The NES Games That Raised Me (And How Technos Japan Basically Built My Childhood)
There are “favorite games”… and then there are the games that form your DNA.
For me, the Nintendo Entertainment System wasn’t just a console — it was a rite of passage. It was sleepovers. Cartridge blowing rituals. Controllers stretched across the living room. Figuring things out with no internet, no walkthroughs, no safety net.
And if we’re being honest?
Technos Japan basically built my video game childhood.
Let’s get into it.
🐉 Double Dragon (NES)
This was my first exposure to video games.
I was at my sister’s friend’s apartment. Her younger brother was playing it. I watched for maybe 30 seconds before I was completely hooked.
A gang kidnaps your girlfriend.
You fight your way through the entire city to get her back.
Simple.
Perfect.
Honestly? A love story.
This game didn’t just introduce me to gaming — it made the side-scrolling beat ’em up my favorite genre for life. The pacing. The music. The co-op. The final twist.
Core memory forever.
🏐 Super Dodge Ball (NES)
An absolute icon that never gets the recognition it deserves.
The soundtrack? Elite.
The super moves? Ridiculous.
The personality? Off the charts.
Technos Japan understood something most developers miss:
Make it fun first.
This game needs a modern remake yesterday.
🏐 Super Spike V’Ball (NES)
Same energy. Same magic.
Fantastic gameplay.
Addictive tournament mode.
Over-the-top spikes.
And let’s talk about it — Billy & Jimmy from Double Dragon are playable.
Technos built a shared universe before that was even a thing.
⚽ Nintendo World Cup (NES)
One of the very few soccer games I’ve ever truly enjoyed.
Why?
Because Technos Japan just gets it.
Super shots.
Catchy soundtrack.
Arcade chaos.
It wasn’t trying to simulate soccer.
It was trying to make soccer fun.
Mission accomplished.
🥊 River City Ransom (NES)
If Double Dragon laid the foundation…
River City Ransom built a mansion on it.
Shop system.
Character upgrades.
Enemies dropping money.
Special move books.
Open-ended progression.
It felt alive. It rewarded grinding. It respected your time.
For fans of the genre like me, this was everything.
🍄 Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
The gold standard.
World map.
Power-ups.
Level design.
Music.
If platformers have a Mount Rushmore, this is the entire mountain.
🕵️ Dick Tracy (NES)
A true sleeper.
You had to track suspects. Collect clues. Make deductions. Pay attention.
I was doing more complex problem solving in this game than I was in school at the time.
Not many people talk about it.
They should.
🥊 Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (NES)
Little Mac is a legend.
And Mike Tyson?
Still one of the hardest boss fights in all of gaming history.
You didn’t button mash.
You studied.
You adapted.
You executed.
Patterns and precision.
🔫 Contra (NES)
If you beat this without using The Konami Code…
I owe you a steak dinner.
But I need video proof.
🤖 Mega Man 3 (NES)
My favorite entry in the series.
Top-tier soundtrack.
Tight pacing.
Iconic Robot Masters.
And Shadow Man? Coolest enemy in the franchise.
⚾ Bases Loaded 3 (NES)
The game that made me fall in love with baseball video games.
First time I played it, I was at my Aunt Lauri’s house with my older cousin Nathan. He was destroying me with one particular pitcher.
I said, “That pitcher is pretty good.”
He said, “Actually the pitcher isn’t very good. I just know how to use him.”
That stuck with me for life.
If you highlight strengths and hide weaknesses, anyone can be viable.
In a video game.
In sports.
In life.
The Legends (Rapid Fire Edition)
🧩 Tetris (NES)
Proof that simplicity wins.
Pure gameplay.
Timeless tension.
🚀 Life Force (NES)
Incredible soundtrack.
Co-op chaos.
Konami firing on all cylinders.
🎈 Balloon Fight (NES)
Deceptively difficult.
Balloon Trip mode is pure zen.
🐢 TMNT III: The Manhattan Project (NES)
Peak Ninja Turtles on NES.
Tight combat.
Even better co-op memories.
🌟 Kirby’s Adventure (NES)
Copy abilities changed everything.
Colorful.
Creative.
Way ahead of its time.
Ninja Gaiden II (NES)
Cinematic storytelling.
Brutal difficulty.
Elite soundtrack.
🧬 Metroid (NES)
Isolation.
Exploration.
Atmosphere.
No hand-holding. Just discovery.
🗡️ The Legend of Zelda (NES)
No tutorials.
No map markers.
Just exploration.
You had to figure it out.
🧛 Castlevania III (NES)
Branching paths.
Multiple characters.
Legendary music.
Ambitious doesn’t even begin to describe it.
🐉 Double Dragon II (NES)
Sharper combat.
Better flow.
Technos perfecting their formula.
🦇 Batman (NES)
One of the best soundtracks on the console.
The wall jump mechanic alone makes it legendary.
🐢 TMNT II: The Arcade Game (NES)
Arcade energy brought home.
Pure co-op chaos.
Bubble Bobble (NES)
Secret endings.
Addictive gameplay.
Endless replay value.
💊 Dr. Mario (NES)
Competitive puzzle perfection.
That music still hits.
🏁 R.C. Pro-Am (NES)
Upgrades.
Weapons.
Addictive progression.
Rare didn’t miss.
🏎️ Super Off Road (NES)
Upgrades mattered.
Skill mattered.
Trash talk absolutely mattered.
🏒 Blades of Steel (NES)
If you heard the intro once, you never forgot it.
And yes — fighting in a hockey game was elite innovation.
Kid Icarus (NES)
Weird.
Tough.
Totally unique.
👊 Kung Fu (NES)
One of the originals.
Walk right.
Punch everything.
Blueprint status.
🐰 Tiny Toon Adventures (NES)
Way better than it had any right to be.
Konami quality.
⚾ Baseball Stars (NES)
Create-a-team mode was revolutionary.
Build a squad.
Manage money.
Create a dynasty.
🏒 Ice Hockey (NES)
Skinny.
Medium.
Big.
That’s the strategy.
🦆 Duck Hunt (NES)
That laugh.
You remember it.
🏍️ Excitebike (NES)
Track editor.
On the NES.
Let that sink in.
🤖 Bionic Commando (NES)
No jump button.
Grappling hook traversal.
Different in the best way.
🌴 StarTropics (NES)
That letter-in-water puzzle?
Legendary.
🧙 Final Fantasy (NES)
Turn-based strategy.
Class selection.
Epic scale on 8-bit hardware.
An empire started here.
Final Thoughts
These games stood the test of time because they were built on one thing:
Gameplay first.
No updates.
No patches.
No microtransactions.
Just mechanics.
Music.
Challenge.
Heart.
Technos Japan didn’t just make games.
They helped build my childhood.
And if you grew up on the NES?
You already know.
Thanks for coming along on this video game journey with me folks!
See you next week!
No comments:
Post a Comment