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About This Quiz
Old-school gamers have a soft spot for the original Nintendo and the older systems. How many of these games can you recognize from just a screenshot? Blow out your cartridges and try it!
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Donkey Kong
Super Mario Bros.
Here's the game that took Mario out from under Donkey Kong and made him a star. The Mario franchise is huge now, with dozens of game titles featuring him.
Tetris
Yoshi
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Super Mario Bros. 3
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong
Many people don't know that Mario made his first appearance in this game. He's the hero, trying to climb the maze to rescue the princess from Donkey Kong.
Sonic the Hedgehog
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Final Fight
G.I. Joe
Contra
Contra was one of the first games that drew its concept from world politics. The Contras were Latin American resistance fighters.
Outrun
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Super Mario Bros. 2
After the stupendous success of the first Mario Bros., Nintendo hurried to get out another game. It wasn't very different from the original, but still a lot of fun.
Kirby's Adventure
Mario Kart
Paperboy
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Zaxxon
Defender
Space Invaders
Galaga
Galaga was an arcade favorite that made a smooth transition to Nintendo. Not all arcade games were so successful.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Ms. Pac-Man
Pac-Man
Pac-Man was one of the earliest arcade game mega-hits. It sold well as a console game, too.
Outrun
Spy Hunter
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Outrun
BMX Master
Excitebike
Excitebike could be a maddening game to learn. However, once you had all the controller tricks mastered, it was a lot of fun.
Tony Hawk Pro Skate
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Ice Climber
Ice Climber was another "click-dodge" sort of game. One wrong move would send you sliding to doom.
Rampage
Burger Time
Contra
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Street Fighter
Final Fantasy
The original Final Fantasy was a mix of sci-fi and fantasy that brought a depth to gaming that hadn't been seen before. The series is still going on, and has reached epic popularity.
Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja
Punch-Out!
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Yoshi
Sonic the Hedgehog
Donkey Kong
Super Mario Bros. 3
"I'm sorry, but the Princess is in another castle!" How many of you threw your controllers at the screen when you saw that after finishing a world?
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Rumble Fight
Street Fighter
Everyone had a favorite Street Fighter character. Every character had its own secret moves, and some were deadly!
Mortal Kombat
Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Road Fighter
Yie Ar Kung-Fu
Super Contra
Super Contra made use of better graphics technology to improve upon the original. The plot was still basically the same.
Final Fight
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Outrun
Legend of Zelda
Legend of Zelda was one of the first immersive role-playing console games. There were puzzles to solve, monsters to fight and worlds to explore.
Kid Icarus
Adventure Island
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Defender
Space Invaders
Duck Hunt
Gradius
Gradius was a side-scrolling shooter that successfully made the jump from arcade to console. Its original name, Bubble System, didn't quite describe the game.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Yoshi
Balloon Fight
If you loved Joust, you loved Balloon Fight. You had to stay above your enemies and kill them while keeping them from popping the balloons that kept you in flight!
BurgerTime
Ice Climber
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Final Fight
Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja
Street Fighter
River City Ransom
River City Ransom was a street-fight game with a big world to explore. One of the enemy gangs was called "the generic dudes," a rare bit of tongue-in-cheek gaming humor.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
BattleZone
Final Fantasy III
Battle City
This game played a bit like a hybrid of BattleZone and Missile Command. You played a tank commander tasked with destroying enemy tanks before they got to your city.
Missile Command
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Street Fighter
Yie Ar Kung-Fu
The sound effects of Yie Ar Kung-Fu are instantly identifiable to any arcade veteran. Fans of Jean-Claude Van Damme will recognize it as the game the hero plays in "Bloodsport."
Archon
Contra
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Legend of Zelda
Dr. Mario
Adventure Island
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III introduced some changes to the series, while still keeping the turn-based gameplay. Players could change jobs, which made the play more challenging.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Dr. Mario
This puzzle game made use of Mario and friends, but it was more fit for Tetris players. If you play Candy Crush today, you'll recognize the gameplay.
BurgerTime
Super Mario Bros. III
Outrun
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Solomon's Key
Dragon Quest
Legend of Zelda II: The Adventures of Link
This second Zelda adventure is actually a prequel to the first. We meet Link and learn how he came to be questing after Zelda.
Dragon Quest
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Solomon's Key
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Kirby's Adventure
This very Mario-like game featured pink blob Kirby battling his way through multiple worlds. Every level had a boss fight, and there were minigames built in which let players pick up extra health and other goodies.
Kid Icarus
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Super Contra
Solomon's Key
Solomon's Key combined a puzzle game with a shooter pretty effectively. One neat feature was the ability to destroy stone blocks by head-butting them.
Legend of Zelda
Adventure Island
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Mega Man 2
Legend of Zelda
Spy Hunter
Dragon Quest IV
This party-based adventure game was one of the most intricate ever released for the NES. There were multiple characters with different roles, and each had different abilities that would be valuable at various times.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Final Fantasy
Lode Runner
Mega Man 2
Many video game writers rank this among the best video games of all time. Mega Man had to fight the evil Dr. Wily and his many minions through multiple levels.
Rygar
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Lode Runner
If you weren't the type who could pull off super-precision jumps between levels, Lode Runner was a welcome change. The gameplay was a lot more puzzle based, giving the brainy types a good shot.
