The Top 500 NES Homebrews, Vol. 5

Decades after the last licensed Nintendo Entertainment System game, NES games still get released. This list—which excludes prototypes or localizations of first-gen NES games—ranks 1,207 “NES2” titles.

May 05, 2022

{Note: Full RETRO subscribers can read earlier editions of the Top 500 homebrew rankings here, here, here, and here. Full subscribers gain access to all of RETRO, including national polling–driven articles The Definitive Top 100 Worst NES Games, The Definitive Top 100 Hardest NES Games, The Definitive Top 100 Best Video Game Consoles, The Definitive Top 100 Best NES Games Never Released in America, The Consensus Top 100 NES Games, The Consensus Top 100 Underrated NES Games, and The Top 100 Unreleased NES Games. You can subscribe now by clicking below. The cost is just $5/month, and you can cancel anytime.}

Introduction

{Attention: If you want to vote in the first-ever open voting period for the first-ever NES2 Hall of Fame, click here. The voting process takes only a couple minutes and does not require a RETRO subscription. Your input is welcomed and encouraged!}

Subscribers can read the Methodology and Eligibility sections of this ranking here.

Please note that a ranking of anything is by definition subjective, if only because every ranking has a creator behind it who has determined what will be measured and how. I’ve taught video games as an R1 university professor, been a journalist for 25 years, and am a professional culture critic, but none of this ensures you’ll agree with any of my judgments or that they’re “objectively” correct. Information on my background as a journalist, a critic, and an academic specializing in digital culture can be found here.

Changes in This Edition of the Ranking

New additions in this volume of the RETRO Top 500 NES Homebrews include:

The addition of 150+ new NES homebrews;
the beginning of a long-term project to include links for every NES2 game in this ranking, regardless of “tier” (i.e., many games now have links attached to them that previously did not);
the continued updating of developer and studio credits to ensure accuracy;
the addition of new award recipients to the Awards section;
the addition of a Key;
the addition of a Hacks ranking;
the addition of a Ports ranking;
the addition of the “🅿️” symbol to denote NES2 games selected for Premium Edition Games’ “Classic Series” on the Nintendo Switch (see video here);
the addition of Premium Recs, a listing of those games which, in the view of RETRO, most deserve to be considered for the next entry in Premium Edition Games’ “Classic Series” due to their accessibility, completeness, and polish; and
additional expansion of the Special Thanks session.

Total Homebrew Library Size

This archive now lists 1,207 NES homebrews, making it the largest archive of its kind in the world.

This tally includes 500 ranked homebrews, 288 honorable mentions, 102 red-pinned (“Tier 3”) titles, 195 titles assessed but not tiered (see “Other Reviewed Games”), 108 “watchlisted” NES homebrews that have not yet received a full public release, and 14 library-only games that count toward total library size but are not ranked in any tier.

Of the homebrews in the four tiers identified in this article (see Ranking Key below), 266 are available as complete-in-box titles.

Review Copies

Studios or developers looking to send review copies to RETRO can arrange to do so here. The curator of the RETRO ranking owns a retroUSB AVS, and can receive new NES games as CIB, cartridge-only, digital ROM, or any combination of these forms.

If you have a link to your NES homebrew game that you’d prefer RETRO use over the one that’s been used below, use the contact form linked to above to request a change.

{Note: Use “Ctrl+F” and the italicized phrases below to find the following ranking sections.}

💮 Key

💮 Action-Adventure Games (63 games)

Action-Adventure Rankings

💮 Adventure Games (28 games)

Adventure Game Rankings

💮 Anthologies (5 anthologies)

Anthology Rankings

💮 Arcade Games (79 games)

Arcade Game Rankings

💮 Art Apps (5 apps)

Art App Rankings

💮 Card / Dice Games (4 games)

Card / Dice Rankings

💮 Fighting / Brawler Games (14 games)

Fighting / Brawler Rankings

💮 Kids Games (2 games)

Kids Game Rankings

💮 Multicart Games (2 games)

Multicart Rankings

💮 Music Carts (34 carts)

Music Cart Rankings: Music (24 carts)
Music Cart Rankings: Apps (10 carts)

💮 Party Games (5 games)

Party Game Rankings

💮 Platformer Games (54 games)

Platformer Rankings

💮 Puzzle Games (48 games)

Puzzle Game Rankings

💮 Rhythm Games (9 games)

Rhythm Game Rankings

💮 Role-Playing Games (25 games)

RPG Rankings

💮 Shooter / Run n’ Gun Games (42 games)

Shooter / Run n’ Gun Rankings

💮 Simulation Games (7 games)

Simulation Game Rankings

💮 Sports / Racing Games (8 games)

Sports / Racing Game Rankings

💮 Strategy Games (8 games)

Strategy Game Rankings

💮 Tech Demos (5 demos)

Tech Demo Rankings

💮 Utilities (1 utility)

Utility Rankings

💮 Zapper / FPS Games (2 games)

Zapper / FPS Rankings

💮 FamiCom-Only Games (11 titles)

FamiCom-Only Rankings

💮 Hacks (20 hacks)

Hack Rankings

💮 Multiplayer Games (49 titles)

Multiplayer Rankings

💮 Ports (31 ports)

Port Rankings

💮 Other Reviewed Games

💮 The RETRO Homebrew Watchlist

💮 Premium Recs

Premium Edition Games Recommendations

💮 The Overall Top 10 NES Homebrews (13 games)

Reviews and Gameplay Videos

💮 Awards

Best Composer (In-Game Music)
Best Composer (Music Carts)
Best Graphics
Best In-Game Song
Best Musical Score
Best Sound
Best Writing
Best Musical Composition

💮 Special Citations (1 game)

Kubo 3

💮 Special Thanks

💮 Dedication

Ranking Key

{Note: This section is best viewed on a desktop computer.}

🔰 = A “Top 500” (First Tier) game; the bolded number beside it is its in-genre ranking.

💠 = An “Honorable Mention” (Second Tier) NES homebrew, according to RETRO.

📍 = An “Other Noted Game” (Third Tier) NES homebrew, according to RETRO.

🔘 = An “Other Reviewed Game” (Fourth Tier) NES homebrew, according to RETRO.

🎴 = A homebrew that has at some point been available as a complete-in-box product.

🔹 = A homebrew new to the Top 500; this symbol is removed for subsequent volumes.

🔸 = A game whose ranking has changed notably in this volume due to a reassessment.

🅰️ = A game featuring adult images, situations, or themes; viewer discretion is advised.

🅿️ = A game added to Premium Edition Games’ “Classic Series” for Nintendo Switch.

🔫 = A game that requires (rather than just allowing) an NES Zapper to play properly.

📕 = A FamiCom-only game counted for total library size but ineligible for the Top 500.

📘 = An NES Hack ranked in its category but not counted toward total library size.

📙 = A Multiplayer game; these games are only counted once toward total library size.

📗 = A game with a Special Citation (but only counted once toward total library size).

Action-Adventure Rankings

🔰 #1 | Dungeons & Doomknights, Artix (^)
🔰 #2 | Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure, SBP (^)
🔰 #3 | Little Medusa, Mega Cat (^)
🔰 #4 | Trouble at 2A03, Team Disposable (^)
🔰 #5 | Alwa’s Awakening, Elden Pixels (^)
🔰 #6 | L’Abbaye des Morts, Parisoft (^)
🔰 #7 | Nix: The Paradox Relic, Huddleston (^)
🔰 #8 | Spacegulls, Morphcat (^)🔸
🔰 #9 | Trophy, Gradual Games (^)
🔰 #10 | Battle Kid 2, retroUSB (^)
🔰 #11 | Super Bat Puncher, Morphcat (^)
🔰 #12 | The Great Gatsby, Hoey (^)
🔰 #13 | Wolfling, Lazy Cow (^)
🔰 #14 | Orebody: Binder’s Tale, Vanderhoef (^)🅿️
🔰 #15 | Space Raft, Raftronaut (^)🅿️
🔰 #16 | Eyra, Second Dimension (^)🅿️
🔰 #17 | Cheril’s Nightmares, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #18 | Mark of the Beast, Red Moon (^)
🔰 #19 | Battle Kid, retroUSB (^)
🔰 #20 | Adventures of Panzer, Pixelcraft (^)
🔰 #21 | Biocats, PB Games (^)
🔰 #22 | Nin Nin, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #23 | Cheril the Writer, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #24 | More Glider, retroUSB (^)
🔰 #25 | Cheril the Goddess, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #26 | The Wizard of Oz, Waixing (^/^)°🔹
🔰 #27 | Yun, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #28 | Bootèe, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #29 | Project Sword, Raftronaut / Bite the Chili (^)🔹
🔰 #30 | Tower of Turmoil, CutterCross (^)
🔰 #31 | The Mad Wizard, Sly Dog (^)
🔰 #32 | Jet-Paco, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #33 | Flowers in the Mirror, Waixing (^/^)🔹
🔰 #34 | Underground Mission, Inventor (^)🔹
🔰 #35 | Nomolos, Gradual Games (^)
🔰 #36 | Center of the Alien, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #37 | Saturdayman, Sunday Pistols (^)
🔰 #38 | Sir Ababol, Mojon Twins (^)🔸
🔰 #39 | Space Foxes, Henry (^)°°
🔰 #40 | Che-Man, Mojon Twins (^)°°°
🔰 #41 | Ralph 4, Pubby (^)
🔰 #42 | Vigilante Ninja II, Fraker (^)
🔰 #43 | Filthy Kitchen, Dust Mop (^)
🔰 #44 | Hiatus Ward, Sedwave (^)
🔰 #45 | Streemerz, Faux Games (^)
🔰 #46 | Nova the Squirrel, Nova Squirrel (^)
🔰 #47 | Lala the Magical, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #48 | Rainbow Brite, Pixelheart (^)
🔰 #49 | Espitene, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #50 | Mawthorne, CrazyGroupTrio (^)
🔰 #51 | Machine Cave, Aeromangus (^)
🔰 #52 | Press Start Again, Coop (^)
🔰 #53 | The Banketh, RetroNES Games (^)
🔰 #54 | Antenna Antics, FG Soft (^)
🔰 #55 | Kuku-Ruku, Siudym (^)
🔰 #56 | The Stranger, FG Soft (^)
🔰 #57 | Almika: Star Rider, Mouse Spirit (^)
🔰 #58 | The Binding of Isaac, Nasdalack (^)
🔰 #59 | Ramen Adventure, Baldriz (^)
🔰 #60 | Press Start, Coop (^)
🔰 #61 | Wo Xiang Niao Niao, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #62 | The Wizard, RetroAge (^)
🔰 #63 | Claudia Adventure, Voltopt (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER ACTION-ADVENTURE HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° Requires the use of an English-language patch to play. Use the UniPatcher app from the Google Play store to quickly combine any NES ROM with an “.ips” translation file.
°° Approximate ranking only (derived exclusively from available gameplay footage).
°°° Dire Job—an earlier, equally playable version of this game, with different sprites and a slightly different narrative—can be found here.

