5 Awesome Overshadowed NES Games

[@JamesNintendoNerd]

All aboard the Honkai: Star Rail! Download here: hoyo.link/1bRmCSAd

[@HunterPBrown]

My wife plays this game.

[@alaric87357]

Review Xexyz.Its underrated

[@sladewilson9741]

Where do I sign over my house to Hoyo?

[@duanemartin4958]

Vice project doom was amazing!

[@dwaynemenzies8824]

I remember back in the day when my friend Matt used to rent crazy amount of NES games. I always thought I was the only loved Rollergames.

[@mage1439]

One of my favorite things about the NES era was you'd usually have a totally different set of games than your friends and could trade back and forth to find new stuff.

[@chesspunk489]

You could say that about any era.

[@michaelreardon303]

How bout 70’s. Hey Wanna trade pong with… uh other pong.

[@mutavhello6654]

​@chesspunk489 not really, especially not now where most people just download games instead of buying physical copies.

[@favoritemustard3542]

@@mutavhello6654 hey wanna borrow this game? You're gonna hafta find yer own cd key, though... :/

[@xBINARYGODx]

" you'd usually have a totally different set of games than your friends" not really, not for 99% of your collection

[@JoryStultz1234]

Simple James content is all the people want (Edit: Not ALL the people)

[@robertparker6280]

I'm down for that

[@michaelstagar4254]

I can kind of see that but AVGN is such a classic series. And it never lost a step. Would be hard to give that up completely

[@GNoMe610]

Was thinking the exact same.

[@tbunreall]

Na, his fear and loathing video was gold

[@leroy_gankinz]

100

[@kriskabor7969]

Crystalis is the most underrated game on the NES. Great controls, story, weapons, abilities, and difficulty.

[@nathen4021]

Yes, Crystalis is one of my favorites on that system too.

[@Don_Matteo]

Crystalis is published TWICE for the Switch. It's on the NES-collection and also on SNK Collection which features an AI that can play the tricky parts on your behalf should your hero go weary on your quest.

[@SkiKoala]

I remember you and Mike didn't care for it, but Little Nemo is a hugely underrated NES game.

[@DrViperVideos]

But do they find him?

[@gi_nattak]

How did they not like it, it’s an amazing game. I think you may have a false memory.

[@Daosguard]

I didn't like it.

[@philthemustardtiger]

Beating Little Nemo is a childhood memory I'll never forget. That final boss gave me nightmares as a kid.

[@Dreamy1894]

Some elements Made me wnt to crzy

[@chubbycatfish4573]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love James just sitting there talking to us.

[@RemoWilliams1227]

Same here friendo

[@ReizokoRyu]

It's almost like hanging out with an old friend you can just nerd out with!

[@Greshgore]

​@@ReizokoRyu exactly James is the kind of friend we would all desperately want but not all of us are lucky enough to have, especially in our childhood years.

[@SoyAntonioGaming]

yes, he is lerned man. Guru of Game

[@Cyril29a]

That is very fortuitous considering that is all he ever does.

[@99tgstang]

I've always loved 1943: The Battle of Midway. Loved the combat abilities and the upgrade options too. It's a great game to play.

[@meltedusb7533]

thats a cool one. had it in my collection from childhood but didnt play till recently

[@snppla]

One nes game I really enjoyed as a kid was tiny toon adventures 2. It still holds up well as a fun game to play today.

[@johnnythewalrus]

Toon...

[@dmo848]

Milons castle

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

I loved the original! 😊

[@thebarbaryghostsf]

Both were great, the SNES Tiny Toons was next level though!

[@stupidnicks]

One game that's almost never been talked about is Power Blade. Fell in love with it decades ago and still play it.

[@PiotrWeselak]

Love Power Blade. Still have my cartridge.

[@FragmentJack]

@@PiotrWeselak, man that takes me back. I wish I still had mine.

[@justindepinto6209]

Faxandu was a hidden NES gem. Great RPG game, but kinda hard at parts. Much more playable with save states.

