Wizards & Warriors

Wizards & Warriors is Rare's first major NES game and the one that put the studio on Nintendo's map. You are Kuros, a knight in armour, sent into a forest of caves and castles to rescue Princess Irina from the evil wizard Malkil.

What separates it from the platformers around it is that the stages are open rather than linear. Each area is a network of screens you can walk back through, and progress depends on finding keys and gems rather than on reaching a flagpole. The Bright Sword upgrade fires projectiles, food restores energy, and the game's most quoted quirk is that Kuros can fall any distance without dying - which turns the whole level into vertical exploration. Its sequel, Ironsword, expanded the formula and is equally well regarded.

• ▸Open, non-linear stage layouts you can walk back through
• ▸Bright Sword projectile upgrade plus magic items
• ▸Kuros takes no falling damage, so descending is always safe
• ▸Gems and keys used as level gates rather than score