Celebrate The NES's 30th Anniversary By Watching Us Play 8-Bit Classics

Today marks the 30-year anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System launching in North America. Nintendo's gray rectangular console was destined to change lives and the industry forever when it hit shelves on October 18, 1985. Since we're getting all wistful and nostalgic, let's capitalize on the occasion by looking back on our eclectic collection of Replay and Super Replay episodes highlighting the 8-bit system's memorable games.

[Editor's Note: This collection only includes games that were highlighted on the main segment of Replay.]

The NES Replays

Blaster Master
"Every so often, while browsing GI's massive vault, I stumble across games that helped define my childhood but that I had somehow forgotten about completely. Blaster Master for NES was just one such game. Radioactive pet frogs? A powerful tank that also jumps? What else could a kid ask for?" – Phil Kollar

Contra
"Join Bryan Vore, Andrew Reiner, Kyle Hilliard, and myself as we tackle one the NES's most beloved titles. Can you guess how far Bryan and I get into the long fight against nondescript bad guys? Can we remember the legendary Konami code?" – Tim Turi

Darkwing Duck (Guest: James Adomian)
"We reached out to James because we're big fans of his appearances on podcasts like Comedy Bang Bang, but we were surprised to discover that who we really invited was a Darkwing Duck expert." – Kyle Hilliard

DuckTales
"We've been getting a lot of requests in the comment sections of Replay, and many of you mentioned that you'd like to see some NES titles. We figure most gamers have a pretty clear memory of the obvious choices (Mario, Zelda, Punch-Out) thanks to re-releases, emulators, and the Virtual Console, so we landed on Scrooge McDuck's treasure-hunting adventures. It was well-received when it was released and many gamers have feelings of nostalgia for it, but how does the gameplay hold up two decades later? Check out the new episode below and just try to get the cartoon's theme out of your head." – Dan Ryckert

Fester's Quest
"On this week's episode of Replay, Dan Ryckert and I have a score to settle with this NES game based loosely off The Addams Family. Andrew Reiner joins in to listen to our horror stories, and Tim Turi tags along to save the day when we need him most. Just like always. Don't miss this dramatic, death-filled episode!" – Phil Kollar [Editor's Note: Wait... how did this one get in here?!]

Friday The 13th
"As a special treat to Friday the 13th observers, we've decided to air this week's episode of Replay a day early. Join Joe Juba, Tim Turi, Jason Oestreicher, and I as we travel back to the long forgotten NES slasher game, Friday the 13th. Tim makes sure that he shows us the game's "good" ending. Rather than doing a standard Roulette this week, we decided to keep our love of horror alive in two bonus segments." – Andrew Reiner [Editor's Note: Okay, also not a "classic" in the sense of it being any good, but we had to include this given the recent Kickstarter for Friday the 13th: The Game]

Kid Icarus
"Nintendo has always been fond of keeping their franchises alive, but it took numerous console generations for Pit to return in Kid Icarus: Uprising. His NES original is one of the most notoriously difficult games of all time, so we decided to dust off our cartridge and re-examine it for this week's episode of Replay." – Dan Ryckert

Little Nemo The Dream Master
"This week we dive into a less-celebrated NES Capcom classic. It's not Mega Man, Ghosts 'n Goblins, or Bionic Commando, but it's a little gem about a boy who can transform into dinosaurs by feeding them candy." – Tim Turi

Mega Man
"The Blue Bomber has been MIA for some time now, but that doesn't mean Capcom's beloved mascot is any farther from our hearts. The Game Informer editors routinely profess their love for classics like Mega Man X, Mega Man 2, Mega Man Legends, or any number of the other classics in the series. However, today is all about paying respects to the title that started them all, along with a few other homages mixed in." – Tim Turi

Mega Man 2
"Between Replay and Super Replay, we've played some incredible games. Mega Man 2 is among the very best of them. The NES title's tight gameplay, themed stages, and iconic bosses have aged beautifully, and it's always a joy to take the Blue Bomber's second outing for a spin." – Tim Turi

Punch-Out!! Stress Test: Dan Vs. Tyson Part III
"In my entire gaming history, one accomplishment has eluded me more than any other. I've completed hundreds upon hundreds of games and stood victorious over insanely difficult boss battles, but one man has annihilated me every time I've encountered him. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is one of my top ten games of all time, but it's one I've never beat. In 2013, it's time to get serious about getting this monkey off my back." – Tim Turi [Editor's Note: Dan has since gone on to defeat Tyson several times!]

Strider (Guests: Arj Barker And Louis Katz)
"In this special bonus episode of Replay, we take a look at the original incarnation of Strider on the NES. Myself and Ben Reeves are joined by comedians Arj Barker and Louis Katz as we travel the world and discuss the differences between Strider's interpretation and the real world version of Australia, where Arj Barker lives half the year." – Kyle Hilliard

Super Mario Bros. 2
"Many gamers don't consider it a "real" Mario game considering that it was originally Doki Doki Panic in Japan, but I say nuts to that. The game is better than the original, and certainly better than the ludicrously hard Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2." – Dan Ryckert

The NES Super Replays

The Legend Of Zelda
"The Legend of Zelda has influenced the world of gaming like no game before it, and we named it the #1 game of all time. All month, we've been giving you tons of Zelda coverage to commemorate the upcoming release of Skyward Sword as well as the series' 25th anniversary. We're ending this month of coverage with a complete playthrough of the game that started it all." – Dan Ryckert

Ninja Gaiden
"Will I be able to overcome the multistage boss battle waiting for us at the end of Ninja Gaiden's long and treacherous road? Will I be able to resist the constant urge to bludgeon Dan to death with my microphone? We can only take it one episode at a time, but I'm putting the odds for both at 50/50." – Jeff Marchiafava

Super Mario Bros. 3
"If one title in the history of the industry specifically targets the nostalgia cortex of gamer's brains, it's Super Mario Bros. 3. It featured far more gameplay variety than the original SMB, and was more of a traditional Mario game than the polarizing North American sequel. It would be a shoo-in for the title of "best 2D Mario" if it weren't for the amazing Super Mario World (a debate we get into during this Super Replay). It's one of the few titles that can stir up fond memories for hardcore gamers and non-gamers alike. It didn't matter if you were a Nintendo nerd, captain of the football team, theater geek, or a cheerleader...you probably played and loved this game." – Dan Ryckert

For more episodes of Replay, tune in every Saturday morning. Visit our hub below to check out our past episodes!