[@derekgamble8516]

Killing the bat 400 times so you can buy death and then never actually use it lol

[@stephenolder4552]

That was a great game. I use to love that game

[@SixStringflyboy]

Completely agree. One of the best games on the NES. I remember playing it for hours on end.

[@tommynuance2861]

Ya, pretty catchy soundtrack too

[@gruthakhul100]

I still remember when my parents had some friends coming over, and one of them saw me playing faxanadu - he stayed with me until we finished it :D

[@BainesMkII]

Games like Vice: Project Doom and Rockin Kats are overlooked because they were released after the SNES was already available. Enough attention had shifted to the next generation that late release NES games never built the fanbases that would keep them in mind decades later. The exceptions tended to be games that were notorious for other reasons, like the well-known rarity of Little Samson carts.

[@vingaxoc6543]

I think Journey to Silius isn't talked about too often. Great game.

[@Speed_13]

The music in it is top notch, too!

[@snap_oversteer]

Easily one of the best soundtracks on the NES.

[@IllegallySighted]

I was just going to suggest this game, but you beat me to it. Great game, but amazing soundtrack.

[@vannsylten6765]

All my homies love Journey to Silius! *runs off to find Title Theme on KZbin*

[@SonicBoy14]

That was supposed to be a Terminator game, some of the sprites are still in the code if u pull up a hex editor. That game is amazing and the OST is incredible!!!

[@kylelloyd4437]

I'm disappointed that I never hear about one of my favorite NES games ever, Snake Rattle and Roll. An amazing game with awesome music.

[@jetzeschaafsma1211]

I had that too! Never finished it because of a glitch in the final level where the last foot seemed to have infinite health. Didn't make the game less fun though.

[@cartervandenberg4771]

Pretty sure they did a James & Mike Mondays about it way back in the day

[@Autotrope]

I'm gonna check out that game now

[@kylelloyd4437]

@Autotrope hope you liked it. Has great nostalgic factor for me.

[@Chi3f8eef]

Very fun game

[@Top10WizardReviews]

This style of video from James is like a little drop of gold. Also I really liked "Desert Commander". Don't really hear a lot about it.

[@matthewclear4936]

the boss at the end of rockin kats isnt the gorilla; he didn't research it

[@Ant509y]

I have that one! It’s like Advance Wars, honestly!

[@VivaMidnight]

@@matthewclear4936 To be fair, that's an awful sprite for a bulldog 😂

[@GOFLuvr]

I loved Desert Commander. It probably would have done better on the Sega Master System given it was a strategy game, but the music was infectious, and being able to determine what sort of units the player wants was a great idea.

[@DianaTaffie]

it's always nice to listen to James talking about stuff he enjoys, just himself. Literally like listening to your dad or uncle. Great vibes.

[@Arcexey]

Diana Taffie you mean like Honkai: Star Rail, the new mobile app out now for Apple and Android platforms.....................................................................................................

[@JeremyGill-xz6bd]

That's really what happens when you get old. I miss listening to the story's my grandma told me

[@jseipp]

I love this version of James

[@AffyisAffy]

His ability to share his passion and chill and even tempered humor is ironic, considering his alter ego. I like these intimate show and tell pieces. It feels like we're just hanging out and he's sharing factoids out of interest rather than trying to impress us or posture.

[@johnthebard]

@@AffyisAffy This videowas definitely shadow written and produced by Mike Matei, James is just reading a script.. Look up anything about James recently and you'll see he's checked out.

[@amielmalay1681]

You mentioned "Ring King" in passing, and at that moment, I thought: "Wait...*that* is the game I played so long ago!" I played it on a Famicom, see, never knew the title, since it was in Japanese. I kinda liked the leveling up mechanics (putting points into Punch, Speed, or Stamina). Thank you, sir. You've made this guy relive his happy childhood.

[@20th_century_Ghost]

I miss watching James review the old classic movies from the 30s through to the 60s; all of his Universal Monster film reviews are amazing.

[@Nielzabub]

I'm glad you mentioned Duck Tales 2. You can play that game as part of the Disney Afternoon collection. I can see why the first game is more known and iconic, but the sequel does improve on a lot of things. Not having to hold down to pogo enemies helps so much.

