NES Speedruns I Like

Apparently it's the Year Of NES, and I'm officially the 2nd most prolific NES speedrunner out there. Granted almost all of my points come from running a largest volume of licensed NES games.

I've seen a few people ask for NES speedrun recommendations, and since I've ran half the licensed library (not exaggerating), I figured I'd type up a list of games I'd recommend people try out. Whether you want something new to play, or if you're just starting out, here's a bunch of games to pick from!

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All of the following games were in past Big20 events, and these are all games I like. Even if there's a couple games that aren't the best speedgames (like Chip n Dale 2), there are still things I like about each. I may list a few "okay" games after this.

Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 3, Donkey Kong Jr. Math
Kung Fu
Excitebike
Commando
Tetris (if you like puzzles)
Where's Waldo
Great Waldo Search
The Little Mermaid
Chip n Dale 1
Chip n Dale 2 (most bosses have uncontrollable RNG, but the platforming is fun)
DuckTales
DuckTales 2 (get past Mu and this game is sick)
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out (hard game to learn, but rewarding)
Contra
Super C
Kabuki Quantum Fighter
Mega Man
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 5
Mega Man 6
Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, and 3 (3 is my favorite)
Balloon Fight
Tennis (if you play on Lv. 1 or 2, this is okay. High levels suck)
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Strider (everyone can Strider)
Zelda 1 and 2 (long runs, and I suck at Zelda games in general, but I do enjoy them)
A Boy and His Blob
Golf
Solstice
Shadowgate
Uninvited
Darkwing Duck
Jackal (tough game)
Ninja Gaiden 1, 2, and 3 (3 Japanese is the most fun, then 1, then 2)
Batman
Mario Bros.
North & South
Die Hard
Puss 'n Boots
River City Ransom (hard game but yelsraek has a good tutorial)
Dr. Mario
Tiny Toon Adventures
Guerrilla War
Metal Storm
Gremlins 2 (hard game but fun)
Rygar (No WW is much much easier)
Popeye
Mighty Final Fight
Kirby's Adventure (long game but it's a lot of fun)
Flintstones: Rescue of Dino & Hoppy
Battletoads (hardest speedrun on the NES! but it's very rewarding)
Vice: Project Doom
Urban Champion
Marble Madness
Super Dodge Ball
Ghoul School
TMNT II and TMNT III
Panic Restaurant
Journey to Silius (another very hard game, but the OST is amazing)
Blaster Master (Japanese version)
Ice Hockey
Hammerin' Harry
Palamedes (it's a puzzle game that takes a long time to understand, but it's addicting)
Snow Bros.
Monster in my Pocket
Wacky Races
TaleSpin
Little Samson
Shadow of the Ninja
Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six (horrible casual game, good speedgame)
Barbie (I'm serious)
Adventures of Lolo (if you like puzzles)
Felix the Cat
Power Blade
Power Blade 2 (too many autoscrollers, but the game is still good)
Wrecking Crew
Rescue
RollerGames
Zen: Intergalactic Ninja
Dragon Fighter (stage 5 is awful, the rest is fun)
Gargoyle's Quest II
Pinball
Super Spike V'Ball
Skate or Die
Mickey's Safari in Letterland
Wolverine
GI Joe: The Atlantis Factor & A Real American Hero
Tom & Jerry
Gun-Nac
Whomp 'Em
Shatterhand (last stage is rough, but this game is sick)
Metal Gear (another terrible game casually, but good speedrun)
Pro Wrestling (1 loop is ok)
Galaga
Magic Darts
Pictionary (very easy to do runs of)
Indy Heat
NES Open Tournament Golf
Gauntlet (world 5 is brutal, but this game is too good)
Kick Master
Adventures in the Magic Kingdom
Rockin' Kats
Gyromite
Loopz
Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu
Arkista's Ring (terrible game for a race, but okay to grind)
Fun House (I like this but I know others would hate the controls)
Wario's Woods (shoutouts to Prisi)


These next games are "okay" but I don't recommend them as much as the aforementioned ones:
Cliffhanger
Castlevania
Metroid
Star Wars (this one is very frustrating but there are cool parts in the game)
Mendel Palace (this one can get tough near the end, but if you like this gameplay then go for it!)
Wrath of the Black Manta
Sword Master
Alfred Chicken
Xexyz
Trog (easy to finish, impossible to be good at)
Defender of the Crown


These next games were never in a Big20, but these are games I still think are worth trying out
Mega Man 4
Sesame Street games (ABC, 123, Countdown, Big Bird's Hide & Speak)
Home Alone
Fisher Price games (I Can Remember, Perfect Fit, Firehouse Rescue)
Game show + board games (Anticipation, Win Lose or Draw, Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune games, Jeopardy games)
Other golf games (Bandai Golf)
Mario's Time Machine
Millipede
Championship Pool
Bonk's Adventure
Yoshi's Cookie
Deja Vu
Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak
Batman Returns (very very tough game, but it's arguably the best hidden gem on the NES)
Kid Klown
Monster Party
James Bond Jr. (1 loop is fine)
Dig Dug II
BreakThru
Tetris 2
Mechanized Attack
Zapper games (Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley, Barker Bill's Shooting Range)
Road Fighter
Ski or Die
Pirates!
Taboo
Chessmaster
PAL-exclusives that are still fun: Smurfs, Asterix, Dropzone, Crackout, Mario Bros. Classic Series
Thunderbirds (I like it but others may not)
Xevious
Monster Truck Rally

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Games I DO NOT recommend (unless you hate yourself):
Cybernoid
Codename: Viper
Simpsons: Bart vs. Space Mutants (controls hurt my hands)
Double Dare (I can't finish a run of this because of the D-Pad mashing; this game is awful)
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Dragon's Lair
Renegade
Total Recall
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (both Taito and Ubisoft; both games are garbage)
Joust
TMNT 1

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Okay that's all I can think of. Sorry this was sporadic and unorganized but I've given my opinions on what games are good and what aren't. Have fun!