NES Games I want for Nintendo Switch Online
Games I want to see come to the Nintendo Entertainment System on Nintendo Switch Online
Hey NintendoDads.org readers, thanks for coming back to my blog!
In my last post, I wrote about how the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games on Nintendo Switch Online allowed me to introduce games I played when I was younger to my children. You can read it here.
As good as the selection of games is, it doesn't quite cover all the games I remember growing up with or even the ones I have gone back and rediscovered as an adult.
In this post, I'll go over some of the games I'd like to see Nintendo bring to the Nintendo Switch Online. Some of these games may be available elsewhere, such as the eShop on the Wii or WiiU, or on the NES Classic. While that is great, these platforms don't allow you to play online, and that does add an extra fun element to the games.
When it comes to games on the NES, some of my favourite games were the classic platformers like Super Mario Bros 1-3 and the Mega Man series.
One of the more original takes on the platforming genre was Bionic Commando. The game has a unique take in that the player can't jump. Ladd Spencer, the protagonist of the game moves around using a bionic grappling hook.
I was addicted to this game from a young age. The game has a variety of stages, weapons and has a cool espionage element. It is fun to play. I recently rediscovered the game and I finally was able to rescue Super Joe.
Although this is a one-player game, the NES on Nintendo Switch Online allows you to connect with a friend and play the game online. You can "pass the control" back and forth and work cooperatively through the game.
The two-player NES games on Nintendo Switch Online can be played with two players locally or online. Some of my favourite games growing up were two-player co-op games where my brother and I worked together for a common goal.
Bubble Bobble was released on the NES in North America in 1986. This game starred twin Bubble Dragons Bub and Bob. The objective of the game was to defeat all the enemies on the screen by trapping them in bubbles and popping them.
The game is unique in that it appeals to people of every age. Kids can't get enough of the cute dragons and adults are challenged by the 100 stages you need to pass to save Bub and Bob's girlfriends from the Cave of Monsters.
This is another game I couldn't stop playing when I was younger. I introduced the game to my kids, and we have a blast playing together as well.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends was just released in North America on the Nintendo Switch. From what I have heard, it doesn't bring the same level of enjoyment as the original game. It would make good business sense for Nintendo to reintroduce people to the NES version of the game to market this new incarnation.
If you would like to watch a review of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, check out Gary Gray's video review on the Nintendo Dads YouTube channel, click here.
The other side of playing two-player games on the NES was competing and beating the heck out of your opponent. My younger brother and I compete at everything, any chance we get. This was just as true when we were kids playing on the baseball diamond, the ice rink or playing sports games on our NES. The selection of sports games on the Nintendo Switch online is thin, and I have a few suggestions I'd like to see added.
As a Canadian, I am always down for a game of hockey, and the NES didn't disappoint.
Nintendo Switch Online has Ice Hockey published by Nintendo in 1988. This is a satisfying representation of the game of hockey and is fun to play.
That said, Blades of Steel is an iconic game on the NES and a cult classic. The gameplay is just as fun as Ice Hockey, and it does a lot more to simulate the experience of being in the arena. The teams included in the game represent cities where there are professional hockey teams (team logos aren't used). The sounds of the game are more familiar to being in an actual area. The crowd, the organ player, and sound effects are on point. The distinct voices are memorable for any fan of the game, even if you can't quite make them out (get the pass). Penalties are awarded to the person who loses a fistfight, how can you get more hockey than that. This is a game any sports fan should play at least once.
Blades of Steel was also suggested by one of the patrons on the Nintendo Dads Discord chat.
Nintendo Switch Online has NES Baseball which was the first attempt at baseball on the console. It isn't a great representation of the sport and future games do it much better. Two of the better baseball games on the NES are Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball and RBI Baseball.
Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball allowed the player to make up a team of unique characters to play on 6 different fields with their own unique ground rules. You really had to do your research on each player to get the fastest, hardest throwing team on the field.
My brother and I had some epic games against each other. I am convinced the game has a built-in mechanic that won't allow the score of the game to get too lopsided, which always leads to some great late-inning comebacks.
RBI Baseball was the first game of its kind to be licensed by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and used actual MLB player names. The game wasn't licensed by Major League Baseball, so the team names and logos are not included.
This is a classic baseball video game with great gameplay action. Unfortunately, this hasn't translated to the newer version of the game rebooted in 2014.
Those are my suggestions. I hope someone at Nintendo reads this.
Thank you to all who submitted game suggestions on the Nintendo Dads discord channel and on Twitter. Here are some of the responses:
Nintendo Dad Justin Masson: Duck Tales and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
Nintendo Dad Jesse Waldack: Dragon Quest IV, V, and VI
Other Suggestions: Skate or Die, Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double Trouble, Batman: The Video Game and Contra
In my next post, I will look at the SNES games I'd like to see on the Nintendo Switch Online platform. Please continue to submit your suggestions via Twitter to @NintendoDads or @chris_logel.
Thanks again to Marty, Justin, Jesse, Tim, and Gary for allowing me to be part of the Nintendo Dads' family.