Xyz computing
1)Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990- NES)
The Mario games mark some of the most fun and influential video games of all time. Each and every one is important in its own right, especially the NES/SNES games, before they were subject to the watering down and spin-offs that came later on. While this game was not the landmark that the original 1985 title was, it remains one of the finest side scrollers ever and is widely regarded as the best Mario game ever. While SMB3 is also one of the best games of all time and features the unforgettable Tanooki Mario, the SNES' Super Mario World is nearly as good.
2) Castlevania (1987 - NES)
Who could ever forget the battles between the Belmonts and Dracula? The NES' Castlevania was difficult and dark, but has been remembered as being one of the finest video games ever made. Not only was the original title great, but it spawned a series of games which kept true to the original side scroller format, though some 3D elements were integrated later on. The original game was an incredibly fun romp through Dracula's castle which was frequently interrupted by memorable bosses like that giant bat, Frankenstein's Monster, and Igor.
3) Contra (1987 - NES)
Probably the best side scrolling shoot 'em up of all time, Contra holds a place in the collective memory of gamers in a way that very few games will ever be able to. From the legendary code at the beginning of the game to the spread gun to the power-up blimps, this game presented us with things we would never forget and in doing so set the standard for shooters. Interestingly, at points the game deviated from the standard gameplay format and used vertical gameplay, either through vertical scrolling or through a third person view. The latter can clearly be seen as a harbinger of first person shooters.
4)River City Ransom (1989 - NES)
This is game may not be as popular as some of the others on the list, but it is one of the true masterpiece's of the NES. It was one of the first games release in North America by Technos, the same company that brought us Super Dodge Ball. River City Ransom never took off due to a number of factors, like its odd sense of humor, limited distribution, difficult password system, and RPG- style, but has emerged as one of the NES' cult classics. It is, in many ways, overshadowed by Technos' runaway hit, Double Dragon, but is arguably a better game and is neither as difficult as Double Dragon or as tedious.
5) Golden Axe (Genesis - 1989)
Though this game was at its best in the arcade, it ended up being one of the better titles for Sega Genesis. The game had an interesting storyline, a choice between three heroes, and the occasional help of a few friendly dragons. In addition to normal weapon attacks Golden Axe had powerful spells and it was a game that helped bring about the popular character convention of a barbarian with a sword, dwarf with an axe, or the Amazon who had some other strength (in this case powerful spell casting). If all that was not enough the game has a surprise ending which was worth the wait.
6) Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis - 1991)
One of the best bundled games of all time, Sonic the Hedgehog brought the side scroller to 16-bit and had a tremendous impact on the release of the Genesis. The game was a major hit for Sega and become one of the biggest draws to their breakout console. The graphics, speed, and flat out fun of this game made it an instant classic and gave Sega one of the only video characters that could ever rival Mario as a mascot. Sonic the Hedgehog's colors, sound, and gameplay showed people just what 16-bit gaming could do despite people's hesitance to accept the Genesis at the time. Interestingly, Sonic replaced Altered Beast as the Genesis' bundled game. While no where near the level of Sonic, this was an interesting and fun side scroller nonetheless.
7) Metal Slug (Neo-Geo - 1996)
Though this game is best known for its arcade version and its popularity ports to Flash, it was pretty amazing on the Neo-Geo. This was a simple side scrolling shooter, but was incredibly fun and featured playful graphics and characters that differentiated it from titles like Contra. The game looks like a cartoon but had very good gameplay and could handle a number of sprites on screen at the same time. In addition normal cool weapons Metal Slug brought gamers a lot of things which were new at the time but they have come to expect, including the use of vehicles, fixed guns, and the shotgun as an incredibly powerful weapon.
