The NES was not the first home console. However, it was the system that defined a generation and helped rebirth the video game industry for the better. There are simply too many games for any one person to play through legitimately in a single lifetime.
Some of those games had the opportunity to live on with other systems, giving life to sprawling franchises that continue to this day. It’s hard to talk about the NES without bringing up the Mario series as one example. Then there were the games that may have gotten a sequel or two on the NES but did not continue forward after that. These are some of the forgotten highlights.
8 Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers was based on the popular Disney Afternoon cartoon of the same name. It was innovative at the time for featuring a simultaneous co-op mode. It’s one of many great platformers that Capcom made for Disney back when they had a tight partnership.
There was one sequel to this on the NES, besides Game Boy ports too. Both games were re-released in The Disney Afternoon Collection in 2017 for a plethora of platforms but there was never a direct sequel.
7 Destiny Of An Emperor
Destiny of an Emperor was another game made by Capcom but was quite different from the Disney games. It was a turn-based RPG that was based on the Chinese epic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms which is also what the Dynasty Warriors series is loosely based on.
The West got the first game, but they did not receive the sequel. However, fans took it upon themselves to translate the second game for all to enjoy online. Capcom never made too many RPGs, so it’s sad to see a great potential series like this die during one console generation.
6 Don Doko Don
Don Doko Don started as an arcade game before quickly getting an NES port. Since the sequel was exclusive to the NES, this series still counts as thriving and dying during the NES generation. The first game was an appropriate arcade-like experience wherein players had to eliminate enemies in a series of quick challenge rooms.
The sequel changed things by turning it into an action platformer. This NES sequel was only released in Japan, but there isn’t a lot of Japanese text in it. Both NES games were only released in Japan but they are easy to play without a fan translation.
5 Famicom Jump: Eiyuu Retsuden
There have been a ton of crossover games, from fighters to RPGs, bringing Shonen Jump characters together. Famicom Jump: Eiyuu Retsuden was one of the first games to attempt this lofty crossover experience.
Dragon Ball is easily the most recognizable anime in this game. It was a top-down action RPG similar to The Legend of Zelda. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this game, and its sequel, were never released outside of Japan. This was before the big anime and manga boom wherein companies eventually figured out that Westerners would love to play anime games too.
4 The Goonies
The Goonies was a Japanese-only adventure game for the NES. It was arcade-like with simple puzzle rooms and mechanics. It was based on a movie of the same name. While the movie didn’t get a sequel, the video game did and took place after the events of the original.
It was a lot more complex in nature, mirroring old-school Metroidvanias which makes sense since this was a Konami game. Unlike the original, this did see a release in the West.
3 Konami Wai Wai World
Konami Wai Wai World is another Konami game and another crossover experience for the NES. Both of these games are action platformers wherein power-ups will change the original protagonist into a classic Konami character.
Contra and Castlevania should be the two biggest franchises that Western fans will recognize as represented in these games. Both were only released in Japan, but they are easy to play without fan translations even though work has been done with them. It’s not a direct sequel but the only thing close to one would be Konami Krazy Racers which was a Mart Kart-like racer for the Game Boy Advance.
2 Power Blade
There are technically only two games in the Power Blade series. However, the original game was released in two versions. The original Japanese release was a more cute action-platformer with super-deformed characters.
When it was ported to the West, it was given a makeover to seemingly appeal to a wider audience. The sequel kept this more adult art style in both regions. Both games, or more like all three, are criminally underrated gems for the NES that should be found and played no matter what.
1 StarTropics
The StarTropics series was Nintendo of America’s attempt to make a more Western version of The Legend of Zelda. The original featured two styles of gameplay. There was a top-down overworld like in the original The Legend of Zelda, but things improved graphically in the dungeons. It’s like how models changed between the overworld and the dungeons in Zelda 2.
Also of interest, this game was not released in Japan initially and the same goes for the sequel, Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics 2. The series has been referenced in games like Super Smash Bros. but a true sequel was never released.