2. The Legend of Zelda
This is the game that popped up all over my childhood at friends' houses and whatnot. Every time I'd dig through someone's collection and find that golden cartridge, I had to play it. And they always had some new trick or hidden area to show me. This game took exploration to a whole new level, unmatched by any other NES game (again, my opinion... but right). And the action, the weapons, the enemies, the triforce! There is just so much awesome packed into this one game that it is unreal.
When I finally owned the game for myself and could explore it in its entirety, I grew to love it even more. I still hate those freakin' hands that take you back to the beginning of a dungeon!
Oh yeah, and the music was so good!