NexOFT/Compile

September 1991

Shooter

1 Player

Compile's got a knack for making great shooters, as you can tell from Zanac and this comical spin-off.  In Gun*Nac, you'll be gunning down everything from metal-plated rabbits to Maneki Nekos (the rough Japanese equivalent of our piggy banks), all with the most devastating weapons you'll ever see on the NES.  Be sure to crank up the difficulty for a more satisfying challenge!

Capcom

February 1988

Shooter

1 Player

Capcom's over the top interpretation of the Old West may be ridiculous, but you have to admit that it's also pretty fun.  In Gun.Smoke, you're a gunslinger out to bring those no good Wingates to justice.  Before you can face them, you'll have to clear the town of their thugs, using your twin pistols and the occasional high powered firearm purchased from villagers.

FAST FACT:  The strikingly similar title may lead you to believe otherwise, but Capcom's Gun.Smoke has nothing to do with the popular television Western from the 1960's starring James Arness.  Who knew that a single dot is all it takes to avoid a potential copyright infringement lawsuit?

Nintendo

October 1985

Action

1-2 Players

There are two things make this simplistic puzzle game a guilty pleasure.  The first is the perky music which gives Gyromite a lot of its character.  The second is that this is only one of two games on the NES which supports R.O.B. the video robot.  He lifts and lowers the pillars you see onscreen, so watch him carefully or you could get squashed!

FAST FACT:  Why bother with the unpredictable and expensive R.O.B. when you can have a friend man the onscreen pillars for you?  Just plug in a second controller and another player can move the metal pipes up and down, letting you navigate each stage with confidence.

Ultra

February 1989

Shooter

1-2 Players

A more honest name for this would have been Gyruss II, because this definitely isn't a conversion of Konami's arcade game from the early 1980's.  Gyruss on the NES has the same basic gameplay- you'll still be circling around the screen, firing at enemy spacecraft- but the new power ups, bosses, and vastly improved graphics make it an entirely different- yet still exceptional- experience.