BurgerTime
Bomberman
Archon
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Kirby's Adventure
Super Mario Bros. III
Dr. Mario
Donkey Kong Jr.
Mario has finally caught Donkey Kong in this amusing game. As DK Jr., you have to climb chains and vines to locate keys to get your dad out of a cage, while grabbing bananas and dodging hazards along the way.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Street Fighter
Final Fight
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Double Dragon
The Lee brothers, Billy and Jimmy, fought their way through hordes of attackers in this fighting game. It gave the option for two players to team up.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Dr. Mario
Duck Hunt
Duck Hunt was originally included when you bought the NES, along with an orange plastic pistol. Miss the flying ducks, and a cartoon dog would pop up and snicker at you!
Castlevania
Road Fighter
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Castlevania
Ghosts 'n Goblins
In this side-scrolling game, a hero named Arthur fought hordes of demons to rescue Guinevere. Memorably, if he got hit and lost his armor, he appeared on screen in his boxer shorts.
Xevious
Arkanoid
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Tetris
Tetris was a gigantic videogame sensation. Invented by a Russian designer, it became an obsession for puzzle fans of every age.
Dr. Mario
Castle Fight
Breakout
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Kid Icarus
Castlevania
A vampire killer with an Indiana Jones weapon was the main character in this. Using his whip, he dispatched monsters by the hundreds, collecting hearts to power up.
Xevious
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Adventure Island
Kid Icarus
As befits the name of the game, the hero in this title had wings. It was a fairly standard setup of battling through levels and defeating bosses to collect goodies.
Galaxian
Road Fighter
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Pitfall
Spy Hunter
Adventure Island
If you got tired of standard side-scrolling adventure games, Adventure Island had some new wrinkles. The character at some points would jump off cliffs to complete underwater levels.
Paperboy
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Galaxian
After the rampaging success of Space Invaders, a lot of copies came out. Galaxian was one of the best, with colorful graphics and a nifty soundscape.
Galaga
Space Invaders
Arkanoid
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Spy Hunter
Outrun
WWF: King of the Ring
Road Fighter
Much like Spy Hunter, Road Fighter called on the player to drive as fast as possible while dodging hazards. There were oil slicks, cars with razor wheels and various other annoyances.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Kirby's Adventure
TwinBee
This cartoonish side-scroller called for the player to shoot airborne enemies while bombing targets on the ground. Power ups were bells that would change colors to grant different powers.
Archon
Galaga
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Road Fighter
Pac-Man
Excitebike
Spy Hunter
Spy Hunter is primarily known for its catchy theme song, a James Bond-ian riff. The gameplay was a straightforward mix of driving fast and dodging hazards.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Punch-Out!
This game was one of the first to let the player "look out the eyes" of his character. The boxing was somewhat clunky, but the fighter characters were hilarious.
WWF: King of the Ring
Arkanoid
River City Ransom
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Rygar
Bomberman
10-Yard Fight
Paperboy
Pedaling his bike through a generic suburban landscape, Paperboy tossed his papers into various spots. He dodged dogs, cars and various other hazards along the way.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Arkanoid
Rygar
Rygar (the Legendary Warrior) has to fight his way through several worlds to get items from the gods. When he gets them all, then it's time for the REAL battle.
Gradius
Contra
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Castlevania
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Maniac Mansion
George Lucas dipped his toe into video games with this cinematic game. The bad guy was a scientist whose mind has been enslaved by a meteor creature, with a bunch of teen protagonists trying to defeat him.
Super Contra
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Super Mario Bros. III
Legend of Zelda
Yoshi's Story
Yoshi's Story took the adorable turtle character from the Mario games and gave him his own adventure. The worlds within the game were "made" of different materials, like wood and paper.
Donkey Kong Jr.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Goal Line Stand
10-Yard Fight
10-Yard Fight was one of the earliest sports games for the NES. The graphics were murky, but the gameplay was great, letting players go head to head and play offense and defense.
Battle Blitz
WWF: King of the Ring
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Tecmo Bowl
Tecmo Bowl was a huge sensation from its very first version. The cheesy announcer soundtrack, the cheering crowd and the top-notch (for the time) game play were great.
Madden NFL Football
Balloon Fight
Blitz!
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Archon
For chess players, Archon was a great game. It combined the strategy of chess with button-mashing fighter game play.
Arkanoid
Tetris
Adventure Island
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Paperboy
Rygar
Mega Man 2
Arkanoid
One of the earliest video games was Break-Out, and Arkanoid took that game play steps beyond. Blocks would occasionally release power-ups or hazards, and different block arrangements made the play challenging.
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Rygar
Contra
Bomberman
Bomberman was a maze game involving a little guy toting high explosives. The sound effects were entertaining, and there was just enough difficulty to make it occasionally maddening.
Spy Hunter
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Arkanoid
Galaga
Xevious
Xevious was a vertically scrolling shooter with some of the toughest boss fights ever. The mother ships released drones, shot lasers and then tried to smash the player's ship.
1941
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Which classic Nintendo game is this?
Punch-Out!
Super Contra
Kid Icarus
WWF King of the Ring
The '80s was the decade when pro wrestling went mainstream, with Wrestlemania filling arenas nationwide and huge TV deals. This game tried to capitalize on that, and led to a long-running series of titles.
You Got:
/50
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