2015 NES Cup Results
1st Place : Pat Cronin
Games beaten: Bubble Bobble, WWF Wrestlemania, WWF Wrestlemania Challenge,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, Taboo: The Sixth Sense, Pinball, Galaga, Blades of Steel,
Pac-Mania and Donkey Kong Classics.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, Taboo: The Sixth Sense, Pinball, Galaga, Blades of Steel,
Pac-Mania and Donkey Kong Classics.
2nd Place : Andrew Holle
Games beaten : Pinball, Taboo: The Sixth Sense, Pac-Mania, Contra, WWF Wrestlemania,
WWF Wrestlemania Challenge, Gunsmoke, Hogan's Alley, Duck Hunt, Galaga and
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.
WWF Wrestlemania Challenge, Gunsmoke, Hogan's Alley, Duck Hunt, Galaga and
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.
3rd Place : Jon Peterson
Games beaten : Gunsmoke, Wheel of Fortune: Family Edition, Tetris, Taboo: The Sixth Sense,
Pac-Mania, Wheel of Fortune, Duck Hunt and WWF Wrestlemania
Pac-Mania, Wheel of Fortune, Duck Hunt and WWF Wrestlemania
Complete Results:
First Round:
Brian Casey defeated Jacob Berthiaume 4-2
Casey beat WWF Wrestlemania, Duck Hunt, Taboo: The Sixth Sense and Tetris
Jacob beat WWF Wrestlemania and WWF Wrestlemania Challenge
Doug Biglow defeated Jeremiah Lewis Walker 2-0
Doug beat Gunsmoke and Wheel of Fortune
Jeremiah was shutout : (
Andrew Holle defeated Luca Potter 6-4
Andrew beat Hogan's Alley, Duck Hunt, Pinball (2 points) and Galaga
Luca beat Guerilla War (2 points), Pac-Mania and Jeopardy Jr
Steve Koppes defeated William Irke 5-4
Steve beat Galaga, WWF Wrestlemania, WWF Wrestlemania Challenge, WWF Steel Cage Challenge and Taboo: The Sixth Sense
Irke beat Excitebike, Baseball (2 points) and Wheel of Fortune
Michael Tambornino defeated Dan Jackelen 5-4
Tambo beat WWF Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania Challenge, Tecmo Bowl (2 points) and Wheel of Fortune
Dan beat Taboo: The Sixth Sense and Baseball Stars (3 points)
John Peterson defeated Will Martin 2-0
Peterson beat Gunsmoke and Wheel of Fortune Family Edition
Will was shut out : (
Eric Pasi defeated Chris Davidson 4-3
Eric beat WWF Wrestlemania, WWF Wrestlemania Challenge, Pac-Mania and Taboo: The Sixth Sense
Chris beat Gunsmoke, Tetris and Taboo: The Sixth Sense
Jake Swedberg defeated Matt Larson 5-2
Jake beat WWF Wrestlemania, Duck Hunt and Contra (3 points)
Matt beat Pac-Mania and 1943
Pat Cronin and Rob Westfall
Pat and Rob receive a bye for the first round
2nd Round:
Brian Casey defeated Doug Biglow 2-0
Brian beat Wheel of Fortune and Pac-Mania
Doug was shut out : (
Andrew Holle defeated Steve Koppes 3-1
Holle beat Contra (3 points)
Steve beat Duck Hunt
Jon Peterson defeated Michael Tambornino 4-3
Jon beat Tetris, Taboo: The Sixth Sense, Wheel of Fortune and Pac-Mania
Tambo beat Tetris, Pac-Mania and Pac-Man
Jake Swedberg defeated Eric Pasi 7-4
Jake beat Pinball (2 points), Donkey Kong Classics, Taboo: The Sixth Sense, Popeye (2 points) and Blades of Steel
Eric beat Gunsmoke, Duck Hunt and Guerilla War (2 points)
Pat Cronin defeated Rob Westfall 6-2
Pat beat Tetris, WWF Wrestlemania, Donkey Kong Classics, Galaga, Blades of Steel and Pac-Mania
Rob beat Gunsmoke and Tetris
Final Round:
1st Place - Pat Cronin beat Bubble Bobble (3 points), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (3 points), Pinball (2 points), WWF Wrestlemania Challenge and Taboo: The Sixth Sense (10 points total)
2nd Place - Andrew Holle beat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (2 points), Tecmo Bowl (2 points), WWF Wrestlemania, WWF Wrestlemania Challenge, Gunsmoke and Pac-Mania (8 points total)
3rd Place - Jon Peterson beat Duck Hunt and WWF Wrestlemania (2 points total)
Thanks again everyone who came out. Since we didn't destroy the house, my fiancee says we can *maybe* do it again next year.
