5 Awesome NES Hidden Gems

[@ardnehsan]

I love this series, giving spotlight to these older titles is perfect for the emulation community

[@videostash413]

Can we all agree to stop using the word "community"?

[@jmlitwiller]

OMG!!! I totally forgot about Deja Vu!!! My brothers and I used to take turns playing that one when we were kids. The music totally takes me back

[@ToyKeeper]

I love these videos in particular... because instead of focusing on _how_ to play, it answers the question of _what_ to play, and why. There's decades worth of cool stuff, and it's not easy to find the really worthwhile parts.

[@DaisyHollowBooks]

I was born in 1965. I remember all the stuff that came out. My first console was Coleco Vision complete with the Atari adapter. These retro consoles blow my mind.

[@CapnRetro]

Duckwing Duck was one of my favourite NES games 😄 Good music, fun cape block move. The one I recommend is "Willow" My father and I played together all the time. I miss those times.

[@epiren]

Third grade. Saturday morning before my birthday. Mom wakes me up, loads me in the car. We drive across the border to the US to a Toys R Us. She walks me to the place where the Nintendos are being shown, and we grab the ticket for an NES. We also grab the ticket for SMB 2. It all seems like a dream. I was so happy. I played all night that night, or at least deep into the night and most of Sunday. The following summer dad would take me to the flea market, and a lady was selling a cartridge with Mario on it. It was all in Japanese. She said she had an adapter for the game because it didn't connect to the NES. Dad buys it for me for $50, which was A LOT at that time. It was SMB 3, the Japanese FAMICOM version. With the adapter, it played just fine on the NES. My cousins and friends all stand around and watch as we take turns to try and get through the game. Good times. Good times.

[@TechDweeb]

That's a great story. Glad you have that awesome memory!

[@LotoTheHero]

I really miss the experience of buying games at Toys R Us.

[@supergooglelee]

Thanks dude! You are the funniest retro games KZbinr. Would like to see more of this for SNES and Sega Saturn!

[@TechDweeb]

Wow thank you SO MUCH buddy! SNES is next in line 🤓

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

De Ja Vu is one of the best soundtracks on the NES. So much nostalgia for that game, it sets a unique mood that ya gotta experience to appreciate. I dunno if Japan only releases count but Sweet Home is one of the best NES rpgs. There was no way a game with that much gore and a story that dark was ever making it to the states. Luckily English patches arent hard to find.

[@TechDweeb]

I have Sweet Home on my list of NES games to check out 👍

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

@@TechDweeb Youre gonna learn Japanese and play it on an imported cartridge right (wink)? For the record i wasnt flirting. I was trying to be savvy about emulation without actually saying 'emulation'. ..oh crap.

[@chadguts600]

Chip & Dale is my 2nd test game for every device I get. Rockman 3 is my no.1. Thanks for content!

[@TechDweeb]

Chip & Dale is a great game!

[@Sadtiric]

I kinda feel bad for never really giving the NES a shot. We had a Genesis in the house and an SNES at school, so I just wasn't really exposed to it.

[@TechDweeb]

Lots of great games on the NES, so you have a big backlog my friend!

[@Sadtiric]

@@TechDweeb Oh, you don't know the half of it... XD 💚 I feel like "choice-paralysis" is my middle name.

[@luckygreentiger]

Understandable but the NES ruled

[@Sadtiric]

@luckygreentiger Luckily, I have about 10 of these retro handhelds and a good group of new friends to help me sort through them and get to them. ^_^ 💚

[@adinwalls]

I had a Famicom and I only owned Top Gun (I remember it as great but it’s awful) and Darkwing Duck which as you can see holds up well.

[@MrGoneja]

Cobra triangle, 3d world runner, and To the earth, where a few of my favorites from back in the day

[@ElisBuenas82]

Great list! I'd add "Vice: Project Doom". A great platformer that is pretty good, everything seems pretty well harmonizing with each other. And you can run while crouching!

[@TechDweeb]

Looks great, I'll give it a try!

[@kechidonick]

An NES game I haven't seen too much talk on the internet is Section-Z I really liked it as a kid even though I couldn't beat it.

[@ajthefunkmonster4767]

Isolated Warrior is one of my favorite overlooked NES games

[@lloydmilton9808]

I always look forward to the next iteration of your "Hidden Gems" videos! OMG, I absolutely loved Legacy of the Wizard, I knew what game you were playing just by hearing the music and the sound of their attacks. My stepdad was a UPS driver and would rent games for a full weekend for me while he was on his route. He brought this one home and I don't think I left my room that weekend.

