Introduction Super Robot Wars 2 was developed and published by Banpresto, released for the Famicom in 1991 as the second entry in the long-running tactical RPG series that crosses over mecha anime franchises like Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger, and Getter Robo into a single strategic battle system. Players command a roster of iconic robots and…
Introduction Nekketsu Fighting Legend was developed and published by Technos Japan, released for the Famicom as part of the Kunio-kun series, the long-running franchise of delinquent-themed sports and action games that would later be localized abroad under names like River City Ransom and Renegade. This entry frames its action as a martial arts tournament, with…
Introduction Kunio-kun no Nekketsu Soccer League was developed and published by Technos Japan, released for the Famicom as a soccer entry in the Kunio-kun series, the same delinquent-school franchise behind River City Ransom and Nekketsu Fighting Legend. True to the series’ exaggerated style, matches favor chaotic, arcade-style soccer over simulation, with players able to pull…
Introduction Final Fantasy III was developed and published by Square, released for the Famicom in Japan in 1990 as the third entry in the series, notable for introducing the Job Change system that let party members switch freely between classes like Knight, Black Mage, and Dragoon rather than being locked into a single role for…
Introduction Arkanoid was developed and published by Taito, released for the NES in 1987 as a home conversion of the 1986 arcade original that helped define the breakout-style genre. Players control the Vaus, a small spacecraft acting as a paddle, bouncing a ball upward to destroy grids of colored bricks across increasingly elaborate stages, with…
Introduction The Goonies II was developed and published by Konami, released for the NES in 1987 as a loose sequel to the arcade platformer The Goonies, itself based on the 1985 film. Rather than repeating the arcade original’s stage-based action, The Goonies II restructures the series into a Metroidvania-style adventure, sending Mikey through a large…
Introduction Romance of the Three Kingdoms was developed and published by Koei, released for the NES in 1990 as a home console adaptation of the studio’s PC grand strategy series based on the classical Chinese novel of the same name. Players take control of one of many warlords during China’s Three Kingdoms period, managing cities,…
Introduction Rad Racer II was developed and published by Square, released for the NES in 1990 as a sequel to Rad Racer. It follows the same pseudo-3D racing format as the original, sending players down a fixed set of named courses against the clock and rival traffic, but drops the original’s stereoscopic 3D glasses gimmick…
Introduction Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was developed and published by Nintendo, released on the NES in Japan in January 1987 and reaching North America later that year as the direct sequel to 1986’s The Legend of Zelda. The game took the series in a markedly different direction from its predecessor’s top-down overworld exploration,…
Introduction Little Nemo: The Dream Master was developed and published by Capcom, released on the NES in September 1990, loosely based on the 1989 animated film Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, itself adapted from Winsor McCay’s pioneering early-1900s newspaper comic strip. Players guide young Nemo through a dreamlike platforming world, using handfuls of candy to…
Introduction Shadow of the Ninja, released in Japan as Kage, was developed and published by Natsume, released on the NES in 1990 as a fast-paced action platformer set in a dystopian near-future America under the rule of the tyrant Emperor Garuda. Players choose between two ninja protagonists, Hayate and Kaede, each armed with a sword…
Introduction Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom was developed and published by Tecmo, released on the NES in Japan in June 1991 and North America that August as the third and final entry in the original NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy. Ryu Hayabusa returns once more, now investigating the assassination of his father and…