[@aernrom7169]

Tal cual! El 1 se.complicaba a veecs al saltar con el baston!

[@speiderman8]

Same with Rescue Rangers 2. Better graphics and nice story.

[@daviddaymon5658]

The Battle of Olympus was such a great game. Powerblade is another excellent and overlooked game.

[@DanGamingFan2406]

_Vice: Project Doom_ and _Ducktales 2_ are both so underrated. They're beautiful, have great controls, and have amazing music. These both deserve so much more attention.

[@watershipup7101]

Very true.

[@maxismozark1124]

The vice project doom speedrun is lit

[@Tirkka]

Also, i think Ufouria was also a great game that many people may have never even heard of.

[@CobraFat2000]

Also Vice: Project Doom has cutscenes and story running - not just go from one weird place to another.

[@T--wk9oe]

Ducktales 2 was very popular in CIS contries.

[@butters1273]

Can we all appreciate that this legend has been doing this for 19 years?!!

[@Omabatfartsbruh]

be more original

[@TheShadow9380]

Yes

[@101iswhatsup]

That part.

[@rossrobertson674]

Ya but Opie has been doing it since he was 18 😂

[@Captain_Obvious_Says]

Helloo you absolute legends!

[@RobP.-vr4ql]

I was a big fan of Bionic Commando. I loved the mechanics of the game and how your skill levels and creativity got better the more you played the game.

[@GOFLuvr]

As big as Bionic Commando was, I personally don't think the game ever got the recognition that it deserved. For one, Bionic Commando had the best story of any NES game that I remember.

[@DarkPuIse]

I feel proud to have owned Vice: Project Doom. Absolutely stellar game. Unmentioned by James: The cutscenes are also a fair bit of a rarity for the NES. It definitely went the Ninja Gaiden route of "Story with a game," and then you got three different game modes on top of that - each of the driving and shooting stages shows up twice, IIRC, and the rest (and bulk) of the game is the side-scrolling action.

[@rentarthekiller]

Solar Jetman is one of my favorites. The physics are great for an NES title.

[@breakpack]

And I love the music in that one as well!

[@Petfal]

That game is insane! I never really got into it, but it definitely piqued my interest, and sparked my imagination. Gravity, baby... Gravity! And to be able to fly around as a little people

[@inthefade]

Hard as nails but so fun.

[@buildfear9507]

Shadow of the Ninja is still the game I’ve completed more times than any other game in my entire life. Absolutely loved it.

[@NietypowyKurde]

Rockin' Kats is amazing! The freedom of movement is one of the best on the console and the fact you can also pick stuff up aside from just punching always makes for some unusual strats. As for the cover - it's correct. Willy (the player character) uses a boxing glove gun

[@sixten8493]

Also, once you finish the game and patiently wait through the credits and end theme, a kind of New Game+ is unlocked. Hard as nails with redesigned levels and no continues, I don't think I ever made it past the fourth stage.

[@Raziberry]

Bucky O'Hare is a gem, and all the music is amazing.

[@michaelaker1621]

Konami gonna Konami!

[@SonyUSA]

The game would always crash after a certain planet, I loved the game and the cartoon, but I've never beaten it! Even ROMs seem to crash at the same place...

[@Soundole]

I really love videos like this - it's fascinating to hear you leverage your familiarity with these libraries to highlight some hidden gems.

[@eiden_]

Loving these videos James. We definitely need more videos where you talk about things you love and are passionate about. You're one of my favorite film makers just because of how much you love the craft. It'd be great to see other things you love and share with us

[@faija666]

i think Faxanadu is one of those overshadowed games. my first and favourite nes game. not too easy, not too hard. great adventure

[@galchinsky]

Learned about it from a Hollow Knight authors interview

[@taliseraphen]

Loved the atmosphere wish they did more with the leveling system

[@the8wave]

A really fun and underrated NES game that I always love coming back to is Kabuki Quantum Fighter.

