pokémon releases, usually referred to as Pokémon Red and Blue, were also the original releases of the Pokémon RPG games for the Game Boy. Monochromatic pixel art and 4-bit background music won't impress anyone nowadays, but back in 1998, this game was a must-have!

1. Ico
   North & South
2. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
   Deus Ex

Deus Ex was released for many popular platforms including Xbox, PlayStation, PC, etc. While Deus Ex feels like a crazy mix of different games, this first-person shooter does achieve a good balance between the graphics and story line.

1. Super Mario Bros.
   Batman: Arkham Asylum
2. Pro Wrestling
   System Shock 2

Super Mario Bros. is a classic among classics. Eventually released for all popular platforms, the game was originally made by Nintendo for their home console. Super Mario Bros. is still one of the most recognizable console games in the world.

1. Duck Hunt
   The Legend of Zelda
2. Spy Hunter
   The Goonies II

The Legend of Zelda is undoubtedly one of the best Nintendo's games. It was played in a top-down view and constantly encouraged players to experiment and explore. Fun fact: it was the first home console game cartridge that could save data thanks to the included batteries for the storage.

1. Ice Hockey
   Mega Man 5
2. Kung Fu
   Contra

At first, Contra was a coin-operated arcade game. In 1988, Nintendo created its home version for their consoles and since then, a few sequels for different consoles were released. Not everybody knows it, but the name of this game refers to the Contras, CIA-backed Nicaraguan rebels who were well-known in the US in the '90s.

1. Rush 'N Attack
   Little Samson
2. Super Smash Bros.
   Hogan's Alley

Super Smash Bros. is a fun fighting game that featured all famous NES characters, from Sonic and Pikachu to Mewtwo and Mr. Game & Watch. Entire sleepovers were dedicated to this game! By the way, competitive tournaments are still a thing.

1. Excitebike
   1943: The Battle of Midway
2. The Oregon Trail
   Super Street Fighter II

The second entry in the Street Fighter series was not as famous as the original title, but it featured more sophisticated graphics, new challenges, music, four new characters and other improvements that the dedicated Street Fighter fans loved.

1. Super Dodgeball
   Metroid
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
   SimCity 2000

Metroid was a unique console game in many ways - it started the phenomena of “speed running” through a game, had multiple endings, and unique design. There were other surprises as well: Players were shocked when main character, Samus Aran, was revealed to be a woman at the end of the game.

1. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
   Ring King
2. Track & Field
   NBA Jam

The gameplay of NBA Jam, the first entry in in the NBA Jam series, is pretty similar to Arch Rivals, another 2-on-2 basketball video game released a few years earlier. However, this title, both an arcade and Game Boy version, became much more popular among the fans of sports games worldwide.

1. X-COM: UFO Defense
   Ikari Warriors
2. Double Dragon II
   Contra

At first, it was just another arcade game. But after the release of the NES version, Double Dragon became a separate universe. Fun fact: There is a happy ending in the NES version and the woman players are trying to save is alive, unlike in the original, arcade version. While the second game closely resembles the original, it still features some significant improvements such as new levels, fighting moves and animated cut scenes.

1. Fallout 2
   Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode
2. Prince of Persia
   Resident Evil 2

Not everybody knows about this game, but Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode is the only NES game - or console game at all - where players could have sex (implied sex, but still...) Moreover, it's the longest-running manga series with the first game released in 1988.

1. 1943: The Battle of Midway
   The Secret of Monkey Island
2. Final Fantasy VII
   Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

1943: The Battle of Midway is an iconic NES game and sequel to an earlier console game called 1942. 1943, just like the original game, is also a top-down shooter where the player controls a P-38 fighter during World War II. By the way, the designer of this game later worked on designing the Street Fighter games for Capcom.

1. Fallout 3
   Metal Storm
2. Mario Kart
   Zork I: The Great Underground Empire

Mario Kart is a successful spin-off from Nintendo's trademark Super Mario series. The first Mario Kart game was released in 1992, and since then it became a hit series of racing video games, especially popular among kids and teenagers.

1. Prince of Persia
   EarthBound
2. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
   Stinger

Did you know that there is even a song based on this successful NES platformer that combined puzzle-solving with some run-and-jump action? Yes, that's right: one South Korean singer has a song called The Magical Castle that was inspired by Prince of Persia games.

1. Batman
   Suikoden 2
2. Mega Man 2
   Final Fantasy

Ever wondered why it's called Final Fantasy? Well, its designer Hironobu Sakaguchi's wasn't sure that this game would be a big success and decided that if the game was a failure, he would stop making games and quit the industry. Luckily, Final Fantasy quickly became a big hit - it started a huge game franchise and popularized the JRPG genre in the US.

1. Tecmo Bowl
   Final Fantasy Tactics
2. Grand Theft Auto
   Bomberman

Compared to all the home football video games before, Tecmo Bowl felt more “real” and even featured real NFL players. It's safe to say that this original title defined football games on the NES until the release of its sequel.