[@robertpompa9981]

Hey dude, I just want to say, I started watching your channel recently because of your retro handheld reviews and I have fell in l love with your channel and this character. It shows you put a lot of effort into the research and writing you do for every single video you make, which not a lot of people do now a day. I came for the games but I’m gonna stay for the quality! Keep doing what you do!

[@mjdf122]

So many great NES games I’ve been blessed to see all from 1980-Now what a life of gaming

[@Robodob0]

I love the NES. The one title i love so much growing up was a puzzle platformer called Solomon's Key. Im not sure if this is a hidden gem, but i certainly dont see it in any top NES games lists anywhere. It's a platformer that involves you, a wizard making and breaking platforms. Power ups are plenty, has high score mechanics, hidden secrets (like power ups behind breakable blocks, or specific drops when dropping enemies by creating a trap for them and destroying the floor under them, has plenty of varied enemy types and traps, and a ton of stages. And the controls are pretty smooth for this game. I think this can belong in best-of lists if it was more popular.

[@Marlboro-33]

Deja Vu is a game I used to emulate a lot when I was a kid, but I never got far in it. The music, the pixel art, and the suspense and mystery of it all sucked me in. It's a game I haven't gone back to yet, but I definitely need to. I'm glad it's on this list. Thank you for adding it and giving it some more exposure.

[@AaronDavis057]

I love this video episode idea. We've all got these emulation devices with 743246785 games on them, and obviously don't know all the games released or what is worth playing. Good job Dweeb

[@GordosTacoShop]

I don’t have any hidden gem suggestions for NES, but Blaster Master was pretty much my favorite.

[@ComputerOyyy]

the PS1 Blaster Master is a hidden gem for me 👍

[@sheldonzs]

Not sure if it's considered a hidden gem, but I recently replayed Faxanadu, it's held up surprisingly well!

[@TechDweeb]

That's on my list of games to show someday :D

[@BradleyBrown]

I love Deva Vu! The music alone sells it. I think my younger brother and I rented it once from the local movie rental shack when we were kids, and fell in love with it.

[@jrdoughty13]

The nes is that system I go back too and realize I have rose colored glasses. It has some classic games, but a lot that just didn't age as well as the next generation did. Videos like this are great because there are some great games in this generation that I simply seem to miss.

[@alekjwrgnwekfgn]

Love it. Started them all. Will now have to quit my paper route for game time.

[@Bruwulf]

Always good to hear another kid got very, very, very into Jurassic Park back in the day. I think retro gaming has almost destroyed the concept of a "hidden gem" game, though. Which isn't a bad thing! It's good that those games are getting love. It's only bad in that it makes trying to come up with a "hidden gem" hard. Anything I can think of is, I'm sure, on some "Top 10 Hidden NES Gems" list somewhere.

[@BunnyRabbit.]

Please make more of these videos often. I really want to play the retro games but when I take the handheld I get lost and lose interest. These kinds of hidden gems really help to get back into the retro games for me.

[@BlastedMaster]

I want a remaster for Legacy of the Wizard soo badly. I was obsessed with that game. I shared an NES with 2 brothers and this was the very first game I owned. Such nostalgia tied to this one. Also it would be great to see proper remakes of these other underrated NES gems: -Rygar -Wizards and Warriors -Goonies II -Castlevania II: Simon's Quest -Karnov -Star Tropics -Star Tropics II: Zoda's Revenge -Milon's Secret Castle (++ Plus a ton more I can't think of at the moment)

[@dreamleaf6784]

I liked the quackerjack guy. Back in the day.

[@GordosTacoShop]

I remember one I played years ago and loved: Glory of Heracles. It needs a translation patch, but it was a delightful RPG with fun monster designs.

[@LordShockwave9]

It was my first console. Yup. I'm here for this. Metroid was my first game as well.

[@the1ucidone]

It is wild that we have such similar tastes in our favorite hidden gems for the NES. It just goes to show that even if some people have never met they are more alike than we realize. My favorite NES game is Solstice on the NES. Game is so good I bought the Solstice car just to bring it all full circle. Legacy of the Wizard is my second favorite game on the console as well. One more thing I'd like to add; De'ja Vu 1 and 2 is combined on the Gameboy Color. Not only is the sprite work better on the GBC version, but even the music and colors have been reworked to be even more impressive. I highly recommend it! Great video as always TechDweeb, hope you have a great day.

