When thinking of Nintendo Entertainment System games that have playable female characters it's hard to come up with more than a couple like the obvious Samus.
But looking closely at the NES library reveals quite a few.
There's 76 games currently on this list which feature 8-bit ladies, with more that still needed to be added.
Only 2 games with female protagonists are on the NES Classic Edition. However it is possible to mod and add your own ROMs to it.
A PARTIAL tag means the games has a female playable character, but you play as multiple characters, as a party, or they are only available in a different mode, like multiplayer etc..
A FULL tag means the game has a female character you play though the entire game as.
Sidescrolling, Horror. When playing with 3 or 4 players two of the characters will be women.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance as Goldmoon
Side scrolling RPG. In the game you can switch between 8 different party members.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance
RPG. You create a party, choosing the race, class, and gender of each member.
Apple Town Story (Little Computer People)
Simulation. You play as a little girl who is given a random name at the beginning of the game.
Alien³ as Ellen Ripley
Platforming shooter.
Alien Syndrome as Mary
Shooter. At the beginning of the game the player chooses between Ricky and Mary.
Or if playing coop, one player controls each.
Arkista's Ring as Christine
Top down shooter
Athena as Athena
Platformer with RPG elements.
Attack Animal Gakuen as Nokko Win
3D shooter. Inspired by Sega's Space Harrier.
Bad News Baseball
Sports. Possible to play as girl team. Instructions in game page
Baseball Stars
There's an all female team, the Lovely Ladies, and a hidden feature
Barbie as Barbie]
Side scrolling game with shooterish mechanics.
California Games
Sports game. You play as a female character only in the skating event.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse as Sypha Belnades
Trevor is the main character, but there are three other support characters you can play in latter levels
Caveman Games (Caveman Ughlympics) as Crudla
Sports game with six different events.
Defenders of Dynatron City as Ms. Megawatt & Buzzsaw Girl
The player can switch between any of the six defenders anytime during the game.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei as Yumiko Shirasagi
RPG. You play as Akemi Nakajima with Yumiko Shirasagi on your party.
Dirty Pair Project Eden as Kei and Yuri
Side-scrolling shooter
Disney's The Little Mermaid
Dragon Warrior II as Princess of Moonbrooke
Dragon Warrior III
Dragon Warrior IV
Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball as Zelda & others
Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir (Tantei Club: Kieta Kōkeisha) as Ayumi Tachibana
Faria: A World of Mystery and Danger!
Cursed man
Final Fantasy
Friday the 13th as Camp Counselor
Gall Force Eternal Story
Gauntlet as Thyra
Gauntlet II as Valkrie?
The Guardian Legend as Miria
Ghost Lion as Maria
Idol Hakkenden as Erika
Text adventure gameplay
Kiki KaiKai: Dotou Hen as Sayo-chan
Konami Wai Wai World as Konami Lady
The Krion Conquest (Magical Kids Doropie) as Francesca aka Doropie
Labyrinth as Sarah
Layla as Layla
Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf
Legacy of the Wizard as the wife Meyna or the daughter Lyll
Legendary Wings as Michelle Heart
The Little Mermaid as Ariel
Little Red Hood as Red Hood
Lost Word of Jenny- Ushinawareta Message as Jenny
Mach Rider - Disputed
Maniac Mansion
Marusa No Onna (マルサの女) as Ryoko Itakura
Metroid as Samus
Micro Machines as Anne, Cherry, or Bonnie
Miracle Ropitt: 2100-Nen no Daibōken
Ms. Pac-Man
Paperboy 2 as Papergirl
The Quest of Ki as Ki
Racket Attack
RollerGames as Hot Flash: Vicki McEuen (the "Sly Fox")
S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team as Sigourney
Shadow of the Ninja aka (Yami no Shigotonin Kage) as Lady Kaede
Shin Onigashima as Hikari
Space Hunter as Altiana
Sukeban Deka III as Yuka , Yuma, and Yui
Super Mario Bros. 2 as Princess Toadstool or Peach
Sylviana: Ai Ippai no Boukensha (Adventurer Full of Love) as Sylviana
Times of Lore as a Valkyrie
Titanic Mystery: Ao no Senritsu as the three sisters
Top Players' Tennis
Track and Field 2 - Certain events
Ultima: Exodus
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
Ultima: Warriors of Destiny
Urusei Yatsura: Lum's Wedding Bell as Lum
Valis: The Fantasm Soldier as Yuko Asou
Valkyrie no Bōken: Toki no Kagi Densetsu] as Valkyrie
The Wing of Madoola as Lucia
Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth as Moby
Female Creatures / non-human characters
Clu Clu Land as Bubbles
Hello Kitty World
ROM Hacks
There are also quite a few ROM hacks that change the playable character to a woman.
Unknown / Disputed
Mach Rider
Image at the end could suggest Mach Rider was a woman, but there's no definite answer.
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