Rainbow Walker is a unique and extremely playable title that is totally exclusive to the Atari 8-bit systems. Borrowing the colour-filling mechanics of Q.Bert and transposing them onto a chequered pseudo-3D scrolling play-field, its impressive z-axis scrolling utilises the Atari’s unique graphic capabilities very nicely. Atari 400 800 XL XE Top 100 Games by rating: Tops: Games.

Nowadays, RPGs treat us to visually striking worlds of magic and myth.

Atari 400 800 XL XE Top 100 Games by rating: Tops: Games. Major movies and TV shows used to get video-game go-alongs all the time back in the 8-bit era. Most were garbage. But the Batman game that coincided with the original Tim Burton-Michael.

And the RPG genre was doing just fine back in the 8-bit era too, despite lacking such sophisticated graphics. They got by with engaging stories, innovative gameplay, and the same vast, immersive worlds you could lose yourself into for days.

The NES – and its Japanese counterpart, the Famicom – has an amazing RPG library, including some of the decade’s most important titles.

It’s where Zelda and Final Fantasy got their start. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Let’s take a look at some amazing NES RPGs that shaped the industry we know and love today.

25. Willow (1989)

Released as a tie-in with Ron Howard’s 1988 film of the same name, Willow tells the story of Willow Ufgood – a farmer-turned-hero who takes up the sword to protect a newborn baby.

The game is heavily inspired by top-down action RPGs like Zelda and Crystalis.

You’ll explore several scenarios completing quests, fighting mythical creatures, gaining levels, and all of that good RPG stuff.

Willow doesn’t innovate much or tell an especially compelling story – but it’s a competent Zelda-like game, and the graphics are pretty damn good (for the time).

24. Swords and Serpents (1990)

Swords and Serpents is a pretty typical high fantasy Western RPG offering challenging first-person dungeon crawling.

You’ll control a party of adventurers exploring an underground dungeon where an evil serpent dwells.

The graphics are nothing to write home about, and the story is barebones at best. But its tight gameplay makes it worth trying out if you get the chance.

23. Rainbow Silk Road (1991) (JP)

One of the most unusual inclusions in our list here is a relatively unknown game named Niji no Silkroad – or “Rainbow Silk Road” in English.

What draws me to such an obscure Japan-only game is its gameplay, which places great focus on trading.

To progress in the game, you need to invest your money wisely, buy items for cheap, and sell them at a profit the next town over. Really interesting mechanic for an early RPG.

The game also features regular turn-based combat, but defeating enemies doesn’t award you experience. Rather, it gives you access to better merchandise to buy and sell at the local town.

You can get a ROM translation here. Absolutely worth checking out if you’re a fan of the old school RPG aesthetic.

22. The Guardian Legend (1989)

One of my personal favorite games on the NES is The Guardian Legend, a fantasy/sci-fi title that brings together a top-down action RPG with an intense shoot-em-up.

After awakening deep within Planet Naju, you’re tasked by its creators to find and deactivate ten safety devices scattered around the globe.

You’ll get to explore Naju in a pretty non-linear fashion, taking in the impressive graphics and memorable sound effects.

21. Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (1987) (JP)

Digital Devil Story lets you persuade demons into joining your party.

These powerful allies will help you as you make your way down an underground labyrinth in this first-person dungeon crawling gem.

Unfortunately, the game never made it to the US – probably because of the dungeons’ quasi-religious aesthetic and references to Judaic and Christian lore (the final boss is, literally, Satan).

You can find a fan translation here, and again it’s definitely worth the time. Especially for fans of the series.

20. Fire Emblem Gaiden (1992) (JP)

The Fire Emblem franchise has been a staple in my gaming habits for most of my life.

So it’s only fitting I’d choose to include some FE titles in our NES ranking – even if they were never released outside of Japan.

Fire Emblem Gaiden was the second game in the series. It brought many changes with it, including a world map with towns you can visit, the removal of weapon endurance, and much lower difficulty.

All things considered, it’s a simplified take on the formula with better graphics and a bit more focus on the story.

If you’re interested to try this out, you can get an English translation here, or play the 3DS remake – Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia.

19. The Magic of Scheherazade (1990)

One of the NES’s most underrated gems is The Magic of Scheherazade, an action-adventure RPG with turn-based combat that featured creative time-travel elements before it was cool.

You’ll explore five different worlds fighting to rescue Princess Scheherazade and vanquish the evil wizard Sabaron.

Other than the appealing visuals, the game shines for its varied gameplay and well-designed difficulty balance.

You’ll feel challenged throughout the whole game, without it ever becoming frustrating.

18. Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (1990)

Most of the best RPG games on the NES were JRPGs.

But some Western titles are well worth our attention, including the Wizardry series.

This NES title is a direct port of the classic computer game released some years earlier.

While some felt disappointed at the lack of innovation, many were happy to play it from the comfort of their sofa.

The game is a fantasy adventure based on Dungeons & Dragons – like most WRPGs at the time – and despite its basic graphics, it had engaging gameplay with unforgiving difficulty that made you keep coming back to prove yourself in the dungeons beneath Trebor Castle.

17. The Bard’s Tale (1991)

If you’re looking for a timeless classic that’ll make you feel like it’s the 80s all over again, The Bard’s Tale is the way to go.

The game is a first-person dungeon crawler with gameplay somewhat reminiscent of older text-based games.

You’ll choose between six classes and lead your medieval squad through dangerous dungeons to defeat the evil Mangar and free the city of Skara Brae from his icy curse.

16. Sid Meier’s Pirates! (1991)

Most people – myself included – know Sid Meier’s Pirates! from the 2004 remake. This offered a fantastic and immersive (and updated) experience that let you choose your own pirate journey.

So I was surprised to find its core aspects were already alive and well in the 1991 NES release of the original game.

This open-world pirate adventure lets you sail the Caribbean as a pirate, a privateer for a colonial power, or even a dedicated pirate hunter.

You’ll follow your captain through their entire seafaring career – down until the day when they retire and the game ends.

15. Ultima III: Exodus (1983)

Several years after its debut on desktop computer systems, Ultima III brought its classic turn-based RPG combat and creative puzzles to the NES.

The game follows a party of heroes on a quest to defeat Exodus, a demonic AI-controlled machine terrorizing the world of Sosaria (which we also visit in the first game).

To do so, they’ll have to find four magic cards that’ll deactivate the robotic beast.

Compared to the previous releases, Ultima III on the NES is a pretty unique experience.

The biggest difference has to be graphics, which forego the original design for a more “standard” JRPG look.

It’s a bit generic, but I think they’re fantastic in their own right.

14. Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985)

After Ultima III, the series took a weird turn.

Instead of a band of warriors on a quest to defeat a great evil, Ultima IV casts you as the Avatar – a sort of religious leader who must develop eight virtues to reach enlightenment and save the people’s hearts from corruption.

In other words, it’s Jesus Christ Simulator 1985.

This change of focus made this turn-based RPG one of the most unique on the NES.

Other than fighting, you’d develop your virtues by talking to NPC

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