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Season 1

  • S01E01 Are NES Games Still Good? The Investigation Begins

    • August 6, 2023

    After being asked about my Top 10 NES Games of All-Time, I kinda drew a blank. While there are obvious, blurt-them-out answers to that question, I haven't really gone back and put any real thought into 8-bit Nintendo games for a very long time. And so, here we are. What started as a simple "let's check out some NES games" is slowly morphing into the ONE TRUE AND DEFINITIVE LIST OF NES GAMES IN RANKED ORDER DONE BY SCIENCE AND ONLY SCIENCE.

  • S01E02 Is This Batch of NES Games Better Than the Last? Let's Dig In!

    • August 12, 2023

    Let's return to the scene of the crime and look over another batch of NES "classics" to see how they hold up. Then we'll rank them and place them on THE ONE TRUE ULTIMATE LIST OF RANKED NES GAMES!

  • S01E03 Is Ikari Warriors on the NES the Best? Or... The Worst?

    • August 17, 2023

    Hooboy. I remember Ikari Warriors as being a good, but incredibly weird and glitchy time. Does it... hold up? At all? Well, we all found out about that here today.

  • S01E04 Is Athena the Worst NES Game Ever Made? Or the Best? How About Rygar?

    • August 25, 2023

    It's time to get some more games on this ranked list of games for the ol' Nintendo Entertainment System. This time out we'll look at Rygar, Life Force, Dr. Chaos, Athena, and more.

  • S01E05 Is Deadly Towers a Hidden Gem?

    • September 1, 2023

    It's time to add some big names to our list of ranked Nintendo Entertainment System games. This time out let's get into RC Pro-Am, Little Nemo, Kabuki Quantum Fighter, and, sure, Deadly Towers.

  • S01E06 Is Super Pitfall A Super Game?

    • September 8, 2023

    My daughter's been feeling sick so she's holed up in the office with me for awhile on this one. Can I manage to play Astyanax while a four-year-old asks me about Rapunzel's hair? Can Little Samson survive my daughter's runny nose? Time to put this operation to the ultimate test.

  • S01E07 Why Do People Like Jackal?

    • September 14, 2023

    It's time to figure out what's up with games like Ice Hockey, Jackal, and City Connection! Where will they end up on our list?

  • S01E08 Spelunker: The Greatest NES Game???

    • September 22, 2023

    The quality is all over the place on this week's installment, as we start with Commando, then get into some other hits like Double Dare, Toobin', Xenophobe, Legendary Wings, and even Spelunker. Wow.

  • S01E09 Is Tecmo Bowl The World's Greatest Football Game?

    • September 29, 2023

    We return to the scene of the crime to check out Tecmo Bowl, Motor City Patrol, M.U.L.E., The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle, and more on this quest to touch and rank every single NES game released in these United States!

  • S01E10 Can Contra Top the LIst?

    • October 6, 2023

    We reconvene unexpectedly to get another look at a batch of NES classics and NES "classics," such as Xexyz, Contra, Gun.Smoke, Marble Madness, Castlequest, Journey to Silius, and more!

  • S01E11 A Passionate Defense of Ice Climber, A Severe Takedown of Ghostbusters

    • October 20, 2023

    Let's get back to it and look at a batch of NES games that vary wildly in quality, including Super Dodge Ball, Super Spy Hunter, Ice Climber, Rockin' Kats, and Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu. Wow.

  • S01E12 Is the First Super Mario Bros. Still Good?

    • October 27, 2023

    It's time to break out the big first-party guns, and I'm not talking about the Zapper. Super Mario Bros. joins the list this week along with Tecmo World Wrestling, Solstice, Zombie Nation, and more!

  • S01E13 Esports-Level Urban Champion Play! Horrible Gradius & Yo! Noid Play?

    • November 3, 2023

    It's time to figure out just how good Urban Champion is. Let's also look at Solar Jetman, Sqoon, Gradius, GI Joe, and more as the quest to rank every Nintendo Entertainment System game released in North America continues!

  • S01E14 Are You A Bad Enough Dude To Watch This Video?

    • November 11, 2023

    Some real high points and some astounding low points await you in this one as we cover games like Balloon Fight, Bad Dudes, Bases Loaded, Galaga, 1942, and more! Watch on as games finally start falling out of the Top 100 NES Games of All-Time!

