Video Games

I currently own ten video game consoles spanning four decades, a few handhelds, and a slowly growing collection of around 200 games. The tables and graphics below give some details about my collection and how I use it.

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My Consoles:
Brief History of Video Game Consoles	Hooking it All Up	Model Details and Experiences	Retro Console Problems and Solutions

My Games:
2600	NES Master System	SNES Genesis	N64 PS1	GameCube PS2	Wii, PS3 Xbox360	Gameboy GBC, GBA	DS 3DS

Video Game History: Console Generations

2nd Generation (1976-1992)	In my collection: Atari 2600. Other notable: Atari 5200, Mattel Intellivision, Coleco Industries ColecoVision, GCE Vectrex.
3rd Generation (1983-2003)	In my collection: Nintendo Entertainment System. Other notable: Atari 7800, Sega Master System^*.
4th Generation (1987-2004)	In my collection: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis. Other notable: NEC TurboGrafx-16, SNK Neo Geo.
5th Generation (1993-2005)	In my collection: Nintendo 64. Other notable: Atari Jaguar, Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation^*.
6th Generation (1998-2013)	In my collection: Nintendo GameCube, Sony Playstation 2. Other notable: Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox.
7th Generation (2005-2017)	In my collection: Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3. Other notable:
Classic Handhelds (1989-2008)	In my collection: Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Other notable: Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear, Bandai Wonderswan, NEC TurboExpress, Nintendo Game Boy Color^*.
Modern Handhelds (2004-present)	In my collection: Nintendo 2DS. Other notable: Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Playstation Portable, Playstation Vita.

	^*I don't own a Sega Master System, but the model 1 Genesis plays all of it's games natively. The same is true about PS1 games on the early model PS2 and GB/GBC games on a GBA. All three of those more modern consoles contain the hardware of the older console. And while newer consoles like the Wii and 360 can play games from dozens of systems, they do it by emulation, not using the original hardware.

How I Connect Retro Game Consoles

   Getting many consoles, spanning several decades, working seamlessly on a modern TV requires planning, creativity, and more than 50 meters of cables.
   The video processor allows nearly any type of input to be properly scaled, deinterlaced, and transcoded then fed into a modern display as 720p over HDMI, without added noise, artifacts, or lag.
   The powered switches allow up to 28 consoles to be connected to a display with no added signal power loss, noise, or lag. The CRT is useful for light gun games and playing very fast twitch games that require minimal lag.
   The Retro AVS, Mega SG, and Super NT are hardware reproductions of the NES, Genesis, and SNES. They use FPGAs to exactly duplicate the logic of the original chipsets, but contain upscalers, so are able to output 720p video via HDMI.

My Console Collection

Console	Years	Model	How I Connect It

Atari Video Computer System (2600)	1977-1992	2600 Jr. REV. A	Video: 240p s-video Audio: analog dual mono via rca
Owned since 2017. The 2600 was my first video game console. My family bought one when I was about 6 years old. A stock 2600 outputs av though RF only, so I bought a used Atari 2600 jr. that has been modded for s-video. With this mod, the 2600 outputs a sharp and clean image, with no blur or discoloration. The 2600 jr. was made almost 10 years after the original models of 2600. It's much smaller and has a 1980s look instead of a 1970s look.

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)	1985-1995	NES-001	Video: 240p composite via rca Audio: analog dual mono via rca splitter
Owned since 1988. The only thing I wanted for xmas that year (and the year before). I played Mike Tyson's Punch-Out and Blaster Master endlessly. Only as an adult did I learn to appreciate more sophisticated games like The Legend of Zelda and Dragon Warrior. The NES was known as the Famicom (Family Computer) in Japan where it debuted a few years earlier. The NES natively outputs 240p video and mono sound, via RF or composite.

Sega Master System (SMS)	1986-1992
I don't own a SMS console, but its hardware is included on the early models of the Sega Genesis circuit board. I use a Power Base Mini FM to adapt the Genesis cartridge slot to accept SMS games. The Japanese version of the SMS, known as the Mark III, had a special sound processor, not included on the North American version of the SMS or Genesis. The Powerbase Mini FM includes this processor. Although graphically superior to the NES, the SMS lost the console war and didn't last as long on the American market. Interestingly, the SMS is one of the longest lived consoles because it was never officially discontinued in Brazil, where it's still popular.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)	1991-1999	SNS-001 SNS-CPU-RGB-01	Video: 240p component via rca Audio: analog stereo via rca
Owned since 1993. My younger brother bought this when I was in highschool and wasted it on Donkey Kong Country and sports games. Today it's the center of my collection, playing some of the best RPG and action/adventure games ever created. The SNES natively outputs 240p video and stereo sound, via RF, composite, and s-video. S-video is an incredible leap over RF and composite. With the right upscaler, it can look amazing on a modern tv. The SNES can also output via SCART and component (using a special cable from HDRetrovision).

Sega Megadrive (Genesis)	1989-1999	1601, VA2	Video: 240p component via rca Audio: analog stereo via 1/8 minijack
Owned since 2017. The Genesis has a novel reverberative analog audio sound, which often makes Genesis game soundtracks better than their SNES counterparts. There were many variations of the Genesis, which vary in sound and video quality. The variant I own (VA2) is one of the best. The Genesis can actually output RGB via SCART and also component (using a special cable from HDRetrovision). This model of the Genesis contains the hardware of a Sega Master System, all that's needed is a converter. Sega made one in the 1990's, but I use the more modern Power Base Mini FM.

Nintendo 64 (N64)	1996-2003	NUS-001	Video: 240p s-video Audio: analog stereo via rca
On loan from a friend. The N64 has a very small library of games, many of which don't hold up today. The N64 is notorious for graphical glitches and awkward controllers. Nintendo deserves credit for trying to do something bold and trendsetting, but the N64 has a lot of shortcomings (all of which were adressed with the GameCube). Despite this, it's Mario Kart and Zelda games are groundbreaking classics everyone should try.

Sony PlayStation (PS1)	1995-2006
I don't own a PlayStation console, but it's hardware is included on the early models of the PlayStation 2 circuit board, as well as that of the PS3. Games play natively with these early models. While the SNES is often cited as the console with the greatest RPG library, a falling out between Nintendo and it's best RPG developers meant that the N64 had almost no RPGs, while those developers instead made games for the PS1. As a result, the PS1 has an excellent RPG library.

Nintendo GameCube	2001-2007	DOL-001	Video: 480p component via rca Audio: analog stereo via rca
Owned since 2005. Most GameCube owners are stuck with 480i from composite av cables. I made the lucky decision to buy a component cable from Nintendo back in 2006, which allows 480p output. Those cables cost hundreds of dollars today and can't be cloned. The GameCube may not seem useful if you own an early model Wii, which can play GameCube games. The real power of a GameCube is in the Game Boy Player peripheral (see below) and in the ability to crack it to play homebrewed games. It also has what many people consider to be one of the greatest controllers ever made.

Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2)	2000-2013	SCPH-50001	Video: 480i component via rca Audio: analog stereo via rca
Owned since 2008. This model also plays all PS1 games natively (there are PS1 guts on the PS2 motherboard). In its early days, the PS2 was one of the least expensive ways to own a DVD player. It's one of the longest supported consoles with one of the largest game libraries. Despite its diversity of game offerings, I mainly just play Katamari. Although its usefulness in tapping into the PS1's RPG library is beginning to interest me.