1. Duck Hunt
   GoldenEye 007
2. Marble Madness
   Burnout 3

If you owned a NES console at some point in your life, you probably had a few Light gun games in your collection. The choice was endless, from Wild Gunman and Hogan's Alley to The Lone Ranger. However, the majority of NES fans preferred the classic Duck Hunt - a game where players could shoot down birds in One Duck or Two Duck mode and even "accidentally" shoot the dog during the bonus round, much to the joy of gamers.

1. Super Smash Bros.
   The Oregon Trail
2. Double Dribble
   Jackal

Who knew that education games can be also fun! The Oregon Trail, originally released in 1985, was invented during a 8th grade classroom lesson in 1971. The game appeared for over 40 years across dozens platforms from first Apple computers to modern phones.

1. Cobra Triangle
   Life Force
2. Donkey Kong
   Monkey Island 2

Originally an arcade game, Donkey Kong was later released on all mainstream consoles including Game Boy, Nintendo, Wii and more. The adventures of Donkey Kong were a big success! The ape itself first appeared in 1981 arcade machine, in which he faced Mario, now Nintendo's most famous character. By the way, it was the first appearance of Mario as well.

1. Micro Machines
   Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!
2. Grim Fandango
   RBI Baseball

When Nintendo was making a NES version of their Punch-Out!!! arcade game, at first they tried to replicate the full-size, wire-frame boxer from the arcade. Since it was impossible to replicate Mike Tyson on a tiny screen properly, they eventually created Little Mac, a tiny, scrappy boxer who was working hard to get a shot at Mike Tyson and the championship belt.

1. Resident Evil
   Donkey Kong
2. MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat
   Legendary Wings

Resident Evil, also known as Biohazard, is not a single game but rather a franchise that includes not only video games but also comic books, novels, sound dramas, films, animated sequels, and a lot merchandise, such as action figures or T-shirts. The original game that started all this madness was released in 1996.

1. StarCraft
   Thief II: The Metal Age
2. Ms. Pac-Man
   Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

While the original game was a big hit, when its sequel came out, it felt like gaming had peaked. The devoted fans still love the first game, but Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 was close to perfection, and the reason for it was simple – the manual that connected all the levels.

1. Mega Man 2
   Pac-Man
2. Pokemon Yellow
   Double Dragon II: The Revenge

Since the first Mega Man game wasn't a big success, Capcom wasn't really exciting about making a sequel. They still allowed the Mega Man 2 team to create the game but also wanted them to work on other projects at the same time.

1. A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia
   Adventure Island II
2. EarthBound
   Willow

We know this game as EarthBound, but its fans in Japan played the same game called Mother 2. The original Mother came to the US as EarthBoundBeginnings for Wii U only in 2015, while a follow-up game, Mother 3, was released only in Japan.

1. Suikoden 2
   Bubble Bobble
2. Kirby's Adventure
   Kid Icarus

Suikoden 2 was a decent RPG, light on content but heavy on combat. While its storyline wasn't too intriguing, this game featured an enormous cast of interesting characters.

1. Tecmo Super Bowl
   Super Mario Bros. 2
2. Final Fantasy Tactics
   Tetris

One of the best retro games you can play on the Sony PlayStation, Final Fantasy Tactics is still among the leaders of role-playing console games. In 2017, this game turned 20 years old!

1. GoldenEye 007
   Contra
2. Ninja Gaiden
   Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!!

In 1997, GoldenEye introduced a completely new gaming experience. It was not only a decent movie tie-in, but also one of the best console first-person shooters (and it still is). The game features both an engaging single-player mode that made you feel like a real spy and a multiplayer that wasn't originally included - it was built in just 6 weeks and added only at the end, right before the release of the game.

1. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
   Bionic Commando
2. Metroid
   Banjo-Kazooie

The original game was released for the Nintendo 64 in the '90s. The adventures of a bear and a large red bird were a lot of fun - in fact, "Banjo-Kazooie" is the 10th-best-selling Nintendo 64 video game of all time!

1. Dragon Warrior III
   Metal Gear Solid
2. Metal Gear
   Bubble Bobble

Metal Gear Solid is a game that represents its creator’s vision. In addition to crazy dialogues and a lot of humor, this game had a clear anti-nuke message and the greatest stealth gameplay of all time. All in all, it's safe to stay that MGS popularized defined stealth genre, inspiring a lot of iconic games.

1. Deus Ex
   Baldur's Gate 2
2. Crystalis
   Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a title worth mentioning mostly because of its expansive, rewarding game world, full of unexpected twists, surprises, and secrets. It has everything gamers love from a main character that's easy and fun to control to a unique world you can explore for hours. Back in 1997, all these cool features were still new and exciting.

1. Star Wars: TIE Fighter
   Street Fighter
2. Baseball Stars
   Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

The sequel to Star Wars: X-Wing, Star Wars: TIE Fighter is the first game to be set on the side of the Galactic Empire. The graphics in this game significantly improved thanks to the 3-D rendering engine that made objects look more realistic; in 1994, this game was a break through title.