  • S01E15 Excitebike! Willow! Adventure Island?

    • November 17, 2023

    Master Higgins makes his debut on the list this week as it's time to get into Hudson's Adventure Island. Other games ranked include Willow, Gun-Nac, Excitebike, Super Spike V'Ball, and more.

  • S01E16 Let's Rank Battletoads.

    • December 1, 2023

    A hairy list of games awaits you this time around. Let's check out T&C Surf Designs: Wood and Water Rage, along with Battletoads, Slalom, Top Gun, Guerilla War, Back to the Future, and... Rambo. Yeah, Rambo.

  • S01E17 What's the Deal With Kid Icarus, Anyway?

    • December 8, 2023

    A big week of 8-bit Nintendo games as I dig into Kid Icarus, Cobra Triangle, Thrilla's Surfari, and the unlicensed menace... Chiller.

  • S01E18 The First Mega Man Gets A Bum Rap!

    • December 15, 2023

    You heard me. Mega Man 1 is totally OK. Let's dig into it and look at some other hits, like Palamedes, Maniac Mansion, and... Dig Dug 2? Trouble in Paradise?

  • S01E19 It's Finally Time For Street Fighter 2010

    • December 22, 2023

    Is Duck Hunt any good? What's up with Street Fighter 2010? Can a game possibly be any better than The Goonies II? It's time to answer all of these questions and more on the 19th edition of getting all of these Nintendo Entertainment System games scientifically ranked.

  • SPECIAL 0x1 Dragon Warrior! A Special Episode!

    • December 28, 2023

    Not all games are created equal, and here at the Gaming Institute of Science Institute, we recognize that. So let's give Dragon Warrior a slightly longer look before getting it onto a brave list of ranked NES games.

  • S01E20 Does the First Castlevania Hold Up?

    • December 29, 2023

    It's time to get serious... and by that I mean it's time to get Rollergames onto this list. Let's also see what's up with Castlevania, Micro Machines, and more!

  • S01E21 Is Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! a Top 10 NES Game?

    • January 5, 2024

    Another heavy hitter opens the show this week as it's time to see how well Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! holds up. Beforehand I have to say I wasn't expecting it to hold up especially well... but let's find out, OK?

  • S01E22 Tetris! That Game's OK, Right? How About Yoshi? You Like Yoshi?

    • January 12, 2024

    A fully licensed and legal version of Tetris is played on today's installment, along with a weird little unlicensed gem, some pinball, and... Kid Klown. Boy oh boy, Kid Klown.

  • S01E23 Bionic Commando, Gyromite, and More!

    • January 19, 2024

    Don't tell my Robot Operating Buddy that I'm doing this without him, OK? Let's check out one of the launch games for the platform, some big names, as well as a late-era game that I'd never even heard of. Peaks and valleys, baby. Peaks and valleys.

  • S01E24 The Brothers Mario, RC Pro-Am 2, Skate or Die 2, and Sports!

    • January 26, 2024

    Between Donkey Kong Jr. and Super Mario Bros. lies... Mario Bros. It's also time to look at these other Nintendo Entertainment System releases, like 10-Yard Fight, Skate or Die 2, Base Wars, Defenders of Dynatron City, and more!

  • S01E25 Is Blaster Master As Good As You Remember? Let's Find Out!

    • February 2, 2024

    In my mind Blaster Master is one of the all-time greats for the NES. But I'm not really sure if it holds up anymore. Was I just a dumb kid? Possible! We'll also look at Double Dribble, Paperboy, Code Name: Viper and more!

  • S01E26 Ninja Turtles vs. Rescue Rangers: Which One's the Best?

    • February 9, 2024

    We're six months in on this nightmare endeavor and the list was feeling like it was starting to take shape... but then came Rescue Rangers! And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! And Swamp Thing? Hoo boy, what a week.

  • S01E27 Do You Wanna Be A KickMaster?

    • February 16, 2024

    Golf! Shatterhand! The Legend of Kage! KickMaster! These are just most of the games that will be ranked on today's installment of Ranking the NES.

  • S01E28 Why Is This Version of Double Dragon So Weird?

    • February 23, 2024

    This week we dive into a strange assortment of games ranging from Dr. Mario to Where's Waldo?. Also the words "M.C. Kids" are said aloud, leading to a longer rumination on "British game design" and what that means. Some highs and lows, for sure!

