NES Hidden Gems | The NES's Best Kept Secrets | RGT 85

The NES is an iconic system, and there are a ton of hidden gems that don't get enough coverage. Let's look at some of the NES Hidden Gems you need to know about!
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[@The_james_hell]

Thank you for putting Crystalis on here! That game deserves wayyyyyy more recognition than it actually gets.

[@RGT85]

No prob!

[@adamhouseman8501]

@@RGT85 In my opinion, it was better than the Zelda's of that generation, in every way, and should have gotten sequels.

[@KWKBOX]

Guardian Legend would definitely be on my list. I am also glad I picked up Felix the Cat for $5 back in 2006. Nice picks.

[@mex420x6]

KWKBOX came across a great copy of Felix but the price 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@nickwest932]

For fans of Crystalis, check out Faxanadu. It was a port of Xanadu and worth the effort to track it down.

[@RGT85]

+Nick West pretty cheap too!

[@Black2KGSR]

Nick West two of my favorite games on the NES.

[@NESADDICT]

Nick West was totally going to say faxanadu!

[@MiriOhki]

I was hoping Crystalis would be on the list. Still one of my favorite NES games. Faxanadu's a fun one too though the weird thing is, after watching a playthrough of the MSX/PC-88 Xanadu it's hard to see the resemblance, strangely enough. Guardian Legend is the only other game on the list I have though I did have Batman Returns at one point.

[@SignOfTheTimes008]

Faxandu is great. A friend once started a quest late at night and in the morning he had the lance and was near the end. As for the more pricey games, just grab an emulator rom.

[@martianwoodpecker]

Very nice list. Great choices that avoid the typical hidden gems you find in far too many hidden gems lists.

[@RGT85]

+Ben Lipovsky thanks bud. I figured some of these are overlooked but really fun.

[@CAPCOM784]

Some gems I have are Kabuki: Quantum Fighter,Shatter Hand,Vice Project Doom, and Bucky o Hare

[@RGT85]

Shatterhand is one I still need to snag

[@feethebunny]

Some nice picks here. I recently got Crystalis myself and have found it quite the intriguing game. To throw my own NES hidden gems out there though, I have to go with Pin-Bot and High Speed. I know they're just one table pinball games, but they are so far beyond any other pinball game on the system in terms of graphics and gameplay that it's just amazing. And they're cheap too, so they're well worth a play or three.

[@swishpronoob]

Would River City Ransom be considered a hidden gem? I love that game.

[@wschippr1]

swishpronoob Nah, it's pretty well known in the retro community, but so is crystalis and it regularly makes the best of NES game lists.

[@David-hu3yu]

one of my favorites!

[@wawowhead]

(Little Nemo: Dream Master) one of my favorite NES games. Not sure if it is a hidden gem or not but I recommend it.

[@RGT85]

That is a good one!

[@williamshores4882]

I just picked up Little Nemo after reading this comment. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@andrewstephens4492]

Nice to see some of the more obscure or less well known games on your list RGT. Great to see some game play included as well. Looking forward to Part 2 !!!

[@RGT85]

+Andrew Stephens thanks bud

[@thetsar7384]

One of my favorite hidden gems is Battle Chess. I loved that game growing up.

[@RGT85]

I'll check it out

[@MetalGateDragon]

I used to play a lot of Crystalis. Loved it!

[@RGT85]

+alfjesser it's super good

[@Halbared]

I wish I’d played it back in the day

[@josephhuffman2757]

I don't know if its a hidden gem but the game Cabal for nes is one of my favorites for the system and I never see anyone else talk about it.

[@michaelknight8459]

Joseph Huffman I totally agree and it's 2 player. the other game I don't see mention is g I Joe real American hero.

[@braselthegamer]

I hadn't really seen much on Archon. It looks interesting. Someone brought up Rescue The Embassy Mission in the comments on my hidden gems list recently, so it's cool that you recommend it too. I'll have to check it out.

[@RGT85]

Rescue is soooo fun

[@BMG138]

bruh you could easily do a part 2. the magic of scherezade totally needs a mention

[@RGT85]

Oh I know. lol

[@lhakumei1345]

Hey shawn hey rgt 85 more of this sorta stuff but with the personality and flair you've thrown in as of late thanks for the content! Keep up the good work!