Nintendo Wii	2006-2011	RVL-001	Video: 480p component via rca Audio: analog stereo via rca
Owned since 2008. When the Wii controls are used to maximum effect (the balance board for snowboarding, the Wiimote for bowling) the Wii is one of the most unique and fun consoles you can play. But when you're forced to use it in a game that would be much easier to play on a normal controller, e.g., The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, it's absolutely unbearable.

Microsoft Xbox 360	2005-2016		Video: 1080p via HDMI Audio: 5.1 digital via HDMI
On loan from a friend. I don't play modern first person shooters, so that means much of the Xbox library doesn't interest me. I mainly use it to play retro-like games such as Fez and Monaco or classics like Doom II. The 360 wasn't on my radar when it came out, so I'm just now learning about it's library.

Sony PlayStation 3	2006-2017	CECH-4201B	Video: 1080p via HDMI Audio: 5.1 digital via HDMI
The PS3 is powerful, but fragile, notorious for overheating or bricking. It took me almost a year to find a working one in good condition with the specs I wanted that didn't cost more than a new PS4 or PS5. I use it to upscale PS1 games and play some PS3 RPG exclusives. The model I have is the super slim, released in 2013 and it's color is called "azurite". In person, it looks like a good color for a Lamborghini. Compared to the original model, it's 60% smaller/lighter and uses 70% less power. It is not PS2 compatible, however.

Nintendo Game Boy Advance (GBA)	2001-2010	AGB-001
Owned since 2002. Plays original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. I use it as a GameCube controller for a few special games like Four Swords Adventures and Crystal Chronicles, where the mini-screen adds functionality to the main game on the TV. For playing actual GB games, I always use my Game Boy Player (see below).

Nintendo Game Boy Player	2003-2007	DOL-017	Outputs to GameCube
Owned since 2005. The guts of a Game Boy Advance in an adapter which connects to the bottom of a GameCube. It requires a special GBP disc to work. These discs aren't easy to find in good condition. Even if you have one, the GBP software alters the video from the GBA, making it a fuzzy and discolored. The trick is to install homebrew software on your GC and use Game Boy Interface to play your games. This corrects the visual glitches and gives you improved image quality. The necessary disc for this is also much easier and cheaper to obtain.

Nintendo Super Game Boy		SNS-027	Outputs to SNES
Owned since 2018. The guts of a Game Boy in an adapter cartridge which plugs into a Super Nintendo. It plays original Game Boy as well as hybrid DX cartridges, but doesn't play pure Game Boy Color cartridges. When played on the SNES, colors and borders can be added to the game. Some games, such as Metroid II and Link's Awakening, have special palettes created specifically for them, while others have game enhancements such as improved sound or 2-player modes. Although it's an official Nintendo product, it runs 2.4% faster than a true Game Boy. The Super Game Boy 2 fixed this issue, but was released only in Japan.

Nintendo 2DS	2013-pres	JAN-001
Owned since 2018. The 2DS, 3DS, and their variants are more or less the same handheld, with slightly different features and form factors. They can all play DS and 3DS games in a dual screen (DS) format. The main difference is that the 3DS can apply a variable 3D effect that looks good on some games but not on others. Like the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color, the 2DS and 3DS were available in many different colors and editions. The particular model I own (not pictured on the right) is the New 2DS XL Hylian Shield Edition, which came preinstalled with The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

My Game Collection

Console.	Year.	Title.	Rating.	Notes.

Atari 2600	1980	Adventure	☆☆☆☆	Depending on how you define RPGs, this might be the first one. Keys, puzzles, mazes; feels like a very primitive Zelda.
Atari 2600	1982	Atlantis	☆☆☆	I was obsessed as a kid. This one is all about fast twitch reflexes and timing. You don't have to be a skilled gamer to play this, but you do need to be VERY alert and focused.
Atari 2600	1977	Combat
Atari 2600	1982	Cosmic Ark
Atari 2600	1982	Demon Attack	☆☆☆☆☆	One of my favorites growing up. My childhood brain absorbed this so deeply that when I played it again in college, people thought I was a prodigy. There's a frantic 2p co-op mode.
Atari 2600	1982	Donkey Kong
Atari 2600	1982	Dragonfire	☆☆☆	Jump over his fire breath so you can steal the dragon's treasure. You spend the whole game being a thieving dick, for no reason. This game starts hard and gets even harder very fast. It's a lot of fun watching your friends die 5 times in 30 seconds.
Atari 2600	1982	E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial	☆½	When we were kids, my older brother was into this game, but I hated it. He recently sent me a copy (as a joke?). Well, the joke is on him, because I beat it (in easy mode).
Atari 2600	1983	Fathom	☆☆	Dodge jellyfish and collect seahorses so you can rescue a mermaid. It's every 10-year-old girl's dream. If only it were as fun as it sounds. Very hard and repetitive.
Atari 2600	1982	Fire Fighter	☆	This is the kind of overly simplistic thing people have in mind when they criticize old games. It's very repetitive and lacks any sort of replay value. The game isn't flawed, it's just not much of a game.
Atari 2600	1977	Indy 500
Atari 2600	1981	Missile Command
Atari 2600	1983	Moon Patrol
Atari 2600	1982	Ms. Pac-Man
Atari 2600	1978	Outlaw	☆☆☆	The original third person shooter. The two player modes are good fun at parties.
Atari 2600	1982	Pac-Man	☆	A very bad port of Pac-Man. This game is often associated with the video game crash of the early 80's.
Atari 2600	1983	Quick Step	☆☆☆½	A squirrel and a kangaroo hop around on trampolines at high speed, trying to earn points and kill each other. What else do you need to know?
Atari 2600	1982	Riddle of the Sphinx
Atari 2600	1983	Seaquest	☆☆☆	Back in the 80's, if you scored high enough on Seaquest, you could mail a photo to the developer and they'd send you a stitched patch (for you sweet 80's jean jacket!). I scored high enough and took the photo, but never sent away for the patch. I feel so unfulfilled.
Atari 2600	1978	Skydiver
Atari 2600	1986	Solaris
Atari 2600	1982	Spider Fighter	☆☆☆	A fast-paced but repetitive shooter. Instead of having to mash buttons, your blaster shoots three shots at a time. It plays a little like Demon Attack or Galaxian, but the tempo is more frenetic.
Atari 2600	1977	Street Racer
Atari 2600	1981	Super Breakout
Atari 2600	1982	SwordQuest: EarthWorld		An action/adventure puzzle game that came with a comic book necessary to complete the game. Solving the final clue entered you into a contest for jewels worth $25,000.
Atari 2600	1982	Trick Shot	☆☆☆	Another one I loved as a kid. No hand-eye skills required, just pure geometry, visualization, and experimentation.
Atari 2600	1981	Warlords	☆☆☆☆	Great four player party game. Plays like a combination of Pong and Breakout. Get drunk and try to blow up your friends' castles, but more likely blow up your own.
Atari 2600	1980	Video Pinball