Adventure Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER ADVENTURE HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° The Mojon Twins’ Cheril of the Bosque extends over three separately titled ROMS: Cheril of the Bosque: Prologue; Cheril of the Bosque; and Cheril of the Bosque in the Other Bosque. A version of the game in which the protagonist is portrayed as a baby instead of a woman is called Cheril Begins, and is not counted as a separate homebrew here. Another version of the game—Ninjajar, in which the protagonist is portrayed as a ninja—can be found here, and is also not counted as a separate game (despite the presence of other altered sprites in the gameplay, as with Cheril Begins).

Anthology Rankings

(with the top games in each anthology, per RETRO rankings; only first anthologizings noted)

🔰 #1 | Action 53 #4, Various (^)°°

🥇 Gruniożerca 3
🥈 Project Blue°
🥉 Gruniożerca 2
🏅 The Cowlitz Gamers’ Lost Adventure
🏅 Wolfling
🏅 We Are Hejickle
🏅 Aspect Star N
🏅 Cheril’s Nightmares
🏅 Super Uwol
🏅 Jammin’ Honey

🔰 #2 | Action 53 #3, Various (^)

🥇 Nebs n’ Debs°
🥈 Twin Dragons
🥉 Haunted: Halloween ‘85°
🏅 Sinking Feeling
🏅 Cheril the Goddess
🏅 Filthy Kitchen
🏅 Ralph 4
🏅 Super Tilt Bro.
🏅 Lala the Magical
🏅 Karate Kick

🔰 #3 | Action 53 #2, Various (^)

🥇 Sgt. Helmet: Training Day
🥈 2048
🥉 RHDE: Furniture Fight
🏅 Super PakPak
🏅 Double Action Blaster Guys
🏅 Sir Abadol
🏅 PCB Artist
🏅 MilioNESy
🏅 Solar Wars
🏅 Love Story

🔰 #4 | Action 53 #1, Various (^)

🥇 Zooming Secretary
🥈 Lawn Mower
🥉 LAN Master
🏅 Streemerz
🏅 MineShaft
🏅 Pogo Cats
🏅 Driar
🏅 Thwaite
🏅 Russian Roulette 🅰️
🏅 Forehead Block Guy

🔰 #5 | NESDEV 2019 Compo Cart, Various (^)

🥇 Böbl
🥈 Blockage
🥉 NIN NIN
🏅 Hot Dance 2020
🏅 Bloodfall
🏅 Falling Tiles
🏅 Veggie Invaders
🏅 Super City Mayor
🏅 Save the Kuin
🏅 NNNNNN

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | 3-in-1 2P Pack, Sly Dog (^)*
💠 | 2011 Midwest Gaming Classic NES Homebrew Showcase, Various (^)*
💠 | Game On Expo Retro Championships 2015, Collectorvision (^)°°°/*
💠 | Garage Cart, Parsell / Covell (^)*
💠 | HBWC 2012, Various (^)*
💠 | MGC Arcade Pack, Tolbert (^)🔹*

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° Demo version.
°° Other games of particular note anthologized for the first time in this unusually stacked anthology cart include (in alphabetical order), The Alfonzo Game, Alfonzo Melee, Espitene, Euchre, Falling, Get It!, Leak or Die, Nalleland, Nim & Nom, Robo-Ninja Climb, Split Second, Star Evil, and Super Homebrew War.
°°° This 25-screen-long Sydney Hunter adventure is exclusive to this competition cart.
* 3-in-1 2P Pack includes Boombox, !CLIK! (better known as NES Virus Cleaner), Pegs, Snail Maze Game, and Tic-Tac XO; 2011 Midwest Gaming Classic NES Homebrew Showcase includes Concentration Room, LJ65, Munchie Attack, Thwaite, and Yars’ Revenge; Game On Expo Retro Championships 2015 includes Meteor Swarm, Pedal to the Metal, and a special demo edition of Sydney Hunter; Garage Cart includes Hot Seat Harry, Munchie Attack, and Solar Wars; HBWC 2012 includes Chunkout 2, NES Virus Cleaner, Seagull’s Revenge, Slappin’, and Ultimate Frogger Champion; MGC Arcade Pack includes Convention Quest, NNNNNN, Spacey McRacey, and Super Homebrew War.

Arcade Game Rankings

🔰 #1 | Sparky, Most (^)
🔰 #2 | Assimilate, Nessylum Games (^)🅿️
🔰 #3 | XenoCreeps, Ehlers (^)
🔰 #4 | Fire and Rescue, Skyboy Games (^)
🔰 #5 | Kira Kira Star Night DX, RIKI (^)
🔰 #6 | Space Raft Arcade, Raftronaut (^)
🔰 #7 | Yeah Yeah Beebis II, Mega Cat (^)🅿️
🔰 #8 | Super Painter, Retrosouls (^)
🔰 #9 | Zooming Secretary, Shiru (^)
🔰 #10 | Blazing Rangers, Karu_gamo (^)
🔰 #11 | Cue, Most (^)
🔰 #12 | Eskimo Bob, SBP (^)
🔰 #13 | Neo Heiankyo Alien, Columbus Cir. (^)
🔰 #14 | Altercation, Scott (^)
🔰 #15 | Super Snake, HD380000 (^)
🔰 #16 | Paws N’ Play, Darthlother (^)
🔰 #17 | Get ’em Gary, Second Dimension (^)
🔰 #18 | Wart Worm Wingding, Vanderhoef (^)
🔰 #19 | Plummet Challenge, Fista Games (^)
🔰 #20 | The Cell, Most (^)
🔰 #21 | Super Crusher Fighters, FG Soft (^)🔹
🔰 #22 | Escape From Pong, Gashlin (^)
🔰 #23 | Up the Wall, Most (^)
🔰 #24 | Carpet Shark, Fista Games (^)
🔰 #25 | Lawn Mower, Shiru (^)
🔰 #26 | Jammin’ Honey, Fraker (^)
🔰 #27 | Blob Land, Scardua (^)
🔰 #28 | Beer Slinger, Second Dimension (^)
🔰 #29 | Rooms, Manjiro (^)
🔰 #30 | Spacewalk 3030, Cramer (^)
🔰 #31 | Perfect Pair, Second Dimension (^)
🔰 #32 | I Love Polun-chan’s Rice Balls, MokTV (^)*🔹
🔰 #33 | Sinking Feeling, Mega Cat (^)
🔰 #34 | Get It!, Gravel Studios (^)
🔰 #35 | NES Virus Cleaner, Sly Dog (^)
🔰 #36 | Be a Pirate!, FutuRETROistic (^)
🔰 #37 | Chopper Bombs, Most (^)🔹
🔰 #38 | Robo-Ninja Climb, Bite the Chili (^)
🔰 #39 | Germ Squashers, 8bit Evolution (^)
🔰 #40 | Ninja I & II, Elisondo (^)🅿️
🔰 #41 | Heather the Beheader, Pewko (^)
🔰 #42 | Bombermania, Senil Data (^)🔹
🔰 #43 | Mooooo!, Toscani (^)
🔰 #44 | Radish Field, Nice Code (^)🔹
🔰 #45 | Micro Knight V, Siudym (^)°
🔰 #46 | Ouroboros, Scardua (^)
🔰 #47 | Immunatio, Romek RJM (^)
🔰 #48 | Blow Em’ Out, Second Dimension (^)
🔰 #49 | Turtle Party, Sherman (^)
🔰 #50 | Crap Job, Oniric (^)
🔰 #51 | FamiDepth, Oliver Twins (^)
🔰 #52 | Submarine, Dream Gear (^)🔹
🔰 #53 | Fox Hunt, Tolerant X (^)
🔰 #54 | Wacko, Most (^)
🔰 #55 | Twelve Seconds, retroUSB (^)
🔰 #56 | Nibbles, Yerrick (^)
🔰 #57 | Super NeSnake 2, retroUSB (^)
🔰 #58 | The Grind, RNG (^)
🔰 #59 | Corpse, Mojon Twins (^)°°
🔰 #60 | Alley Bat, FG Soft (^)
🔰 #61 | NESnake, Matrixz (^)
🔰 #62 | Snakky, Shiru (^)
🔰 #63 | Rocketman, Nice Code (^)🔹
🔰 #64 | Pixel Poops: No. 2, Techmaster (^)
🔰 #65 | Tesla vs. Edison, RadTek (^)
🔰 #66 | Power Robot, Nice Code (^)🔹
🔰 #67 | Split Second, Hyatt (^)
🔰 #68 | Shooting Balloons, Nice Code (^)🔹
🔰 #69 | Hitting Mice, Alien Tech (^)
🔰 #70 | The Archer, Nice Code (^)
🔰 #71 | Wrecking Balls, Rahsennor (^)
🔰 #72 | Whack-a-Mole, Lenoci (^)
🔰 #73 | Ball n’ Flag, Barasc (^)
🔰 #74 | Eelectric, Scardua (^)
🔰 #75 | Lost Souls, Red Moon (^)
🔰 #76 | CoOperating System, Mihoshi (^)
🔰 #77 | Flappy Jack, Fraker (^)
🔰 #78 | Bovinium Quest, Grey Badge (^)
🔰 #79 | Angry at Faces, Morphcat (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER ARCADE HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° More commonly known as Micro Knight: Revenge of the Foul Skulls.
°° Brick Breaker is also known as Mini Brix Battle; Corpse is also known as Cheril in Cadàveriön.
°°° Available in FamiCom edition only.
* The untranslated title of this game is (in Japanese) Porun-chan no Onigiri Daisuki.

Art App Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | Color a Deer, Pubby (^)
💠 | GalleryNES, Miller [No Carrier] (^)
💠 | GlitchNES, Miller [No Carrier] (^)
💠 | Graphics Editor, Yerrick (^)
💠 | Lightwall, Green (^)
💠 | NES Paint, KHS (^)
💠 | NESpix, Morphcat (^)
💠 | Paint or Draw, Fraker (^)
💠 | Palettician, RG59 (^)
💠 | Pixel Art Editor, Baraso (^)
💠 | Power Coloring, Parker / retroUSB (^)
💠 | Random Access, Miller [No Carrier] (^)

COMPLETE-IN-BOX APPS

🎴 | Power Coloring
🎴 | Turtle Paint

° This entry—and this ranking—correspond to the original NES ROM of Retro Puzzle Maker. The app has now been built out to constitute a full web-based application that, while excellent, is not (because of its form) eligible for this ranking of NES homebrews.

Card / Dice Rankings

🔰 #1 | Donsol, Rek & Devine (^)
🔰 #2 | Euchre, Fraker (^)
🔰 #3 | Freecell, Neodolphino (^)
🔰 #4 | Yacht, Scardua (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | Concentration Room, Yerrick (^)

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

🎴 | Freecell

Fighting / Brawler Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER FIGHTING HOMEBREWS

📍 | Meet Me in the Parking Lot

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Kids Game Rankings

🔰 #1 | Maile Penguin’s Christmas Adventure, Karikas (^)
🔰 #2 | Pair the Pets, Broke Studio (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | The Alphabet, Sly Dog (^)

*Perkele: Saimaa Ringed Seal’s Revenge.*

Multicart Rankings

🔰 #1 | Mojonian Tales, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #2 | Perkele, Donkey Games (^)°

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | 4-in-1 Retro Gamepak, Hanley (^)
💠 | Geminim & Siamond, Sivak (^)

OTHER MULTICARTS

📍 | PowerPlayer 3-in-1, PowerPlayer (^)°°🔹

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

🎴 | 4-in-1 Retro Gamepak°°
🎴 | Geminim & Siamond
🎴 | Mojonian Tales°°°
🎴 | Perkele

° One of the three NES homebrews on the Perkele cart, Winter War, can be—but need not be—played using an NES Zapper (🔫).
°° PowerPlayer 3-in-1 includes Hanuman Quiz Game, Hanuman Typing Game, and Malaria; 4-in-1 Retro Gamepak includes E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, Fishing Challenge, Sneak n’ Peek, and Ultimate Frogger Champion, all by Kevin Hanley of KHAN Games (a publisher pronounced as the two-syllable word “KAY-HAN”, with “han” rhyming with “ban,” “ran,” or “tan”).
°°° Contains “20+” Mojon Twins games, including all of those listed in this ranking.