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The NES Cup
For the Friday night of my bachelor party weekend (March 6th), I’ll be turning my house into a giant arcade. I’ll be hosting an old school Nintendo tournament that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
Here’s how it’s going to work:
For one night only, I will have eight TVs paired up with
eight NES systems throughout my house. Using my vast collection of NES games,
there will be a single elimination tournament to crown the best Nintendo player
of all my friends.
If you enter the tournament you will be paired with an
opponent in the first round (names will be drawn out of out a hat). Whoever can beat the most games in 90 minutes will
advance to the next round. There will be three rounds in total and the first,
second and third place winners will receive giant trophies. Here are the basic
rules:
1.) “Beating” the games will be in the loosest sense of the
word. For example – sports games will be as easy as beating the computer in a
one on one match up (Blades of Steel, Tecmo Bowl,etc), trivia games will be the same (Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, etc) and action/platformers (Super Mario,
Contra) will allow cheat codes and passwords.
2.) If a game does not have a true end, you can “beat” it by scoring 50,000 points (Pac-Man, Tetris, Duck Hunt).
3.)
4.) Games will be
assigned with 1, 2 or 3 points based on difficulty and time taken to complete.
5.) I won't be playing in the tournament but instead will be the "referee". I'll be keeping track of "wins" and updating the tournament bracket. When you beat a game, try to have me verify it or at minimum have someone else as a witness.
6.) Games played in the tournament do not have to be from this list. If you want to go rogue and play an unlisted game, just consult me before you start playing and I will assign it a point value.
To help you in your quest, I have put together a list of 75 recommended games. I'll list all known cheat codes and passwords for each game. I'll also rate each game's difficulty and give an estimated completion time for each game.
One point games:
Donkey Kong Classics
Take your choice of either Donkey Kong or Donkey Kong Jr and finish the last level. Both games are only four levels long and you get three lives. You might not beat it the first time, but this is about as easy as it gets.
Difficulty: 3/10
Estimated completion time: 10 mins
Ice Hockey
Select "easy" and select a one on one match up with the computer. It might take a few minutes to get used to the controls, but you should be able to score at will once you get the hang of it.
Difficulty: 3/10
Estimated completion time: 12 minutes
Taboo the Sixth Sense
'Taboo the Sixth Sense' has to be the easiest game to "beat" on the NES. If this were a game of Bingo, this would be your "free space" in the middle. It's a fortune teller "game" where you enter your name and age along with a question - and it will give you a psychic reading. But in order to "beat" it, you need to get through all the bullshit and get to your psychic reading - which takes a little over ten minutes.
Difficulty: 1/10
Estimated completion time: 12 minutes
Double Dribble
The easiest basketball game to pick up on the NES. Just select a game against the computer and dunk your way to the one point win.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
Duck Hunt
(The Zapper gun will not work properly on TVs with an HDMI input, use an old school TV)
Difficulty 3/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
WWF Wrestlemania
Choose your wrestler (Andre the Giant is the best, Hogan is a close #2) and select a "standard match" against the computer. You get to pick your opponent, so choose a lesser known wrestler (The Million Dollar Man is a good choice). Then proceed to wail on your opponent by just mashing buttons. There aren't any actual wrestling moves - just punching and kicking. Kicking actually works better, so just kick the shit out of your opponent and then push up and B to pin.
Difficulty: 3/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
WWF Wrestlemania Challenge
Very similar to 'WWF Wrestlemania', 'Wrestlemania Challenge' is basically the same thing but with slightly better graphics and controls. Again, Hogan and Andre the Giant are way better than anyone else on the roster (why does Macho Man have to suck so bad? Fuck you LJN!). Choose Hogan or Andre and go pin some jabronie for the easy one point win.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 10 minutes
WWF Steel Cage Challenge
Rounding out the WWF trilogy of NES games is the 'Wrestlemania Steel Cage Challenge'. It's basically the same as the other two WWF games, but has newer superstars like Undertaker and Bret Hart. Sadly, Hogan is still by far the best. Select Hogan and pin your opponent inside the cage, BROTHER!
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 8 minutes
Blades of Steel
Select "easy" from the main menu and challenge the computer to a single game. Even if you don't know anything about hockey (like me), you should be able to put up double digit goals and get the easy one point win.
Difficulty: 3/10
Estimated completion time: 20 mins
Family Feud
Everybody knows how to play the Feud. Select "easy" and take on the computer. All you have to do is make it to the final round to "beat" the game (once you make it to the bonus round, you've already "beat" the computer).
