Nintendo really dropped the ball on the NES offerings via its online service in 2020. Only six games dropped onto the Switch and most of them weren’t very good. This was even crazier considering there were fifteen Super Nintendo games dropped onto the service. That’s more than double the amount.
What’s even stranger is the fact Nintendo localized the first Fire Emblem after more than two decades but it was released not on the online service for free but as a paid game. What is even the point of Nintendo Online at that point? That being said, all six games should still be recognized in some light. The drabbest titles still need a spotlight even if they aren’t the most compelling.
6 Eliminator Boat Duel
Eliminator Boat Duel originally released for the NES In November 1991. 2021 marks its thirtieth anniversary. That said, it’s not exactly a title worth celebrating. It’s very low budget which one can tell with the oddly drawn faces and models in the “cutscenes.” The only reason to fire this game up is to see these faces because of how jarring they can look.
It’s a very barebones racing game from a publisher, Electro Brain, not known for much quality. Sometimes races are captured behind the boat while other times the angles are from the top down. This variety was at least appreciated. Eliminator Boat Duel was added to Nintendo Switch Online in February 2020.
5 Nightshade Part 1: The Claws of Sutekh
Nightshade originally released for the NES in January 1992. As the name might suggest, this was planned to be a series of games; however, sales and reviews would account for this being a one and done situation. This is odd considering this is a Konami published game under their alias Ultra Games.
It’s an adventure game spliced with random battles akin to an RPG, but with beat ‘em up mechanics. Point a cursor at an item and sometimes players can interact with it, examine it, or do something of this nature. Running into an enemy will prompt a brawler battle. It's an interesting mashup of genres and a detective-themed RPG does sound appetizing. Nightshade was added to Nintendo Switch Online in December 2020.
4 The Immortal
The Immortal originally released for the NES and Apple IIGS in November 1990. Many more platforms followed thanks to the game's publisher being EA. The Immortal may be better on other platforms but on NES it is not very good.
It is a dungeon crawler starring a wizard with the same type of powers as Gandalf. That is to say, he can use magic along with weapons like swords. He even looks like him. The Immortal is clunky and pretty challenging due to its unforgiving nature. Keep an eye out for traps, look for treasure, fight monsters, and repeat. The Immortal was added to Nintendo Switch Online in July 2020.
3 S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
S.C.A.T. originally released for the NES on June 22, 1990 in Japan and a year later in North America. 2021 also marks this game’s thirtieth anniversary and, unlike Eliminator Boat Duel, S.C.A.T. is worth celebrating. It is basically like Contra but as a side-scrolling shooter.
S.C.A.T. looks, plays, and sounds good thanks to the craftsmanship from Natsume who both developed and published it. While it is also very hard to get through, the Switch’s rewind feature should help. There are power-ups aplenty and the addition of a second player should help even the odds. S.C.A.T. was added to Nintendo Switch Online in September 2020.
2 Rygar
Rygar started in arcades in 1986. The NES version would later release in July 1987. Like its arcade counterpart, it is an action platformer. Rygar is very hard due to the random spawning nature of its enemies. Thankfully, the iconic razor shield-like yo-yo gives the player some distance between enemies.
However, even that isn’t enough to save the day sometimes. What should be appreciated is Rygar's seemingly interconnected world. It's no Metroid, but it is something close to it. It may not be as good as another Tecmo NES gem from this time period, Ninja Gaiden, but given some patience, Rygar is worth a look. Rygar was added to Nintendo Switch Online in May 2020.
1 Shadow Of The Ninja
Speaking of Ninja Gaiden, the Switch did get a ninja game this year. Shadow of the Ninja originally released for the NES in December 1990. It is another Natsume developed and published title and is much better balanced compared to S.C.A.T. There is plenty of health, maneuverability is solid, and there are plenty of cool weapons.
Players can play as either Hayate or Kaede, although this ultimately doesn’t matter as they play the same. However, that doesn’t detract from the overall experience. Shadow of the Ninja is not a passing curiosity. Pick up this game. Finish it. Devour it. It is one of the system's most underappreciated titles. In fact, might even be better than Ninja Gaiden. Shadow of the Ninja was added to Nintendo Switch Online in February 2020.