[@Tarkus88]

Great game indeed, it's weird aesthetically but really fun

[@Satoascorpion]

The Guardian Legend is an absolutely amazing gem on the NES, it deserves far more attention than it gets. It's easily my favorite NES game.

[@MarionetteKazuko]

It's funny you mention this as it was one of my favorites (top 10 at least). Something about the music, the atmosphere almost gave sort of a dystopian feel. Years later after youtube became a thing i stumbled upon the ost and have it saved listening to it occasionally.

[@secundus6457]

Definitely one of the best.

[@EM-ve9bh]

I always thought Tiny Toon Adventures was an underrated platformer on the NES, I still play through it occasionally.

[@odeleon24]

Very fun game!

[@aimfuldrifter]

It's hard as nails though. I was never able to get past the gorilla boss. I may give it another go in the future.

[@teacherfromthejungles6671]

I was expecting it here!

[@mattjindrak]

​@@aimfuldriftersecond one was even harder. At least it was when I was kid. I haven't tried it in decades but I'd like to and see if I can actually finish a level lol

[@mohammadrezashirzadi5819]

Blaster Master is definitely in this category! I finished it just last night. Amazing game with the best VGM!

[@ThatGabeFlood]

The Nintendo "Worlds of Power" novella series did Blaster Master as one of their books, and it was awesome

[@craiggraham4134]

Came looking to see if anyone else gave homage to this gem. Absolutely love Blaster Master, one of the best NES titles!

[@ericmendenhall2867]

Blaster master isnt an overlooked game though

[@skorn8112]

Darkwing duck on Nes was pretty good, had a great 8 bit rendition of the theme song, and good music in general, though its kind of a Mega Man clone

[@JDMACC]

pretty sure the nerd has reviewed that already in some other episode.

[@skorn8112]

​@@JDMACC that was the turbographix game not the Nes one

[@ian.swift.31614]

almost all licensed games back then were clones of more successful existing titles, i'm pretty sure. there may be a few rare exceptions to the rule, as always.

[@guffitrash]

James being self aware how he made people think twice about NES games as the Nerd is funny, I love these more serious but still funny videos on games, it still has that charm and I love it!!

[@LukeVilent]

I have very fond memories of P.O.W and Guerilla War. Both have very interesting levels and smooth, dynamic controls.

[@zodwraith5745]

Forgot about Guerilla War. Decent NES game but awesome arcade game.

[@nazgulsenpai]

Shadowgate is one of the most stand-out to me -- it was like a point and click adventure game from the PC but on the NES.

[@berner]

Absolutely :)

[@rnj323]

Dont forget the creepy nostalgic music from the game.....who would've thought that a "point and click" game can have scary elements?

[@christopherjakel1049]

Use: Self ...... What odd behavior for a Nobel hero. 😂

[@GOFLuvr]

A million and one ways to die!

[@TheAzureFlame]

2 games I've played that felt overshadowed was Nightshade and Kabuki: Quantum Fighter. Both were very enjoyable and should be a part of anyone's collection.

[@wombatkins]

I remember Quantum Fighter just being difficult

[@Calredic]

Nightshade was awesome!

[@stavl5122]

Nightshade, my hero!

[@myhipsdontlie7982]

James Rolfe, you've done it again! This video on overlooked NES games is pure gold. Your knowledge and passion for retro gaming are unrivaled, and I love how you shed light on these hidden gems. It's refreshing to see someone dig deep into the NES library and highlight titles that often go unnoticed. Your insights and witty commentary make the video both informative and entertaining. Thanks for reminding us of the amazing games we may have missed. Keep up the great work, James! Can't wait for the next video!

[@Jared_Wignall]

It’s cool to see James put out another list video. You can see the passion and enthusiasm he has when talking about things he enjoys.

[@PanicAK]

The Guardian Legend definitely deserves to be on this list. I don't know if you've ever played/reviewed it, but it's one of the best of all time.

[@shanemccurry7483]

Beat me to it

[@PhatBoyFresh]

@@shanemccurry7483 And me.

[@z.s.n.]

