USgamer Community Question: Which NES Classic Edition Game Are You Most Excited to Play (Again)?

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With the NES Classic Edition arriving next week, we thought it was a good time to ask which of its 30 games you're most excited to play.

Jeremy Parish, Editor-in-Chief

Bubble Bobble was one of those games I didn't think much of back in the day. By the time it came out for NES in America, it looked hideously dated — it was a contemporary with things like Mega Man 2, for crying out loud! I remember seeing full-age ads for it in comic books at the time and thinking, "Seriously?"

Little did I know! Bubble Bobble is a great game. Simple, charming, addictive… and above all, cooperative. It's one I've come to appreciate far better in retrospect; once I played it with a friend, I grasped its genius. The NES Classic Edition has a simple setup that makes it a breeze to plug into the family TV (once I get some controller extension cables), and I feel like Bubble Bobble is the kind of game my wife (who does not particularly enjoy most games) would have fun playing with me. We'll see!

Of course, the NES Classic Edition is packed with great games — I'm just a weirdo who has played most of these games on deluxe NES hardware over the past year. Bubble Bobble is a lengthy game, though, and the problem with playing on real hardware is the lack of opportunities to save progress. Suspend points will be this game's saving grace. (And Super Mario Bros. 3, also!)

Jaz Rignall, Editor-at-Large

When I originally reviewed it back in the day, I went absolutely over-the-top crazy about Super Mario Bros 3, calling it, "simply the finest video game I've ever played." I ended up rating it 98% - the highest score I'd ever given to a game at that point. Indeed, on a scale of 100, it still remains my highest-ever rated game along with Super Mario World, which I awarded the same score when it was released a couple of years later.

So yeah. I certainly have a lot of love for Super Mario games.

That said, I haven't played Super Mario Bros 3 since the early 90's, and only have vague recollections about the game's details, such as the different suits, and the way its map works. I'm excited at the prospect of going back to it to see just how well it holds up - and rediscovering the game's many secrets. Especially with the NES Classic Edition's ability to save your progress, which I'm sure will be a huge help as I re-figure out how to tackle some of the game's more challenging levels.

Mike Williams, Associate Editor

Man, I just miss Contra sometimes. When was the last time we had a proper Contra game? 2011 was the last game that could be considered a Contra game with Hard Corps: Uprising, but the last "real" Contra game was 2009's Contra ReBirth for the Wii. Every indie is aiming to make the next Metroid or Mega Man, but who gives the love to Contra?

I'm not even a huge fan of Super C. Contra, Contra III, Contra 4, and Hard Corps: Uprising are better titles in my mind. But nothing else is covering that hunger. Nothing else is aimed at that taste, at least as far as I know.

So yeah, I'm probably most looking into jumping back into the Contra series on the NES Classic Edition. Of course, I won't be jumping into the Classic Edition anytime soon, because I'm working on reviewing the PlayStation 4 Pro…

Kat Bailey, Senior Editor

Looking over the list of games available for the NES Classic, I have to say that I'm actually kind of excited for Gradius and Galaga.

I'm always looking for good shoot 'em ups for my devices, particularly classics like Gradius. I had the Gradius Collection on my PSP, and I picked Life Force on my 3DS. I like them because they're fun, challenging, and extremely quick games that work really well on portable.

Obviously, the NES Classic is not portable; but since I'm planning to put it on my desk with my computer, it'll be readily accessibly. Whenever I need a break, I'll be able to flip on the NES Classic and play some '80s shooters. Oh, and some Super Mario Bros. 3, too.

I never thought I'd say it given that I own multiple versions of almost all of the games on the NES Classic, but I'm legitimately excited to own one. Even if it's not quite the real thing, its looks and convenience will more than make up for it.

Nadia Oxford, Staff Writer

Lean in close and let me scream a secret in your ear: I’ve never finished the original Final Fantasy in any of its forms. Not the NES original. Not the Dawn of Souls GBA remake. Not the PSP or iOS re-release. I’ve tried ‘em all. Failed every single time.

I can’t even articulately explain why I trip up every time I try to conquer the game that rescued Squaresoft from financial oblivion. When I first played it as a little girl, I found it jarring and graceless next to the Dragon Warrior series, and the bad localization did little to endure me to the world or its characters. Maybe that prejudice stuck to me on a subconscious level.

But I’m determined to finish Final Fantasy before I croak. Not that I’m planning on boarding the Phantom Train anytime soon, but since you never know, I’ve resolved to play Final Fantasy whenever it’s set in front of me. Now the NES Classic is dishing it out once more. Heeeere we go again…