I had a blast playing that game when I was a kid - as I recall it struck a good balance between simple, accessible controls while also being challenging (and without being frustrating). The gold cartridge rather than the typical NES cartridge probably also lent it an air of specialness.

As I got older I realized that most kids with Nintendos had more games and I felt left out for never having played Zelda or Metroid. But man, Micro Machines, Super Mario Bros 3 and Faxanadu was all I needed.