[@MLaker221]

great picks... here's what's cool!-- I've got the same list! I can play most of these on multicarts.. but I've been looking for nightmare on elm Street and hope to get that AVS NES with the built in fourscore. I've got super off road, anticipation, and smash TV.. so I'm really interested in the 4 player experience

[@willy7369]

Rescue the embassy - You're character looks like Cobra Commander, Your Picks are Very Solid and lets me know some games I really need to get my hands on TY. Shawn, Have an Excellent day and Weekend. Crystalis and Guardian legend are now on my to buy list. TY

[@RGT85]

You'll enjoy them

[@jasonstone1938]

Loved the Archon reference! Never played it on NES though. I had it on my Comadore 64. Loved it!

[@yellowbench1158]

Of all the "hidden" NES lists I've watched lately, this added a few I've never seen. Good recommendations. Thanks!

[@Mkananoja]

Guardian Legend! god that game has haunted me since childhood as i have forgotten the name of the game and it absolutely didnt show up anywhere. now i got the name of that game and im so gonna play the crap out of that game. thank you a thousand!

[@stevennutz1109]

Rescue: The Embassy Mission was totally off my radar and looks pretty sweet, thanks for the video!

[@RGT85]

Thanks for watchin!

[@bazzaro1982]

Always looking to find more NES games. Thanks you threw a couple out there I was not familiar with. I'll probably pick them up.

[@Wenersnitzel52]

Glad to find some games i've never heard of for my checklist. Great Video man

[@RGT85]

+Wenersnitzel52 thanks bud

[@mtshark7]

Awesome hidden gems list Shawn! A couple games I would recommend are: Clu Clu Land, Snake Rattle N' Roll, and Pinbot.

[@RGT85]

+mtshark7 snake rattle and roll is fun

[@ReplayAbilityVG]

Definitely gonna keep my eye out for Archon now! Seems really interesting! - Adam

[@RGT85]

It's pretty dope!

[@TheGameGrinder]

Glad to hear The Guardian Legend is included here, such an awesome game. Solid list!

[@RGT85]

+The Game Grinder thanks buddy

[@storageanddisposal]

Vice Project Doom can still be found for around 30. One of my favorites. Monster Party, Heavy Barrel, Metal Fighter is all right, Trojan is underrated, Monster in my Pocket. Hard to find hidden gems under 50 nowadays.

[@RGT85]

+storageanddisposal for sure. Good picks!

[@Ruudos]

Solstice, Kabuki-Quantum Fighter, Burai Fighter, Rad Gravity, Willow, Low G Man and The Incredible Crash Dummies. A selection of hidden gems I like.

[@RGT85]

You went REALLY hidden. I like it!

[@ZefTillDeath8878]

Archon is one of my favorite two player games on the NES. It's not mentioned much as an 'NES title' because it was originally released on computers, but the two players on NES is the best way to play it.

[@alanduckworth8974]

Okay List, I would include: Shatterhand, Werewolf The Last Warrior, Bucky O'Hare, Gargoyle Quest II, Bad News Baseball, Metal Storm, Bonk's Adventure

[@RGT85]

+Alan Duckworth Bucky is too pricey. I like to keep them reasonable. Same with metal storm.

[@toastedzombie9802]

Thank you for mentioning A nightmare on elm st....a great game and a def. hidden gem! I have been preaching this sentiment to friends for quite a while.

[@RGT85]

Thank you for watching!

[@DB-ej3mw]

Nightmare on elm street was one of my favorite games on the nes when it released. Haven't played it since the 90s but I'm surprised it gets a bad rap.

[@brandons7634]

Awesome video! I actually have a few of these I haven't played yet so I'm excited for sure crystalis looks amazing

[@RGT85]

+Brandon S check them out and lemme know what you think

[@Brian-nb3hg]

Including Crystalis made this list perfect for me. It is truly one of the best NES games I've ever played, and it definitely lets me know you play quality games. I'd recommend Dungeon Magic and Silent Service as well, but, I'm not certain if you'd be a fan of either of those types of games.

[@rmgb-tv]

Yesterday I decided to play a game called Isolated Warrior totally at random on my GPD XD. It's an isometric scrolling shooter, and very interesting I thought. Hadn't heard of it before or seen anyone talk about it. Not sure how well known or not it is - I never actually owned an NES growing up, I was playing the Commodore 64 and Game Boy instead at the time. So I am really just getting into NES games now.

[@RGT85]

Nice! Be sure to check out these ones.