Music Cart Rankings: Music

🔰 #1 | Quiet, Ragonnet [Zi] (^)
🔰 #2 | Dawn Metropolis, Anamanaguchi (^)
🔰 #3 | Silicon Statue, Ragonnet [Zi] (^)
🔰 #4 | Thornby, Ragonnet [Zi] (^)
🔰 #5 | 8-Bit Music Power Final, RIKI (^)
🔰 #6 | 8-Bit Music Power, RIKI (^)
🔰 #7 | Goofy Foot, Swedish Columbia (^)
🔰 #8 | 9999 in 1, Nuclear Mushroom Boom (^)
🔰 #9 | NOFX, HeavyW8Bit (^)
🔰 #10 | Vegavox 2, Mauer (^)
🔰 #11 | Endless Fantasy, Anamanaguchi (^)
🔰 #12 | Moon8, Smith (^)
🔰 #13 | Alwa’s Awakening, Kreese / Sakamoto (^)
🔰 #14 | Project PAL, Kreese, Zabutom & Wiklund (^)
🔰 #15 | Curious Quail, Petriform (^)🔹
🔰 #16 | 8-Bit Music Power Encore, RIKI (^)🔹
🔰 #17 | Duck Tails, Puzzle Boys (^)
🔰 #18 | Four, Ragonnet [Zi] (^)
🔰 #19 | Power Supply, Anamanaguchi (^)
🔰 #20 | Years Behind, Retrocoders (^)°
🔰 #21 | Fie, Ragonnet [Zi] (^)
🔰 #22 | 2A03 Puritans, BitPuritans / Smith (^)
🔰 #23 | Mom My Ears Are Bleeding, Various (^)
🔰 #24 | Polygondwanaland: 2nd Edition, 5Seven (^)

Music Cart Rankings: Apps

HONORABLE MENTIONS: MUSIC

HONORABLE MENTIONS: APPS

💠 | CajoNES, Baldwin (^)
💠 | LogoNES, Miller [No Carrier] (^)
💠 | ScrollNES, Miller [No Carrier] (^)
💠 | Speech Synthesizer, Parsell (^)

OTHER MUSIC HOMEBREWS: MUSIC

OTHER MUSIC HOMEBREWS: APPS

📍 | droNES
📍 | liveNES

COMPLETE-IN-BOX MUSIC CARTS

° If played on an emulator, the emulator’s Region setting must be changed to “PAL.”
°° An NES music cart comes with an expansion audio chip so that this non-8-bit LP can be played—and heard in its original form—on an NES. See here for more details.
°°° A direct successor to (and evolution of) NRTQ, PULSAR, is intended to allow the user to sequence and synthesize sounds directly on an NES console.

Party Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | Expedition, Mega Cat (^)
💠 | HappyNESs, Scardua (^)
💠 | Quadralords, retroUSB (^)
💠 | $how do 1000000, Scardua (^)🔹°°

OTHER PARTY HOMEBREWS

📍 | 8-Bit Xmas 2011: Fireplace Bash

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° Tailgate Party is a bean bag–throwing party game that uses the NES Power Pad.
°° Requires knowledge of Portuguese—though for certain of the questions in this quiz-show NES game, advanced knowledge of Spanish will also suffice.

*Ghoul Grind: Night of the Necromancer.*

Platformer Rankings

🔰 #1 | Micro Mages, Morphcat (^)
🔰 #2 | Flea!, Lowtek Games (^)
🔰 #3 | Nebs ’n Debs, Dullahan Software (^)
🔰 #4 | Project Blue, Phillips / FrankenGraphics (^)
🔰 #5 | Basse Def Adventures, Broke Studio (^)
🔰 #6 | Cowlitz’s 2nd Adventure, Kur / M-Tee (^)
🔰 #7 | Twin Dragons, Broke Studio (^)
🔰 #8 | The Void, Behr / LCM Games (^)
🔰 #9 | Cowlitz’s Lost Adventure, Kur / M-Tee (^)
🔰 #10 | Wolf Spirit, Salgueiro (^)
🔰 #11 | Rollie, Optovania (^)
🔰 #12 | Espitenen & Pimponen, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #13 | Shera and the 40 Thieves, CGT (^)
🔰 #14 | Ghoul Grind, WoogWorx (^)
🔰 #15 | Slow Mole, Rosenlund (^)
🔰 #16 | Hey Reset, Jacotomo (^)
🔰 #17 | Deth Complex, Moore (^)🔹
🔰 #18 | Copter Bot, Cramer (^)🔸
🔰 #19 | Assault on Planet Beezlbub, Moore (^)
🔰 #20 | Pinky, Axbakk Games (^)
🔰 #21 | Nessy! The NES Robot, DTG (^)🅿️
🔰 #22 | Super Uwol, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #23 | Cheril in the Cave, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #24 | Doodle World, Peters (^)🅿️
🔰 #25 | Rendezvous, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #26 | Nim & Nom, Krill (^)
🔰 #27 | Espinete Meets Ana, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #28 | Espinete Strikes Back, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #29 | Nalleland, Nallebeorn (^)
🔰 #30 | Cheril Perils Classics, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #31 | Battery Chad, Formula Fanboy (^)
🔰 #32 | Pinky Xmas, Axbakk (^)
🔰 #33 | Mutant Sewer Girls, Boring Kate (^)
🔰 #34 | Blickel, Vintro Studios (^)
🔰 #35 | Attack of the Gummy Bears, Duel (^)
🔰 #36 | Enormous Adventures, Game Losers (^)
🔰 #37 | Petulant Pugslay’s Powerful Parades, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #38 | Bowels of the Beast, Moore (^)
🔰 #39 | Inversion, Kur / Red Moon (^)
🔰 #40 | Monona Ninona Pana, Mojon Twins (^)°
🔰 #41 | MineShaft, Nioreh (^)
🔰 #42 | Pogo Cats, Yggi (^)
🔰 #43 | Study Hall, Hanley (^)
🔰 #44 | Study Hall 2, retroUSB (^)
🔰 #45 | Moonglow, Yurt Fiend (^)
🔰 #46 | Driar, Adolfsson & Eriksson (^)
🔰 #47 | Platycat, Logana (^)
🔰 #48 | Lala Lah, Mojon Twins (^)°°°
🔰 #49 | Underground Adventure, Coop (^)
🔰 #50 | Falling, Tragic Muffin (^)
🔰 #51 | Falldown, Sivak (^)
🔰 #52 | Somari Katamari, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #53 | Memory Somari, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #54 | I Wanna Flip the Sky, Livak (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | 8Bit Xmas: 12 Seconds, retroUSB (^)
💠 | Arlington Apple, Team Disposable (^)
💠 | Birthday Bash, Dobbs (^)
💠 | Blobert, Mystical Wheelbarrow (^)
💠 | Chicken of the Farm, Link / Mitch (^)
💠 | Down the Hole, Castimier (^)
💠 | Dragon Leap, Crisafulli (^)
💠 | Duckstroma, AB Ultra Narwhal (^)
💠 | Exit Loop, The Mad Cete (^)
💠 | Forest Adventure, Nice Code (^)
💠 | Frog, Boston Breams (^)
💠 | Grave Adventure, Plude (^)
💠 | Jet Set Willy, Siudym (^)
💠 | Kid Funky, Kool Doob (^)
💠 | Marble Run, Haarahiltunen (^)
💠 | Mega Mountain, Adrian Makes Games (^)
💠 | Mr. Maymunshine’s Christmas Land, CalGames (^)
💠 | No Name, Daylen Retro (^)
💠 | Randy vs. the Aliens, Orangebox (^)
💠 | Rescue Time, Seiji / SJ Games (^)
💠 | Santa’s Magical Christmas Sleigh, RetroPlayer (^)
💠 | Shadow of the Lemming, Siudym (^)
💠 | Sonic Mal, Mojon Twins (^)°°
💠 | Super Adventure Jih, Lira (^)
💠 | Tiger Jenny, Ludosity (^)°°°°
💠 | Treat Sweep on Creep Street, Kosters (^)
💠 | You Are Insignificant, Team Disposable (^)

OTHER PLATFORMER HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° Another version of this game, Baboon, has identical gameplay but different sprites.
°° This game, an unlicensed NES adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog, extends across three discrete subgame ROMS: Sonic Mal, Sonic 2, and Sonic 3: Sonic of the Bosque.
°°° This game is a “mirror image” of Petulant Pugslay’s Powerful Parades; in Lala Lah, the player plays the former game “right side up” rather than wholly upside-down.
°°°° This game’s final boss hasn’t yet been coded, leaving the game without an ending.

Puzzle Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER PUZZLE HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° To play this homebrew, you will need to rename the ROM file after downloading it by removing the “.txt” extension; this will automatically convert the file to a “.nes” file.

Rhythm Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | Hocus Pocus Hero, Tomlin / Percival (^)
💠 | Utaco, Zurashu (^)°°°

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

🎴 | 8-Bit Rhythm Land°°°°

° Supermagic Music Maker isn’t so much an NES “game” as it is an NES “experience.”
°° TRACK+FEEL II is optimized for use with the Power Pad, but can be played without it; Hocus Pocus Hero requires the use of a hacked Guitar Hero 2 guitar, and cannot be played without it.
°°° A karaoke game requiring use of a FamiCom Microphone in the second NES port.
°°°° Available in FamiCom edition only.

RPG Rankings

🔰 #1 | The Legends of Owlia, Gradual (^)
🔰 #2 | Weed N’ Stiff, CalGames (^)
🔰 #3 | Light From Within, Atarath (^)
🔰 #4 | Scourge of the Goblin King, Bite the Chili (^)
🔰 #5 | We Are Hejickle, Pubby (^)
🔰 #6 | Mystic Origins, New 8-Bit Heroes (^)
🔰 #7 | Quest Forge, Ludosity (^)
🔰 #8 | Candelabra: Estoscerro, Sly Dog (^)
🔰 #9 | Chaos Between Realms, VGU (^)
🔰 #10 | Adventures of Eldorin, Outlaw Bits (^)🔸
🔰 #11 | Just a Game, Jacotomo (^)
🔰 #12 | 1000 Stars, Vufka (^)
🔰 #13 | Paws of the West, Pigeonaut (^)
🔰 #14 | Steins Gate, MAGES (^)°🔹
🔰 #15 | Stellarator, McKinley (^)
🔰 #16 | No Good Choice, Veremenko (^)
🔰 #17 | File Fixers, Scardua (^)
🔰 #18 | Time Survivor, Tinsley (^)
🔰 #19 | Black Box Challenge, Sly Dog (^)
🔰 #20 | Swords and Runes, Sole Goose (^)
🔰 #21 | Eternal Prelude, Rustocrat (^)
🔰 #22 | The Paths of Bridewell, ZKIP (^)
🔰 #23 | Roguelore, Scardua (^)
🔰 #24 | Inherent Smile, Calima (^)
🔰 #25 | To the Ends of the Earth, RinRem01 (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | An Elf’s Tale, Bardsley (^)
💠 | Page Turner, Ferret Hall (^)
💠 | Shadow Animus, Chronicler of Legends (^)
💠 | Shokan Doro, Gonzalez (^)

OTHER RPG HOMEBREWS

📍 | The Adventures of Lex & Grim (^)
📍 | First Light’s Cry
📍 | Monster Slayer (^)

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° Often stylized as “Steins;Gate” [sic].

