Which 8-bit Nintendo games are worth playing today? This critic is playing all 751 of them to find out

Games journalist Jeff Gerstmann is completing a three-year project to play and rank all 751 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games. According to an interview with As It Happens, Gerstmann aims to verify longstanding community opinions on the library, currently ranking Mega Man 2 as the top title on his list.

Why is Jeff Gerstmann ranking every NES game?

Gerstmann began the project after noticing that online articles and videos regarding the best and worst NES games had become suspiciously similar. He told As It Happens host Nil Köksal that he suspected many people were “parroting other people’s opinions” without actually playing the titles.

The longtime critic, who co-founded Giant Bomb and worked at GameSpot, wanted to “check the work” of other critics. He believes a critical re-evaluation is necessary to determine which games from the 1980s and ’90s remain playable by modern standards.

Did you know? The NES library consists of exactly 751 games, including both licensed Nintendo titles and unlicensed games that bypassed Nintendo’s strict quality controls.

Which NES games rank the highest and lowest?

Mega Man 2 currently holds the top spot. Gerstmann cited the game’s music, art, and robot designs as the primary reasons for the ranking, stating it improved upon everything in the first Mega Man title.

Other notable rankings include:

Super Mario Bros.: Ranked No. 3. Gerstmann noted it is a favorite, though he believes it was technologically surpassed even during its own era.
Duck Hunt: Ranked No. 364. Gerstmann categorized this as an arcade-style experience that offers very little content after 10 minutes of play.

The bottom of the list contains “miserable” and “incredibly poorly made” titles. Gerstmann attributed the lowest quality games to companies that circumvented Nintendo’s licensing process to release unlicensed software, including adult-oriented casino games featuring low-resolution images of nude women.

How is the ranking process conducted?

Since August 2023, Gerstmann has streamed his progress every Friday on Twitch. He does not attempt to complete every game; instead, he plays each title for 30 to 60 minutes to form a fair impression before adding it to his ranked list.

This methodology creates a contrast between the “arcade” era of gaming and the “home console” era. As Gerstmann noted regarding Duck Hunt, early titles mirrored short arcade experiences, whereas later games like Super Mario Bros. provided hours of gameplay to justify higher retail price tags.

Pro Tip: When revisiting 8-bit classics, focus on the core mechanics rather than the graphics. The “feel” of the controls is often what separates a timeless classic from a “bottom of the barrel” title.

What happens next for the NES list?

Only one game remains for Gerstmann to rank: Super Mario Bros. 3. This title is widely considered one of the greatest games of all time, and Gerstmann told As It Happens he “dreads” the ranking because of the potential controversy his placement may cause.

Are the Rarest NES Games Worth Playing? (Nintendo Entertainment System)

Once the NES project concludes, Gerstmann plans to apply the same exhaustive ranking process to another classic gaming console, though he has not yet named the specific system.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many games are in the NES library?

There are 751 games in the 8-bit Nintendo library, according to Jeff Gerstmann’s project.

Which game is currently ranked #1?

Mega Man 2 is the top-ranked game on Gerstmann’s list.

How long does it take to rank all these games?

The project has taken nearly three years to complete, with sessions occurring every Friday since August 2023.

Why are some NES games so poor?

Some of the worst games were unlicensed titles that bypassed Nintendo’s official quality control standards, according to Gerstmann.

What is your favorite NES memory? Do you agree with the ranking of Mega Man 2 over Super Mario Bros.? Share your thoughts in the comments below or subscribe to our newsletter for more gaming history deep-dives.