[@darkbrengameroom3929]

Aside of you looking tired your newer videos have a lot more of energy, but don't get me wrong this videos are high quality I loved the content and learned about a couple of games I didn't know about. I love your videos Shawn but I like the new RGT with all that energy that keeps you waiting for more ;)

[@gamingnavi]

So happy to see Crystalis on this list, it has to be my favorite game on the system

[@Robert-dv2ot]

Good list Shawn! Nightmare on Elm Street surprised me the most. Getting a rom later in lieu of a cart lol

[@RGT85]

+Rob Allen lol understandable

[@Wannagobackto1980]

When I got my Nintendo Entertainment System I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!!! Compared to the 2600, it was night and days difference!!! I remember putting Super Mario in it the first time and playing it. I could not believe how cool it was. I felt like I had a Arcade System finally!!!! It was awesome.

[@FIDreams]

YES, was hoping you'd have Crystalis on here! :)

[@RGT85]

+FIDreams save the best for last ;)

[@NicoPlaysIndies]

Crystalis, I started that game a few years ago and loved it. I need to go back to it.

[@RGT85]

It's a good game for sure

[@RezdTv]

Awesome list man! Some true gems there.

[@RGT85]

+REZDtv thank you bud

[@RetroR0bbie]

I will keep an eye out for batman returns on nes now. thanks.

[@RGT85]

+RetroR0bbie it's super solid and cheap

[@JoeProstko]

Really need to play some of these. I should get my childhood front-loader NES back from a modder early next week, as he did the Hi-Def NES mod for me. Can't wait!

[@RGT85]

Nice dude, enjoy that mod!

[@fearlessjoebanzai]

Rescue was called Hostages on the C64 and Amiga, and I fooking loved it! Does the NES version have the abseiling section?

[@Halbared]

I’d read about Archon in Club Nintendo and looked forward to it coming out in the UK, but it never did!

[@RetroPowerUp]

Oh nice, never heard of Archon before. I like the mix of Chess strategy to the real time combat!

[@RGT85]

It's worth checkni out

[@NESADDICT]

How have I not watched this yet... or have I? Owell here we go....again?

[@thederpytaco6796]

NES ADDICT lol i know that feeling. I sometimes end up watching some top 10 videos to later realize that i had already watched them before

[@mamunestor]

Rescue was an awesome game. One of my favorites is Strider it’s a bit different from the Sega or arcade versions.

[@Aknuckle]

Happy to see Rescue the Embassy Mission on your list. whenever I talk about NES with people I recommend it.

[@RGT85]

+A knuckle it's so good and cheap

[@rannpnut7681]

I love Felix the Cat! Thanks for the tip!

[@samgamgeeterminator]

I recommend Destiny of an Emperor, an RPG that plays like the Dragon Warrior series with Romance of the Three Kingdoms characters.

[@claptrap4098]

A good list of great games. I loved Pinbot on NES an early Rare game.

[@RGT85]

+ClapTrap 409 yeah pinbot is pretty decent

[@MikiFloksteR]

Legacy of the wizards, it is a must play. Nice list.

[@topsdaily_productions]

Star Voyager is no man's sky but for NES.

[@RRPGReviews]

Those are some pretty awesome hidden gems. I only have two hidden gems in my collection, and they are Bucky O' Hare and Journey to Silius.

[@RGT85]

Bucky is great. Pricey though

[@bombslikesaddam]

Kickmaster and Darkwing Duck are two fantastic games that I rarely see talked about.

[@RGT85]

+kyle m darkwing is great. Pricey one though!

[@whildhair83]

Dude, Crystalis is one of my best gaming experiences ever... It is the Zelda clone that took me 20 + years to beat and is WELL DONE on every level!!

[@miguelonucr]

Hey man, awesome video. Felix the Cat is one of my favorite NES games. Thanks a lot! Also, if you ever do an SNES Hidden Gems video (which I know you will), there is a "hidden gem" called Phantom 2040. I would love to see a review of that game one day! For some reason not many people know about it. Thanks again!

[@RGT85]

+miguelonucr that is a really good game

[@demoh2o]

Archon looks really fun. I might look into it

[@RGT85]

It's pretty legit

[@julesmcgrules3860]

Holy crap, some of these look awesome. I'm probably not much younger than you and I haven't heard of some of these. Great video.

[@RavenousSpectre]

ive never been into the nes but it was the snes that really pulled me into nintendos world, but after seeing these titles i think i may look into searching them out since i have a retron 5.

[@RGT85]

You should. I love the Retron.

[@The_Badcompany]

Nice hidden gems game choices. One of my favorite hidden gems is Goonies II. I've never heard anyone talk about it, it's very nostalgic for me and a great game in my opinion

[@RGT85]

Nice!