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
Wheel of Fortune
Everyone knows Wheel of Fortune. This shouldn't be much of a challenge. Just like 'Family Feud', you don't have to win the final bonus round, just make it to the bonus round for the one point win.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Wheel of Fortune Family Edition
Just like regular Wheel of Fortune, but even easier because it's the "Family Edition". You should almost be embarrassed if you lose this is so easy.
Difficulty: 3/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Wheel of Fortune Featuring Vanna White
Rounding our the Wheel of Fortune trilogy is 'Wheel of Fortune featuring Vanna White'. It's the same as the first game except this time (you'll never guess) ... it has Vanna White. If you can beat one 'Wheel of Fortune' game - you might as well go for the trifecta.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
Jeopardy Junior
With *super tough* questions like "_________ Washington was the first president of the United States", Jeopardy Junior should be a guaranteed win. You have the option of easy/regular/hard settings at the beginning, so go ahead and choose "easy". Keep in mind this is Jeopardy for ages "seven and up", so you should be embarrassed if you lose.
Difficulty: 3/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Hogan's Alley
Get the zapper out and get ready to kill some criminals! 'Hogan's Alley' is as simple as at gets; shoot the bad guys but don't shoot the little girl or the old man. All you need is 50,000 points for the win.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 12 minutes
Donkey Kong 3
If you've never even heard of Donkey Kong 3, it's because it sucks. But it's only three levels long and should be a very easy win. Defeat all three levels or get to 50,000 points for the one point win.
Difficulty 4/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
Jordan vs Bird
This is as simple as it gets. Pick either Larry Bird or Michael Jordan and face the computer in a one on one game of B Ball.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
Chris Everett and Ivan Lendl Tennis
I know what you're thinking - how is this a game? It certainly doesn't have the star power of "Jordan vs. Bird". Anyways, this is just a mediocre tennis game - but it should be an easy one point win for the tournament.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
Mrs Pac-Man
Personally, I think the original Pac-Man has better controls than Mrs Pac-Man (on the NES) - but they are basically the same game. Get to 50,000 points for the one point win.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 20 mintues
Pac-Man
Slightly easier than Mrs Pac-Man simply because the ghosts stay blue longer in this version. All you're looking for is 50,000 points for the win.
Difficulty 5/10
Completion Time: 20 minutes
Pac-Mania
The least well known Pac-Man game is actually the easiest to score 50,000 points. It's the same as the original except it's in 3D and you can jump over the ghosts.
Get to 50,000 points for the easy one point win.
Difficulty: 2/10
Estimated completion time: 8 minutes
Galaga
Like Pac-Man, Galaga is an arcade game with no real "end". So, you only need to get 50,000 points for the one point win.
When possible, let your fighter ship get captured, then rescue him to have two ships at once (check YouTube if you don't know what I'm talking about).
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Tetris
Everyone knows Tetris. Your goal is 50,000 points for the win. Choose game type A and then select your skill level 1 through 9. This determines how fast the blocks are drop and also how fast you rack up points.
Keep in mind that four line tetrises (is that the plural of tetris?) get you a huge bonus of nearly 10,000 points. You only need to get a few of them to reach the 50,000 points goal.
Difficulty: 5/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Dr Mario
If you don't know Dr. Mario - it's like a mix between Tetris and Candy Crush. Dr. Mario drops viruses from the top of the screen and you have to make them disappear by matching four colors in a row. Since it has no end, you only need 50,000 points for the win.
Difficulty: 5/10
Estimated completion time: 10 minutes
Millipede
Millipede is probably the fastest game to beat on this list - but certainly not the easiest. It's a vertical arcade shooter where everything comes at you from the top of the screen. There's no end so you're goal is to rack up 50,000 points. The enemies come at you super fast - but the points rack up very quickly. You'll either have 50,000 points or be dead within three minutes.
Difficulty: 5/10
Estimated completion time: 3 minutes
Super Spike V Ball / Nintendo World Cup
This odd pairing has two games, volleyball and soccer. Pick your poison and play a game against the computer. Both are tournament style games - but you only have to defeat the first opponent.
Nintendo World Cup (soccer) is by far the easier game of the two. You start by selecting a one player game tournament mode and only have to defeat the first team, Pick your team (Brazil, Germany, Itlay, etc) and play the first team, Cameroon. The controls are simple; A to pass and B to shoot. You should be able to defeat poor Cameroon on your first try.
