Every NES Bundle Game, Ranked

It’s not as common these days, but when video game consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System were first released, they had bundled games. These titles were packed in with the console so players could have something to dive into right out of the box, and there were several of them. Throughout the NES’s life, various packaged bundles offered different accessories and games, resulting in a total of 10 distinct titles. We’ve ranked them based on sales, contemporary critics’ reviews, and overall popularity to determine the ranking of every NES bundled game.

10) Stack-Up

When the NES dropped, one of the key marketing gimmicks was R.O.B., or Robotic Operating Buddy. This was a robot that worked in conjunction with games to sort of bridge the gap between the NES as a video game console and a toy. Only two games were ever released, and in some areas, the NES Deluxe Set came with Stack-Up. R.O.B. didn’t function well, but it was meant to use five different color trays and two claws for grabbing blocks. Gameplay involved  Professor Hector stacking blocks. The player then created a set of controls from memory to have R.O.B. repeat the process. R.O.B. was a pretty crummy accessory, and the game wasn’t much fun, which is why it’s in last place.

9) Gyromite

Of the two R.O.B. compatible games, Gyromite is the best-known, as it came paired with Duck Hunt in most North American NES Deluxe Sets. In this game, R.O.B. used two gyros alongside claws and trays for the spinning tops to rest upon. It’s essentially an instructional game on how to use R.O.B., and gameplay involves directing Professor Hector to collect dynamite against a ticking clock. Colored pillars block his path, which correlate to R.O.B.’s placement of a gyro meant to move the pillars so Hector could pass. It didn’t work very well, but when it did, it was cool to see a tactile object interact with a video game in a fairly unique way.

8) World Class Track Meet

Nintendo released the NES Power Set in 1990, alongside its Power Pad. It included World Class Track Meet for use with the Power Pad. If you’ve never seen a Power Pad, think Dance Dance Revolution, but simpler and buggier. Essentially, it had the gamepad’s buttons laid out on colored spots for players to stomp on, allowing them to run in place and control their character. World Class Track Meet (Initially titled Stadium Events in 1987) was a decent competition title for two players competing in various track and field events. Of course, you could play it much more easily with the gamepad, but if you wanted to get in your steps, the Power Pad was available.

7) Nintendo World Cup

The NES Sports Set was designed for multiplayer, so it came with a special remote system that allowed the four packaged controllers to connect. It also came with a two-in-one cartridge, which included Nintendo World Cup. The game is an arcade-style soccer title with cute characters taken from Technōs Japan’s library, and it was relatively easy to learn its controls and play right out of the box. The game featured 13 national teams competing in the World Cup to determine which country took the top spot, and it was fun and addictive to play, despite being largely forgotten in the intervening years.

6) Super Spike V’Ball

The second game in the NES Sports Set was Super Spike V’Ball, also made by Technōs Japan. It’s an arcade-style volleyball game, where the player selects from one of four teams of two players each. They’re balanced in different ways, so depending on which ones are chosen, a player can incorporate various strategies. It included a tournament mode with CPU players, or you could put all four controllers into the NES and play with three of your buddies. There were four female teams coded into the game, but you had to cheat to access them, and it’s an all-around fun sports title.

5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

While it’s often listed among the NES’ hardest games, there are plenty of fans who still love Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Of course, in North America, folks had to purchase the game separately from the system, as it was packaged with the console only in Europe. The game is based on the cartoon series, which was based on the independent comic books, and it’s one of the first to be adapted from the source, alongside its arcade counterpart. It features a dynamic story, four playable characters, and six missions. While not the best TMNT game ever made, it’s one of the first that fans got their hands on, and it sold incredibly well.

4) Dr. Mario

The only way to get Dr. Mario in a packaged tie-in was to buy the NES-101 exclusively at Target stores, beginning in 1993. Not many had this because it arrived near the end of the NES lifecycle, and fans had moved on to the Super Nintendo. Regardless, Dr. Mario is a fun puzzle game that sold remarkably well and was ported to the Game Boy before launching a franchise. Gameplay involves matching colored pill capsules to destroy viruses, and once they’re all eliminated, play progresses to the next level. In hindsight, it’s kind of an odd concept. Still, it’s nonetheless a blast to play, and it had been out for a few years before making its way to a bundle.

3) Duck Hunt

Nintendo packaged Duck Hunt in the NES Deluxe, Action, and Power Sets, so many people got their hands on it early in the NES’ history. The game uses the NES Zapper, which was not only a great accessory, but it also worked as advertised! This was rare in Nintendo’s early days, and the Zapper was a lot of fun. Gameplay involved firing at flying ducks with three attempts per round. Misses were mocked by the dog, which was maddeningly immune to your gunfire (come on, we all tried it). A second player could control the ducks’ flight with the other controller, so it wasn’t a single-player game, and many remember Duck Hunt fondly.

2) Super Mario Bros.

When the NES launched, it did so with Super Mario Bros., which not only established the console as a hit but also cemented Nintendo as the publisher to beat. The game came with the original NES, the NES Action and Power Sets, so it was harder to find someone without a copy than it would have been otherwise. The game sees its titular hero run or swim sideways along a series of platform worlds filled with stompable enemies as he attempts to save Princess Peach from Bowser. It’s the game that launched a franchise, though it isn’t the first Mario title. Regardless, it’s probably the game most people instantly think of when they hear “NES,” and it remains one of the most important games in home console history.

1) Super Mario Bros. 3

The third entry in the Super Mario Bros. franchise elevated the concept to new heights, adding a navigable world map, additional characters, more complex gameplay with added power-ups, and more. Super Mario Bros. 3 was included in the NES Challenge Set in 1992, near the end of the NES lifecycle. Despite this, the game was an instant classic that sold remarkably well. It sold more than 17 million copies, was advertised in a movie before running in standard commercials, and launched an animated series. It’s the third-best-selling NES game behind Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros., and it remains fun to this day.

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