Me too

[@42ndStreetMatthew]

Aaaaand me.

[@ricochet2880]

Legendary video game 👍

[@gb9884]

I'm not sure how popular P.O.W. is but that was one of my all time favorites for NES. The graphics, soundtrack and gameplay are great.

[@dms79]

I always thought Maniac Mansion was a hidden gem. Definitely one of my favorite NES games.

[@MuddyChipMunk1234]

maniac mansion is pretty well known

[@gyromatical]

Now that you mention it he looks like Ed Edison in this video

[@ilovemykitties84]

the game where you can put a hamster in a microwave

[@metamorphicblood]

It’s a niche classic. People either loved it, or thought “What’s going on here?!”. A brilliantly weird gem, absolutely.

[@juser-abuser]

Definitely one of the games ever made.

[@aimfuldrifter]

Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu should be on the list as well. I remember loving it in my teenager years. You should definitely check it out James.

[@adewilson132]

He and Mike already played that on James and Mike Mondays.

[@ManAboutTown1000]

I loved Vice Project Doom! I played and beat it many times as a kid. It's nice to see it getting some attention.

[@hullzor970]

Really love this style of more mellow content, guess we have all grown up from the angry times and mellowed down. I would really LOVE to see you review Chrono Trigger like you did with Earthbound. Might not be so obscure but it really has some twists in the story that would really make a great storyline for an episode.

[@fumanchu7]

My two overlooked games are Chrysalis and The Magic of Scheherazade. I greatly enjoyed both games as a kid and played though both multiple times.

[@felixdenomme]

I totally love a simple game review like this, without antics and screaming. It's simple, it's well made, it's relaxing and intelligent.

[@tmclaughlin11]

Well, it did have the best scream ever at 4:05

[@kingalec6446]

I actually played Vice Project Doom a few months ago. Can agree it's a hidden gem.

[@drearmouse9510]

Right? It, Kickmaster & Shatterhand are like the holy trifecta of great NES action titles.

[@MeesterTweester]

It's on the Switch now too, it's fun and had some advanced graphics for an NES game

[@jeremybear573]

Now these are the kinds of videos that I miss from this Channel and hope that James continue to do more of. Hopefully he incorporates Mike matei into these types of videos as well!

[@sauliusvekteris526]

Will wait for part 2 and so on. I hope James will show us more amazing titles that we forgot in these years ^^

[@anthonygerling6365]

I don't know if they were very well known but crystalis and faxanadu were a couple of my favorite lesser known NES games back in the day

[@historianswag8517]

Faxanadu was epic!

[@oxiclean4x]

James Rolfe mentioning Genshin and talking about Honkai is one of the most cursed things ive ever seen

[@warfu_]

SAMEEEEE Unexpected role for him to take

[@MegaDeox]

Man's gotta eat

[@Trivia-Goat]

It’s not an obscure game but I LOVED Super Dodge Ball, the music slaps especially the Vs tune. 😊 It’s also wild to see how Atlas made Rockin’ Kats, and now produces and creates the most wild and mature RPGs out there! It’s awesome to see how games and companies continue to innovate.

[@eatatdeowees1183]

You missed The Guardian Legend. It is a Sci-fi Legend of Zelda that is very addicting to play. SImilar to VICE, it starts with a vertical space shooter, then it becomes a top-view labyrinth-style exploration game. It's a very cool game and is considered a hidden gem in the NES library.

[@mattpowell6291]

Definitely loved that game. Great level design and music. Still remember it like it was yesterday

[@prolaeusmorris6540]

This is my favorite NES game. I always click on KZbin videos with titles similar to this one to specifically see if The Guardian Legend will be listed.

[@Adino1]

That game certainly isn't overshadowed. It is well known and well loved among NES fans.

[@gorteous]

i think mike actually placed guardian legend at number 1 on his obscure NES gems video, but i totally agree that its among the best the NES has to offer.

[@jellef4704]

I like this. Seems like james is back in control of what he wants to do. Even if he gets Ryu's name wrong with both attemps at pronunciation despite doing a whole bit on it years ago lol

[@metaldroid85]

Seems like that’s the joke, maybe?