Shooter / Run n’ Gun Rankings

🔰 #1 | Astro Ninja Man, Columbus Cir. (^)
🔰 #2 | Star Keeper, 87 Arts (^)
🔰 #3 | Blade Buster, High Level Challenge (^)
🔰 #4 | Haradius Zero, Neodolphino (^)
🔰 #5 | Haratyler, Impact Soft (^)
🔰 #6 | NeMULEsis, Vanderhoef (^)
🔰 #7 | Aspect Star N, Nicole Express (^)
🔰 #8 | Mine Mayhem, FG Soft (^)
🔰 #9 | Godzilla: King of Monsters, FG Soft (^)
🔰 #10 | Sgt. Helmet: Training Day, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #11 | Copper Jacket, Monsoon Studios (^)
🔰 #12 | D’veel’ng, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #13 | Gold Guardian Gun Girl, GoodTune (^)
🔰 #14 | Cheril the Nine, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #15 | The Rise of Amondus, Sly Dog (^)
🔰 #16 | Star Versus, Dust Mop (^)
🔰 #17 | Bat Lizard Bonanza, Vanderhoef (^)
🔰 #18 | Mega Meghan, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #19 | Sgt. Helmet: Commando, Mojon Twins (^)
🔰 #20 | Encuera Women, Mojon Twins (^)°
🔰 #21 | Touhou Rououmu, Kyoske (^)
🔰 #22 | F-22, Inventor (^)🔹
🔰 #23 | MultiDefender, Tvoybro (^)
🔰 #24 | Vegetablets Go, Tulip House (^)
🔰 #25 | Rekt, FG Soft (^)
🔰 #26 | DABG, Hoffman (^)
🔰 #27 | Spook-o’-Tron, Sole Goose (^)
🔰 #28 | Mermay’s Den, Mihoshi (^)
🔰 #29 | Drunk Time Traveler’s Fiancée, 8BZ (^)
🔰 #30 | Troll Burner, New 8-Bit Heroes (^)
🔰 #31 | Thwaite, Yerrick (^)
🔰 #32 | Chrono Knight, Artix (^)
🔰 #33 | Sweethearts, Zhamul (^)
🔰 #34 | Spirit Impel, Passe Gaming (^)
🔰 #35 | Improbability Fighter, Scardua (^)
🔰 #36 | CYO, Nemesys (^)
🔰 #37 | Lunar Limit, Pubby (^)
🔰 #38 | T*Gun, Crisafulli (^)
🔰 #39 | Super PakPak, AOH Games (^)
🔰 #40 | Bandana, Most (^)
🔰 #41 | Zombie Night, Most (^)
🔰 #42 | Bloodfall, Ludos (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | 2600 A.D., CrazyGroupTrio (^)
💠 | Black Hole, Siudym (^)
💠 | Dragon Feet, Crisafulli (^)
💠 | Drakaina, Claire / Pilo (^)
💠 | Galaxxon III, Rost & Co. (^)
💠 | Galaxy Hero, Siudym (^)
💠 | GunTneR, Langel (^)
💠 | Jupiter Scope 2, Nin-Kuuku (^)
💠 | Klepsydra, Drexegar (^)
💠 | Kubo 1 & 2, Seiji / SJ Games (^)
💠 | Neotoxin, Snowbro (^)
💠 | Saturn Smash, FG Soft (^)
💠 | Solar Wars, Covell (^)
💠 | Space Soviets, FG Soft (^)
💠 | Spacy Shooty, Fraker (^)
💠 | Uchūsen, Nape Games (^)
💠 | Vehion, Livak (^)
💠 | War Boat, Timeline Games (^)
💠 | Wraith, Livak (^)

OTHER SHOOTER HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Simulation Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

° This game requires both a Power Pad and a Power Glove.
°° Only the first two “rooms” in this game have been completed (the “basement” and the “living room”). The remaining two rooms can be viewed but are not fully playable.
°°° A conversation/dating simulation game with text entirely in Japanese. An English patch or intermediate reading knowledge of Japanese is needed to play this homebrew.

*Gotta Protectors: Amazon’s Running Diet.*

Sports / Racing Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER SPORTS HOMEBREWS

📍 | Box & Wrestle (^)
📍 | Caged Fury
📍 | Night Driver (^)🔹

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° Offers a substantial Adventure game component as well as a bowling game.
°° Renamed Amazon’s Training Road for its Limited Run Games release. This game was previously available from This Room Is An Illusion (site) as Amazon’s Running Diet.

Strategy Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | Guardian 5, Maaskant (^)

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

🎴 | Armed for Battle
🎴 | Galactic Ascension
🎴 | Tower Defense 1990

° The title of this game has been mistranslated from Chinese, possibly as “Fighting Pirates” (erroneously transliterated as “Fated Pirate”). The correct title (“对抗海盗”) is Against the Pirates; the protagonist is in each stage fighting off hordes of marauders. Note that you input your ship’s movement in a very unusual way—via the Start button.

Tech Demo Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

💠 | Rotozoom, FG Soft (^)
💠 | Sayoonara, Covell (^)

OTHER TECH DEMO HOMEBREWS

📍 | Super Stalin Bros. (^)

Utility Rankings

🔰 #1 | ConnectedNES, Weil (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER UTILITY HOMEBREWS

📍 | Brainf*ck Interpreter (^)
📍 | Power Glove DevKit
📍 | Social Media Bros.

Zapper / FPS Rankings

{Note: Games with a “🔫” icon after them require the use of an NES Zapper. The remaining games are first-person shooters (FPS) or Zapper games that can be played with a controller.}

🔰 #1 | Shark, Most (^)
🔰 #2 | Super Russian Roulette, Reitano (^) 🅰️🔫

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER ZAPPER HOMEBREWS

📍 | Blastered Cats 1K (^) 🔫🔹
📍 | Zap Ping 🔫

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

🎴 | Super Russian Roulette

° Requires the use of an Oculus Rift as well as an NES and NES Zapper. See the link following the game for an explanation of the game’s mechanics and synchronization.

FamiCom-Only Rankings

{Note: This section contains games only available as a FamiCom cart. FamiCom homebrews that have been made available as NES-compatible ROMs are ranked above by genre. Because of the difficulty in accessing these carts, the rankings below are only an approximation based on game descriptions, news articles, screenshots, longplays, reviews, and developer interviews. These games are not counted toward the RETRO Top 500, but are counted toward the total library of this archive. If or when any of these games are ported to the NES or become legally made ROMs, the game(s) in question will be moved to the RETRO Top 500 rankings, above.}

📕 | 🔰 #1 | Cross-Strait Independence, ITG (^)°°°
📕 | 🔰 #2 | Ilevan, Tulip House (^)
📕 | 🔰 #3 | Hungry Ghost Night, ITG (^)
📕 | 🔰 #4 | F-Θ (F-THETA), Little Sound (^) 🅰️
📕 | 🔰 #5 | Utakata Synopsis, Little Sound (^) 🅰️
📕 | 🔰 #6 | Dragon Boat Festival, ITG (^)
📕 | 🔰 #7 | Chinese New Years Adventure, ITG (^)
📕 | 🔰 #8 | Peace, Love, Trippy Club, ITG (^)
📕 | 🔰 #9 | Nearly Eastern Story, Jiyugiga (^)🔹
📕 | 🔰 #10 | NES Rocky Theme, Habit Soft (^)🔹
📕 | 🔰 #11 | Pirate Pop OST, Dadako (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

📕 | 💠 | DENDYCompo II, 8081 Netlabel (^)

OTHER FAMICOM-ONLY HOMEBREWS

📕 | 📍 | Southern Taiwanese Haunted House, ITG (^)
📕 | 📍 | Leopard Cat, ITG (^)

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° Available in FamiCom edition only.
°° You can watch some gameplay footage of this game at this link.
°°° This appears to be the same game as Never Say Die, whose website is at this link.

Hack Rankings

{Note: There’s a fine line between the categories below, which—to be clear—are not arranged by value. Some gamers prefer hacks that are essentially new games, while others want hacks to be games they already love that have been significantly improved somehow. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what a “hack” should achieve. Below, RETRO ranks hacks in its Top 20 on the basis of (a) their quality, cross-indexed with (b) how close they are to being original homebrews (the focus of this archive). Because of the difficulty of ranking hanks, the lists below also use numeric emojis to indicate how many experts of seventeen consulted—see the list below—ranked the hack in question as being among the best on the NES. Note that there are more than 1,000 NES hacks, so even being named by two or three experts is striking.}

Category A Hacks: Top 20 Original-Homebrew Equivalents

🔰 #1 | 9⃣ | Mario Adventure (^)
🔰 #2 | 6⃣ | Metroid: Rogue Dawn (^)
🔰 #3 | 5⃣ | Super Mario Bros. 3mix (^)
🔰 #4 | 3⃣ | Dragoon X Omega II (^)°
🔰 #5 | 4⃣ | Deadpool (^)°
🔰 #6 | 4⃣ | Mega Man in the Mushroom Kingdom (^)°°
🔰 #7 | 1⃣ | The Legend of Iowa (^) 🅰️
🔰 #8 | 1⃣ | Dragoon X Omega (^)°
🔰 #9 | 5⃣ | The Legend of Zelda: Outlands (^)
🔰 #10 | 6⃣ | Castlevania: The Holy Relics (^)
🔰 #11 | 4⃣ | Extra Mario Bros. (^)°°
🔰 #12 | 6⃣ | Castlevania: Chorus of Mysteries (^)
🔰 #13 | 3⃣ | Beatles: Adventures in Pepperland (^)°
🔰 #14 | 3⃣ | The Legend of Link (^)
🔰 #15 | 3⃣ | Super Mario Bros. Unlimited Deluxe (^)
🔰 #16 | 3⃣ | Super Mario Ultimate (^)°
🔰 #17 | 1⃣ | Byte’s Adventure (^)°°
🔰 #18 | 2⃣ | Legend of Zelda: Link’s Shadow (^)
🔰 #19 | 6⃣ | Mega Man 4: Minus Infinity (^)°°
🔰 #20 | 3⃣ | Mega Man 2: No Constancy (^)

Category A Hacks: Original-Homebrew Equivalents Honorable Mentions

💠 | 1⃣ | Castlevania: Castlevania 5 Legacy
💠 | 1⃣ | The Legend of Zelda: The Trial of Courage
💠 | 1⃣ | Mega Man: Limbo Edition
💠 | 1⃣ | Puresabe Kirby’s Adventure
💠 | 1⃣ | Shin Zelda Densetsu Final
💠 | 1⃣ | Spaceweed (^)°
💠 | 1⃣ | Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 2
💠 | 1⃣ | Zelda II: Amida’s Curse
💠 | 1⃣ | Zelda II: Part 2