[@TechDweeb]

Good to know about Deja Vu on the GBC! I'll look into that!

[@zoestraw6444]

Wow, there are a LOT of "hidden gemes" videos on KZbin but this is the first one that has really inspired me to actually get ROMs for the games that you mentioned. In this video it was Legacy of the Wizard. In a previous video it was Monster Max for GB. In another it was the GBC Scooby Doo game. Usually the games mentioned in this type of video don't do anything for me, but every one of your videos has at least one game that makes me think "wow that looks sick, I wanna play that!"

[@tomlion0116]

I recommend Shatterhand, Power Blade 1 and Vice Project Doom! The three BEST action platform games on the NES. 😎

[@jimdog9020]

I just got Deja Vu 1&2 on Game Boy Color. Looks like a game I can play before I go to sleep, relaxed. Looking forward to trying them out, cheers Tech Dweeb!

[@BMovieTheater]

I grew up with Deja Vu so I have some fond nostalgia for it. Definitely feels as home on a handheld as a point and click adventure.

[@shiroshine7227]

Same on the nes. It was a hand me down from my Uncle. He also gave me his super Nintendo when he got a PS1. Those where the days.....

[@jpRetroGaming]

Great idea for a mini series Dweeb. Hopefully videos for SNES, Genesis, Neo Geo etc. will follow.

[@TechDweeb]

Already did a Genesis one, but I'll be keeping the series going for a VERY long time and do all the major systems before looping back and adding more to the systems I've already done.

[@LordNuttington]

This is great, I hardly ever dip into NES as I was a Genesis kid. I enjoyed fire and ice as a puzzle game on NES recently

[@mbrando4403]

Adventure Island 4 is a great tiny Metroidvania, and it's easy to pass on if you tried any of the first 3 and didnt really care for them. for me 1 was a bore, but 2 and 3 are slightly better, but 4 is a masterpiece up there with Ufouria as an old school Metroidvania.

[@AnotherGenericChannel]

The NES version of Deja Vu was the best one. Darkwing Duck and Bucky O'Hare were some favorites. Arkista's Ring is the only one I never had or played.

[@eatereater6312]

NES looks GREAT on smaller screens, I can see why you choose the RG35xx for this showcase 😎

[@GameGalaxyshow]

My NES Hidden Gem is XEXYZ! I love that game

[@adrian_veidt]

I was never on gaming back then. I prefer riding mountain bikes as a kid. But I love watching my cousins play Super mario, bootleg Street fighter and mortal kombat, Contra, Sky destroyer, Spartan X, Jetman and Zyurangers on NES. There's a unique charm on it. It wasn't until I got a GBA that I finally get into handheld gaming.

[@dragon2knight]

Some real gems here Mr. Dweeb, I never even heard of the NES version of Jurassic Park!! I'll definitely give Arkista's Ring a tryout, looks like fun, which of course is what the NES was all about after all 😊

[@TechDweeb]

I definitely! The problem with hidden gem hunting on the NES is that the library was enormous, and there are so many good games that I never knew about!

[@ralphmcmahan2139]

Christine the elf. That tracks.

[@NateisJung]

Deja Vu sounds like the precursor to Disco Elysium.

[@davidrhodes9997]

Thanks. That was interesting. I bought a H and thought I'd ditch (sell) the plus but now realise that it's a bit like these games - fun to use and kinda irresistible!

[@JordiLA]

ah! retro pixels are so appealing ❤.. thanks!

[@ruxcooking]

Great choices. On NES I have a soft spot for The Guardian Legend.

[@solomonkane408]

Legacy of the wizard used to drive me crazy back in the day . I need that cover art on a shirt .

[@evshrug]

My grandfather bought an NES to entertain me and my cousins when we went to visit. Mario & Duck hunt, Batman, Golf, and a crazy cartridge with 200 games on it… never even opened all those 😂 But it was good times.

[@crystal_is_cozy]

Omg the Deja Vu one reminds me of Disco Elysium lol

[@josephashley9961]

Thanks TD! I definitely did not know about the Jurassic Park game. I’ll definitely check it out! Would like to see some hidden gems on the SNES. Love your videos!❤️👍

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks buddy. More to come!

[@RetroVGs]

You strike me as the type that might like the torture of Nightshade (NES). Really cool art design, but a guide is highly recommended. 🕵

[@TechDweeb]

That's in my list!