NES	1989	Bad Dudes	☆☆	Finished. A beat-em-up with no 2p co-op mode is a poorly designed game.
NES	1989	The Battle of Olympus
NES	1991	Battle Toads	☆	Considered one of the hardest video games ever made. The turbo tunnel makes everyone give up and not want to play it again.
NES	1993	Battle Toads / Double Dragon	☆☆	A bad game because, like all Battle Toads games, it's too hard. Expensive because of rarity, not quality.
NES	1988	Blaster Master	☆☆☆☆	Reached final boss. Fun combination of top-down shooter and non-linear exploration. I logged serious hours on this as a kid, but never finished it.
NES	1988	Castlevania II: Simon's Quest	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Had RPG mechanics, making it much different than I and III. The plot is hard to follow due to bad translation from Japanese, but a strategy guide makes this game very playable.
NES	1990	Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse	☆☆☆☆	Amazing sound and the first game to allow the use of Alucard.
NES	1990	Contra	☆☆☆☆	Very fun (but incredibly hard) two player co-op. I logged so many hours as a kid, but never beat it without cheat codes. UUDDLRLRBAS
NES	1990	Crystalis	☆☆☆	Finished. A sold action RPG, but not a classic. The game is somewhat linear, and doesn't require much puzzle solving (unless you count mazes). The fighting is a little fun and the bosses are ok. This is good, just not great.
NES	1988	Double Dragon	☆☆	Would be a classic, but the 2p mode isn't simultaneous.
NES	1990	Double Dragon II	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Improves on the original by allowing simultaneous two-player, the way Double Dragon should be.
NES	1990	Dr. Mario	☆☆☆½	Classic puzzle game, that's not as addictive as Tetris.
NES	1989	Dragon Warrior	☆☆☆	Finished. One of the earliest console RPG. Not too tough to beat, but does require ample grinding, which can be done more quickly if you're clever.
NES	1990	Dragon Warrior II	☆☆☆½	Finished. The gameplay and story are more refined than in Dragon Warrior I, but this is still not a great RPG. You'll spend more time grinding to prep for the final boss than you will playing the entire rest of the game. I've heard the GBA re-release of this game is much more balanced and enjoyable.
NES	1992	Dragon Warrior III	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Allows much more flexibility than DWII and has a more elaborate story. You can create any kind of party you want, and swap charters at any time. The grinding is a bit tedious, but maybe less so that previous DW. A much longer play than the previous 2.
NES	1992	Dragon Warrior IV	★★★★★	Finished. The peak of RPGs on the NES. The variety of characters, plot, and graphics far exceed any of the other DW games. The excessive grinding and weak storytelling of the early games is long gone. DW4 is structured in chapters, with multiple plot threads uniting at the end. You can see the influence this had on more modern RPGs like Final Fantasy: The After Years. It's too bad this game is so uncommon and expensive. More people should play it.
NES	1985	Duck Hunt	☆☆	Light gun games don't work on modern televisions. Adding a CRT to my system allowed me to play this for the first time since the 80s. It's just as hard (and repetitive) as I remember.
NES	1989	Ducktales	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Might sound like a kid's game, but it's a true classic. A popular game for speedruns.
NES	1989	Faxanadu	☆☆☆	Finished. The game has programming errors, one of which makes it harder as you level up, and another turns a power-up item into a power-down. If you can avoid/ignore the quirks, Faxanadu is a fun (but short) action/rpg.
NES	1990	Final Fantasy	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. A must-play if you like the 2D FF games. It's cool to see the roots of those games here. The music, the battle system, the sprites and many other features of this game lingered in FF games for many years.
NES	1989	Gauntlet II
NES	1989	Godzilla: Monster of Monsters	☆☆☆☆	Finished. A game I beat repeatedly as a kid and an adult. Played on a chess-like board with great boss fights, or at least I think they are because I'm such a huge Godzilla fan. The sprites are enormous and you get to play as Mothra too!
NES	1987	Guerrilla War	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. A perfect two player coop experience. You run and gun, picking up power-ups, shooting bad guys and sometimes hostages, while dying constantly. But you have infinite continues, so it feels like playing an arcade game with an endless supply of quarters. The game's creators had a sense of humor too, including some silly boss antics. My only complaint is that it doesn't last longer.
NES	1985	Hogan's Alley	☆☆☆	Lightgun fun, but not much of a game. Great to pull out at parties.
NES	1986	Karate Champ	☆	Fun for a little while, but it quickly becomes very repetitive. As a kid I figured out a gimmick to beat the cpu every time, and could play the game indefinitely.
NES	1987	Kid Icarus	☆☆	A fun game until you encounter Eggplant Wizards and want to smash your TV.
NES	1989	Legacy of the Wizard
NES	1987	The Legend of Zelda	★★★★★	Finished both quests. The open world concept was too much for me to comprehend as a kid. It was so new to me (and everyone else) at the time. No levels, no tutorial, no obvious goals... it was very bewildering. But this and the other 2D Zelda games are things I can replay again and again, every few years, and never get bored.
FC	1990	Little Magic
NES	1990	Mega Man 3	☆☆☆	Finished. Requires a lot of patience, testing, and memorization. I don't know how I ever beat this as a kid
NES	1987	Metroid	☆☆☆☆½	Finished. It might be unfair to only give it 4.5 stars, but after you've played Super Metroid and the GBA Metroids you notice the limitations and slight imperfections in the original. Still a fantastic game that changed gaming forever. Great atmosphere, very mysterious, large open world. It just needs a touch of fine tuning in the controls, a map, and easier refills (Metroid II on GB fixed the latter)
NES	1987	Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!	★★★★★	Finished. One of the main reasons I wanted an NES as a kid. It's a classic people still talk about and play today. I never beat Tyson as a kid, but I did recently after a great deal of study and practice. This game is the reason I added a CRT to my system. The lag produced by my LCD, while imperceptibly small in most games, made Tyson and Mr. Sandman almost invincible
NES	1991	NES Open Tournament Golf
NES	1989	Ninja Gaiden	☆☆☆	Reached final boss. The graphics (especially the cut scenes) were incredible at the time. One of those games like Punch-Out that almost anyone can get to the end of but almost no one can beat
NES	1989	Operation Wolf	☆	It was an arcade game designed to be played with a machine gun. On the NES, you find yourself pulling the trigger hundreds of times, and still being overwhelmed by enemies. There's a lot of wasted potential here.
NES	1989	P.O.W. - Prisoners of War	☆☆	Finished (cheats?). Decent beat-em-up but suffers the Double Dragon flaw: no beat-em-up should be 1-player only.
NES	1989	Shooting Range	☆☆	This is the sort of thing people imagine when they think of bad old video games: too simple, poor graphics, and too difficult.
NES	1990	Star Tropics
NES	1989	Strider	☆☆☆	Finished. It's just an OK game, but for some reason I would beat this game over and over as a kid. When I played it again as an adult, I felt compelled to beat it again. I don't know why it draws me in.
NES	1990	Super C	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. It might even be better than the original Contra. It's one of those maddeningly difficult games the NES was famous for. Two player co-op is awesome at parties.
NES	1985	Super Mario Bros.	☆☆☆	Finished. Used free life gimmick.
NES	1988	Super Mario Bros. 2	☆☆☆	It wasn't originally intended to be a Mario game, which is why it's so unusual. Many of the ideas, characters, and mechanics were rarely/never used again in Mario games.
NES	1990	Super Mario Bros. 3	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. A classic. Introduced many of the modern mario ideas (flying, power ups, over world navigation, etc.) SMB 1+2 look primitive by comparison. Co-op mode allows players to work together (like Super Mario World).
NES	1989	Tecmo World Wrestling	☆☆	Finished. Use a turbo controller, otherwise the cpu opponent feels unfair. The special move animations were amazing at the time. I tried to learn all moves for each character, just so I could watch them.
NES	1989	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles	☆☆☆	Reached final level.
NES	1990	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game	☆☆☆½	Finished. Think I used a cheat code to beat it. A fun two-player beat-em-up. My younger brother and I played this constantly.
NES	1988	Tetris	☆☆☆☆	Essentially a colorful version of Gameboy Tetris. This is a classic game that I love, but you'd expect the NES version would have more play modes, and maybe a two player option (even the GB version had 2p).
NES	1989	Track & Field II	☆☆☆	Finished. A controller with turbo buttons is a must. After that the game becomes more about timing and technique than button mashing. Really impressive graphics for the NES. If you thought the skeet shooting on Duck Hunt was too easy, try getting past the second round of skeet shooting here.
NES	1989	Ultima III: Exodus
NES	1990	Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
NES	1985	Wild Gunman	☆☆☆	Lightgun fun, but not much of a game. The two villain quickdraw matches get intense quickly. Good for parties.
NES	1989	Willow	☆☆	Boring for an action RPG. There really aren't any puzzles or clever things to do. It's mostly linear with lots of grinding and uninteresting battles.
NES	1988	Zelda II: The Adventure of Link	☆☆☆	I couldn't appreciate this as a kid, because it wasn't like The Legend of Zelda or A Link to the Past, and it also seemed cruelly difficult. It still doesn't feel like a Zelda game to me, but using a strategy guide makes it playable and fun.

