Nintendo Power Charts - NES Total Points (As Published)

The Power Charts were a regular feature in Nintendo Power magazine, where every month the top 30 NES games were ranked in order. After the introduction of the SNES, it was reduced to a top 20 for all three Nintendo systems at the time (NES, SNES, Gameboy). The NES charts continued all the way through 1994, which is fitting because the last NES game was released in December of that year.

How were the charts compiled? The old issues with the top 30 show exactly how it worked. There were three separate rankings for players, pros, and dealers; when the the points were added up for those categories which gave us the final rankings. Dealers apparently referred to the sales data (or the games that they think would sell), pros refers to the people who worked at the magazine, and players refers to the readers (presumably from the cards that were sent in to enter contests, where they would ask you to name your top five games). The old issues where that additional data was displayed were nice, because it let you see how much of each game's total was in each category. It also allowed for some double checking. For example, Super Mario Bros. 2 was on the charts for every issue from #2 to #64, with the exception of vol. 23. Looking at the three categories, it's clear that they just simply forgot to include it on the charts because the points were more than enough. There are probably other instances as well, that was just a really obvious one.

However, on the list below I've included the charts as they were published, except for typos (like leaving off the 2 on the game name, for example). I'm currently double checking every chart for errors; I will then publish a different, "corrected" list.

So let me explain the ranking below. For every month a game was on the charts, I've given it points. 30 points for 1st, 29 for second, and so on. For the early issues where the magazine (and therefore the chart) was published bi-monthly, I've doubled the amount of points since the ranking was for two months. Volume 20 was the first to count normally.

182 games made the rankings. So with some charts counting double, there are a total of 78 months. Only 10 games reached #1, with Mario 3 and Zelda 1 dominating (38 and 16 total months respectively).


Number Ones

		Months
1	Legend Of Zelda	6	7/1988-12/1988
2	Super Mario Bros. 2	4	1/1989-4/1989
3	Legend Of Zelda 2	2	5/1989-6/1989
4	Super Mario Bros. 2	2	7/1989-8/1989
5	Legend Of Zelda 2	2	9/1989-101989
6	Mega Man 2	2	11/1989-12/1989
7	TMNT	4	1/1990-4/1990
8	Super Mario Bros. 3	13	5/1990-5/1991
9	TMNT 2	1	6/1991
10	Super Mario Bros. 3	19	7/1991-1/1993
11	Tecmo Super Bowl	3	2/1993-4/1993
12	Legend Of Zelda	1	5/1993
13	Super Mario Bros. 3	3	6/1993-8/1993
14	Legend Of Zelda	1	9/1993
15	Super Mario Bros. 3	1	10/1993
16	Kirby's Adventure	1	11/1993
17	Legend Of Zelda	1	12/1993
18	Super Mario Bros. 3	1	1/1994
19	Legend Of Zelda	1	2/1994
20	Tetris 2	1	3/1994
21	Kirby's Adventure	1	4/1994
22	Tetris 2	1	5/1994
23	Super Mario Bros. 3	1	6/1994
24	Legend Of Zelda	6	7/1994-12/1994