8) Mega Man 2 (NES - 1989)
Love it or hate it, this is one of the most popular series of video games of all time. The Mega Man series started in 1987 and quickly become one of Capcom's runaway hits. This game was an extremely formulaic side stroller which varied little from game to game but was always fun and challenging. The game could be saved using a password system and had bosses which gave Mega Man lot of cool weapons. Unlike most side scrollers there was strategy involved as all of the bosses (except one normally) had a weakness to a certain weapon so there was a pattern in which to beat them, but this took some trial and error to determine. Mega Man 2 was chosen from the entire series because it was a significant improvement over the first one, was the first to use the energy tank, and is reported as being the best selling the of NES Mega Man games.
9) Gradius (NES - 1985)
No list of side scrollers would be complete without a airplane/spaceship shooter. My pick is Gradius, the arcade game which was ported to a number of systems, most importantly the NES. In retrospect this was your typical plane shoot-out complete with upgrades and bombardment with a lot of enemies. Gradius had a lot of action and was pretty challenging, though the final boss was disappointingly easy. I would be remiss if I did not mention that there are a lot of other titles that could sit in this spot, most notably Super R-Type (SNES).
10) Metriod (NES - 1987)
The last part of a list is always the hardest to pick, but while there are a lot of other candidates for this spot, Metroid has to be mentioned. This game was a huge hit for the NES, then SNES, Gameboy, GameCube, and will be for the Wii, despite the "Prime" series moving away from a platform layout. Metroid was extremely difficult for newbies but ended up being quite a rewarding game. It featured the female hero Samus, though you would only learn this about her if the game was completed within a set time limit. Unlike many side scrollers the game has multiple endings and is very replayable. The lasting impact has been seen in the growth of female heroes and its early use of non-linear gameplay.
Side scrolling games started to disappear with the move from 8-bit to 16-bit gaming, and by the time the Nintendo 64 rolled around they were almost totally obsolete. Even the most legendary side scrollers became "platforms" and used a 3D view or, like Metroid, moved to a first person style. While these are, in many ways, upgrades from the older styles it is hard not to lament the loss of the format that made the games popular. Side scrolling has largely be relegated to mobile gameplay- on systems like the Gameboy Advance and DS is it is alive and well- but is no longer front and center the way it was in the 80s and early 90s.
So which one of the above was your favorite?
1)Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990- NES)
The Mario games mark some of the most fun and influential video games of all time. Each and every one is important in its own right, especially the NES/SNES games, before they were subject to the watering down and spin-offs that came later on. While this game was not the landmark that the original 1985 title was, it remains one of the finest side scrollers ever and is widely regarded as the best Mario game ever. While SMB3 is also one of the best games of all time and features the unforgettable Tanooki Mario, the SNES' Super Mario World is nearly as good.
2) Castlevania (1987 - NES)
Who could ever forget the battles between the Belmonts and Dracula? The NES' Castlevania was difficult and dark, but has been remembered as being one of the finest video games ever made. Not only was the original title great, but it spawned a series of games which kept true to the original side scroller format, though some 3D elements were integrated later on. The original game was an incredibly fun romp through Dracula's castle which was frequently interrupted by memorable bosses like that giant bat, Frankenstein's Monster, and Igor.
3) Contra (1987 - NES)
Probably the best side scrolling shoot 'em up of all time, Contra holds a place in the collective memory of gamers in a way that very few games will ever be able to. From the legendary code at the beginning of the game to the spread gun to the power-up blimps, this game presented us with things we would never forget and in doing so set the standard for shooters. Interestingly, at points the game deviated from the standard gameplay format and used vertical gameplay, either through vertical scrolling or through a third person view. The latter can clearly be seen as a harbinger of first person shooters.
4)River City Ransom (1989 - NES)
This is game may not be as popular as some of the others on the list, but it is one of the true masterpiece's of the NES. It was one of the first games release in North America by Technos, the same company that brought us Super Dodge Ball. River City Ransom never took off due to a number of factors, like its odd sense of humor, limited distribution, difficult password system, and RPG- style, but has emerged as one of the NES' cult classics. It is, in many ways, overshadowed by Technos' runaway hit, Double Dragon, but is arguably a better game and is neither as difficult as Double Dragon or as tedious.