1. Mega Man
   Halo: Combat Evolved
2. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
   Street Fighter II

Even though Halo was released in 2001, it became an iconic console game pretty quickly. It's not as old as other titles featured here, but it's worth mentioning simple because Halo was one of the first shooters that inspired the countless modern games. A must-have classics!

1. Battletoads
   R.C. Pro-Am
2. Street Fighter
   River City Ransom

Originally an arcade game, Street Fighter was released on various home systems from NES to Xbox and Play Station. Developed and published by Capcom, it's still one of the most popular fighting games in the world with the latest game released in 2016 (Street Fighter V).

1. Dragon Warrior
   Top Gun
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
   Super Mario

This game is pretty close to modern flight simulator. A lot of players still remember the F-14 Tomcat, the fighter aircraft featured in the Tom Cruise film. The NES version of Top Gun, released in the '80s, was a huge success - it sold more than 2 million copies!

1. Base Wars
   Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
2. Gradius
   Halo: Combat Evolved

Base Wars is a weird, futuristically-themed sports game that looked like baseball and involved huge robots. It was challenging to win Base Wars without cheating, but this title had a lot of cool features. For example, try to name your team "TERMINATOR" and all of your robot players will have laser swords!

1. Rygar
   Dr. Mario
2. Ice Climber
   Blaster Master

Ice Climber is a notable game for many reasons. First of all, it's a launch title for the NES. Moreover, the same characters appeared in the Super Smash Brothers games and the game itself looks too good for 1985. The game was popular worldwide - in some countries, the first NES console was sold bundled with Ice Climber.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
   Pirates!
2. Star Wars: TIE Fighter
   Mega Man 4

In this iconic adventure game, you could explore, kill people, steal things, and do all the fun stuff that pirates never actually do in the Disney movies. The NES version, released in 1991, gave players a lot of freedom, much more than its original Commodore 64 version.

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
   Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers
2. Half-Life
   Dragon Warrior IV

The huge success of Duck Tales (released in 1989) paved the way for Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers a year later. A lot of players still remember the creepy final boss, Fat Cat, who scared one generation of young NES fans.

1. Final Fantasy VI
   IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II
2. Super C
   North & South

North & South, released in 1990, resembles modern real-time strategy games with its turn-based play and elements of a board game. The huge plus was that you could choose where to start playing - from the start of the Civil War, in the middle, or skip to the end.

1. Pro Wrestling
   Blades of Steel
2. Journey to Silius
   Section Z

Back in the '80s, Pro Wrestling was a simple yet excellent simulation of the real thing. Your goal is to wear your opponent down with simple moves and winning this game isn't hard at all. Every time you win the match, the game displays the iconic message - "A WINNER IS YOU,-” which later became an Internet meme.

1. Rad Racer
   World of Warcraft
2. The Legend of Zelda
   Spy Hunter

Spy Hunter for NES was a solid version of the arcade classic, even though it was much harder to use NES controller than the steering wheel in the arcade. The NES version also had a fun glitch: you could drive off the road and become invincible … and stay invincible as long as you stayed off the road.

1. Silent Hill
   Little Nemo: The Dream Master
2. Arkanoid
   Snake Rattle N' Roll

Just like in Breakout, your goal is simple- control a paddle and bounce with a ball against a wall of bricks. Fun fact: the NES version of this game included a special controller that later became one of the rarest NES controllers ever made.

1. Metal Gear Solid
   Ice Hockey
2. Counter-Strike
   Maniac Mansion

Ice Hockey was not trying to simulate anything - it's just a fun, carefree NES game, where players mostly bump up against each other and nobody follows the rules. If you want to win the game, keep in mind that Czechoslovakia is the best team, while the Americans are terrible. There are also three kinds of characters - skinny, fat, and average. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages (skinny guys are fast but weak, fat guys are strong but slow ... you get the idea).

1. Kung Fu
   The Guardian Legend
2. Adventures of Lolo 2
   StarTropics

One of the earliest games for the NES, Kung Fu brought us the thrill of having our very own arcade game at home. This retro game was fun and exciting, but some of the enemies were downright ridiculous. Who knew that martial arts schools teach kung fu not only to pandas but also to fire-breathing dragons, birds, and bees...

1. Shadowgate
   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
2. Rush 'N Attack
   Banjo-Kazooie

You're a crazy marathon runner who'll do anything to win, including killing your enemies with a knife. Rush'n Attack is mostly remembered for its Cold War setting; it's title is a creative play on "Russian attack".

1. Diablo 2
   Wizards & Warriors
2. Bomberman II
   Little Samson

Little Samson was released very late in the system's life span (1992). This platfomer remains the most overlooked gem in the NES library. In recent years, Little Samson became one of the most rare and expensive Nintendo games! If you own this rare NES game, you're sitting on cash money - new Little Samson cartridges can be worth hundreds of dollars.

1. Duck Tales
   Willow
2. Excite Bike
   A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia

The original title Excite Bike debuted for the Famicom in Japan in 1984 and was released for the NES the next year. This game is the first game of the Excite series, but it has a lot of sequels -Excitebike 64, Excite Truck. Excitebots: Trick Racing, and even a 3D remake of the original game.