The 20 Best Nintendo Songs from the 8-Bit Era

Remember the soundtrack to your childhood.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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 It was the greatest day of your childhood - the day Santa got you a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas. From rescuing Princess Toadstool, to beating Ganon with the Silver Arrow, to shooting at the dog in Duck Hunt, to losing at Contra, the 8-Bit Era has a monopoly on our fondest childhood memories.

 Although we tend to remember the visuals of these early games, the music was an equally important component. The right tune, playing at the right time, could heighten the suspense and stoke our excitement - it could give us the extra motivation to take down Dr. Wily or knock out King Hippo. The 8-Bit Era is famous for doing so much with so little, and the music is no exception.

Plug in your controllers and blow into your cartridges. Counting down, here are the 20 Greatest Nintendo Songs of the 8-Bit Era.

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20. Battletoads "Turbo Tunnel"

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19. Nintendo World Cup "Versus Match"

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18. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game "Sewers"

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17. Paperboy "Main Theme"

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16. Bubble Bobble "Main Theme"

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15. Super Dodgeball "All-Stars"

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14. Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers "Zone B"

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13. Dr. Mario "Fever"

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12. Final Fantasy "Town"

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11. StarTropics "Beach"

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10. Punch-Out!! "Training"

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9. Super Mario Bros. "Underwater"

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8. Ninja Gaiden II "Act 2-2"

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7. Final Fantasy III "Eternal Wind"

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6. Super Mario Bros. 2 "Overworld"

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5. Castlevania II "Bloody Tears"

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4. Metroid "Brinstar"

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3. The Legend of Zelda "Opening"

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2. DuckTales "The Moon"

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1. Mega Man II "Dr. Wily Stage: Level 1"

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