When most people think of the Nintendo Entertainment System, they think of simple games. A plumber jumps on koopas. A hero swings a sword. A spaceship shoots aliens.
And to be fair, the NES was limited by modern standards. Most games had little memory, and the hardware would struggle to display a modern smartphone notification.
Some developers looked at those limitations and decided to push right through them.
Looking back today, it’s surprising how many ideas appeared on the NES years (even decades) before they became common in modern games. Open worlds, character builds, action RPG mechanics, nonlinear exploration, and innovative gameplay systems all showed up long before they became industry standards.
Here are five NES games that were genuinely ahead of their time.
1. Crystalis
I’ve written before about how much of a Crystalis fan I am, and how it deserves more recognition. This is one of the biggest reasons why.
Released by SNK in 1990, Crystalis blended fast-paced action with RPG progression in a way that felt remarkably modern. While many players compare it to The Legend of Zelda, the game includes leveling systems, equipment upgrades, elemental powers, and a narrative that feels much closer to later action RPGs.
The combat requires timing and positioning rather than simply swinging a sword repeatedly. Bosses often demand specific strategies and item combos, and the game’s world encourages exploration without becoming completely overwhelming.
What makes Crystalis feel ahead of its time is how many systems work together. It doesn’t just borrow RPG elements, it blends them into the core gameplay experience.
Today, action RPGs are everywhere, but Crystalis was experimenting with that formula long before it was a guaranteed success.
2. River City Ransom
Trying to describe River City Ransom to someone who has never played it is surprisingly difficult. How do you describe a game that tries (and generally succeeds) in so many genres?
It’s an open-world-RPG-beat-em-up-co-op-adventure-brawler.
Me, probably.
Released back in 1989, River City Ransom allowed players to freely explore a connected world while fighting gangs, earning money, purchasing items, and permanently improving their characters’ stats.
That may not sound revolutionary now, but it was incredibly unusual at the time.
Gamers today are used to progression systems with skill upgrades, and character customizations. River City Ransom was experimenting with these concepts while most other games were still focused on reaching the next level and achieving a high score.
Its blend of action and RPG mechanics feels surprisingly fresh even today.
3. Kirby’s Adventure
At first glance, Kirby’s Adventure might seem like an odd choice.
It’s colorful and cute. It looks like a straightforward platformer.
But, beneath that cutesy exterior was one of the most technically impressive and fun game mechanics on the entire system, making it one of my top “Most Purely Fun Games” for the NES.
Kirby’s Adventure was released in 1993, quite late in the NES era, so it needed to push the hardware to its limits. The game features large sprites, detailed environments, super smooth scrolling, and visual effects that seemed like they should be on the Super Nintendo.
More importantly, it introduced Kirby’s signature vacuum and copy ability.
Giving players the ability to absorb enemy powers and then dramatically change their playstyle on the fly was incredibly creative. Today, different abilities and alternate playstyles are common features in games, but Kirby’s Adventure built an entire experience around just that concept.
The mechanic defined the franchise, and showed other developers they didn’t need to constrain their characters.
4. Metal Storm
If you never played it, Metal Storm probably feels like an odd choice. Sci-fi platformers are not particularly revolutionary. However, this game featured a unique mechanic that sets it apart even decades later.
Then they built the entire game around it.
In addition to running, jumping and shooting, the game’s big gimmick allows players to reverse gravity at will. Your mech easily jumps from the floor to the ceiling or vice versa.
That simple idea completely transforms the game’s level design. Players must constantly think about their positioning, enemy attacks, and environmental hazards from two different perspectives. What feels like a clever mechanic in the beginning quickly becomes a key part of solving the game’s challenging levels and defeating bosses.
Even today, gravity manipulation is a relatively uncommon gameplay concept.
Metal Storm took this single innovative idea and explored it thoroughly, creating an experience that still feels unique decades later.
5. Faxanadu
Faxanadu often gets overshadowed by bigger names from the NES era, but it deserves far more attention.
Part action platformer and part RPG, Faxanadu combines exploration, character progression, equipment upgrades, towns, dialogue, and a surprisingly large interconnected world.
Many modern players would recognize elements that later became staples of the Metroidvania genre.
The game encourages backtracking, exploration, and gradual character growth rather than simply moving from left to right through a series of isolated levels.
While it wasn’t the first game to blend these ideas, it assembled them in a way that feels remarkably ambitious for 1989.
If Faxanadu had been released on more powerful hardware a few years later, it might be remembered as one of the defining games of its generation.
Honorable Mentions
Several other NES games nearly made this list:
- The Guardian Legend
- Uniquely combined shooter gameplay and action RPG exploration years before that type of genre blending became common.
- StarTropics
- Delivered a story-driven adventure with puzzle-solving and exploration that feels way closer to later next-gen console action-adventure games.
- Dragon Warrior IV
- Its chapter-based storytelling and multiple playable protagonists were unusually ambitious for an 8-bit RPG.
- Battle of Olympus
- Mixing mythology, exploration, and RPG progression in ways that foreshadowed and clearly influenced later action RPG developer choices.
- Sweet Home
- Inventory management and permanent character death mechanics that would later influence survival horror games.
- Mega Man 3
- Expanded player freedom of choice with non-linear stage selection and the introduction of mechanics that became staples of the series.
Each introduced mechanics or ideas that would become more common years later.
Roll The Credits
The NES is often remembered for nostalgia, but nostalgia isn’t the whole story.
Many developers were experimenting with ideas that wouldn’t fully blossom until future generations of hardware made them easier to implement.
Games like Crystalis, River City Ransom, Kirby’s Adventure, Metal Storm, and Faxanadu weren’t just good for their era. In many ways, they anticipated where gaming was headed. The designers took a risk, and whether it paid off in the moment or not, that influence is still felt today.
That’s part of what makes revisiting the NES so rewarding: sometimes you’re not looking at the past, you’re looking at the first draft of the future.
Interested in seeing which of these titles made it on to my Best NES RPGs Still Worth Playing list? Here’s a hint: there’s at least one!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What was the most technologically advanced NES game?
Many historians and retro gaming enthusiasts point to Kirby’s Adventure as one of the most technically advanced NES games ever released. Its visuals, animation, and smooth scrolling pushed the aging hardware to its limits.
What NES game was most ahead of its time?
There is no definitive answer, but River City Ransom and even Crystalis are strong candidates because they combined gameplay systems that would later become standard in modern action RPGs and open-world games.
Was Crystalis better than Zelda?
That’s largely a matter of personal preference. The original Legend of Zelda had a greater lasting impact on the industry, but many players prefer Crystalis because of its RPG progression, story, and combat systems.
What is the rarest game on this list?
Metal Storm is generally considered the rarest and most expensive physical cartridge among the games listed here, making it highly sought after by collectors.
Are these NES games still worth playing today?
Absolutely! While some aspects show their age, all five games are still fun and offer gameplay that still feels modern, like wearing your grandpa’s sport coat to an eSports event.