Note: This is the toughest list I’ve done yet. 1990 was an extraordinarily great year in gaming so I am straight-up cheating and having a few “ties” on this list. There are just too many good games.
Honorable Mention:
– NES: 8 Eyes, Adventures of Lolo 2, Batman, Chip’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Gremlins 2, Little Nemo: The Dream Master, Rygar
– TurboGrafx-16: Bonk’s Adventure, Splatterhouse, Super Star Soldier
– Sega Genesis: Ghostbusters, Thunder Force III
– Gameboy: Gargoyle’s Quest, Final Fantasy Legend
– Misc: SimEarth (PC), Aliens (Arcade)
8. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (NES)(Tie)
Ninja
Gaiden II had a tough act to follow given the success and popularity of
Ninja Gaiden, and it definitely delivered. Bringing back the same
stellar level design and gameplay with new power-ups and a couple of
quality of life improvements (wall climbing), Ninja Gaiden II cemented
the series as a must own for the NES. Ninja Gaiden II is the perfect
example of a game that is tough as nails, but never feels very unfair.
You always feel like you just need to learn the game a little better to
succeed. I’ve personally never bested this game, yet I still love it and
still come back to it in the hopes of one day finally conquering it.
8. Startropics (NES)(Tie)
Startropics is very
much a Zelda-esque game, though I don’t think it can called a clone.
Your viewpoint is top down and in the caverns your character (Mike)
moves through rooms that are square or rectangle. You have to push
buttons to solve puzzles and battle bosses with a variety of weapons.
Yet, as much as it’s similar to Zelda, it has a charm and identity that
is entirely its own. The story is very interesting, even including a
note with the game that must be dipped in water to obtain a message that
allows you to advance in game. The graphics are crisp. And the level
design and gameplay is extremely sharp. I can’t say enough positive
about Startropics and, if you haven’t yet, you owe it to yourself to
give this game a play.
8. Final Fantasy (NES)(Tie)
The game that
launched a franchise that is still considered elite today (I’ve yet to
encounter anyone that hasn’t enjoyed Final Fantasy XVI). The very first
Final Fantasy seems very basic now, but, along with Dragon Warrior and
Phantasy Star, paved the way for RPG’s on home consoles. Final Fantasy
allowed you to pick your party, meaning each play through could be a
unique experience, and could be made more difficult or easier based on
your decisions. The world is massive with a variety of enemies and
bosses to battle. The story, while basic, is good enough. Further
entries in the series would tighten up the gameplay, but there’s no
denying how important and well-made the original Final Fantasy was.
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)(Tie)
The
original TMNT game on the NES is fine, but it was TMNT II that really
made you feel as if you were playing the cartoon series that so many of
us loved in our childhood (and possibly adulthood). The characters were
all there, both the heroes and enemies, the levels were varied, and the
sprites, as noted above, were as close as to the cartoon as you could
get on the NES. Most importantly though, the gameplay was stellar.
Fighting through waves of footclan soldiers, rock soldiers, and mousers,
among others, stayed exciting. And as exciting as the game was alone,
it was even more so with a friend or sibling. I can’t imagine the number
of times my brother and I played through TMNT II, but however many
times it was, it never got old, and still hasn’t gotten old.
7. Neutopia (TurboGrafx-16)(Tie)
I’ve written about Neutopia before,
but in summary, it’s a Zelda clone, and quite possibly the most similar
Zelda clone that was developed, but it was a great Zelda clone. You
play as the hero, Jazeta, and explore the gameworld, looking for caves,
items, and the entries to the crypts, in which lurk bosses guarding
medallions you must collect to rescue the princess. No, this game is not
original, but that doesn’t stop it from being a blast to play. The
world is very well designed, with differing regions you must explore.
There are tons of secrets to locate, and multiple weapons to complement
your always handy sword. I noted this in my previous post on Neutopia,
but this is another somewhat obscure game that is now available
digitally (via PSN) and is a game I would recommend to anyone.
6. Crystalis (NES)
Changing things up a bit, we
come to a title with a top down viewpoint and sees you exploring a world
in an effort to stop a powerful evil. Okay, so I clearly have a type of
video game I prefer. Still, Crystalis is an absolute gem of a game. You
as the hero, awake with no memory and are tasked with stopping the
villain, Draygon, from entering a Tower that would allow him to rule the
world. Crystalis takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The story of
the game is easy to bypass, but if you explore just a bit, you’ll find
the narrative to be quite deep. Combat consists of using one of four
elemental swords alongside items and magic and is implemented very well.
