RETRO THROWBACK: What NES Games Would You Fill This Official Storage Case With?

Back in the era of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, if you had one of Nintendo's official hard-shell travel case for NES games, and it was the ultimate flex. It could perfectly store up to 15 different game cartridges securely in its molded plastic slots. Recently, our good friend in the retro gaming community, John Riggs, brought up this iconic piece of gaming history in a conversation and posed a really fun question: "If you were to put games in this case, what would they be—either what you played back in the day, or what you would pack it with today?" It really got me thinking. Narrowing down the massive NES library to just a handful of titles is incredibly tough, but what are the absolute must-have games I would definitely have to put in there? Weirdly enough, I would start off by putting in The Black Bass and Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge. I rented these two games all the time from my local video store, and I put so many hours into mastering them. I love both of these titles, and they hold up surprisingly well if you enjoy the mechanics of classic sports and racing titles from the late '80s and early '90s. Next up has to be Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road. I absolutely loved playing the massive 4-player arcade version with those physical steering wheels, and being able to finally play it at home on the NES was just so much fun. Upgrading your truck kept me hooked for hours. If you love tight action platformers, Tiny Toon Adventures is right up there with the best. "They're tiny, they're toony, they're all a little loony!" Getting to play as Buster Bunny and teaming up with Babs (no relation, of course) makes for incredibly solid platforming gameplay that still feels remarkably great today. Super Mario Bros. 2 goes without saying. This game is a certified masterpiece. It introduced so many new visual aesthetics, vertical level designs, and character-specific abilities for the series that you've simply got to have it on your list. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is an essential pick, even though I have to confess that I have never actually beaten this game. Not once. Not even close! I think the furthest I've ever gotten is Soda Popinski, or maybe Don Flamenco when he shows up later in the game. Even with its punishing difficulty, it remains an incredibly iconic piece of '80s NES history. Of course, the original The Legend of Zelda. To me, this one is so much better than its side-scrolling sequel. I don't really view the original as a traditional RPG; it feels more like a massive, open-world puzzle game mapping out the screens, and I absolutely loved the way that it played. Metal Storm is a visual marvel on the hardware. It is beautiful, featuring gravity-flipping mechanics, great level design, classic "NES Hard" difficulty, and an incredible soundtrack. Retro-Bit recently brought out a physical re-release, which I am so glad about, but I still wish we could get to see this hidden gem added to the Switch Online NES library! You can't have an NES collection without Tecmo Bowl. There was truly nothing better than fading way back in the pocket with Jim McMahon, throwing a quick pump fake, and then launching a massive 75-yard touchdown pass to Willie Gault. It is pure, unfiltered gridiron fun. Tetris might be most famous as the ultimate Game Boy pack-in title, but the NES version is super addictive, colorful, and just as fun to sink hours into. Mighty Final Fight is a heavy hitter. Man, I really wish I would have bought this cartridge back when it was still only around $120, versus the several hundred dollars it goes for today! If you liked the arcade Final Fight, this NES demake offers great music, engaging gameplay, awesome level design, and a charming chibi art style. Bonk's Adventure is a classic. I'm glad that I've got it on the TurboGrafx-16 because the Famicom version is a hell of a lot less expensive than the astronomical prices the NES cartridge commands today, I can guarantee you that! Super Mario Bros. 3 is mandatory. I mean, it introduced so many revolutionary mechanics, from Mario finally being able to fly, to the interactive overworld map, and so much more. This is arguably the absolute pinnacle of what 8-bit Super Mario could achieve. And finally, R.C. Pro-Am. Having spent decades building, tweaking, and racing real radio-controlled cars, this isometric racer has a special place in my heart. Tossing out oil slicks and missiles while upgrading your vehicle perfectly blended my passion for the real-world RC industry with my love for gaming. I played this endlessly back in the day. Let me know down in the comments—did you have one of these official Nintendo travel cases? If you did, what 15 games would you pack inside yours? #NES #Nintendo #RetroGaming #NESGames #NintendoEntertainmentSystem #RetroGames #JohnRiggs #SuperMarioBros3 #Zelda #RetroCollector #SpringOnShorts