[@Eleselperez]

My hidden gem - Street fighter 2010: the final fight. Made by Capcom but not related to the street fighter we know. Fun, more mature, mega man style game.

[@jackdoobie]

Nice list TD, the only one I've played was darkwing duck... so you've given me some POW-KITTY!!! fodder next time I'm oot and aboot.

[@TechDweeb]

No doot aboot it!

[@GameGalaxyshow]

Good call ok Akrista's Ring! Never played it before and loved it! Perfect game to accompany my insomnia

[@hyperplayrpg]

FFVII NES demake is a beaut, too, and works a treat on these emulation handhelds. In fact, we did a vid on FFVII on the Data Frog SF2000. Truly miraculous!

[@Tombastic77]

Wow that Deja Vu story reminds me of Disco Elysium beginnings. Thanks for the review! Got some new NES games to try out!

[@WMARUoriginal]

Great selection! I’ve been meaning to try Deja Vu. Looks like it’s finally time

[@Tyrannotorus]

Some little known hidden gems on the NES perfect for handheld - Flipull (a blob who throws blocks; also on Gameboy), Binary Land (you control two penguins simultaneously), and BANANA (which isn't good, but the music is an earworm)

[@chadbrownlee3677]

O...M...G... Legacy of the Wizard! I thought I was the only fan of this game!

[@Genguts]

Shatterhand was always my jam!

[@michaelmendoza1818]

I always end up playing River City Ransom on NES so I appreciate you sharing some of these. Not sure if RCR is a hidden gem but definitely a lot bigger in Japan.

[@misfit-slime8812]

YES!!!! Givin' some love to Legacy of the Wizard - one of my most played games from when I was a kid. Great list, my man!

[@XailenPraetor]

Not sure if many people know this, but Legacy of the Wizard was the 4th game in the Dragon Slayer series from Japan and has some ties to the NES game Faxanadu. I still have both in my collection and play them regularly, definitely both a great gem of a game and in my top 10 favorites.

[@missilebarrage6524]

I wish I played this before playing Children of Morta. I would've done the Leo pointing meme.

[@TechDweeb]

I had no idea it was related to Faxanadu, that's good to know! I plan on playing through that one someday soon.

[@XailenPraetor]

@@TechDweeb There are a number of similar items, but the Dragon Slayer is the same blade in both games and in the whole series. And there is another spin-off game on Steam called Xanadu Next, it also has many familiar things and references from the whole series. Its worth looking into if you enjoy this game world.

[@mytherceria]

OMG - Legacy of the Wizard!!! I’d totally forgotten this game.

[@hardcorealienpg]

What theme are you currently running? I'm using Batocera currently but can settle on a nice theme.

[@TechDweeb]

This one is Ultimate Book github.com/SzalikDesigns/Ultimate-Book-4-3 Make sure you set the game list view style to "video" to get the full screen thumbnails

[@doublestarships646]

My first game was Castlevania III and it was interesting how I got to play it. My brother randomly woke me up in the middle of rhe night and told me to stay in my parents room because something bad was happening outside (I lived in a bad area). Right before he was about to leave I asked him to let me play the Nintendo, he puts in Castlevania III and I sat there killing zombies for a long time scared out of my mind. My first gaming experience was terrifying lmfao!

[@MikePiligrim]

That Arkista's Ring reminds me so much of another gem, which is the Eagle's Nest. But that one was on ZX Spectrum and I don't know if it ever was for NES (though technically it looks as if it could). It's basically the same adventure-shooter-puzzle-in-a-maze gameplay, but you fight nazists in a castle. In case you never played this game, you definitely should find it.

[@peterkelly4567]

Arkista's Ring gameplay reminds me of Tutankham from Konami

[@soniczero532]

Off the snes I recommend wrath of the black manta. Great unknown game.

[@SilverKappa]

I know I've seen Arkista's Ring somewhere before, but I just can't remember where.

[@ryanviertel7059]

Now that you've had more time with the rg35xx+, how would you rate the koriki experience? Is it ready for prime time?

[@TechDweeb]

It's better than ever since the latest updates. I'm using it on my 35xx plus and loving it, I would never go back to stock

[@ryanviertel7059]

@@TechDweeb nice! I'll have to give it a try

[@legendodinson7082]

If you liked deja vu, you would might also like the sword of hope games on Gameboy. Not quite as complex as as deja vu and shadow gate. But similar point and click adventure feel, but also with RPG elements and battles.