  • S01E29 If This Is Just Ninja Gaiden, Then Where's Ninja Main Story?

    • March 1, 2024

    They say never start the show with a showstopper, but that's precisely how it's going this week as we finally get Ninja Gaiden onto the list. Also, uh, Jurassic Park, Casino Kid... Treasure Master? Wario's Woods, hey! Weird week. It still smells bad in here, let's rank some games!

  • S01E30 Let's Sink Into A True Unlicensed Nightmare

    • March 8, 2024

    It's time to see what's up with Goku and the dragon balls... or, I guess, the crystal balls? Dragon Power headlines this week's list along with Blades of Steel, Star Wars, and a very special unlicensed game. Very special.

  • S01E31 It's Time For MARIO MADNESS

    • March 15, 2024

    Which Super Mario Bros. 2 do you think of as the real one? Let's play the US release along with Bucky O'Hare, The Krion Conquest, and a few other famous (or infamous) NES releases.

  • S01E32 These X-Men Are X-Tremely Uncanny

    • March 22, 2024

    What the heck is up with Clash at Demonhead? Let's find out today. Also: The Uncanny X-Men, a truly confusing video game. And more??? Another unlicensed light gun game???

  • S01E33 A Game Ruined By Ninjas

    • March 29, 2024

    Whoops I fell in love with Hydlide and now I'm going to have to finish it one of these days. But "love" and "science" are two very different things, friends. We'll also look at Arkista's Ring, a game I had never heard of until Michael suggested it over on Patreon. A wild batch of NES games to rank this week!

  • S01E34 Who's Stronger? Karnov or Mickey Mouse?

    • April 5, 2024

    The large Russian and his inventory of shoes and ladders is here at last as I take a look at Karnov for the NES. Other games on the docket this week include Rampage, Totally Rad, Monster In My Pocket, Mickey Mousecapade, and more! Subscribe to see it all!

  • S01E35 Felix the Cat, Gumshoe, and More!

    • April 12, 2024

    It's time to shoot a detective to make him jump as Gumshoe steps up to be ranked. Also, did you know they made a Felix the Cat game in like 1992 or so? That hot character, Felix the Cat? They did! Also we'll get our bible on with Spiritual Warfare.

  • S01E36 Wally Bear Sez: Just Say NO!

    • April 19, 2024

    The quest to determine the top NES games continues! With 4/20 around the corner, it's time for us to talk about making smart choices. That's why I'm playing and ranking Wally Bear and the NO! Gang on this week's installment. It's also time to play R.B.I. Baseball, The Adventures of Rad Gravity, and Pool of Radiance!

  • S01E37 Grab Your 3D Glasses and Get Rad

    • April 26, 2024

    By the time you've finished watching this video we will have ranked 250 NES games. That's a lot! But there's so much more to do. This week's batch includes Rad Racer, Dirty Harry, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and more.

  • S01E38 Don't Have A Cow, Man! It's Episode 38 of Ranking the NES!

    • May 3, 2024

    When I think Acclaim and licensed games, only one game comes to mind: The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants for the NES. It's time to dive into this... experience... and see how it fares on our list. Also, did you know that Speedball game out on the NES under a different name? Check out Klash Ball.

  • SPECIAL 0x2 Every Game In Action 52, Ranked!

    • May 9, 2024

    52 games on one cartridge? Sounds like a deal! This unlicensed NES cart was released in 1991 and cost 200 dollars. I mean, hey, 200 bones for 52 games sounds like a great deal, right? Well, in order to properly rank this NES cart, we're first going to have to play and rank all 52 of the games contined within, from hot james like Ninja Assault all the way to Cheetahmen, the most famous (infamous?) game on the cart, by far. Strap in, this one is a ride.

  • S01E39 Hot Scrooge Pogo Session With DuckTales

    • May 10, 2024

    After enduring all of Action 52, this week I felt like I perhaps deserved a treat. So let's play DuckTales! But we can't just spend three hours ranking DuckTales, that would be irresponsible. So other NES "classics" such as Ghostbusters II, Crash 'n The Boys, S.C.A.T., and Captain Comic are also on the menu! OK, gotta go see about buying a used Power Pad...

  • S01E40 Mr. Mario, Tear Down This Wall!

