3 NES Games You Can Play Free On Nintendo Switch Online That Are 10/10 Masterpieces

Published Sep 19, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work. Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work. NES games may not have aged the best by today's standards, but there is a lot of charm to be found in revisiting them. That isn't to say there aren't phenomenal NES games that have aged gracefully (more on that later), but rather that, while certainly revolutionary for the time, the vast majority of NES games feel antiquated and tough to get into, owing to restraints imposed by the limitations of the hardware at the time. Naturally, this has led to plenty of write-ups on the very worst NES games worth skipping today, or overly embellished retrospectives attempting to gloss over glaring issues. However, as aforementioned, there are truly some great NES games that are worth playing in 2026 and beyond. These games are timeless masterpieces, titles that, while perhaps sporting dated visuals, hold up phenomenally mechanically, even when compared to the very best in their respective genres releasing today. 3 The Legend of Zelda The Legend of Zelda remains an NES masterpiece because of just how ahead of its time it was. Truly, The Legend of Zelda was one of the most influential and innovative NES games of all time, comparable to, if not more impressive than, Breath of the Wild's contribution to the open-world genre. It pioneered free-form exploration during an era in which everyone else was sticking to linear maps; its approach to quest design was far more hands-off than ever before; its sense of adventure was heightened by its penchant for player-led discovery. Even today, uncovering The Legend of Zelda's many secrets is a genuine joy, one unburdened by the technological innovations that have come since its original release, or its somewhat dated visuals. With an incredible soundtrack, brilliant exploration, and fun puzzle designs, The Legend of Zelda on the NES remains, to this very day and long after, a masterpiece, one that should both be recognized for its contributions to the gaming industry and enjoyed as a worthwhile experience. 2 Kirby's Adventure Kirby's Adventure released at the tail end of the NES' lifespan, and, as such, benefited greatly from all of the strides Nintendo had made with the console before then. Packed onto its limited cartridge were some of the very best visuals of any Nintendo-produced title on the console, its vibrant colors and impressive sprite work proving far more impressive than anything that had come before. It also helped popularize the titular character and introduced his copy ability, which has since become a staple of the series. Kirby's Adventure is undeniable proof that the NES truly was home to some of the best platformers of all time, with the many that have come since rarely exceeding the level of polish and innovation of Kirby's Adventure. Even for non-Kirby fans, this incredible experience is absolutely worth playing, not just because it's an excellent game in its own right, but because it is bound to make you see what we've all noticed and loved about the character since his inception. 1 Super Mario Bros. 3 One of the best-aged NES games of all time, and, indeed, perhaps the very best NES game ever made, is Super Mario Bros. 3. Perfecting the Mario formula while innovating on its predecessors, Super Mario Bros. 3 proved to be the pinnacle of the series at the time, offering a complete reinvention of Nintendo's magnum opus while maintaining its essence. This is platforming at its absolute finest: a game unfiltered in its creativity, unbridled in its innovation, a title without comparison on its original console and, in all honesty, even today. While many NES games require you to overlook certain outdated elements such as their visuals or clunky controls, Super Mario Bros. 3 remains as fun and fresh as the day it came out. Were it not for the fact that its UI looks so distinctly NES, one could easily be fooled into believing that Nintendo had made it today. Super Mario Bros. 3 is a remarkable platformer and a towering, triumphant achievement on the NES that should not be overlooked and should be appreciated by anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Released October 23, 1988 ESRB E For Everyone Developer(s) Nintendo R&D4 Publisher(s) Nintendo Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise Super Mario