Category B Hacks: Dramatic Variations of Existing Games

📘 | 🟥 | 2⃣ | Mega Man: The New Lands
📘 | 🟥 | 2⃣ | Rockman Claw
📘 | 🟥 | 2⃣ | Rockman Gaiden
📘 | 🟥 | 2⃣ | Super Mario Bros. Special
📘 | 🟥 | 2⃣ | Challenging Lolo
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ |Challenging Lolo 2
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Final Fantasy ++: World of Chaos
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Guardian Legend: Secret Edition
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Jackal 2
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Kirby’s Adventure: Star Rod Scuffle
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | The Legend of Zelda: Winter Solstice
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Mega Man: Mega Mari
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Mega Man 4: Voyage
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Rockman 3: Burst Chaser
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Rockman 4: Burst Chaser x Airsliding
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Super Mario Bros. 2: Legend of the Blob
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Super Mario Bros. 3: Rainbow Realms 2
📘 | 🟥 | 1⃣ | Super Pitfall: 30th Anniversary Edition

Category C Hacks: Dramatic Amendments to Existing Games

📘 | 🟧 | 3⃣ | Castlevania: Blood Moon
📘 | 🟧 | 3⃣ | Mega Man: Mega Man Reloaded
📘 | 🟧 | 3⃣ | Mega Man 2: Rockman CX
📘 | 🟧 | 2⃣ | Final Fantasy: Ultra Champion Edition
📘 | 🟧 | 2⃣ | The Legend of Zelda: Perils of Darkness
📘 | 🟧 | 2⃣ | Metroid Deluxe
📘 | 🟧 | 2⃣ | Metroid: Mother
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Adventure Island 3: The Lost Isles
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Castlevania: Overflow Darkness
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Castlevania II: Redaction
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | The Legend of Zelda Randomizer
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Mega Man: Return of Wily
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Mega Man IV: Gadget Master
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Remix of Tiny Toons Adventures
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Rockman 2000
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Rockman EX
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Rush n’ Attack G
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Super Mario Bros. DX
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Super Mario Bros. 3: Chaos Control
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Zelda II: Redux
📘 | 🟧 | 1⃣ | Zelda II: Shadow of Night

Category D Hacks: Primarily Cosmetic Alterations to Existing Games

📘 | 🟨 | 3⃣ | Mother: 25th Anniversary Edition
📘 | 🟨 | 3⃣ | Sonic the Hedgehog°
📘 | 🟨 | 3⃣ | Tecmo Super Bowl: Current NFL Season
📘 | 🟨 | 2⃣ | Duck Tales 2: New Journey
📘 | 🟨 | 2⃣ | Super Mario Fantasy Adventure°
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Adventures of Lolo: The Quest of Lala
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | The All-New? Punch-Out!!!
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Batman: Assassin’s Creed
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Batman: Justice
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Bomber Mario°
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Captain America: The Winter Soldier°
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Cute Zelda
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Donkey Kong Redux
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Hyrule Warriors°
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Kirby’s Halloween Adventure
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | The Legend of Banjo°°
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | The Legend of Zelda DX
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Mega Man IV: Maverick Revenge
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Mega Man Redux
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Mega Man Remastered
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Metroid: Dark Alliance°
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Metroid: Incursion
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Monster Party: Parody World Revisited
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | R-Type EX+°
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Royal Flush: Princess Side Story°
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Super Smash Bros.
📘 | 🟨 | 1⃣ | Rick & Morty (^)°

Category E Hacks: Alterations to Make Existing Games Easier

📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Batman: Easy Version
📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Kid Icarus: Retold
📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Mega Man Simplified
📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Metroid + Saving
📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Ninja Gaiden III: Restored
📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Recca: Pure
📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Easy)
📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Swamp Thing: Easy
📘 | 🟩 | 1⃣ | Wolverine: Easy Version

Category F Hacks: Expansions of One-Player Games to Co-Op Games

📘 | 🟦 | 2⃣ | Super Mario Bros.: 2P (2)
📘 | 🟦 | 1⃣ | Batman Bros: Co-Op (1)°
📘 | 🟦 | 1⃣ | Duck Tales 2: 2P (1)
📘 | 🟦 | 1⃣ | Mighty Final Fight: Ultimate Confrontation (1)
📘 | 🟦 | 1⃣ | New Ghostbusters II: 2P (1)

Category G: The Overall Top 20 NES Hacks According to Experts

📘 | 🟪 | 9⃣ | Mario Adventure
📘 | 🟪 | 6⃣ | Castlevania: Chorus of Mysteries
📘 | 🟪 | 6⃣ | Castlevania: The Holy Relics
📘 | 🟪 | 6⃣ | Mega Man 4: Minus Infinity
📘 | 🟪 | 6⃣ | Metroid: Rogue Dawn
📘 | 🟪 | 5⃣ | The Legend of Zelda: Outlands
📘 | 🟪 | 5⃣ | Super Mario Bros. 3Mix
📘 | 🟪 | 4⃣ | Deadpool
📘 | 🟪 | 4⃣ | Extra Mario Bros.
📘 | 🟪 | 4⃣ | Mega Man in the Mushroom Kingdom
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | The Beatles: Adventures in Pepperland
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Castlevania: Blood Moon
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Dragoon X Omega II
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | The Legend of Link
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Mega Man Reloaded
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Mega Man 2: Rockman CX
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Mega Man 2: Rockman No Constancy
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Mother: 25th Anniversary Edition
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Sonic the Hedgehog
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Super Mario Bros. Unlimited Deluxe
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Super Mario Ultimate
📘 | 🟪 | 3⃣ | Tecmo Super Bowl: Current Season

COMPLETE-IN-BOX HACKS°°°

° The source material for these games is as follows: The Beatles: Adventures in Pepperland, Super Mario Bros. 2; Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Power Blade and Power Blade 2; Royal Flush: Princess Side Story, Super Mario Bros. 3; Super Smash Bros., Nekketsu Kakutou Densetsu; Dragoon X Omega II, Final Fantasy; Super Mario Fantasy Adventure, Final Fantasy; Dragoon X Omega, Dragon Warrior; Hyrule Warriors, Gauntlet; R-Type X, Magic Dragon (FamiCom); Metroid: Dark Alliance, Blaster Master; Deadpool, Ninja Gaiden; Sonic the Hedgehog, Somari; Street Fighter II, Street Fighter III (FamiCom); Super Mario Ultimate, Super Mario Bros. 3; Bomber Mario, Bomberman and the Super Mario franchise; Batman Bros., Super Mario Bros. and the Batman franchise; Ricky & Morty, Alien Syndrome; Spaceweed, Section Z.
°° Extra Mario Bros. is a mash-up of Super Mario Bros. and Metroid; Mega Man in the Mushroom Kingdom is a mash-up of the Super Mario Bros. and Mega Man games; The Legend of Banjo is a mash-up of The Legend of Zelda and Banjo Kazooie; Byte’s Adventure mashes up many different franchises, from Super Mario Bros. to The Legend of Zelda to Mega Man (leaning most heavily on the last of these three series).
°°° Ranked and honorable mention games—“Category A” hacks, above—only.

Sources (17): Captain Jack (I, II); CBR; Denver Gamer (I, II); Fandom Spot; I Heart Una; The New Retro Show; PC Mag; Portal of Awesome; Recommended Games Wiki; Reddit; Requiem Homebrew; RETRO; Retro Dodo; RetroPie; RomHam; SNESdrunk; and Ultra Mega Blob Man (I, IV).

Multiplayer Rankings

The homebrews below can be played in a simultaneous two-player “versus” and/or co-op mode.

📙 | 🔰 #1 | Nim & Nom, Krill (^)
📙 | 🔰 #2 | Super PakPak, AOH Games (^)
📙 | 🔰 #3 | Star Versus, Dust Mop (^)
📙 | 🔰 #4 | Log Jammers, Mega Cat (^)
📙 | 🔰 #5 | Justice Duel, Mega Cat (^)
📙 | 🔰 #6 | Super Homebrew War, Bite the Chili (^)
📙 | 🔰 #7 | Altercation, Scott (^)
📙 | 🔰 #8 | Billionaire Banshee, Mega Cat (^)
📙 | 🔰 #9 | Alfonzo Melee, SBP (^)
📙 | 🔰 #10 | Turtle Party, Sherman (^)
📙 | 🔰 #11 | Ninja I & II, Elisondo (^)
📙 | 🔰 #12 | Bombermania, Senil Data (^)🔹
📙 | 🔰 #13 | RHDE: Furniture Fight, Yerrick (^)
📙 | 🔰 #14 | Leak or Die, Fleity (^)
📙 | 🔰 #15 | Super Tilt Bro., Gadrat (^)
📙 | 🔰 #16 | SplatooD, der Zauberer (^)
📙 | 🔰 #17 | Tesla vs. Edison, RadTek (^)
📙 | 🔰 #18 | Germ Squashers, 8bit Evolution (^)
📙 | 🔰 #19 | 8-Bit Xmas: Exciteduck, retroUSB (^)
📙 | 🔰 #20 | Quadz, Blain, Shmit, & Yam (^)
📙 | 🔰 #21 | Project D.A.R.T., CutterCross (^)
📙 | 🔰 #22 | Galactic Ascension, Gerard (^)
📙 | 🔰 #23 | Wrecking Balls, Rahsennor (^)
📙 | 🔰 #24 | Tailgate Party, Orab Games (^)
📙 | 🔰 #25 | Mr. Splash, Project F (^)
📙 | 🔰 #26 | Sweethearts, Zhamul (^)
📙 | 🔰 #27 | Cybroitek: Double Revenge, Siudym (^)
📙 | 🔰 #28 | Amazing Gravity Boys, Laubisch (^)
📙 | 🔰 #29 | Interrobang, Shadick (^)
📙 | 🔰 #30 | Light Shields, Zutano (^)
📙 | 🔰 #31 | K.Y.F.F., Sly Dog (^)
📙 | 🔰 #32 | Hack*Match, Zachtronics (^)
📙 | 🔰 #33 | Sprintmaster, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
📙 | 🔰 #34 | Ninja Turtle Pong III, Eskayelle (^)
📙 | 🔰 #35 | Ninja Turtle Pong II, Eskayelle (^)
📙 | 🔰 #36 | MilioNESy, Denine (^)
📙 | 🔰 #37 | Quadralords, retroUSB (^)
📙 | 🔰 #38 | Ninja Turtle Pong, Eskayelle / ZZ (^)
📙 | 🔰 #39 | Air Sea Battle, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
📙 | 🔰 #40 | Canyon Bomber, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
📙 | 🔰 #41 | Sky Diver, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
📙 | 🔰 #42 | Expedition, Mega Cat (^)
📙 | 🔰 #43 | Battle Pong, Bell (^)
📙 | 🔰 #44 | Spacey McRacey, Bite the Chili (^)
📙 | 🔰 #45 | Solar Wars, Covell (^)
📙 | 🔰 #46 | Bushido Bomb, Sleeping Burrito (^)
📙 | 🔰 #47 | Ball Catch 80, Snide (^)🔹
📙 | 🔰 #48 | Pair the Pets, Broke Studio (^)
📙 | 🔰 #49 | Simplistic, SaveState (^)
📙 | 🔰 #50 | HappyNESs, Scardua (^)

Port Rankings

{Note: This section ranks games that meet both of two criteria: (a) the game is an NES port of a game originally from a generation of game consoles preceding or succeeding the generation the NES is from (the third generation), and (b) the game is a non-simultaneous port, meaning it has not been been published in conjunction with many variations of the game intended for different consoles. So, for instance, an NES demake of a fourth- or subsequent-generation game, or an NES remake of a first-/second-generation game, would appear below; in contrast, an NES homebrew that is simultaneously/near-simultaneously being published by a publisher across a range of different-generation consoles would appear in the genre rankings, above.