Master System	1988	Golvellius: Valley of Doom		Often referred to as a Zelda clone, it contains gameplay and graphical elements very similar to Zelda I&II.
Master System	1987	Gangster Town
Master System	1988	Phantasy Star	☆☆☆☆½	Finished. While Nintendo had the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy franchises, Sega had the Phantasy Star series. Compared to the DW1&2 and FF1 on the NES, this game is graphically superior, more story driven, and has more interesting multifaceted gameplay. It feels like a game that could have been on the Genesis or SNES, and isn't much different than Phantasy Star II, which did appear on the Genesis.
Master System	1988	Rambo III
Master System	1989	Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

SNES	1994	Brain Lord	☆☆☆½	Finished. As the name suggests, this is a puzzle-heavy RPG. But it's not nearly as hard a a true puzzle RPG like Link's Awakening. Many of Brain Lord's puzzles are simply tests of patience, and not brain power. It is fun though. The jade system, magic system, and weapons are all overpowered, allowing you to walk through dungeons, focusing on the puzzles instead of combat. I do wish the bosses were a little harder. I killed most on the first try. If you like puzzles and some light RPG elements, but find 2D Zelda games too hard, you'll enjoy this.
SNES	1993	Disney's Goof Troop	☆☆½	This was described to me as an action puzzle game. The "puzzles" mostly involve walking back and forth to collect items. At the end of each level, you're faced with unfair boss battles, involving dozens of projectiles, complete with one hit deaths. One boss killed me 8 times in under 30 seconds. This would be a problem if there weren't ample opportunity in each level to grind extra lives. But who wants to spend 30 minutes to complete a 5 minute level? If you're good at action games but not smart enough for puzzles, this is for you. Otherwise play Lost Vikings for a real puzzle game.
SNES	1994	Donkey Kong Country	☆☆	I know people love it, but I never did. The pre-rendered graphics were ugly then, and even more so now.
SNES	1992	Final Fantasy Mystic Quest	☆☆☆	Finished. People criticize it, but it's not a bad game. If you like your JRPGs confusing and heavy on grinding, this one will bore you. But it's still a fun (easy) JRPG. Good for anyone new to the genre.
SNES	1991	Final Fantasy IV	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. One of the best JRPGs on a console known for great RPGs. A must play. The only thing keeping this game from being perfect is that it's a bit too easy. The original Japanese version was harder. In Japan, the US version is known as "Final Fantasy IV Easy Type." Known as FF2 in US.
SNES	1994	Final Fantasy VI	☆☆☆	Finished. I liked it, but it's overblown sappy story had me wanting to play FFIV again. Early on, the game is exceedingly linear, boring, and tedious. The opera scene is one of the worst parts of any video game. Later, the world opens up, becoming more nonlinear and interesting. This is the beginning of the modern RPG era, where you're not playing a game, you're watching a movie. That's especially true in the first half of the game, where you're forced to do things with no freedom to explore. Known as FF3 in US.
SNES	1994	Illusion of Gaia	☆☆☆	Reached final boss. Action with some RPG elements. Fun puzzles and tricky boss fights. The difficulty is a constant 6 through the whole game, until the final boss cranked it to 10 and lost my interest.
SNES	1994	Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues
SNES	1993	King of the Monsters 2
SNES	1992	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past	★★★★★	Finished. On my (and many other people's) list of best games ever made. A perfect game that I replay every couple of years.
SNES	1992	The Lost Vikings	☆☆☆☆☆	One of my favorite games. Two player co-op games are uncommon. High quality two player co-op puzzle platformers just don't exist, except for this one and it's sequel. Some of my best times gaming have been playing this with a friend.
SNES	1993	Lufia & the Fortress of Doom	☆☆☆½	Finished. The first game in the series in terms of release date, although it's technically a sequel to Rise of the Sinistrals. It's fun, but after you play Lufia II, you'll realize there is no comparison.
SNES	1996	Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals	★★★★★	Finished. If this isn't the peak of 16-bit RPGs, it's pretty close. Beautiful artwork, great plot, and a fun battle system. The ancient cave side quest alone is a 100 hour game-within-a-game, and completing it was one of the most rewarding gaming experiences I've had. It's difficult to find any flaws with it, although I could imagine some people thinking the main game (ignoring the ancient cave) is a bit easy. I think this is best played for the love of RPGs not the love of grinding or impossible bosses (although the egg dragon side quest will challenge anyone).
SNES	1994	Mega Man X
SNES	1994	Saturday Night Slam Masters
SNES	1995	Secret of Evermore	☆☆	Heard it was great, gave it a shot, lost interest quickly because of awful controls. I don't understand the hype.
SNES	1993	Secret of Mana	☆☆☆☆	Finished. A great game, but overhyped. Great story, graphics, and game play, even allowing co-op multiplayer, which is practically unheard of for an RPG at this time. But the game is far too linear and too easy. Boss fights are usually a simple matter of finding the right spell and continuously spamming it, usually not even taking a hit in the process. There are no puzzles, and very little exploration.
SNES	1994	Super Bomberman 2	☆☆½	SB2's main strength lies in its multiplayer capability and party-game style. I've tried pulling this out at game parties and people get bored easily. By comparison, nearly any party game on the Wii and even some old games like Warlords on the Atari 2600 hold people's attention longer. As a single player game, it's an OK puzzle game without much that would get you hooked.
SNES	1991	Super Castlevania IV	☆☆☆☆	Like CV I and III, it's too hard for me, but I like it anyway.
SNES	1994	Super Godzilla
SNES	1993	Super Mario All-Stars	☆☆☆☆☆	Contains SMB 1-3, and Lost Levels, all with updated graphics. I don't use my NES for SMB games because of this cartridge. The SNES versions are much more beautiful. Five stars because it contains SMB3, otherwise, three stars.
SNES	1993	Super Mario Kart	☆☆☆☆	Finished all but 150c. This game started one of the great franchises. Super fun in 2p mode. I can't call it perfect, because later games had 4p capability. A revolutionary game. But if you have Mario Kart Double Dash for the Gamecube, you can skip this one.
SNES	1991	Super Mario World	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Took all of the great ideas in SMB3 and improved on them a little. There's a reason Nintendo still releases games like this for modern consoles. It's timeless.
SNES	1994	Super Metroid	★★★★★	Finished. On my (and many other people's) list of best games ever made. It inspired the creation of an entire genre of games known as Metroidvania (sorry Castlevania, Super Metroid deserves all of the credit). It changed video games forever.
SNES	1992	Super Scope 6
SNES	1996	Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits		Contains arcade versions of Defender I & II, Joust, Robotron: 2084, and Sinistar.