[@ChescoYT]

GOONIES I & II are my first videogames ever played, and have a special place in my heart!

[@humboldtgamehunters6419]

right on. I've picked up rescue, guardian legend and crystalis in the last few months and haven't had a chance to play em yet. will definitely move em up the list. I also picked up felix the cat a while back. it was still $50 at the time but I got it for $10. score!

[@RGT85]

Felix is great

[@darkbrengameroom3929]

Felix the Cat is one of my all time favorites, what an amazing game

[@gillespie2482]

Gotta admit - haven't played or pretty much ever heard most of these games. So thank you for the video! :)

[@RGT85]

My job is done then :)

[@Halbared]

Great list

[@KacyDaGameNerd]

Very solid list. Glad you talked about Guardian Legend. Its a really good $10 game.

[@RGT85]

+Kacy DaGameNerd I don't know why more people don't love it. Probably the shitty box art and label. Wood showed me the PAL box and its sooo gorgeous.

[@roughy762004]

Currently playing through The Guardian Legend for the 5th time right now. It still challenges me.

[@RGT85]

It's such a good game

[@mrbuckets1106]

Great list! Some suggestions for the next list: Guerrilla War, Captain Skyhawk, Bump 'N Jump, Kickmaster, Swordmaster, Rockin' Kats and Iron Tank. 3 of these are pricey tho One game that is real odd and not really a gem, but nobody seems to ever talk about, is Frankenstein: The Monster Returns. I bought it last year and it feels like it should be this awesome hidden gem but it falls short. Plus its a bit confusing on what you are supposed to be doing

[@RGT85]

Hmm I might have to check out that Frankenstein game

[@cemishler]

Haven't heard of many of these, so thanks for pointing them out! Not sure if it would be considered a hidden gem, but when it comes to Capcom's Disney games, I rarely hear anyone talk about Darkwing Duck on the NES. Love that game!

[@RGT85]

+Chad Mishler darkwing is great but goin up in price lately

[@electro_punk]

great video thanks for the recommendations

[@RGT85]

+Thomas Zarse no problem!

[@shado2us]

has anyone tried Master Blaster? now that is a good game.

[@SweetBearCub]

Yep, had it. Not bad at all. Also had a copy of Crystalis, SMB1/DH, SMB3, Metal Gear, and Ninja Gaiden. At least, those are the ones I remember from my childhood.

[@RGT85]

For sure

[@shado2us]

now Blaster Master zero is on the Switch.

[@maskofvulcan7491]

Possibly the hardest game on the nes. Awsome

[@victorsalas4377]

Blaster Master is my favorite game on the NES, along with Crystalis; and Final Fantasy.

[@83Chrisaaron]

Nightmare on Elm Street is tough but the music is bomb and makes all the deaths worth it.

[@RGT85]

It's really fun man, I don't get the hate!

[@dukha82]

Nes houses a ton of gems such as inspector gadget or new ghost buster 2 ....these games bring me back to some sweet childhood times ....oldschool consoles will always embody true entertainment

[@johndoe-bk3de]

nice, i never hear the guardian legend get any love but it was my fav game growing up...well done good sir

[@RGT85]

It's an awesome game.

[@johndoe-bk3de]

there is some sort of remake ive seen videos on...havent seen anything surface on PC but maybe its a work in progress, def worth checking out though, looks very cool

[@jaym5118]

Do you have every officially licensed NES game? I have 772 NES games (my most proud, and nearest to complete collection), though 72 of those are unlicensed games. And some are PAL. I always call the NES my favorite console, simply because that's the one that started it all. Including causing my video game addiction. Though ironically, I only had maybe 15-20 NES games as a kid, and that's all it took for me to get hooked forever. Back then, I would have never dreamed that some day I would own a nearly complete library of NES games. If I had all of them as a kid, nobody would have even seen my face again. LOL!

[@RGT85]

Naw I have about 300 titles. It's getting tougher and tougher to find decent prices.

[@jaym5118]

I know what you mean. When I first got internet access and started looking at the prices of NES games on eBay and Amazon, I thought that the sellers were out of their minds. Sadly, I spent far more money than I care to remember on those very games.