[@RealJohnnyG]

He was talking about Ru from Ninja Gaiden, I think.

[@CobraMJD]

​@@RealJohnnyGThe name from Ninja Gaiden is Ryu, exactly the same from Street Fighter. And sadly is not a joke either, there is a episode where he talks with Mike and somebody told him the way of say Ryu, and he says "Roo" in that video but James misunderstood. The correct way to say is Ryu,(Ree you) but with a fast Yu. リュウ. But is not Ruu.

[@Level-2-Online]

Mike probably wrote it and played the games

[@charlesmarshall7045]

Rollergames, always used the fast pink woman and never did beat the last boss as a kid.

[@trevorhenthorne5126]

I always thought the NES G.I. Joe was a hidden gem, because I rarely see it on top 10 lists for any categories. The team selection, boss fights, and music will always stick with me.

[@mastrorj68]

I'm also waiting for the switch to hopefully get it ported

[@thebarbaryghostsf]

I loved that game too!

[@neogeo330mega]

Which one?

[@thebarbaryghostsf]

@@neogeo330mega Atlantis Factor is the one I was thinking of.

[@hounddog3476]

Yep that buzz saw mobile was very cool.

[@OrionTippens]

Blaster Master is my fav of the less popular tier games of NES. Not sure if James has ever covered it, but would love to hear his thoughts on it.

[@sithlord1051]

Fun game, but way too long and hard, especially since there's no saving.

[@ShadowSumac]

He had mentioned quite a few times to my knowledge, but in positive context obviously.

[@Captain_Crayzay]

Huh huh huh.. Blaster Master.. Huh huh huh. Ya ya! Way to long and hard! mmheeehheehee heh heh heh

[@GamerGee]

He has the play the pal version and do those pause jumps.

[@dustywaynemusic6297]

@@GamerGee what

[@TheDjacob]

One man’s NES game is another mans treasure

[@blyjd91]

The mention of Shatterhand made me so happy. That game is crazy good and has some of the best OST.

[@jdd3786]

I used to have Shatterhand when I was a kid. I was the only one out of my friends that had the game. And everyone had an NES. Don't know what happened to it.

[@OrochiFlamez]

You mentioned this during your Bad Game Cover Art special, but Shatter Hand is such an underrated NES gem.

[@ian.swift.31614]

literally amazing cover art. maybe the best. it out bad duded Bad Dudes

[@HendarsChannel]

Trojan was one of my favs growing up. Don't see a lot of people talking about it, that Rygar, Goonies 2 and Gremlins 2 I played to death back in the day.

[@daniellehwing4667]

Snake rattle and Roll is one is really weird, but really funny too. Other I like a lot is Solstice. But this is a really hard game, full of misdirections inside the maze.

[@ChurchWorshipandvideo]

I played Snake a ton as a kid. I think the difficulty curve was a little too high to make it popular. But great mechanics and ideas.

[@SchiesterMalG]

@@ChurchWorshipandvideo I had it also, it was like controlling Q-bert but once you got it down the game was great. The mechanics sped up as the timer counted down, that was a tough but beatable game, haven't licked that much foot since.

[@ianswift3521]

the genesis version is lovely.

[@hex__x]

That Game was pretty fun, I remember

[@musicgardener2142]

you can't mention Solstice without mentioning the full go on hard Prog Rock Soundtrack Tim Follin composed for this. It's like when Yes of the Seventies released a Chiptune, it's absolutely amazing!

[@cactusjesus9377]

Cool video, i love that Mike is back on Cinemassacre, even if it just behind the scenes and James doing the narration. Feels like the old times again and Mike can actually do what he likes most which is streaming, and still work on these kind of videos :)

[@favoritemustard3542]

While he's credited & hashed in the description, all of MM's links have been dropped... weird.

[@seraph4581]

Hope he can help on the scripts again

[@ghstrdio]

Dynamic duo

[@faithlessberserker5921]

Mother fucker Mike is the best.