5) Golden Axe (Genesis - 1989)
Though this game was at its best in the arcade, it ended up being one of the better titles for Sega Genesis. The game had an interesting storyline, a choice between three heroes, and the occasional help of a few friendly dragons. In addition to normal weapon attacks Golden Axe had powerful spells and it was a game that helped bring about the popular character convention of a barbarian with a sword, dwarf with an axe, or the Amazon who had some other strength (in this case powerful spell casting). If all that was not enough the game has a surprise ending which was worth the wait.
6) Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis - 1991)
One of the best bundled games of all time, Sonic the Hedgehog brought the side scroller to 16-bit and had a tremendous impact on the release of the Genesis. The game was a major hit for Sega and become one of the biggest draws to their breakout console. The graphics, speed, and flat out fun of this game made it an instant classic and gave Sega one of the only video characters that could ever rival Mario as a mascot. Sonic the Hedgehog's colors, sound, and gameplay showed people just what 16-bit gaming could do despite people's hesitance to accept the Genesis at the time. Interestingly, Sonic replaced Altered Beast as the Genesis' bundled game. While no where near the level of Sonic, this was an interesting and fun side scroller nonetheless.
7) Metal Slug (Neo-Geo - 1996)
Though this game is best known for its arcade version and its popularity ports to Flash, it was pretty amazing on the Neo-Geo. This was a simple side scrolling shooter, but was incredibly fun and featured playful graphics and characters that differentiated it from titles like Contra. The game looks like a cartoon but had very good gameplay and could handle a number of sprites on screen at the same time. In addition normal cool weapons Metal Slug brought gamers a lot of things which were new at the time but they have come to expect, including the use of vehicles, fixed guns, and the shotgun as an incredibly powerful weapon.
8) Mega Man 2 (NES - 1989)
Love it or hate it, this is one of the most popular series of video games of all time. The Mega Man series started in 1987 and quickly become one of Capcom's runaway hits. This game was an extremely formulaic side stroller which varied little from game to game but was always fun and challenging. The game could be saved using a password system and had bosses which gave Mega Man lot of cool weapons. Unlike most side scrollers there was strategy involved as all of the bosses (except one normally) had a weakness to a certain weapon so there was a pattern in which to beat them, but this took some trial and error to determine. Mega Man 2 was chosen from the entire series because it was a significant improvement over the first one, was the first to use the energy tank, and is reported as being the best selling the of NES Mega Man games.
9) Gradius (NES - 1985)
No list of side scrollers would be complete without a airplane/spaceship shooter. My pick is Gradius, the arcade game which was ported to a number of systems, most importantly the NES. In retrospect this was your typical plane shoot-out complete with upgrades and bombardment with a lot of enemies. Gradius had a lot of action and was pretty challenging, though the final boss was disappointingly easy. I would be remiss if I did not mention that there are a lot of other titles that could sit in this spot, most notably Super R-Type (SNES).
10) Metriod (NES - 1987)
The last part of a list is always the hardest to pick, but while there are a lot of other candidates for this spot, Metroid has to be mentioned. This game was a huge hit for the NES, then SNES, Gameboy, GameCube, and will be for the Wii, despite the "Prime" series moving away from a platform layout. Metroid was extremely difficult for newbies but ended up being quite a rewarding game. It featured the female hero Samus, though you would only learn this about her if the game was completed within a set time limit. Unlike many side scrollers the game has multiple endings and is very replayable. The lasting impact has been seen in the growth of female heroes and its early use of non-linear gameplay.
Side scrolling games started to disappear with the move from 8-bit to 16-bit gaming, and by the time the Nintendo 64 rolled around they were almost totally obsolete. Even the most legendary side scrollers became "platforms" and used a 3D view or, like Metroid, moved to a first person style. While these are, in many ways, upgrades from the older styles it is hard not to lament the loss of the format that made the games popular. Side scrolling has largely be relegated to mobile gameplay- on systems like the Gameboy Advance and DS is it is alive and well- but is no longer front and center the way it was in the 80s and early 90s.
So which one of the above was your favorite?
......