The reason RETRO now offers a discrete ranking for ports is to be fair to these games—which are best compared to one another rather than non-port homebrews. Typically, games that are the subject of remakes or demakes are among history’s most beloved video games, making it hard to disentangle them from their original versions when ranking them alongside homebrews with no predecessor, historical subtext or existing cachet. By the same token, developing a port brings unique challenges with it that center on efforts to preserve the source material’s existing gameplay components. RETRO is a fan of ports, and for this and the preceding reasons thinks that they deserve their own discrete ranking in the RETRO Top 500 NES Homebrews ranking.

A home computer’s equivalent “generation” is determined by whether or not it was a part of the 8-bit generation of computing. Because some ports aren’t self-evidently ports, or originally appeared on rather obscure hardware, this section is necessarily a long-term work-in-progress. RETRO asks subscribers to comment below if a homebrew that should be in this section isn’t.}

🔰 #1 | Jim Power: Lost Dimension, Piko (^)
🔰 #2 | Street Fighter Alpha Zero, Hummer (^)🔹
🔰 #3 | Diablo II, Shenzhen Nanjing (^)🔹
🔰 #4 | Glider, retroUSB (^)
🔰 #5 | Pokémon Yellow, Shenzhen Nanjing (^)°🔹
🔰 #6 | Pokémon Diamond, Jinkotai (^/^)°🔹
🔰 #7 | Indivisible, Kasumi (^)
🔰 #8 | Resident Evil, Waixing (^)°°
🔰 #9 | Final Fantasy VII, Shenzhen Nanjing (^)°🔹
🔰 #10 | Fearless, Pacnsac Games (^)°🔹
🔰 #11 | Plants vs. Zombies, Nice Code (^)°
🔰 #12 | Earthworm Jim, Hummer (^)🔹
🔰 #13 | Dark Seed, Yancheng (^)°°°
🔰 #14 | Bomb Sweeper, SnowBro (^)
🔰 #15 | Scramble, Hanley (^)
🔰 #16 | Super Donkey Kong 2, NT (^)🔹
🔰 #17 | Planet Smashers, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
🔰 #18 | Donkey Kong 2: Jumpman Returns, Kulczycki (^)🔹
🔰 #19 | Ultimate Frogger Champion, Hanley (^)
🔰 #20 | Pitfall, Neverware (^)
🔰 #21 | Gaplus, M2 / Bandai Namco (^)
🔰 #22 | Gravitar, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
🔰 #23 | Asteroids, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
🔰 #24 | Centipede, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
🔰 #25 | 99 Layers, Nagi-P Soft (^)🔹
🔰 #26 | SplatooD, der Zauberer (^)
🔰 #27 | Bomberman 2002, Alien Tech (^)
🔰 #28 | Aerial Warfare, Nice Code (^)🔹
🔰 #29 | Tortoises, FG Soft (^)
🔰 #30 | Battlezone, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
🔰 #31 | Angry Birds, Nice Code (^)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER PORTS

📍 | Crystal Castles, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹
📍 | Eatfish, Maoshan (^)🔹
📍 | Mouser II
📍 | Warlords, Requiem Homebrew (^)🔹

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

° English patch available online.
°° Sometimes known, in its NES-port form, as Bio Hazard.
°°° A patch is required to play this ROM in English. This patch is under development.

Other Reviewed Games

{Note: Homebrews whose title is followed by a “🎴” symbol exist as complete-in-box products.}

° While this game is arguably a hack of 1007 Bolts, 1007 Bolts has so few gameplay components that sprite changes create what is here deemed a (slightly) distinct game.
°° These individual chiptune tracks by Norwegian programmer Snowbro might well make the RETRO Music rankings if compiled on a single ROM or cartridge.
°°° Do not insert this cartridge into any video game console, whether the NES or any other system that accepts NES cartridges. It is especially designed—as it informs you both on its box and in its manual—to fry video game consoles. This is not a joke: this cartridge is actually dangerous, and it constitutes a major fire hazard. If for any reason you choose to insert this cart into your NES to kill it, do not leave the NES and cart on and unattended, as a fire could start in your absence. RETRO does not endorse this cart or encourage its use—by anyone. It is listed here for the sake of creating a complete archive of NES homebrews, and for this reason only.

This is a non-exhaustive watchlist of unreleased NES homebrews of interest to RETRO:

8bit-Strike
Adventures of Panzer 2🔹
Allison of Astra
Almost Hero 2
Api the Cat
At Doom’s Gate
Attack From Planet X
Bad Hare Day 🎴
Balls and Booty 🎴
Bat Hunt
Blades of the Lotus🔹
Bleu Bleu’s Adventure (^)
Bloodbath (^)🔹
Brizzle
Bullet Bros.
Casablanca by Night
Cat Zap
Choumiryou Party 🎴
CityZen
Clean-Up Crew
Cobol’s Laboratory
Courier
Crypt Stalker
Data Man
Deal or No Deal
Deep Blue (^)
Demptronic NFL Football
Diary of a Zomboni Driver
Epicade (^)
The Excitables
FamiJammers
Flap Happy and Fancy Free 🎴
Force Bot
Full Quiet
Former Dawn
FX Unit Yuki
Gamer Quest 🎴
The Gift of Discernment
Gorodki
Gypsum & The Travelers
Halcyon
High Noon Knockout
Hyperdrive Soul🔹
Icescape
In Cod We Trust
Isolation
Isometric Survival Horror🔹
Isshokuta
Jester 🎴🅿️
John Wick🔹
Journey to Cygnus
Kingdom Crisis
Knil
Knuckle Knight
Legacy of the Vagrant
Leon: Tactical Asshole Cat
Lumber-Jerks! (^)
Malasombra
The Meating 🎴
Mega Commando
Montezuma's Revenge 🎴
Mutant Island
Mystic Searches 🎴
NES Breakout (^)
Nightmare Castle
October Sinclair
Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls
Orange Island 🎴
Pio Pew
P.O.W. 2
Powerglove
Project Chocoblip
Pyronaut
Rally Rally Rally
Ramses
Recknum: Fantasy of Dreams 🎴
Retro Space Championship
Rival Swarms
Robo Factory
Sam’s Journey
Saru Kani Panic 🎴
Shadow of the Beast (^)
The Shapeshifter 1 & 2 🎴
SkateCat
Skatemasta Tcheco
Skeler Boy 🎴
Snakey
Space Beats
Steel Legion
Super Hiking League
Sushido°
Sword of Ianna
Sydney Hunter and the Caverns of Death 🎴
Tattoo Apprentice
Tcheco in the Castle of Lucio
The Trial of Kharzoid
Turtle Rescue: Storm Watch🔹
Vice: Magic City Mayhem
Vigilante
Walter Nate: Timeline Agent
Wartide 1990
Witch City
The Witch Guild
Wizz Scape
Wolfholm
You Are Error 🎴
Your Pizza Sir🔹
Zombiejack°°

° An 8-bit demake of Sushido was released on Game Jolt in 2015. RETRO holds out hope that a ROM or cart of this demake will eventually be released by developer Yal.
°° In 2017, this game existed (with screenshots) as a collaboration of developer Shiru and Mega Cat Studios (MCS) that played like Germ Squashers or Yeah Yeah Beebiss II: a co-op-oriented single-screen 2D arcade shooter. All traces of this version of the game—which may be related to what is now Log Jammers (MCS)—have been erased from the internet. The game is listed here on the assumption it may one day reappear.

Premium Edition Games Recommendations

{Note: RETRO has now playtested over 1,200 NES2 games, putting it in a unique position to offer an assessment of—as a matter of accessibility, completeness, and polish—which NES2 games deserve consideration for the next release in Premium Edition Games’ “Classic Series.” This decision is of course entirely up to Premium Edition Games, but the hope is that (given that Volume 1 in the series selected ten NES2 games) it will not be out of place to not merely speculate on which games may be selected for second and subsequent volumes of the “Classic Series,” but to consider the question of which games are most deserving of the honor. Games will be removed from this list as they’re selected by Premium Edition Games; selected games will receive a permanent “🅿️” notation following their entry in the RETRO Top 500, above.}

🔅 Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure, Action-Adventure (^)
🔅 Almost Hero, Fighting (^)
🔅 Alter Ego, Puzzle (^)
🔅 Armed for Battle, Strategy (^)
🔅 Astro Ninja Man, Shooter (^)
🔅 Atmo Sphere, Puzzle (^)
🔅 Basse Def Adventures, Platformer (^)
🔅 Blade Buster, Shooter (^)
🔅 Blob Quest, Adventure (^)
🔅 Böbl, Adventure (^)
🔅 Carpet Shark, Arcade (^)
🔅 Dungeons & Doomknights, Action-Adventure (^)
🔅 Flea!, Platformer (^)
🔅 The Great Gatsby, Action-Adventure (^)
🔅 Gruniożerca 2, Puzzle (^)
🔅 Gruniożerca 3, Puzzle (^)
🔅 Haradius Zero, Shooter (^)
🔅 Haratyler, Shooter (^)
🔅 Haunted: Halloween ‘86, Fighting (^)
🔅 Hey Reset, Platformer (^)
🔅 L’Abbaye des Morts, Action-Adventure (^)
🔅 The Legends of Owlia, RPG (^)
🔅 Little Medusa, Action-Adventure (^)
🔅 Lucky Penguin, Puzzle (^)
🔅 The Magnilo Case, Adventure (^)
🔅 Micro Mages, Platformer (^)
🔅 Project Blue, Platformer (^)
🔅 Rock Paper Scissors, Puzzle (^)
🔅 Spacegulls, Action-Adventure (^)
🔅 Sparky, Arcade (^)
🔅 Star Keeper, Shooter (^)
🔅 Super Painter, Arcade (^)
🔅 Tapeworm Disco Puzzle, Puzzle (^)
🔅 Trophy, Action-Adventure (^)
🔅 Twin Dragons, Platformer (^)
🔅 Witch n’ Wiz, Puzzle (^)

Reviews and Gameplay Videos

🔰 #1 | Witch n’ Wiz

Review: Reminiscent of a combination of several cult-classic—but still underrated—NES puzzle games like Fire n’ Ice, Puzznic, Adventures of Lolo, and Boulder Dash, what sets Witch n’ Wiz apart is its brief-but-emotional backstory, its consistently fine graphics and block-erasure level design, and a caliber of perfection in difficulty scaling that was never really achieved by the games we now call “Nintendo Hard.” While Witch n’ Wiz can be quite hard, never before have I played a video game that seems to set the amount of time, energy, and brainpower necessary to beat each screen at exactly the right level. At the very moment you feel like a level is too difficult to best, you do; at the very moment you fear perhaps the game is unfair, you realize it isn’t; and the result of this is a sense of ecstatic accomplishment that many otherwise wonderful original NES titles missed out on producing because they’d calibrated their learning curve and difficulty spikes improperly. Over dozens of levels, Witch n’ Wiz remains fresh, engaging, and a joy to puzzle through—a testament to developer Matt Hughson’s genius. Each set of sublevels offers an idiosyncratic gameplay mechanic that’s newly in play, and as you progress through each set Hughson continually finds clever new ways to deploy the mechanic. Meanwhile, the story sequence that leads off the game—and for that matter, the exciting and tense boss battle that closes it—lend emotional stakes to the game that subsist throughout its runtime. Overall, this game is just so impossibly tightly made that it feels like an instant NES classic; there are no flaws or hiccups one can identify, just a purely joyous game-playing experience that’s truly unforgettable.