If you choose Superspike V'Ball - it's a little more difficult. The controls are not as easy to learn as they are in soccer. It's not too tough, but soccer is the much easier option.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Anticipation
This is certainly one of the worst trivia/board games for the NES but it's also pretty easy. It's basically the same things as Pictionary; the game draws an image and you have to guess what it is before the computer does. All you have to do is correctly guess four images before the computer for the win.
Difficulty: 3/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
MTV's Remote Control
'Remote Control' was a short lived game show on MTV that became a game for the NES. It's like any other game show, except all the questions are about television shows. So, you answer trivia questions about shows like 'The Jetsons' and 'Gilligan's Island'. Some of the questions are pretty dated (this came out in 1988), but the questions are all multiple choice. You also don't get penalized for wrong answers - so go ahead and guess on every question.
Difficulty: 3/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Hollywood Squares
In 'Hollywood Squares' you watch celebrities try to answer trivia questions. You'll hear their answers and then have decide if they are right or wrong. When you get questions right it - it will fill in your square. You need to fill in three squares in a row (like Tic Tic Toe) for the win.
Diffficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
Popeye
Since 'Popeye' has no end you're just going for the standard 50,000 points goal. You control Popeye and you're trying to save Olive Oyl from the evil Brutus. It's pretty easy and is very similar to the original 'Donkey Kong'.
Difficulty: 4/10
Estimated completion time: 15 minutes
Two Point Games:
Tecmo Bowl
Tecmo Bowl is almost unanimously considered the best football game for the NES. It only takes about 15 minutes per game - but the computer is somewhat challenging (that's why it gets you 2 points).
This game also has Bo Jackson programmed to be INSANELY fast (which is weird because you'd think he'd be on the cover). Pick Los Angeles for your team and hand off to Bo Jackson on every play.
Difficulty: 6/10
Completion Time: 20 minutes
Super Talking Jeopardy
Jeopardy is the only game show that will get you two points. It's not that tough, but is considerably harder than Wheel of Fortune or Family Feud - meaning you could actually lose to the computer.
Difficulty: 5/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Jeopardy 25th Anniversary
This is very similar to 'Super Talking Jeopardy' with only slightly better graphics and more questions. If you can beat the other Jeopardy game - you'll be able to beat this one. Again, Jeopardy is the only trivia game that gets you two points and beating both of them in one round (4 points total) should win you your matchup.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Guerilla War
'Guerilla War' is the easiest two point game on the list, hands down. It's like 'Contra' except you have unlimited continues. On top of that, you get to continue right where you last died (not at the beginning of the level). So, it's like you're sitting at the arcade with a million quarters - you just keep going until you beat it. The only downside is that it takes almost a half an hour to finish.
Difficulty: 2/10
Estimated completion time: 25 minutes
Captain Skyhawk
'Captain Skyhawk' was one of my favorite games as a kid. It's a vertical scrolling shoot 'em up and it's not too difficult. But if you use the cheat code - you can't lose!
On the title screen press: Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up. Then press Start. You will now have invincibility and can just cruise through the game for the two point win.
Difficulty: 2/10 (with the code)
Estimated completion time: 25 mins
Pinball
Despite it's simplicity, 'Pinball' is actually very fun. You control the flippers on a pinball machine and Mario helps you earn bonus points along the way. The points come somewhat slow so to get to 50,000 points you'll have to make three lives last almost ten minutes.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 10 minutes
Bases Loaded
Difficulty: 5/10
Estimated completion time: 30 minutes
Goal!
Standard soccer game but the controls take a little bit to figure out. If you wanna go the soccer route, I'd recommend playing 'Nintendo World Cup Soccer' first and then moving on to 'Goal' next.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 25 minutes
Rad Racer
Since there is really no end to 'Rad Racer' your goal is 50,000 points. This will be somewhat of a challenge, but if you use the cheat code it should be pretty easy.
Cheat code: Whenever you crash against the side of the road, push the pause button on and off repeatedly. This will trick the clock into staying paused so you don't lose any time.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers
In my opinion, the easiest Disney game on the NES. I could beat this when I was eight years old, so I promise it's not much of a challenge. You get three lives and three continues to complete six levels. There's also a ton of extra lives. Still, I wouldn't recommend this if you've never played it before.
Challenge: 5/10
Estimated completion time: 25 mins
The Little Mermaid
'The Little Mermaid' is very similar to 'Chip and Dales Rescue Rangers' - it's pretty easy but I wouldn't expect you to beat it on your first try. If you're up for the challenge, navigate Ariel through five levels and go on to defeat Ursula for the two point win.
Challenge: 5/10
Estimated completion time: 25 mins
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III : The Manhattan Project
Using a password, you can go right to the final fight with Shredder and start with seven lives. All you have to do is finish him off before you die seven times for the two point win.