Total Points Ranking

		Points	Months
1	Legend Of Zelda	2031	77
2	Super Mario Bros. 3	1761	62
3	Super Mario Bros. 2	1540	74
4	Legend Of Zelda 2	1420	73
5	Metroid	1313	67
6	Final Fantasy	1306	52
7	Tetris	1229	58
8	Dr. Mario	1022	46
9	Mega Man 2	965	51
10	Battletoads	836	36
11	Tecmo Super Bowl	789	33
12	TMNT	717	39
13	Mega Man 3	700	36
14	TMNT 2	602	27
15	Mega Man	563	39
16	TMNT 3	556	26
17	Mega Man 4	554	26
18	Crystalis	523	25
19	Punch Out	478	28
20	Tecmo Bowl	475	28
21	Ninja Gaiden	432	18
22	Kirby's Adventure	393	16
23	Bionic Commando	392	24
24	Mega Man 5	386	17
25	Batman	379	24
26	Baseball Stars	378	28
27	Contra	364	24
28	Dragon Warrior	356	19
29	Double Dragon	350	22
30	Blaster Master	330	19
31	Monopoly	325	23
32	Dragon Warrior 2	305	14
33	Castlevania 3	299	21
34	Mega Man 6	289	11
34	Tetris 2	289	11
36	Dragon Warrior 4	272	16
37	Castlevania 2	267	15
38	NES Open Golf	244	13
39	Bart vs Space Mutants	239	11
40	Super Mario Bros.	228	14
41	Castlevania	222	16
42	Kid Icarus	212	12
43	Double Dragon 2	209	16
44	Jurassic Park	205	11
45	RC Pro-Am	204	14
46	Metal Gear	194	12
47	Star Tropics	185	9
48	Bases Loaded	182	12
48	Destiny Of An Emperor	182	12
50	Play Action Football	174	9
51	Shadowgate	166	12
52	Blades Of Steel	164	13
53	Tecmo NBA Basketball	157	9
54	Star Tropics 2	154	9
55	Ninja Gaiden 2	153	8
56	Faxandu	150	8
57	Battle Of Olympus	148	13
58	Duck Tales	141	12
59	Ice Hockey	138	8
59	Track & Field 2	138	8
61	Double Dribble	134	16
62	Top Gun	132	10
63	Maniac Mansion	131	12
64	Rad Racer	130	9
65	Bases Loaded 2	125	10
66	Ultima: Exodus	124	11
67	Tiny Toons	122	8
68	Super C	118	10
69	Adventure Island	116	8
70	Ultima: Avatar	115	9
71	Battletoads & Double Dragon	110	5
71	Dragon Warrior 3	110	7
71	Robocop	110	14
74	Double Dragon 3	107	7
75	Guardian Legend	106	12
76	Strider	104	6
77	Bad Dudes	92	14
77	Rampage	92	6
77	Yoshi	92	6
80	Wizardry	90	12
81	Pro Wrestling	88	6
82	Gauntlet	86	4
82	Goonies 2	86	6
82	Milon's Secret Castle	86	6
85	Legacy Of The Wizard	82	8
86	Little Nemo	74	9
87	Marble Madness	70	4
88	Magic Of Schelerzade	66	6
89	Paperboy	63	7
90	Golgo 13	62	4
90	Nobunga's Ambition	62	8
90	RBI Baseball	62	4
93	Pac-Man	58	5
93	Wizards & Warriors	58	6
94	Adventures Of Lolo 2	56	5
94	Skate Or Die	56	4
96	Yoshi's Cookie	54	3
97	Little Mermaid	53	4
98	Renegade	50	6
99	1943	48	6
99	Immortal	48	4
101	Snake's Revenge	46	6
102	Kung Fu	44	4
103	Vegas Dreams	43	3
104	Ikari Warriors	42	4
105	Willow	40	4
106	Excitebike	38	4
106	Mario Bros.	38	4
106	Ryger	38	6
106	Wrestlemania	38	4
110	Bart vs World	37	3
111	Baseball	36	4
112	Life Force	34	6
113	Rush 'n Attack	30	2
113	Super Off Road	30	3
115	Back To The Future	27	3
115	Wheel Of Fortune FE	27	2
117	Adventures Of Lolo	26	6
117	T & C Surf Design	26	4
119	Operation Wolf	25	3
120	G.I. Joe	24	2
120	Rambo	24	2
123	California Games	22	4
123	Nintendo World Cup	22	1
123	Spy Hunter	22	2
126	Fester's Quest	21	4
127	Gradius	18	4
127	Who Framed Roger Rabbit	18	2
129	Addams Family	16	1
129	Ghostbusters	16	2
129	Ghostbusters 2	16	1
129	Ghosts 'n Goblins	16	2
129	Jackal	16	2
134	Darkwing Duck	15	1
134	Home Alone 2	15	1
136	Championship Bowling	14	2
136	Goal	14	2
136	Rescue Rangers	14	3
136	Side Pocket	14	2
140	Batman: Return Of The Joker	13	1
140	Solstice	13	6
140	Super Spike Volleyball	13	1
143	Ms. Pac-Man	12	1
143	Popeye	12	2
143	Widget	12	1
146	TMNT Tournament Fighter	11	1
146	Wrestlemania Challenge	11	2
148	Kid Kool	10	2
148	Kid Niki	10	4
148	Wrath Of The Black Manta	10	2
151	Faria	9	2
151	Jeopardy 25th An.	9	1
153	Bayou Billy	8	2
153	Caveman Games	8	1
153	Section Z	8	2
153	Solomon's Key	8	2
153	Tombs & Treasures	8	2
153	Xevious	8	2
159	Jordan vs Bird	7	3
159	Skate Or Die 2	7	1
161	Bandit Kings	6	1
161	Golf	6	2
161	NFL Football	6	2
161	Shooting Range	6	1
165	Dick Tracy	5	1
165	Uninvited	5	1
167	Bubble Bobble	4	2
167	Gremlins 2	4	1
167	Kinght Rider	4	1
167	Ring King	4	2
167	Super Dodge Ball	4	2
167	Zanac	4	2
173	Base Wars	3	1
173	Princess Tomato	3	1
173	Swords & Serpents	3	1
176	Al Unser Jr.	2	2
176	Pinball	2	2
176	Solar Jetman	2	1
176	Wheel Of Fortune	2	2
180	Bill & Ted	1	1
180	Kings Of The Beach	1	1
180	Pinbot	1	1