Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Metroid give NES a compelling trio: jumping, exploration and discovery. Nintendo’s official classics catalogue identifies their original NES versions. Famicom is the Japanese member of the same console family; the photo shows the North American NES.
It beats Game Boy because we prefer this home-console mix to monochrome portable play. Mega Drive edges it for arcade-style energy. NES can rise if foundational game design is your main criterion. Our ranking rewards games we want to revisit, rather than assuming the oldest system automatically deserves first.
Source: Manufacturer record.
Photo: Evan-Amos · Public domain. Resized/framed; status retained.
