While every generation of gaming will put an understandable amount of emphasis into pushing visual fidelity to its absolute limits, this pursuit can often result in “realistic” games for their era aging remarkably poorly (visually, at least.) That said, this is a problem mainly for 3D games. Specifically because of the limitations imposed by 8-bit and 2D, many developers for the NES had to get creative with their art direction in order to make their visuals pop.
While the Super Nintendo remains the bastion for high quality 2D sprite work (in large part due to the jump towards 16-bit,) there are plenty of 8-bit classics that hold up surprisingly well. Art direction will always be more important than graphics when it comes down to it, and there are a few NES games that still look amazing today.
10 Super Mario Bros. 3
Every single Super Mario Bros. game on the NES has aged terrifically. The original Super Mario Bros. has a simple aesthetic that’ll never go out of style; Super Mario Bros. 2 USA has a vibrant color palette with greater emphasis on detail; and Super Mario Bros. 3 on NES actually looks better than its Super Nintendo counterpart.
Super Mario Bros. 3 opts for atmosphere at every turn, creating truly mesmerizing set pieces that feel more at home in Metroid than they do in a Super Mario Bros. game. But there’s still that Mario charm, offering a level of presentation few other 8-bit games could boast.
9 Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is its franchise’s black sheep, and not without good reason, but it’s not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. If anything, it’s a title that only becomes easier to appreciate the more it’s played. Beyond how well designed the game actually is (outside its difficulty curve,) Zelda II’s visuals hold up quite well.
Hyrule is far more colorful than it was in the original Legend of Zelda, and the added detail given to the sprites help in giving the world a considerable amount of character. Backgrounds and set pieces are also fairly well put together even if screens can blend together. Some of the later Palaces manage to create some real ambience with their color palettes.
8 Mega Man 6
It’s very much up to debate which of the NES Mega Man games are best, but few fans of the Classic series will likely argue against Mega Man 6’s status as the best looking Rockman title on the NES. The last of the original Mega Man games, MM6 goes out with a bang, featuring some of the best graphics on the NES.
Background are well detailed, colors blend together beautifully, and the spritework is as great as ever. Capcom mastered Mega Man’s simple aesthetic by the sixth entry, and while playing all the games back to back can be an exhausting experience, it’s hard not to appreciate just how incredible Mega Man 6 looks.
7 Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse
All three NES Castlevania games hold up well when it comes to their visuals, but Simon’s Quest and Dracula’s Curse are in a league of their own. While Simon’s Quest isn’t that great a game, its presentation is admirable & the color direction is very unique for the NES.
Dracula’s Curse, on the other hand, is just an amazing game outright. Beyond playing fantastically with some of the best level design in the series, the art direction is simply out of this world. Some of the later stages in Castlevania III are downright jaw dropping.
6 Dragon Quest IV
Early JRPGs are something of an acquired taste, but anyone who stops themselves from playing the early Dragon Quest games because of their age is missing out. Not only do they all feature fantastic modernized remakes, their original versions hold up fairly well– especially in the case of Dragon Quest IV.
Released Dragon Warrior IV in the United States, DQIV was the last Dragon Quest game on the NES, but it’s also a visual marvel. Strong colors, tight art direction, and well put together world design lends to a level of depth even some SNES RPGs lacked.
5 Punch-Out!!
No discussion of the NES’ graphical fidelity is complete without mention of Punch-Out!! Originally branded as Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, the boxing game quickly solidified its legacy as one of the hardest titles on the NES. Ostensibly a boss rush from start to finish, each boxer was a puzzle that had to be solved– one that actively challenged your reflexes.
Mike Tyson himself is still considered one of the most challenging final bosses in gaming. Part of why the game works so well is precisely its art direction. Without the game’s clear, animated, and expressive visuals, players would never be able to react accordingly. It’s easy to take for granted all the shuffling, stepping, punching, and winking. These are some of the most detailed sprites on the console.
4 Metroid
The original Metroid is an extremely difficult game to go back to. The game’s core design simply won’t resonate with modern audiences, requiring a need for notetaking, mapping, and trial & error that many gamers tend to decry. It’s a pity that Metroid is so inaccessible because it’s one of the most unique games on the NES.
Imagine if the original Legend of Zelda were actually as obtuse as fans often say it is. That’s Metroid. The game requires all your attention, but it’s well worth any tedium. Metroid’s visuals hold up remarkably well, actually resembling the alien world it’s meant to. If nothing else, Metroid is a master class in atmosphere.
3 Kirby’s Adventure
So is Kirby’s Adventure for that matter, but on a completely different scale. Where the original Metroid does an excellent job at creating a lonely, almost oppressive atmosphere in 8-bit, Kirby’s Adventure welcomes audiences into its game world with vibrant colors, amazing sprite work, and detailed backgrounds.
Kirby’s Adventure was a very late of life NES game (1993,) and it shows. This isn’t a fault, though, and Kirby’s Adventure was simply given an opportunity to make better use of the NES’ hardware.
2 Contra
Contra is pure style from start to finish and there’s something amazing about the first game’s art direction. Konami was on their game during the NES era, pumping out classic after classic, and Contra’s style is a perfect match for Castlevania’s. Where CV goes for gothic horror, Contra is an action movie in 8-bit.
The visuals are chaotic, but sprites are clear, colors pop, and the backgrounds offer Contra’s world a sense of scale that only bolsters the combat. The classics stay classic for a reason.
1 Batman: Return Of The Joker
As hard as it may be to believe, Batman: Return of the Joker might very well be the best looking game on the NES. Beyond being a great game in its own right, Return of the Joker is a sight to behold. An adaptation of the comics and not Tim Burton’s film of the same name, Return of the Joker captures the late 80s/early 90s Batman aesthetic perfectly.
Sprites are fluid, the game’s color palette is moody & atmospheric, and the backgrounds are as fleshed out as can be for an NES game.