[@DNAMobileGaming]

Mario, Zelda, those were the only games I played on NES but now I'm curious 😂

[@Chunks_36]

You’ve done it again with another awesome stuff Mr. Dweeb!! Looking forward to SNES hidden gems!

[@washuai]

I was obsessed with Dejavu as a kid. My little sister, too. I don't recall how that ends. I spent a stupid amount of time playing and replaying that game. I don't recall anything about the story or the end, now though.

[@denzelwashingmachine1950]

@TechDweeb- Great video! I love this channel. One of the greats from my childhood was Solomon's Key. It was equally fun and frustrating because I don't think it had save states.

[@washuai]

I avoided licensed games as a kid. Seems I missed out on Duck Tales. The weirder thing is I don't recall having been burned by a specific game. Just IP games were lower quality games to be avoided. Maybe they had that rep cuz of the whole video game industry crash, so it was just a guideline I picked up from my cousins. I don't know. My mom would buy license titles I didn't ask for, like Cool World on NES, which I didn't understand, cuz she regretted taking us to the movie and I didn't care about that movie. Pink Panther on the SNES. I did play Jurassic Park on SNES, don't know if owned or rented. I think you're right, didn't get the NES

[@SocialistDog]

I'm all about that maniac mansion life.

[@riaankruger9373]

Another hidden gem is 'Flight of the intruder'. One of the best if you give it a proper go.

[@jeffreypeters5578]

Yep shadowgate is my personal fav,then deju vu.However the uninvited game was good and had a surprising good horror vibe to it for a 8bit game

[@TechDweeb]

Yeah Uninvited is great! I showed that one off in my Spooky Retro Games vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5eylXyMjdCsiMk

[@HalfBlindTravel]

Thanks dude! I'm going to give all of these a play!

[@jimimck]

In the video you showed a screen that had Kings Quest 5 installed. What console was that for please? I'd love to get some old point and click Sierra games on my handhelds. Thank you

[@TheIzzyNobreShow]

Incredible video as always, but NO FIRE N ICE?! Unacceptable! 😂

[@JB-js4xi]

Great video. I saw you had Blades of Steel in your favorites. I still play it regularly and was not then and never have been much of a hockey fan but that's a super fun game. I also jammed to Skate or Die 1 and 2. I can't tell you the hours I've put on those three games over the decades.

[@pennilessgoldfish9963]

*Re: TLotW* Just to add, from a certain NES Guidebook: _"Little is explained in the game itself, but an excellent story is available in the manual, along with information about the five playable characters: Xemn, Meyna, Roas, Lyll, and Pochi, as well as their unique special abilities and items... The game can get confusing, especially when trying to find your way back to a particular spot after switching characters. I suggest making a map or at least some notes to help."_

[@Ankjell]

That was the same for me brother ❤. My first console and game, NES with the gun and the Mario Bros/Duck Hunt. Awesome pack

[@flightless]

FYI, the Game Boy Color got "Deja Vu I & II: the Casebooks of Ace Harding", which looks like the best version to get, if the game interests you.

[@thenickbw]

LET'S GET DANGEROUS

[@tignasse]

Thank for this great video :) Can tell us what's your theme on your rg35xx+ ??

[@TechDweeb]

This one is Ultimate Book github.com/SzalikDesigns/Ultimate-Book-4-3 Make sure you set the game list view style to "video" to get the full screen thumbnails.

[@tignasse]

@@TechDweeb thank you so much it looks sick 👌🔥🤩

[@gemgor]

I had the Jurassic park NES game on the Gameboy and they're very similar from the looks of it same music and stages

[@grzegorz__]

I love on handhelds (nes games): - abadox - shatterhand They both look great, even in 2024 :)

[@sepsawink]

Robocop vs Terminator (unreleased NES version) is also a hidden gem. I like it even more than Genesis/Megadrive version...

[@aaronsbarrels]

Little Nemo the Dream Master

[@washuai]

I need to check out Legend of the Wizard and Arkista's ring, seems like

[@Marlboro-33]

Oh, and if you do a hidden gem video for the SNES, please at least check out Drakkhen. It's a fantastic RPG; the gameplay is so fun and unique; it has a day-night cycle, unique monsters, a pretty cool (I'll be it, confusing) story, different environments, etc. Stuff that just wasn't really common back in the day. It does get a bit repetitive at the end, and you will definitely need a guide, but the game is a blast, and nobody ever talks about it.

[@MichaelRichardson0]

What theme are you using?