Crystalis still holds up today, and is fortunately available via teh
SNK collection or on Nintendo Switch Online.
5. Ducktales (NES)
Capcom and Disney had an
incredible relationship in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, and no game
(IMO) topped Ducktales for the NES. Ducktales put you in control of
Scrooge McDuck on a quest to gather treasures from five areas of the
world, including the moon, with a little help from the other characters
in the show. Much like Mega Man, Ducktales also allowed you to play the
stages in any order you wished. Once in the stages, there are multiple
paths to explore and multiple hazards designed to stop you in your
tracks. Fortunately, Scrooge’s cane doubles as a pogo stick with which
you can dispatch enemies and hop over hazards with relative
ease…sometimes. With stellar gameplay and design, Ducktales was renowned
then and remains so today, seeing both a re-release alongside other
Disney games from that era and a full remake.
4. Ys I & II (TurboGrafx-16)
As an unabashed
Ys fan, you had to know this title would show up on my list. Ys I &
II is a very unique title in that it does not include an attack button.
Instead, to attack, you run directly into enemies, though you must do it
off center or from the side or behind. Mess this up a bit, and you’ll
find your life decreasing far more quickly than your foes. While this
may sound awkward to some people, once you give yourself time to adjust
to it, you’ll find that it flows extremely well and eventually just
becomes second nature. Ys I & II also included FMV on the TG-16, a
beautiful game world, well designed sprites, a very deep story littered
with lore, and a stellar soundtrack. While Adol Christin has come a long
way since this outing, seeing a new entry arriving this year (Ys X:
Nordics), this first outing shaped the entire franchise and you can
still see it’s DNA even in the most recent Ys entries.
3. Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (NES)
Castlevania III is not only an excellent entry for the franchise on the NES, it is my personal favorite
Castlevania title. Castlevania III returned the game to it’s level
based roots after the more open-world Castlevania II (also a stellar
game), but introduced branching paths allowing you to choose your next
destination. Castlevania III also introduced helper characters. These
characters, when found, will offer to accompany you, though you can only
have one with you at a time. By pushing select, you will transform into
Grant Danasty (pirate), Sypha Belnades (sorceress), or Alucard
(Dracula’s son, making his first appearance in the franchise). Each has
special skills that can make traversing the game a bit easier, or a bit
harder depending upon the path you choose. While the original title is
rightfully acclaimed, Castlevania III tightens all of the screws of the
original, giving us what, in my opinion, is my perfect Castlevania game.
2. Mega Man 3 (NES)
Just like Castlevania III,
Mega Man 3 is my personal favorite game in the franchise. Mega Man 3
follows up the extraordinary Mega Man 2 by somehow being just a little
bit better. The level and enemy design is fantastic, as expected, but
Capcom added a slide move, which adds an entirely new element to the
game, while also introducing Mega Man’s long-time companion, Rush. Mega
Man 3 was also the first to pull the “it’s not Dr. Wily this time, oh
wait, it totally is Dr. Wily this time” twist. This is a short blurb
simply because the best I can do is say that this is an amazing game
that, if you’ve somehow missed, you owe it to yourself to play.
1. Super Mario Brothers 3 (NES)
While Mario and
Mario 2 are good games, it is Mario 3 that gave us the Mario we still
know and love today. An immense NES game, Super Mario Brothers 3 is
eight worlds of pure joy. Expanding upon Mario’s power-up inventory,
Mario 3 introduced the Frog Suit, the Hammer Brothers Suit, and the
Tanooki Suit & Leaf, both of which gave Mario the power of flight
for the first time. There’s simply no way to convey the pure excitement
of taking Mario to the sky for the first time. It was a sense of freedom
that was practically unparalleled. Mario 3 also includes quite possibly
the tightest level design on the NES. No small feat given the NES
library. Mario 3 was such an impactful title that the film The Wizard
(I’ll defend this movie to the end) was practically a commercial for the
game. A very good commercial. It’s worth noting as well that Mario 3
has aged extremely well and still shows up on top games lists, despite
being over thirty years old. For all these reasons and others too
numerous to mention, Super Mario Brothers 3 is my top game of 1990.
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