Yoshi's Cookie Classic
Best Nintendo Entertainment System strategy games
The Matrix has 64 strategy games on file for the Nintendo Entertainment System, released between 1984–1993. 37 of them support multiplayer. They're ranked below by legacy score, so the games that shaped the genre on the NES come first, with lesser-known picks further down.
Strategy games reward planning over reflexes: command armies, manage resources and outthink opponents on turn-based or real-time battlefields.
Typical commitment: weekend project (roughly 6–20 hours). Tip: Read the manual or tutorial if one exists: retro strategy games often assume you know their rules. Save between missions.
Clu Clu Land Classic
Adventures of Lolo Classic
Adventures of Lolo 2 Classic
Lemmings Classic
Binary Land Classic
Barcode World Deep cut
Battleship Deep cut
Cosmic Wars Deep cut
Defender of the Crown Deep cut
Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters Deep cut
Hanjuku Hero Deep cut
Bandit Kings of Ancient China Deep cut
Desert Commander Deep cut
Genghis Khan Deep cut
King of Kings Deep cut
Napoleon Senki Deep cut
North & South Deep cut
Rampart Deep cut
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II Deep cut
The Adventures of Gilligan's Island Deep cut
Nobunaga's Ambition Deep cut
Parallel World Deep cut
Supremacy: Your Will Be Done Deep cut
The Great Waldo Search Deep cut
Wall Street Kid Deep cut
Where's Waldo? Deep cut
1999: Hore, Mita koto ka! Seikimatsu Deep cut
Battle Storm Deep cut
Colorful Dragon Deep cut
Conflict Deep cut
Hollywood Squares Deep cut
Impossible Mission II Deep cut
Peek-A-Boo Poker Deep cut
Shockwave Deep cut
Spot: The Video Game Deep cut
Egypt Deep cut
The Money Game Deep cut
More NES strategy games
- Empereur, L' (1991)
- Nobunaga's Ambition II (1991)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1989)
- Win, Lose or Draw (1990)