    • May 17, 2024

    What are the best NES games? Jeff Gerstmann is here to find out. This week: Who in their right mind gave Mario a time machine? Let's check out Mario's Time Machine along with Baseball Stars, Platoon, Burai Fighter, Dragon Fighter, Pac-Man and more on this, the 40th time we're convening to rank every single NES game released in these United States!

  • S01E41 This Secret Castle is a DISASTER!

    • May 24, 2024

    Let's continue to figure out the greatest NES games of all-time as the list gets built! This week it's time to take a visit to Milon's Secret Castle! Let's also take a look at another Black Box Classic! And how about some... uh... what the heck is Phantom Fighter? Who made this stuff? Are these games real? Help!

  • S01E42 Pizza Time!!

    • May 31, 2024

    It's time for the awkwardly named Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game! Also this video might contain footage of me at the most frustrated I've ever been by one of these NES games? Let's rank Mad Max, Turtles, Castelian, and more.

  • S01E43 Mega Man 2, Is That Game Still Any Good?

    • June 7, 2024

    It's finally time for a little game called Mega Man 2. Will it hold up after all these years? Or has it just been put on a pedestal by weirdos for all these years? Let's move past the nostalgia and find out together! Also this week: more hits like Indiana Jones & The Tample of Doom, Track & Field, Captain America and the Avengers, Barbie, and... Robodemons. Wow.

  • S01E44 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? In the SAME Game? Now I've Seen Everything

    • June 14, 2024

    The quest for the top NES games continues! We must rank every NES game! How were they able to fit both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde onto one NES cartridge? It's insane! This week's batch is really something. First up it's Clu Clu Land, then a little Mystery Quest, and... well, at least Mighty Final Fight is in there somewhere, right?

  • S01E45 Check Out This Wild Mech Game!

    • June 21, 2024

    While I've certainly played a lot of NES games before, at some point I shifted my attention to newer platforms. So there's a lot of stuff that sorta fell through the cracks. Here's Metal Storm, one such game. Also... they made a Puss 'n Boots game? Based on an anime? Sure. Sure!

  • S01E46 Are We Gonna Need A Bigger Boat? Jaws for the NES, Ranked!

    • June 28, 2024

    Over 300 NES games have been ranked, but there's hundreds left to go! Double Dragon 2 seems like it'd have to be better than the first one, right? Let's dig in and find out. Also it's FINALLY time to rank JAWS for the NES.

  • S01E47 Shoot! The Glass!

    • July 5, 2024

    What are the best NES games of all time? It's time to continue building the list as we rank Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road, Die Hard, The Lone Ranger, Klax, and more.

  • S01E48 The DEADLIEST Bees in Video Game History

    • July 12, 2024

    A fresh batch of games are on tap to be ranked this week including the NES port of 720 Degrees, Eliminator Boat Duel, and... The Blues Brothers. Strap in.

  • S01E49 The Egg Boy Is Here (Send Help)

    • July 19, 2024

    How did we make it almost a year into this process without anyone suggesting a Dizzy game? Well, you're in luck--the DIZZY DROUGHT IS OVER.

  • S01E50 Is This Rare's Worst NES Release?

    • July 26, 2024

    Are we going to have a big, special 50th episode with a cavalcade of video game stars? Or are we going to take long looks at questionable games? I think you already know the answer to that. Here are some fascinating release that I've never played, like Magician, Time Lord, and Kid Kool and the Quest for the Seven Wonder Herbs. Also? Hudson's Adventure Island II! And Dizzy somehow finds a way to creep onto this installment, as well. Help!

  • S01E51 Back to the Future Deserves Better Than THIS!

    • August 2, 2024

    Two movies in one game? Sounds like a winner, right? Let's look at Back to the Future II & III and see what it's all about. Also: Fire 'N Ice! WWF Wrestlemania Challenge! The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and more!

  • S01E52 Strong Bad's Origins REVEALED!

    • August 9, 2024

    A fresh batch of NES releases starts with Tag Team Wrestling, Data East's arcade port that also served as a backdoor pilot for Homestar Runner, if you think about it (don't think about it). Also: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Total Recall make their way onto the list.

  • S01E53 This Is The Best Strider Game And I Will Fight You

    • August 16, 2024

    Strider! Smash TV! Orb-3D??? It's a weird week for NES games, let's get to ranking them!