[@Cerebrum123]

Felix the Cat was great, wish I had been able to pick it up when it was cheaper, I also like The Punisher, and Crystalis. Guardian Legend looks pretty cool to me. Nice list. As for some suggestions there is a game I remember where it was basically a shooter, but you played as flying dragons. Something like Dragon's Soul I think. Cowboy Kid was pretty fun as well. Wrath of the Black Manta is good, and my favorite is Ninja Crusaders. It's super hard, but a blast to play with a friend. I'll ask here since maybe someone knows about it. I remember a game where you chose a different class, one of them looking exactly like the Bubble Bobble monster, and then descended into some kind of dungeon. It's not any of the Dungeons and Dragons I've looked at, but I'm guessing it's something along those lines since it is a fantasy game. The guy transformed into a monster, and couldn't be hurt by them. A girl in the game could jump super high, and 2 or 3 unlockable characters were wizards with different magic abilities. It was a side scrolling game too.

[@BigMikeATL1977]

A major one missing from this list (and most similar lists) is Legendary Wings.

[@jannolsen4999]

Great vid lots I had not seen before

[@RGT85]

Awesome glad you enjoyed it!

[@electricmastro]

For me, these are 10 lesser-known NES games worth trying out that I had come across. Conquest of the Crystal Palace Desert Commander Galaxy 5000: Racing in the 51st Century Mendel Palace Space Shuttle Project Stanley: The Search for Dr. Livingston Super Spy Hunter The Lone Ranger Ultimate Air Combat Vice: Project Doom

[@shadycharacter6966]

Rockin the whiskers like the wizzard and the punk never could :D

[@johnschultz7636]

glad to see Feliz the cat, that game is awesome. I was hoping to see faxanadu but great list

[@RGT85]

+John Schultz faxanadu will probably make an appearance on part 2

[@NeptraK]

What game is that background music from?

[@HamboneDeluxe]

Samurai Pizza Cats is also another awesome hidden gem :)

[@9ElevenGamer]

Does anyone know if there is a PAL version of Archon?

[@ericbethany1]

Great list!!

[@RGT85]

Thank you bud

[@timurgildanov6552]

The Guardian Legend is awesome game, I played it in this year, and it still is great game.

[@brucifer48060]

Finally! Tecmo world wrestling getting some love! Good video I remember renting Felix the cat when I was a kid still on my want list now. I don't think the gi joe games get talked about enough either at least don't seem so to me.

[@RGT85]

+brucifer48060 better try and find a Felix soon. I honestly think that's gonna be 100$+ by the end of 2016

[@NostalgicRoe]

Great, another hidden gems list to drive up the prices!

[@RGT85]

lol I'm not that impactful

[@braselthegamer]

You also said you wouldn't get to 10k subs this year. ;)

[@jessbragg1]

i remember playing nightmare on elm st, it was fun and some characters were a little creepy when i was 10

[@NightFlyStudio]

I've played most of these in the video. I love hidden NES gems. But the Famicom Disk System had some pretty decent Zelda clones, not as good as crystalis but they're decent.

[@RGT85]

+Muzic Kidd glad you enjoyed it

[@LochSNESmonster]

solid list Shawn

[@RGT85]

+Loch SNES monster thank you buddy

[@LochSNESmonster]

Now make another video, Im bored! lol

[@bretcrooks6192]

I am considering getting the retro bit sr3 as it's not emulation granted nothing wrong with emulation but if i go that route it'll be the retro freak as hyperkin i simply don't trust for obvious reasons with the retron 5 i'm jus curious if you have any dealings with the sr3 n what you think about the system

[@RGT85]

It's a good console for sure.

[@Wannagobackto1980]

My 1st Console??? Atari 2600!!!! 6 Switch. I wore the reset button out on it and then got a Darth Vader 2600. Years later I got the 6 switch out of the attic and took it apart. I loosened the reset button from the board on it. Thats how I messed it up when I was little. I got out my soldering gun and fixed it. Hooked it up and tryed it and it worked perfect!!! That thing sat in my parents attic for every bit of 20 years in the heat and cold and it didnt hurt it a bit!!!

[@soonersfan60]

You should briefly show us what the cartridge looks like so we can more easily recognize it at flea markets and garage sales.

[@Slammo2001]

Sweet list dude !

[@RGT85]

thank you brother

[@theodorehuxtable6001]

Wait wait wait. I just wanna take a minute to acknowledge the fresh Hornets snapback. The RGT tee, too. How do I get one?

[@Loftin08]

That Punisher game is just awesome. I never owned it, but I rented it so often as a kid that my parents probably could have just bought it.

[@RGT85]

+Keith Loftin and it's an LJN game. Who da thunk it

[@Diamhea]

I remember renting Felix many times as a kid. Thought it was great back then.