Cheat Code: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B, Start (on title screen)
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 5 minutes
Three Point Games:
Super Mario Bros
The original Super Mario Bro is tough. But if you use the warps, you can get to the end fairly quickly. There's also an unlimited continues code - so you can keep trying until you defeat Bowser.
Unlimited continues code: After you die, hold A and press Start. You will start on the last level you died.
Difficulty: 7/10
Estimated completion time: 30 mins
Super Mario Bros 3
If you use the whistles correctly, 'Super Mario 3' can be completed very quickly. Get the first whistle on level 1-3 by crouching on the white block. The second whistle is in the first castle - you get it by flying up and to the right with the Raccoon tail.
From there you can warp to World 8 and go fight Bowser for the three point win.
Difficulty: 7/10
Estimated completion time: 30 minutes
Contra
If you grew up playing Contra you should be able to take this one down. Using the Konami Code, you can start with 30 lives. You also get two continues with 30 lives apiece - so in total you have 90 lives to make it through 7 levels. That means you can die every 20 seconds and still make it to the end. Destroy the evil alien boss and save the day for the 3 point win.
Konami Code: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 25 minutes
Super Contra
Just like the original 'Contra', 'Super Contra' lets you use the Konami could. Without it the game is damn near impossible, but with the code - it's not too bad. Again, you get 90 lives to complete seven levels, so you'll make it as long as you don't die every fifteen seconds.
Konami Code: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
Difficulty: 6/10 (with the 30 lives code)
Estimated completion time: 25 minutes
Back to the Future
Coming in at only four levels long, Back to the Future is very short, but very challenging. The game is a top down platformer, and you have to navigate Marty through 1955 Hill Valley before returning home to 1985. If you played this as a kid, this could be an easy three points that can be done in 20 mintues - but I would not recommend this if it's your first time.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Little Nemo: The Dream Master
Cheat code: On the title screen press: Up, Select, Left, Right,A, A, B. This will unlock a stage select and you can go right to the last level.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 15 mintues
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II : The Arcade Game
Cowabunga dude! Normally getting through 'Turtles 2' would take close to an hour, but with the cheat code you can go right to the last level. Go straight to the Technodrome and take out Shredder for the three point win.
Cheat Code: At the Title Screen press B, A, B, A Up, Down, B, A, Left, Right, B, A, Start, Enables level skip and you can start with up to ten lives.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 25 minutes
Baseball Stars is often considered the best baseball game on the NES, but it is also one of the hardest. Defeat the computer in a nine inning game for the three point win.
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 30 minutes
Duck Tales
Difficulty: 7/10
Estimated completion time: 30 minutes
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
'Gremlins 2' is one of my favorite "hidden gems" on the NES. You play as Gizmo in his quest to destroy all the Gremlins. The game has a password system, so use the password and start at the last level. Go and defeat the final boss, Stripe for the three point win.
Password: NXRD
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Castlevania III
Castlevania games are HARD but with the password you can go right to the final battle with Dracula. I wouldn't recommended this for first time Castlevania players, but if you've beaten it before and you're feeling lucky - use the password and go beat Dracula for the three point win.
Password: Blank, Heart, Blank, Blank, Heart, Blank, Blank, Blank, Blank, Blank, Heart, Blank, Cross, Cross, Blank, Heart
Difficulty: 7/10
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Life Force
'Life Force' is an awesome side scrolling shoot 'em up that is damn near impossible without using the cheat code. But with the code it's almost too easy. Using the Konami code you get to start with 30 lives (instead of just three). You also have two continues so you'll have 90 lives in total to get through seven levels.
Konami code: Enter on title screen: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
Difficulty: 6/10
Estimated completion time: 30 minutes
Batman Return of the Joker
Difficulty: 7/10
Password: GPZT
Estimated completion time: 20 minutes
Bubble Bobble
'Bubble Bobble' is a great game but it's super long with over 99 levels. By using a password, you can go right to the last level. It's a fight with the final boss and that takes over 50 hits, but don't worry it's not as hard as it sounds. Again, I'd recommend watching a clip on YouTube first.
Dificulty: 5/10
Estimated completion time: 10 minutes
Mike Tyson's Punch Out
This is one of the hardest games on the list. You can use a password and go right to Mike Tyson. If you can beat him, it will take less than ten minutes. But be forewarned, you can only get hit twice. The third time he hits you, you're done.
Password: 007 373 5963 (Goes right to Mike Tyson)
Difficulty: 9/10
Estimated completion time: 10 minutes
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