SFC	1995	Chrono Trigger
SFC	1993	Dragon Quest I & II: Akuryo no Kamigami (DQ2: Pantheon of Evil Spirits)	☆☆☆½	Finished. One cartridge with enhanced remakes of two Famicom games. By making the games easier than the originals, some of the fun is lost. But with less grinding, its easier to focus on the upgraded plot and visuals. If you're only going to play one version, play these.
SFC	1996	Dragon Quest III: Soshite Densetsu e… (DQ3: And thus into Legend…)	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Even though it's DQIII, this remake was released after DQVI. As a result, the graphical design is the most refined of the whole series. The ability to alter your character's personality, and hence their stat development, adds in interesting level of control not present in other DQ games. The story is a prequel to DQI and pays a lot of fan service to DQI&2, while having the feel and artistic style of V&VI.
SFC	1995	Dragon Quest V: Tenkū no Hanayome (DQ5: Bride in the Heavens)	★★★★★	Finished. Normally the plot of an RPG doesn't interest me, but this one was oustanding. The plot drives the action, instead of interfering with it like in some RPGs. A lot of depth, plot twists, and a monster acquiring system something like Pokemon make this great RPG into a perfect one.
SFC	1995	Dragon Quest VI: Maborishi no Daichi (DQ6: Phantom of the Earth)	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Excellent graphics and many side quests/games, but the plot is less interesting than DQ5. The interconnected worlds feel like a LOZ:LttP rip-off. Bosses were too easy, especially the final bosses. The job system was fascinating, but makes characters overpowered and the game too easy.
SFC	1992	Final Fantasy V	☆☆☆☆	Another classic FF game. All the usual save-the-world-from-an-evil-villain stuff is here. The job system makes the game interesting, if a bit too easy. I think this is the first time in the series you get to ride a chocobo.
SFC	1994	Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen (Godzilla: Monster War)
SFC	1996	Rudora no Hihō (Treasure of Rudra)	☆☆☆☆½	Finished. One of the last RPG made for the SFC/SNES, and the refinement shows. Gorgeous graphics, excellent music, and a fascinatingly complex magic system. You can cheat by looking up spells online, or you can play the game as it was meant to be played and learn to string together Japanese phonemes to construct your own. If you're an obsessive notetaker and tinkerer like I am, you'll be rewarded. You play through three intertwining plot arcs in any order, combining all of the lines together for a final chapter. More than any classic game I've played, it feels like a good short novel.
SFC	1995	Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 2)	☆☆☆½	Another fun, linear, and easy Secret of Mana game. The variety of character choices allows for six variations on the story line with 20 different parties. The variety and shortness means high replay value.
SFC	1996	Star Ocean
SFC	1995	Tales of Phantasia	☆☆☆☆☆	Interesting battle system that took some getting used to. Once I figured it out, the game became too easy. Still a lot of fun. Some of the best graphics and sound on the console, together with a good amount of non-linearity and puzzle solving.

Genesis	1994	Contra Hard Corps	☆☆☆☆½	I had heard this game was stupidly hard, and it didn't disappoint. It's harder and more chaotic than the original Contra and Super C, but the enemy patterns are more fair and predictable. The game constantly changes modes (running, flying, driving, climbing, etc.) keeping you on your toes at all times. It's very frenetic. You can play as an army dude, an army chick, a tiny robot, or a wolfman!
Genesis	1993	Gauntlet IV	☆☆☆☆☆	Called Gauntlet IV, but actually the first home console version to duplicate the 1985 arcade game, including four player cooperative mode. Making this even better is "Quest Mode" which turns Gauntlet into an RPG! Five stars because they took the arcade game that I pumped a year's worth of allowance into as a kid and added RPG elements.
Genesis	1995	Light Crusader
Genesis	1992	The Lost Vikings

N64	1997	Doom 64
N64	2001	Dr. Mario 64	☆☆☆☆	As an N64 game, it's ok. You expect first-gen 3D graphics and convoluted controller schemes when you play N64, not 2D graphics using the D-pad. As a Dr. Mario game, it's fantastic. It contains the original Dr. Mario NES game and adds many new game modes (including a story more) as well as battery saves that can store multiple profiles, high scores, and other achievements. It's basically the original Dr. Mario with slightly improved graphics, and a ton of new ways to play.
N64	1998	Gauntlet Legends	☆☆☆☆	Finished. I haven't heard much praise for this one, but if you like Gauntlet IV and can look past early 3D graphics, you'll like this. The boss fights are notoriously easy, but Gauntlet was never about boss fights. Gauntlet's essence, frantically running around dungeons while fighting endless hoards of monsters, is captured perfectly in this game. It's a short game but, because it's four-player co-op, it has a lot of replay value.
N64	1997	Hexen		People used to modern FPS say this game is terrible. But it compares really well to classic FPS like Doom. The puzzles are interesting and the different characters play very differently (Choose the warrior if you liked the chainsaw in Doom), giving the game a lot more replay value.
N64	1998	The Lengend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. A classic. Although everything on the N64 looks dated now, this is still a beautiful game. At the time, the scope of this game was unprecedented. I didn't play it until many years after its release, but it still seemed fresh. The puzzles are challenging, the dungeons and bosses are fantastic, and the items are well designed for creative use. A favorite among speed runners.
N64	1998	Quest 64
N64	1999	Shadowgate 64: Trials of the Four Towers
N64	1999	Shadow Man
N64	1996	Super Mario 64

PlayStation	1997	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Groundbreaking, 1 of the 2 games which lead to the entire genre of "Metroidvania" games. Even the trio of Castlevania games on Gameboy Advance that came after didn't do much to improve on the ideas. Tons of exploration, many hidden secrets, gorgeous 2D graphics, and a few tricky puzzles. My only complaint is that the game's difficulty is completely equipment dependent. Equip the wrong gear and get endlessly slaughtered by the same boss. Equip the right gear, and walk through bosses easily. I own the rerelease on Xbox360 because the original PS1 disks are expensive and have slow load times.
PlayStation	2001	Dragon Warrior VII
PlayStation	1997	Final Fantasy VII	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Some people hail this as the greatest RPG ever. I found the cutscenes to be unbearably long. I wanted to just play the game and skip the overblown story. It's an fun RPG with interesting mechanics, a bit too much grinding, and way too much melodrama. FF7 represents the transition from classic RPGs focused on gameplay and story to modern RPGs focused on cinematics and character development. The latter doesn't appeal to me.
PlayStation	2000	Final Fantasy IX
PlayStation	1999	Legend of Dragoon