🔰 #2 | Tapeworm Disco Puzzle

Review: Sometimes a game just hits every note perfectly. Alistair Low from LowTek Games has created a marvelous, ever-expanding world with his games Flea! and Tapeworm Disco Puzzle. By taking generally avoided and disfavored organisms one would never think of as protagonists and placing them in colorful, vibrant, whimsical environments that are aesthetically cohesive as well as imaginatively diverse, Low is creating a novel world that bears visiting over and over. In Flea!—quite cleverly, an “endless jumper” rather than “endless runner”—the gameplayer must navigate the idiosyncrasies of the primary sprite they control as well as the idiosyncrasies of the environment, which include dangerous needles, a straw subway, and all sorts of icky microbiology. As Henry the Hyperactive Flea, you find yourself in a platformer where timing rather than jumping is the focus, as jumping is constant and uncontrollable. While the graphics of this game and its same-world peer Tapeworm Disco Puzzle are deliberately pixelated and deformed in a way one can’t miss, the chromatic tones and general atmosphere of the works seem just as they should be—as if there couldn’t possibly have been a better alternative. As a gamer I think it comes down to feeling like these two games and the characters in them are truly loved by their creator; there’s a sense of warmth, humor, and resignation to danger in this world (this last particularly appropriate for organisms so easily vanquished by their environment or manmade forces) that just feels right because it feels innately earned. It helps that the controls are tight, the difficulty scaling masterful, the storytelling touch light but also profoundly generative and subtly humorous, and the layout of each screen clearly the result of genius-level game-development instincts. This applies with perhaps even greater force to Tapeworm Disco Puzzle than Flea!, as the former game has a story and characters that build off their predecessor and offer a sense of sonic style—as one might expect, given the name of the game and the profession of its protagonist (who literally lives in a cassette tape)—that makes even the toughest levels, for instance the ones in which a suddenly hypnotized protagonist moves ceaselessly (as is de rigueur in Flea!) eminently bearable. In Tapeworm Disco Puzzle, the titular tapeworm can only move a limited number of spaces outside his cassette at once, which is a challenge given how much he needs to do away from home; fortunately, you have wormholes and other clever gameplay mechanics available to extend your reach and allow you to offer aid to your friends, who are being attacked one by one by a mysterious unseen villain. This is one of those games in which every enemy, obstacle, screen, and mechanic is organically “of the world” of fleas and ticks, tapeworms, and other creepy-crawlies—but in a delightfully whimsical way rather than one played for cheap shock value. In the best art, each element speaks to every other element, and this is richly the case with Tapeworm Disco Puzzle and Flea!, which are unquestionably stunning works of digital art.

🔰 #3 | Astro Ninja Man

Review: Some games simply have an unmistakable, inimitable, idiosyncratic style—and Astro Ninja Man is just such a game. Some of this flows from the title’s conceit, which commingles the ancient and the futuristic in a way that perfectly contextualizes its over-the-top combination of pseudo-militaristic monologuing (every boss battle is preceded by a threat made against the player), ethereal beauty, techno music, and the sort of adorable cartoonizing of the game’s protagonist that can only happen when narrative cohesion and mimetic reality have already been thrown out the window. Many space shooters allow you to gain allies as power-ups, but in Astro Ninja Man it’s a straight-up doubling—then tripling and quadrupling—of the titular ninja-astronaut, which seems as much an aesthetic decision as a gameplay one. But it works. What also works is the outrageous color scheme, inscrutable bosses, oddly “floaty” projectiles (which at times seem more beautiful than dangerous), and a forgiving “hit box” that doesn’t count your allies against you, meaning you only take damage if the protagonist himself is hit. Playing Astro Ninja Man is an intense and unforgettable experience not just because the game’s conceit and sonic/color palettes are fresh, but because enemy movements and patterns are engaging, the difficulty scales properly, and the whole packages feels as much like an experience as a contest of dexterity. Every retro gamer must play this game.

🔰 #4 | Böbl

Review: Not to wax poetic here, but I think there’s something profound about selecting one of the most fragile phenomena on Earth—a bubble—as the protagonist in an NES adventure. We’re all familiar with “one-hit kill” titles that are set up this way merely to appeal to the subset of retro gamers who are masochists (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but it’s refreshing to see a game put a frame around why its primary character is particularly vulnerable. It helps, of course, when a game looks beautiful, is difficult but also oddly calming, and perpetually surprises the player with novel obstacles, power-ups, and environments. While there’s certainly a bit of a learning curve here in terms of controlling the titular bubble and its power-up functions, the game never feels unfair, and indeed somehow provokes a sort of emotional investment that’s a hallmark of the very best Adventure games. One finds in this game the earnest joy of exploration and discovery; beneath the deceptively simple package of Böbl is a game with an intriguing physics engine, great controls, and an extremely inviting set of environments. This game gains your emotional investment and your time in every way that a video game can and should. Highly recommended.

🔰 #5 | Micro Mages

Review: It seems like every retro gamer in the world absolutely adores Micro Mages—and it’s not very hard to see why. Yes, the sprites are tiny (even micro), but of course that’s part of the charm of this Platformer: it’s not just the vertical autoscrolling, which sees you frantically using Ninja Gaiden- (or Streemerz-) like wall-jumping to kill enemies, open chests, and hit checkpoints as quickly as possible; and it’s not just the excellent music and charming back-story; it’s that it’s simply remarkable that any game can look this good—with protagonists and enemies that move so fluidly—at this scale. Every space in this game is fully realized and wholly believable, which is made possible not just by all of the above features but the incredibly tight controls and the great score. Add in multiple difficulty modes, a multiplayer option, and a password system, and you have a game—like all of the Top 10 games in this list, in fact—that without question would have been ranked in the Top 100 of original NES games. It is not too much to say that Micro Mages is an addictive, action-filled gaming experience that will forever—and I mean forever—be regarded as a truly essential NES homebrew experience.

🔰 #6 | Star Keeper

Review: It’s a genuine shame that so few people will ever get to play this game, and if RETRO had a magic wand it would will 87 Arts and the game’s unknown developer—his name doesn’t appear in the credits—to agree to distribute this work of art via one of the many fine 8-bit-game publishers listed in this article. Playing Star Keeper is like stepping into a dream; while a few of the game’s visual setpieces (e.g., its clouds) may immediately put on in mind of Nintendo’s Super Mario games, even when Star Keeper echos that legendary series it does so by honoring its very finest qualities: a diverse rogues’ gallery with enemies that can only be described as adorable; truly effervescent environments; and a dreamlike ambiance that remains soothing even at moments the game’s difficulty seems to briefly ramp up. The simple premise here, of a boy with a house that’s also a spaceship, is memorable enough that the overall gaming experience feels like an “It’s a Small World” ferry ride through childhood wonders. So many 8-bit shooters take themselves too seriously; Star Keeper follows in the grand tradition of Sqoon, Gun-Nac, and Parodius by not falling into this trap and giving players something to do (collect stars) while jet-packing around and firing at enemies. All in all, this is a singular and sublime gaming experience that hopefully—one day—many more gamers will be able to enjoy.

🔰 #7 | Haunted: Halloween ‘86

Review: This may well be the quintessential NES homebrew. Its writing and graphics never feel other than homespun, but always in a way that is engaging, and often with subtle complexities that belie the charmingly organic nature of the work. Before more is said about the game, however, can we first address its core concept? Halloween is a holiday that surely deserves hundreds of video games devoted to it, and while it does have many, few more perfectly capture the sense of gloom and adventure surrounding All Hallows Eve than Haunted: Halloween ‘86. The drab color palette in the game is perfectly suited to its context, even as it is often surprisingly expressive; level designs so beautifully interact with with the many different background environments the game’s two protagonists fight their way through that the player never feels anything but wholly located in this richly realized world. Adversaries and obstacles are spooky, icky, and unnerving in exactly the right measure, and for an 8-bit beat ‘em up the two playable characters—who you can switch between at will, and will often need to—get an admirable number of special moves throughout the course of the game. Most of all, however, Haunted: Halloween ‘86 is to be celebrated for its inventive boss battles, its unique health-point system (you gauge the status of your playable character by how closely their skin tone matches that of the zombie that every successful hit gets closer and closer to turning you into), and its pitch-perfect atmosphere. This is a game series one genuinely hopes goes on and on, and (no spoilers!) the engaging, eerie story the series tells absolutely has the legs for several more entries. I can’t wait for the next one!

🔰 #8 | Flea!

Review: See the review for Tapeworm Disco Puzzle, above.

🔰 #9 | The Magnilo Case

Review: This game is a blast, pure and simple—and I say that as a retro gamer who often dislikes Adventure games, and games in the mystery sub-genre specifically. What makes The Magnilo Case something else entirely, however, is the quality of its writing: both the text itself, and also the pacing, plotting, evidence, and scenery that make this game run. From the moment you step inside Magnilo Studios, you want to explore it because it is creepy and adorable and ethereal all at once—by which I mean that you never know what the next room will hold, because the game developers have clearly let their imaginations run wild. Some Adventure games meet the requirements of the genre but lack a real sense of exploration, wonder, and negative capability (the idea, which we get from the poet John Keats, of finding a certain joy in uncertainty); The Magnilo Case reels you in from the very beginning and never lets go. Gameplay-wise it has all the features you would expect from this sort of title, yet all of them are done wonderfully and with a snarky, noirish panache. Magnilo is a game—and a place—you will want to lose yourself in.

🔰 #10t | Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure

Review: Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure is a remarkably complete game—not just for an NES homebrew, but for any NES game. If there’s a thing you love about 8-bit gaming, it’s here. Several playable characters, each with their own personalities and powers? Check. Elements of all six major 8-bit video game genres (Action, Adventure, Beat ‘em Up, Platformer, Puzzle, and Shooter)? Check. An overworld? Yes. A unique aesthetic that comes with a sense of humor? Certainly. While the story is gestural, (a) there is one, and (b) it’ll make you smile on occasion. But more than all this, and beyond even the tight controls, fine difficulty scaling, and interestingly varied levels and obstacles, Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure is invested enough in immersion and replayability to offer secret areas, special hard-to-find items, and little gameplay quirks (such as needing to duck into an igloo—if/when you can get to it—to change characters) that lend a sense of, pun a bit intended I guess, “adventure” to the game. I suppose I’m also one of those retro gamers who greatly appreciates a developer willing to build out a world across multiple games; it should be deemed a significant asset of Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure that if you like its graphics, music, gameplay and characters, you can spend even more time with them—in a set of games that are excellent in their own right—via Eskimo Bob: Starring Alfonzo, Alfonzo Melee, and The Alfonzo Game. With the ongoing “Haunted: Halloween” series (which includes, so far, Haunted: Halloween ‘85 and Haunted: Halloween ‘86) and John Vanderhoef’s excellent “MULEniverse” series (which includes neMULEsis, Leggite Luta Livre, Bat Lizard Bonanza, Wampus DX, and Wart Worm Wingding), the “Alfonzo” series has all the makings of a new cult-classic miniverse in the NES2 ecosystem.