[@glow_n_show8968]

I miss those mike & James mondays

[@fmthebaron]

Loved Crystalis, Clash at Demonhead, and Battle of Olympus.

[@Krushak8888]

Rygar is a good play if you are wanting something. Took me about three hours to beat and I went in blind. You just have to explore.

[@robertmcginty4146]

I rented Rygar and had the players guide that came with the NES. Beat it at like 5 in the morning and was so proud of myself.

[@makotroid108]

I would love to see more of these. James' picks n such. My fav overshadowed NES games are: Battle of Olympus, Little Nemo, Guardian legend, Samurai Pizza Cats & Pro Wrestling

[@ianswift3521]

lol guardian legend is basically the most worshiped and talked about scrolling shooter on the console.

[@makotroid108]

@@ianswift3521 conglaturations

[@maxrichardson130]

Rescue: The Embassy Mission was one of my favorites growing up. I've never heard anyone mention it besides me and my dad, but it was a solid game.

[@GOFLuvr]

Great game. One of the earliest tactical ops games that I can remember.

[@Pegas105]

The Guardian Legend.... the most criminally underrated game on the NES, in my opinion.

[@KeavyGoesLive]

Here's my five picks for highly underrated NES games: Conquest of the Crystal Palace Kabuki Quantum Fighter Gremlins 2 Whomp 'em Little Nemo And an honorable mention to Solstice, only because it's odd pseudo 3D perspective and brutal difficulty can be a turn off for some. For me, it's got a lot of memories and is something I love to replay every now and again.

[@MixMasterLar]

I'll back Kabuki Quantum Fighter. I think if more people played it the game would be better known

[@intertubicular]

The original Shadowgate for NES was awesome for a point and click game. Loved it. Should be on the list.

[@chrlpolk]

Not obscure.

[@carlp.6196]

It's not super obscure, but my favorite game growing up was Blaster Master. It was one of those "Nintendo Hard" games that was difficult without feeling impossible, and the music was top-notch.

[@Daniel-79]

I remember playing that game with my parents when I was a kid. It definitely was challenging but not impossible

[@CoolHandleHere]

Finally, Rockin' Kats is getting some attention! It's one of my childhood favorite games. :)

[@0Fyrebrand0]

Me too! I actually played it again just a few weeks ago. Still holds up!

[@AsterizzFL]

Haven't watched James for a year and coming back to see him talking about an anime game was a treat

[@Grapefruit5000]

I never grew up with NES games or Atari, I'm too young for that. But thanks to you I've always been interested in gaming history.

[@superdave3093]

It’s not an obscure game but I LOVED Super Dodge Ball, the music slaps especially the Vs tune. 😊 It’s also wild to see how Atlas made Rockin’ Kats, and now produces and creates the most wild and mature RPGs out there! It’s awesome to see how games and companies continue to innovate and evolve. 😂😊

[@ThatguyLFS2]

YES! I loved this game as a kid. In 2P mode if you played as the All Stars, if you picked Paul, he had this crazy power attack that spun around the whole field. As an adult, I tried playing the Japanese version and it was interesting that the run timing was changed for the power shots between versions making the JP rom harder for me since I couldn't quite figure out the timing.

[@CoutureThug]

I loved most of the games that had those character designs, super dodgeball, world cup soccer, river city ransom etc..

[@nolejd50]

Man, Vice Project Doom, I had totally forgotten about that one, thanks!

[@lilwyvern4]

Metal Storm is another overlooked NES game. It's a side-scrolling run and gun platformer with a great art style and a really cool gravity switching mechanic. It is, however, really hard, since you're a pretty big target and you die in one hit.

[@ParasaurolophusZ]

I remember Rockin' Kats! As for overshadowed, I had a really big soft spot for Xexyz. I liked how it alternated platformer/adventure gameplay with shooter levels. Dinowarz: The Destruction of Spondylus was another fun one that alternated mecha dinosaur combat with the pilot getting out and fighting through bases, but the controls were kinda wonky at times.

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

I had Demon Sword on the NES back when it came out and I remember loving the gameplay so much. Dude could jump really high!