GameCube	2003	Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles	☆☆☆	This is very unlike its predecessors on the NES. There's no turn based action, and a very limited number of spells, weapons, and attacks. On the plus side, it allows for up to four players simultaneously, although I never tried with more than two.
GameCube	2002	Metroid Prime	☆☆☆	Hard for me to rate this one fairly because, after a few days of playing, it started giving me migraines. I almost threw up once. This game is the reason I stay away from first person shooters. I'll take any 2D Metroid game over this one.
GameCube	2004	Metroid Prime 2: Echoes		Never played, see comments above about MP1.
GameCube	2004	The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Highly underrated. Allows up to 4p simultaneous play. It's a bit linear, but a lot of the basic 2D Zelda elements are there, together with a lot of chaos from the multiplayer aspect. Still fun even in 1p mode. Some of the puzzles are very clever.
GameCube	2003	The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition	☆☆☆☆☆	Contains Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and a demo of Windwaker. Five stars for LoZ and Ocarina. The other two are way at the bottom of my favorite Zelda games list, but it's still nice to have them in a format that can be played at high resolution.
GameCube	2002	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker	☆☆☆☆	Finished. I know some people hate this one, but I like the non-linearity, exploration, and art style. It's not the best Zelda game, but it's definitely worth giving a chance.
GameCube	2002	Super Mario Sunshine	☆☆☆	Almost finished. Like many 3D mario games, it's kinda fun, but kinda tedious. I know that many Mario games revolve around the theme of constant failure and repetition until you've memorized your way through a level, but with this one, the repetition eventually lost my attention. I got about 9/10 of the way through the game before losing interest.
GameCube	2002	Sonic Mega Collection	☆½	If you love Sonic on the Sega Genesis, this is probably five stars. It contains Sonic 1-3, and four other genesis Sonic games. I honestly have never tried most of the games on this disk, because I don't like Sonic or Sonic 2. I will never understand the appeal of "run mindlessly as fast as you can until the processor lags and the whole game slows to a snail's pace."
GameCube	2004	Tales of Symphonia		I've only played a little of this one. It has some RPG elements, a nice art style, decent mechanics, and simple puzzles. Even though the game is very linear and has few puzzles, a strategy guide seems essential, because the in-game tutorials and the manual leave out so many critically important details.
GameCube	2005	X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse

PlayStation 2	2005	Dragon Quest VIII
PlayStation 2	2003	Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec	☆☆☆	I think this was a big deal when it came out. I don't play a lot of racing games, so it's hard for me to judge it, but the graphics and sound seem impressive for the time. It was the first racing game I played with a lot of realism (every car handles differently, suspensions and other parts can be tuned, there's a test track for analyzing your refinements, etc.)
PlayStation 2	2005	Gran Turismo 4		Bought it because it cost three dollars at Gamestop at the time I was enjoying GT3. I never played it because I lost interest in GT3 before finishing it. It seems to be everything GT3 was, with better graphics and more features.
PlayStation 2	2004	Katamari Damacy	☆☆☆☆☆	No one can explain to you what Katamari is. You travel to surreal levels, rolling junk into balls to replace the stars and planets, hoping to not displease your enormous god-like father with his sarcastic insults and backhanded complements, all while listening to bizarre upbeat Japanese pop music. See, no one can explain Katamari.
PlayStation 2	2005	We ♥ Katamari	☆☆☆☆☆	It's odd and wonderful. I've never seen anyone try a Katamari game and not laugh. See Katamari Damacy.
PlayStation 2	2006	Sega Genesis Collection	☆☆☆☆☆	For a small investment, you can play classics like Golden Axe 1-3, Virtua Fighter 2, Phantasy Star II-IV, Shinobi 3, Altered Beast, Ristar, and 18 others in clean 480i from your PS2! This disk is the main reason I have a pitiful Genesis cartridge collection. So much of the best stuff is right here.

Wii	2010	GoldenEye 007	☆☆	I liked the idea of using the Wiimote and nunchuck to aim like real guns, but it ultimately makes the game much harder and less fun. Stick with Golden Eye for the N64.
Wii	2006	The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess	☆☆	A perfectly good game, ruined by the Wii's motion controls. This is my least favorite Zelda game, although I'd probably love the GameCube version.
Wii	2008	Mario Kart Wii	☆☆☆	A solid Mario Kart game. It has better graphics and more features than its predecessors, yet is somehow much less addictive and fun. Double Dash for the GameCube was probably the apex of MK games.
Wii	2010	Metroid Other M	☆☆☆½	Reached final boss. I think people dislike this one, but I'd choose it over Prime. It's enjoyable because the use of the Wii motion controls is minimal. Another game that would be better on a different console.
Wii	2008	Rock Band 2	☆☆☆	The first decent game of this type on the Wii. Rockband 3 didn't really improve anything, it just added complexity. If I'm entertaining kids, I bust out this game because you can jump right in without all the distractions of RB3.
Wii	2010	Rock Band 3	☆☆☆	I have the Pro guitar controller for this one. Supposedly this complex guitar combined with the game's Pro mode will teach you to actually play guitar. I'm too uncoordinated to try.
Wii	2007	Super Paper Mario	☆☆☆½	I've heard there are better Paper Mario games, but this one is interesting and pretty addictive. It's like Fez for people who aren't as smart. I think I'd give it a higher rating if there weren't a cooking/crafting mechanic in the game. I dislike that feature in any game it's put in; it can ruin an otherwise great game (I'm looking at you, Star Ocean on PS2).
Wii	2009	Wii Fit Plus	☆☆☆	All of the minigames are fun and challenging. Ski jumping is addictive. The yoga/fitness features aren't usable, unless you like 30 second yoga workouts. There is no way to have the game lead you through a full yoga session. If it allowed many 30 second routines to be strung together into an hour, this would be four stars.
Wii	2007	Wii Play
Wii	2006	Wii Sports	☆☆☆☆	This game changed video games forever. It was the pack-in title for early Wii consoles, and it showed that simple games with excellent motion controls could excite millions of people. Even though every minigame on here is simple and lacks any sort of depth, this game is the reason many people bought a Wii in the early days. Back in 2007, I could fill my house with people wanting to get drunk and play Wii bowling.