🔰 #10t | Dungeons & Doomknights

Review: Building off a long-running IP, Artix has built an 8-bit world that feels fully realized and lived-in, as though there were no iterations of this fantasy ecosystem besides this one (though there are). Beyond its airtight gameplay, excellent graphics, and suitably vast world—which is every bit as varied and imaginative as you’d hope—Dungeons & Doomknights is distinguished by its humor, fourth-wall-breaking self-referentiality, and quality-of-life components (such as the optional use of the Konami Code, a very useful in-game pet, and regularly appearing save spots). From the option to fight and defeat Death as your very first in-game action—I won’t reveal how to do it—to twists on common video game tropes, Dungeons & Doomknights continually surprises and delights. It’s a game you won’t want to put down, as without a doubt it is one of the most polished, finished, and expansive NES2 games you can play right now.

🔰 #10t | Little Medusa

Review: We need to get the obvious out of the way, first: yes, this game is reminiscent of Kickle Cubicle, a widely respected original NES title that nevertheless only made #100 on the consensus Top 100 NES Games of All Time ranking. In view of this, there is ample reason to feel like retro gaming needs more games that investigate the unique mechanic from Kickle Cubicle: pushing enemies to turn them into useful landmasses. Whereas Kickle Cubicle lacked an interesting narrative frame, Little Medusa not only has one but is of course borrowing from the best frame there is: Greek mythology. But it’s not just that the story here is far more engaging than was ever the case with Kickle Cubicle—though that’s true—but so too are the level designs, the enemies, the boss battles, your powers, the power-ups, the obstacles, the battlefields, the overworld art, the puzzles, the cutscenes and intermediary graphics, the music, the secret areas, and—well—everything, really. When you take a classic gameplay mechanic and improve on everything surrounding it in every way imaginable, you end up with a thrilling game. Little Medusa can confidently stand alongside the very best action-puzzle games from the original NES.

🔰 #10t | MOMOC

Review: MOMOC is very likely to move up this list over time, as the game mechanic upon which it (and its engineer protagonist) relies—the ability to traverse a Meiji-era Japan filled with hostile military forces using only the ability to craft ladders, walls, planks, and fuses—is so unthinkably versatile that it feels deeper and deeper with each moment of gameplay. I have rarely if ever seen an NES game that allows for so many different ways to “beat” (or clear) each screen; MOMOC almost feels like an open-world adventure, in which the only limiting factor is your own ingenuity. While a few stages in the journey can be crossed with little difficulty, many will have you plotting out a strategy with your brow furrowed, engaged in some slow-boiling trial-and-error session that will test your mental acuity and even your manual dexterity. The fact that the protagonist of MOMOC can gather materials Minecraft-style means you will develop a relationship to not just the layout but the mineral composition of each screen that goes well beyond the typical experience of 8-bit gaming. In short, MOMOC is a sneaky contender to one day—once RETRO takes even more time with it—become one of the top three NES homebrews on this list. It’s just that good. Anyone with an interest in the NES, whether twentieth century (“NES”) or twenty-first century (“NES2”) should be playing this game. See this link for in-game GIFs.

Best Composer (In-Game Music)

🔰 | 🥇 Thomas Ragonnet / Zi (^)

Selected Homebrew Cart Appearances:

The Incident
Jay & Silent Bob: Mall Brawl
Lizard
Micro Mages
Nebs n’ Debs
NEScape!
Trophy
Twin Dragons
UXO

🔰 | 🥈 Kevin van der Burg (^)

Selected Homebrew Cart Appearances:

Almika: Star Rider
Bandana
Copter Bot
Famicompo Pico
Mooooo!
Muck Sunflower Escape
Plummet Challenge
Shark
Sparky
Vehion

🔰 | 🥉 Brad Smith (^)

Selected Homebrew Cart Appearances:

2A03 Puritans
Lizard
Moon8

💠 | 🏅 Cutter Cross (^)

Selected Homebrew Cart Appearances:

Jelly Jam’d
Mermay’s Den
Oof McBrewster’s Haunted House
Project DART
The Tower of Turmoil
Underground Adventure

Best Composer (Music Carts)

🔰 | 🥇 Thomas Ragonnet / Zi (^)
🔰 | 🥈 HeavyW8Bit (^)
🔰 | 🥉 Alex Mauer (^)

💠 | 🏅 Anamanaguchi
💠 | 🏅 El Huervo
💠 | 🏅 Nuclear Mushroom Boom
💠 | 🏅 Ratvader

Best Graphics

🔰 | 🥇 Jim Power: Lost Dimension, Piko (^)
🔰 | 🥈 Kira Kira Star Night DX, RIKI (^)
🔰 | 🥉 Trophy, Gradual Games (^)

💠 | 🏅 Dimension Shift, Mugi (^)
💠 | 🏅 Klepsydra, Drexegar (^)
💠 | 🏅 Sweetleaf, Cramer / Marcel (^)

Best In-Game Song

🔰 | 🥇 The Wizard, RetroAge (^)
🔰 | 🥈 Veggie Invaders, Dustmop (^)
🔰 | 🥉 Star Keeper, 87 Arts (^)

Best Musical Score

🔰 | 🥇 Alwa’s Awakening, Elden Pixels (^)
🔰 | 🥈 Space Raft Arcade, Raftronaut (^)
🔰 | 🥉 Haradius Zero, Neodolphino (^)
🔰 | 🥉 Haratyler, Impact Soft (^)

Best Sound

🔰 | 🥇 Neo Heiankyo Alien, Columbus Cir. (^)
🔰 | 🥈 Astro Ninja Man, Columbus Cir. (^)
🔰 | 🥉 Twin Dragons, Broke Studio (^)

💠 | Touhou Rououmu, Kyoske (^)

Best Writing

🔰 | 🥇 Stellarator, McKinley (^)
🔰 | 🥈 Mutant Sewer Girls, Boring Kate (^)
🔰 | 🥉 1000 Stars, Vufka (^)

💠 | 🏅 Dungeons & Doomknights, Artix (^)

Best Musical Composition

🔰 | 🥇 “Extends Levant”, Hertz Devil, 2A03 Puritans (^)
🔰 | 🥈 “Chipmania”, Ratvader, Goofy Foot (^)
🔰 | 🥉 “Astaroth”, Hippel, Mom My Ears Are Bleeding (^)
🔰 | 🥉 “Blackout City”, Anamanaguchi, Dawn Metropolis (^)
🔰 | 🥉 “Chiptune Underground”, Nuclear Mushroom Boom, 9999 in 1 (^)
🔰 | 🥉 “Semesterbråk”, El Huervo, Goofy Foot (^)
🔰 | 🥉 “Summertime”, Nuclear Mushroom Boom, 9999 in 1 (^)
🔰 | 🥉 “Unsung Hero”, Nuclear Mushroom Boom, 9999 in 1 (^)

💠 | 🏅 “Bob”, HeavyW8Bit, NOFX (^)
💠 | 🏅 “Chronos”, VC & Follin, Oscilloscope (^)
💠 | 🏅 “The Creation of the Two Worlds”, Pellicer, A Hole New World (^)
💠 | 🏅 “Forest Theme”, Pellicer, A Hole New World (^)
💠 | 🏅 “Level 1: Revenge”, Street War, Goofy Foot (^)
💠 | 🏅 “Morning Has Broken”, Maktone, Mom My Ears Are Bleeding (^)
💠 | 🏅 “NES Sound Test”, Oorni, Goldrunner (^)
💠 | 🏅 “Perseids”, zi, Quiet (^)
💠 | 🏅 “Startup Screen”, Mariano, Teletime (^)
💠 | 🏅 “Zenith”, Mauer, Vegavox 2 (^)

📗 SC1 | Kubo 3, Seiji / SJ Games (^)

To conceive of, design, and code an aftermarket NES game approximately thirty years after the last licensed NES cart was published is a tremendous feat—an act of bravery, ingenuity, and determination.

To do this at the age of eight is nothing short of an act of heroism. RETRO would like to issue a special citation to Seiji, who developed the extremely promising game Kubo 3 and did so many, many years before the average person even begins to understand all that producing a video game requires. Seiji and Kubo 3 are an inspiration to everyone.

If you’d like to learn more about Seiji and Kubo 3, RETRO recommends this primer:

RETRO owes a debt of gratitude to the many digital artists and game development studios that have offered critical feedback during the formation and evolution of this ranking. RETRO would like to offer a very special thanks to Joe Granato and Austin McKinley (website), Matt Hughson (website), M-Tee (website), Jeffrey Wittenhagen (website), FrankenGraphics (website), Dale Coop (website), Julien Boisseau (website), and Michael Chiaramonte (website). Additional thanks to Chris Brand, Al Bailey, Bob Rost (website), Neil Baldwin, and Sean Robinson for their years of tireless advocacy on behalf of the homebrew scene.

Many more names will undoubtedly be added to this list soon!

RETRO dedicates the Top 500 NES Homebrews to the memory of talented gamer, streamer, and rom-hack game developer Adam Hiner of Akron, Ohio (1983–2021).

Known by the many gamers whose lives he touched via his various online channels as AdamOSRetro, Adam exhibited an irrepressible love of gaming and NES homebrews in particular. His energy, joy, and bravery was superlative, and he will be sorely missed.

The Top 500 NES Homebrews, Vol. 5

Decades after the last licensed Nintendo Entertainment System game, NES games still get released. This list—which excludes prototypes or localizations of first-gen NES games—ranks 1,207 “NES2” titles.

Introduction

Changes in This Edition of the Ranking

Total Homebrew Library Size

Review Copies

Table of Contents

Ranking Key

Action-Adventure Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER ACTION-ADVENTURE HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Adventure Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER ADVENTURE HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Anthology Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Arcade Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER ARCADE HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Art App Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX APPS

Card / Dice Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Fighting / Brawler Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER FIGHTING HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Kids Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Multicart Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER MULTICARTS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Music Cart Rankings: Music

Music Cart Rankings: Apps

HONORABLE MENTIONS: MUSIC

HONORABLE MENTIONS: APPS

OTHER MUSIC HOMEBREWS: MUSIC

OTHER MUSIC HOMEBREWS: APPS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX MUSIC CARTS

Party Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER PARTY HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Platformer Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER PLATFORMER HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Puzzle Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER PUZZLE HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Rhythm Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

RPG Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER RPG HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Shooter / Run n’ Gun Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER SHOOTER HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Simulation Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Sports / Racing Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OTHER SPORTS HOMEBREWS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Strategy Game Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS

COMPLETE-IN-BOX GAMES

Tech Demo Rankings

HONORABLE MENTIONS