5 overrated games from the NES era

The NES era is home to many games that are remembered to this day as excellent video games that are genre-defining. That doesn’t mean these games aren’t at least slightly overrated. This is not to say that the games on this particular list are bad, as this is not the case.

What it does mean is that these games, while beloved by many, do feature a number of flaws or problems that ruin the overall experience in one or more ways. This is just the opinion of one writer, and others may disagree, or have other games that they think are overrated from the NES era of gaming.

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Not all NES classic games are as great as remembered

It cannot be stressed enough that these particular video games are not bad, per se. Many games are simply not good, but these games are flawed in one way or another. A solid example is Maniac Mansion, a point-and-click PC game that was ported to the NES.

While the story was good, point-and-click games generally do not do well on classic consoles. It handled particularly poorly on the NES, making the game more frustrating than fun. The graphics were also rather weak in comparison to the 80s PC version, and while they made it playable on the Nintendo console, they didn’t make it a very enjoyable experience.

5 overrated NES games

• Mega Man 1
• Battletoads
• Bionic Commando
• Metroid
• Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest

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5) Mega Man 1

It’s amazing that Mega Man 1 led to more NES games in this particular series, with how frustratingly difficult the original game was. It’s not uncommon to watch a live streamer or content creator try the game and immediately die on Guts Man’s stage. It’s also common to grow quite frustrated at the final boss rush, with its lack of healing.

It felt like it would have been right at home in the arcades of the time, with its maddening difficulty, and how relatively short it was, compared to later Mega Man entries. While it's certainly not the hardest game in the franchise, it was not an enjoyable experience for beginners.

It also features invincibility frames that don’t always work, with many players dying on spikes when they should have survived. While it’s not a bad NES game, it is surely a frustrating one.

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4) Battletoads

The arcade version of Battletoads was challenging, but an enjoyable experience. A world-famous co-op beat ‘em up, the North American version's two-player mode was seriously flawed. Although it has a two-player mode in Level 11 (Clinger Wingers), the other has to complete it solo if one player dies.

For some reason, the North American NES version made Player 2 unable to move, preventing any further progress. It’s a fun game, but it is yet another example of NES difficulty. Furthermore, it also features friendly fire, so players can kill each other, making the game even harder.

Turbo Tunnel aside, the game is supposed to be a killer two-player game, but when an entire region cannot normally complete the game in that manner, it can certainly feel overrated.

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3) Bionic Commando

Bionic Commando is another game on this list with a remarkably cool concept. This NES game featured a character with a bionic arm that allowed the character to swing across platforms and made travel genuinely enjoyable.

Many enemies in the game were removed, and other than the movement, it’s a mediocre run and gun. However, one other major flaw in the game is the final stage. It’s not that the final boss was censored in America, but the player only has one chance to kill him with the bazooka.

Failure here means that the player dies and has to try again. It’s not a terrible game, but it is not as great a game as many remember.

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2) Metroid

While this writer adores several of the Metroid titles, the first game in the franchise is one of the most aggravating experiences in the entire NES library. Much of it was due to the limitations of the console, but there were many glaring flaws.

It made sense for most of the game's world to look identical, since it was supposed to feel like a claustrophobic maze, and was inspired by the Alien series of films.

With only 30 HP instead of the full 99 at the start of the game and with restarting being a baffling choice, all of this made a hard title even harder. It has a frustrating password system, and it can be a chore to get anywhere in the game.

On top of that, dying is the worst part of the game. Having to farm up and fill all of the E-Tanks and missiles is incredibly tedious, and nothing in the game is explained to players. Without an FAQ or a manual of some kind, there’s nothing to help players figure things out.

Obviously, it perfectly nails the esthetic of being trapped and alone on an alien planet, but so many things wind up being infuriating instead of fun.

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1) Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest

In the NES era, it wasn’t uncommon for a sequel to be vastly different from its predecessor, to make sure it sold well. Although it was a cool idea to turn Castlevania into an action RPG, it might be the most flawed game on the entire console. That’s even beyond the flawed translation, and how vague everything was.

The slow transition between the day-and-night cycle continues to frustrate gamers who return to the Nintendo classic to this day. Although the game's world was huge, it honestly just felt empty. The frequency of blocks that Simon can fall through leads players to throw holy water before they walk anywhere unless they know exactly where to stand.

It’s a cryptic, confusing game, and many of the hints in the game don’t actually help. It’s especially unclear how to get to one of the areas, unless players know they need to have a crystal, head to the cliffs area, and kneel on the ground until a hurricane shows up to carry Simon away.

It’s far from a bad NES game, but many issues with it are worth mentioning, making it a slightly unpleasant experience.

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None of these Nintendo games are bad, but they certainly are flawed. Of course, there may be a few flawless video games, and many of fans’ favorite games also have issues that can anger even the most experienced gamers.