Xbox 360	2012	Fez	☆☆☆☆☆	Almost Finished. Fez is the most fascinating puzzle game I've played. If you like thinking, analyzing, and experimenting, Fez will make your brain work to its limits. What keeps it from being a perfect game are two tasks that were meant to cause the player distress. One requires an unpleasant and extremely difficult anxiety-driven task to be performed in the middle of the night (real time). You have a very small time window. If you mess up, you have to try again another night. I decided to not torture myself with weeks of insomnia. Another task required hundreds of gamers, working together online for many months, to solve. If you cheat by looking up walkthroughs online, you'll be fine. But if you're like me and prefer to finish games using your own brain and will power, it's essentially impossible for one human to do it.
Xbox 360	2009	Konami Classics Vol. 1	☆☆☆☆	Contains Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (see Playstation section), considered one of the best PS1 games. Also has Frogger (blah) and Super Contra (see NES section).
Xbox 360	2010	Limbo
Xbox 360	2007	Lost Odyssey

PlayStation 3	2009	3D Dot Game Heroes	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. This is only 3 stars for someone who hasn't played a lot of old 80s and 90s Japansese video games. 3DDGH is a tribute to NES and SNES games like Zelda and Dragon Quest; games that revolutionized the industry and built the foundation for modern gaming. It's full of jokes, parodies, and intentional mistranslations that only someone who's played those games will laugh it. I could feel the developers' love and nostalgia for retro games as I played it. But to anyone who isn't a student of those classics, this is probably just an OK game. It didn't sell many copies.
PlayStation 3	2013	Dragon's Crown
PlayStation 3	2014	Final Fantasy X/X2 HD Remaster
PlayStation 3	2012	Journey
PlayStation 3	2013	Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
PlayStation 3	2016	Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir

Game Boy	1990	Final Fantasy Legend	☆	I heard the FF Legend series were great RPGs. As soon as I saw how convoluted the monster leveling system is and how often weapons break and need replacing, I realized this was a tedious game and turned it off without trying FFL2.
Game Boy	1991	Final Fantasy Legend II
Game Boy	1993	Final Fantasy Legend III	☆☆☆	Finished. Unlike it's predecessors, weapons and armor don't break, making this game actually playable. It's ok for a gameboy RPG, but lacks puzzles and isn't challenging.
Game Boy	1990	Godzilla	☆	It's a not-fun action puzzle game with some blobby creatures who slightly resemble Godzilla movie monsters. Owned only because I love Godzilla.
Game Boy	1991	Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge
Game Boy	1992	Metroid II: Return of Samus	☆☆☆	Finished. People don't like this one, but it's not bad. The controls are better than the original Metroid. I think people dislike it in a relative sense, because the Gameboy Advance Metroid games were a gigantic improvement on this.
Game Boy	1998	Pokémon Yellow	☆☆☆	Finished. The first generation Pokémon games were definitely fun and groundbreaking, but they feel really unpolished compared to generations 2 and 3.
Game Boy	1989	Tetris	☆☆☆☆☆	A classic. The first Gamboy game I played and the only one I cared to own for a very long time. This game never gets old. The NES version is prettier, but this is a perfect portable game.

Game Boy Color	1998	The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	☆☆☆☆	Finished. All "DX" games run in color if you use them on a GBC but also play on the original GB. The original greyscale version was released in 1993. Often overlooked, but it was the first original Gameboy Zelda game. It carried over many of the elements that made Link to the Past so great. It's a bit short, but the plot is unique for a Zelda game, and the dungeons have interesting puzzles. If played on a GBC, a special "color dungeon" is available, which uses color in clever ways to create interesting puzzles.
Game Boy Color	2001	The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Oracle of Seasons/Ages can be chained together to unlock special items, new dungeons, and an extended story with new bosses. In Ages you're able to flip between old/new versions of the same world, often manipulating the past to alter the future and unlock new areas. To truly beat the combined game, you have to play Ages-Seasons-Seasons-Ages, or the converse.
Game Boy Color	2001	The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons	☆☆☆☆	Finished. See Oracle of Ages. In seasons, you flip the world between the four seasons to alter the world layout and gain acces to new areas. Seasons has harder bosses but easier puzzles. Ages is probably the better of the two.
Game Boy Color	2000	Pokémon Crystal	☆☆☆☆	Finished. This came out only 2 years after Pokémon Yellow, but it's a huge leap forward in every way. The generation 2 games let you play through a new world, and then replay the world of gen 1, in a more polished and refined way. This is close to a perfect Pokémon game.
Game Boy Color	1998	Tetris DX	☆☆☆☆	All "DX" games run in color if you use them on a GBC but also play on the original GB. The color makes the game closer to the original NES version, there are some new game modes for greater variety, but minus one star for changing the music. The original Tetris music is irreplaceable.

GBA	2003	Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow	☆☆☆☆½	Finished. The best of the three Castlevania GBA games. All three use the "Metroidvania" style and are practically the same game, but this one has the tightest controls, the most exploration, the best story, the best graphics, and the more interesting mechanics (the soul absorbing system to gain new abilities).
GBA	2001	Castlevania: Circle of the Moon	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Made in the "Metroidvania" style. This one uses a system of magic cards to create an enormous number of possible powerups. It's fun to explore the possible combinations. Some are extremely powerful, making many boss fights uninteresting.
GBA	2002	Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance	☆☆☆☆	Finished. Made in the "Metroidvania" style. This one focuses on the use of classic subweapons (holy water, cross, dagger, etc.) but allows them to be modified using different books. Some of the combinations are extremely powerful, making many boss fights uninteresting.
GBA	2004	Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls		Contains remakes of FFI (NES) and FF2 (Famicom).
GBA	2002	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords	★★★★★	Finished. Five stars because of Link to the Past (see SNES version). I've never been able to play four swords because it requires multiple GBA (which I have) and multiple copies of the game (which I don't have).
GBA	2005	The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap	☆☆☆☆	Finished. The cap allows switching between the normal world and the small minish subworld. This makes for interesting puzzles and a lot of exploration. There are several aspects of the game (kinstone pieces, figurines, the cuckoo game) which make this game heavy on grinding, backtracking, and tedium. If you don't want 100 percent completion, this game is short. If you want everything, prepare to spend a lot of hours on boring tasks.
GBA	2002	Metroid Fusion	★★★★★	Finished. One of my favorite games. The atmosphere is sometimes terrifying, the bosses are the perfect level of tough, and the constant threat you feel puts you on edge the whole time. Can be linked to Metroid Prime on the Gamecube.
GBA	2004	Metroid Zero Mission	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. A retelling of the original NES Metroid, with new mechanics, additional plot, and expanded worlds. There's a large stealth section where you have to forget everything you know about Metroid and sneak around. It fits in perfectly with the storyline and is difficult/fun.
GBA	2004	Pokémon LeafGreen	☆☆☆	Finished. Generation 2 Pokémon games already gave us a better version of gen 1. Then Nintendo polished things even more, using the gen 3 engine, to give an evn more refined version of the gen 1 games. If you want to play through the original Pokémon story only once, then FireRed/LeafGreen are perfect. If you've already played gen 1 and 2, then you can probably skip this.
GBA	2003	Pokémon Ruby Version		Finished.