[@Crimson_Root]

About the Rockin Kats box art. if you look close enough (in the game) cat is actually shoots a glove out of the gun (by way i had this game as a kid and it was in japanese)))

[@Huvinator]

I love that this channel is still putting out great content. I’ve been watching since I was a freshman in highschool and now I’m 24 and about to graduate college. Thank you James!!!

[@brandonfrancey5592]

I missed this. Just learning about games I may or may not have played. These were always the best parts of classic nerd videos, not the swearing and extended skits.

[@catmonkshiro]

one game i never hear mentioned is "the guardian legend". probably one of the most under-rated gems of the NES and easily one of my favorite games. it has Shmup stages, labyrinth exploration, minibosses, selectable special weapons, a sort of psuedo levelling system and a banger sound track. though i will say it can be very difficult at parts early on.

[@modous]

Love Guardian Legend! Awesome soundtrack, when I hear The Advantage! cover of it, it was like X-mas.

[@BryanX64]

Odd that he said the gorilla was the final boss in Rockin' Kats when the game clearly tells you he was the actual final boss's body guard. Speaking of which the boss is on the front cover and the guy that taunts you before every stage. And your character's weapon IS a gun - that happens to launch a fist. Not sure what's up with these oversights cuz James IS playing these games... right?

[@MrTuco40]

He plays these games like William Shatner wrote those Sci fi novels in the 90s.

[@jerryspringer6713]

All 5 of these games were streamed by Mike Matei within the past few months. Coincidence?

[@blaeinger]

I know you've mentioned it before, but Crystalis is definitely the overshadowed game for me. I never head anyone talk about it in school back in the day or reference it until recently.

[@elvispressplay7735]

Always love it when you cover GOOD GAMES that I never got a chance to play. Thanks James & Co!

[@nthgth]

I always thought Bucky O'Hare deserved more of a spotlight. (Speaking of Konami). Fun and challenging levels, character switching, and some of the rockinest music on the whole NES. (again, it was Konami)

[@thereforedragons]

Bucky O'Hare was always one of my favorites. =)

[@edwardmason741]

We were the only ones in our neighborhood who had Rollergames growing up. That game was such a gem.

[@tecpaocelotl]

Starts at 1:16

[@Ragesauce]

IMO the best NES scream is always going to be Solstice. Dying in that game was nightmare fuel, i'll never forget it.

[@Kalyandra]

Loved it! And the sequel too.

[@artvandely7159]

The only reticle shooter like that I grew up with was Operation Wolf. My dad loved playing that game with his arcade style joystick controller.

[@vitunksmanful]

Shatterhand on the nes is a complete package. Great gameplay with the unique power up mechanic that rewards experimenting, it's a marvel to look at like James said, and I really could listen to those beeps and boops for hours. Give it a go if you ever get the chance

[@christopherjohnson2171]

It looks/feels so amazing for an 8 bit game too.

[@GRAHFXENO]

My Top 5 most overshadowed NES games are: 1: Power Blade 2: Solstice 3: Jackal 4: Journey to Sillius 5: Metal Storm

[@badasscreepersgamingchanne1278]

Power blade had amazing music too! They kind of copied Arnold as the hero of the game, if i remember right

[@zuprlazeh]

Rollergames was my childhood! It was super hard and I don't remember ever beating it by myself as a kid. Still good memories playing it with my dad when he played the hard parts.

[@DisgruntledDoomer]

It's hard, but beatable. Even for a kid. However, what I found curious about this overview is, that James never mentioned that you can play as 3 different characters, and not just as the big guy seen on the video.

[@mesia0]

For me, the most underappreciated and overshadowed game in the NES library is Xexyz. No one ever talks about it, but it had great atmosphere and some bangers in the soundtrack.

[@mikebernardino534]

Oh man, Rockin' Cats is easily one of my fav NES titles! Thanks for including it, James!!

[@KILLERMAX358]

Rocking Cats has a hard lvl after credits, where they take all your upgrades. And its kinda hard, cause you need to know the way of the boxing glove.