  • S01E54 The Guardian Legend, Lolo, Mark Tyler's Punch-Out!! and More

    • August 23, 2024

    The power of the punch is finally measured here with a look at Power Punch II. But let's focus on the positive: it's finally time to crack into The Guardian Legend and see what makes it tick. Also: The Adventures of Lolo!

  • S01E55 Ghosts! Goblins! Dragons! Skulls! Panic! Tanks?

    • August 30, 2024

    What starts out as a nice look back at Ghosts 'n Goblins for the NES quickly devolves into a real mess with games like Skull & Crossbones and Dragon's Lair. But wait! At least Panic Restaurant is here!

  • S01E56 Did You Know There's a Beetlejuice Game on the NES???

    • September 6, 2024

    It's time for Amagon! But also the Gerstmann Advisory Panel has conspired to push a trio of licensed games onto this week's show. So get ready for Beetlejuice, Lethal Weapon, and Alien 3. Also: Dash Galaxy and something called Silent Assault? Wow.

  • S01E57 It's Friday the 13th! So Here's Friday the 13th!

    • September 13, 2024

    Jason is here and he's as purple as ever. But is this game actually any good? Let's apply some science to that as well as more horrors, like Abadox and... Major League Baseball. Yikes!

  • S01E58 Let's Color A Dinosaur?

    • September 20, 2024

    A fresh batch of hot NES games are here, including the unlicensed banger, Raid 2020. Also: Super Cars, James Bond Jr., Muppets Adventure, and more. Yikes.

  • S01E59 Golgo 13 Loves the Ladies and the Ladies Love Golgo 13

    • September 27, 2024

    Duke Togo gets around, let's catch up with the world's greatest sniper. But that's not the only NES game we're ranking this week. How about a little Hogan's Alley? And some Home Alone? And something called Deathbots? I'm sure that's fine.

  • S01E60 Metal Gear???

    • October 4, 2024

    It is finally time to embark on Operation Intrude N313 and see what the heck is started to move. Also: Ninjas in New York and barely a basketball game!

  • S01E61 What Does The C in Super C Stand For???? It's A SUPER SECRET!!

    • October 11, 2024

    Could it be Contra? Super Contra? Let's find out, I guess, as we rank Super C alongside Mission: Impossible, Wayne Gretzky Hockey, and The Battle of Olympus!

  • S01E62 Dracula's Backula!

    • October 16, 2024

    We've got a little housekeeping to handle, but let's take a look at this Dracula guy and see what he's been up to. Also this week, how about a little Monster Truck Rally? No? OK, uh, Airwolf? Defender II? Tecmo Baseball???? Big list this week, let's get into it!

  • S01E63 You Won't Believe the Surprising Truth About Indiana Jones NES Games

    • October 18, 2024

    Ubisoft must've not gotten the message that Taito had already made an Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade game on the NES or something, because otherwise WHY WOULD THEY MAKE ANOTHER ONE? Let's try those out, but also: ranking a can of GHOST Welch's Grape! And Gargoyle's Quest II!

  • S01E64 The SPOOKIEST Games On The NES Ever!

    • October 25, 2024

    It's Halloween and let's face it: Nothing is spookier than MATH.

  • S01E65 Metroid Joins The Fight!

    • November 1, 2024

    Metroid kicks off this week's list of newly ranked NES games as the overall list crosses the 400 mark. Which game will be our new number 400? There's only one way to know!

  • S01E66 Will Jimbo BLOW IT???

    • November 8, 2024

    A question for the ages, I know. Let's rank a fresh batch of filth including The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy, Infiltrator, Bad Street Brawler, and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. But first? Another Blaaaack Booooxxxx Claaaaassic.

  • S01E67 Greed is... GAMES?!?

    • November 15, 2024

    It's time to buy low and sell high and see what the heck is happening with this hiking trail as we rank Wall Street Kid! Also: Target: Renegade, Toxic Crusaders, Vice: Project Doom, and more!

  • S01E68 How Does Stack-Up... Stack Up?

    • November 22, 2024

    It's time to rank the last of the 1985 releases as Stack-Up makes its way onto the list. Also... Bible Buffet and and an unlicensed licensed game about an exterminator? Is this real?

  • S01E69 Is The Legend of Zelda Still Good?

    • November 29, 2024

    Hey, is the first Legend of Zelda game any good? Sure, everyone has fond memories of it, but does this thing hold up at all? Let's conduct some science. Also includes other hot hits like Toki and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends! Woah.