Nintendo DS	2005	Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow	☆☆☆½	Finished. A solid sequel to a great GBA game. I would rate this higher if it weren't for the forced use of the stylus to conclude each boss fight. I have terrible handwriting, so being forced to quickly draw intricate patterns while I'm fighting a boss was a aggravating. It reminds me of how the Wiimote ruined some games.
Nintendo DS	2008	Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia	☆☆☆☆	Finished. It feels like a sequel in the Aria/Dawn series, but like Portrait, it doesn't let you smash through bosses with overpowered abilities. Overall a moderately difficult game, with two or three serious bottlenecks that will take effort to overcome. All the usual Castlevania stuff is here, mystery, betrayal, macabre atmosphere, and many familiar enemies from other games. Maybe Konami was running out of ideas, maybe that's why this was the last Castlevania game of its type. Not original, but still excellent.
Nintendo DS	2006	Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin	☆☆☆☆	Finished. The portrait idea is interesting, allowing Castlevania to explore more types of terrain than just a spooky castle. Unlike some other CV games, this one doesn't give you an overpowered weapon system, so you have to earn your boss victories. The ability to switch between characters with different skills also adds some welcome variety.
Nintendo DS	2007	The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass	☆☆☆☆	Finished. I'm one of the rare weirdos who actually liked Wind Waker, so this simpler more 2D sequel was a lot of fun. Some interesting new mechanics, especially the hourglass. At first I didn't like the time pressure it puts on the player, but after a while I started to see that being forced to solve puzzles quickly and repeatedly actually made the game more fun. As with other DS games, my terrible handwriting made stylus use frustrating, but the game is easy enough that it didn't matter.
Nintendo DS	2009	The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Nintendo 3DS	2013	The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds	☆☆☆☆☆	Finished. Excellent sequel to Link to the Past. The ability to merge into walls seems like it wouldn't be an interesting game mechanic, but Nintendo found fascinating ways to create challenging and fun puzzles using this simple idea. If they made 10 more games like this, I'd buy all of them.
Nintendo 3DS	2017	Metroid: Samus Returns (Special Edition)	☆☆☆☆	Finished. A little more scripted and linear than some Metroid games but, like all the handheld Metroids, it still captures the spirit of Super Metroid well while adding a few neat new ideas. The final boss was an unexpected difficulty spike. Each time died I thought "If I only had one more energy tank." Then I learned that Nintendo sold expensive Amibo toys that, when scanned into the 3DS, would give one extra energy tank. I suspect they fine-tuned the difficulty of the final boss to force some of these purchases. I refused to play along with their scam and just grinded it out. I must have died 50 times.

Hints and Tips for Using Retro Consoles

When playing retro video games on modern AV equipment, you want the games to (i) look/sound authentic, (ii) look good on a screen 3x bigger than they were ever intended to be played on, (iii) not have audio/video artifacts introduced by your modern AV equipment, and (iv) not have lag introduced by your modern AV equipment. Lag, in particular, can completely ruin your gaming experience. Below, I briefly describe the various AV outputs on retro consoles and some of the challenges/solutions.

There are many types of video outputs on retro game consoles.

RF: Carries both audio and video. The worst quality signal and may not be directly accepted by modern televisions. The picture tends to be noisy, dark, blurry, and badly colored. Output by 2600, NES, SNES, and Genesis.
Composite AV: Video information is carried on a single cable (yellow RCA). This is a huge improvement over RF, but the picture is often blurry and badly colored. Output by NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, GameCube, Wii, and PS2.
S-Video: A single cable, but with color/intensity information carried on separate pins. This is a huge improvement over Composite, with the picture often looking as good as Component or HDMI. The drawback is that high definition and 480p over S-Video aren't possible. Output by SNES and N64.
Component: Three cables carry the video signal, one for luminance and two for color. A further improvement over S-Video and allowing for high def content (up to 1080p) although many game consoles which rely on it don't output more than 480p. On my TV, 1080p output from the Xbox 360 through Component is indistinguishable from HDMI. Output by GameCube, PS2, Wii, and Xbox 360.
SCART: Many older game consoles in Europe use SCART connectors and output in RGB format. For retro gaming, RGB SCART rivals Component and HDMI in quality, but isn't compatible with US televisions. Nevertheless, RGB is popular with retro game perfectionists, because most consoles can be modded to output it, and transcoders can be used to convert it to HDMI. A few US consoles can natively output RGB using special cables. Output by SNES and Genesis.

For retro gaming, audio is much less of a problem than video. But there are still some things to keep in mind.

RF: Presents the same problems as RF video. Cramming all AV information into one signal leads to poor quality.
AV: The red/white RCA plugs you see everywhere carry stereo or mono. The NES only has one audio output, which can be split to dual mono. The Genesis only outputs mono, unless you use the headphone jack and an adapter.
Digital Optical: Can output stereo or surround. Used by PS2 and Xbox 360.

Modern televisions and receivers add to the complexity.

Many modern TVs accept only HDMI. Some accept Composite/Component. None accept S-Video, which is the best output you can get natively from the SNES and N64.
Many modern TVs don't upscale and de-interlace properly. Systems like the NES, SNES, and Genesis output a 240p signal, which TVs may misinterpret as 480i. This leads to visual artifacts, lag, and other problems. Even when de-interlacing is handled properly, the upscaling to 1080p may not be done well. This is especially problematic when certain N64, GameCube, and PS2 games switch resolution mid-game. This can cause TVs to flicker or go blank for a few seconds.
Many modern receivers accept only HDMI. Modern AV equipment is geared towards HDMI, with some legacy support for Composite. You can still find some with broader support, but if you own a modern receiver and have an S-Video, Component, or Digital Optical source, you may need to use various adapters and transcoders to convert signals to HDMI. This can introduce noise and lag.

To combat these issues, there are several options.

Use an older AV receiver. I have one that accepts svideo/composite/component, and outputs component. It also takes in AV/optical and outputs optical. There is no noticeable noise or lag. Some receivers will also combine all of these into a single audio/video output over HDMI. You still run into video incompatibility issues on the TV end, because the receiver isn't up-scaling or de-interlacing.
Use a cheap up-scaler/de-interlacer. For $50 you can convert 240p and 480i into 720p HDMI. The problem is that the conversion is usually done poorly, with distortion, noise, and lag.
Use a good up-scalar/de-interlacer. Those which do their jobs well start at $300 and are rare. The one I own retailed for $4000 when it was new in the early 2000s (I bought mine heavily used for $60 from someone who thought it was broken. They were wrong.) Even if you're willing to spend the money, these aren't made by many manufacturers anymore, so they can be very hard to find. You can find a wealth of info on video processors here.
Use high-tech cables. Technicians/hackers at HD Retrovision have figured out how to extract high quality component video signals from certain consoles (SNES, Genesis, and a few others) by using specially engineered cables. This hack will optimize output quality and compatibility, but won't solve the up-scaling/de-interlacing problem. The cables are $50+ per console and are hard to get. There's a similar hack to get HDMI from a GameCube.
Use modded consoles. For a price (typically $200-$300) you can have nearly any console rewired to output RGB SCART and sometimes HDMI. You get superior output quality, but the prices are high, you risk breaking your console, and there aren't many electronics experts providing these services anymore. If you're skilled enough, you can buy kits and do the installs yourself, but the prices are still high ($100-$200).
Use clone consoles. There are many clones on the market which can output HDMI, most are relatively cheap and are worse than emulation (see below) in terms of authenticity. There are a few exceptional ones, with exceptional prices, like the $450 Analogue NT Mini.
Use emulation. If you don't care about playing games exactly as they were originally intended to look and sound, and if your morals are flexible, then you can install emulators on a computer and steal game ROMs. Many emulators have compatibility problems and don't accurately reproduce colors and audio. If you didn't grow up playing on retro consoles, you won't notice the differences with emulation. But something you will notice is the controller differences. It's just not the same playing an Atari 2600 without the original joysticks and paddle controllers. And in some cases, e.g., Intellivision, the controllers are so unique and specialized that the games are difficult or impossible to play on an emulator. If you think you'd like to try emulation, one popular choice is the Retron 5, which emulates 10 consoles but avoids the ROM stealing issue by requiring you to plug your cartridges into it. It reads the ROM, then emulates the game.