Best Retro Games Lists
Expert-curated rankings of the greatest classic video games, organized by console and genre.
Best PlayStation 1 Games of All Time
The greatest PS1 games ever made: Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania Symphony of the N...
Best SNES Games of All Time
The greatest Super Nintendo games ever made — from Chrono Trigger and A Link to the Past to Super Me...
Best NES Games of All Time
The definitive list of the best Nintendo Entertainment System games ever made. From Super Mario Bros...
Best Sega Genesis Games of All Time
The best Sega Genesis games ranked — Sonic, Streets of Rage 2, Phantasy Star IV, and more. The Genes...
Best Retro Games of All Time
The definitive list of the greatest retro video games ever made — across every classic console from ...
Best N64 Games of All Time
The best N64 games ranked: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, Majora's Mask, and more. ...
Best Retro Platformers of All Time
The greatest retro platformers ranked: Super Mario Bros, Sonic, Mega Man X, Castlevania, Donkey Kong...
Best Game Boy Games of All Time
The greatest Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games ever made — Tetris, Pokémon, Link'...
Best Video Games of the 1990s
The best video games of the 1990s ranked: Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII, Chrono...
Best N64 Games of All Time — The Definitive Ranking
The definitive ranking of the best N64 games: Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye, Mario 64, Smash Bros, Majo...
Best Retro Games for Kids and Families
The best retro games for kids and families: Super Mario Bros, Pokemon, Kirby, Donkey Kong Country, M...
Best SNES Games of All Time — The Definitive Ranking
The definitive ranking of best SNES games: Chrono Trigger, A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Final ...
Best Sega Genesis Games of All Time — The Definitive Ranking
The definitive ranking of best Genesis games: Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Phantasy Star IV, Gunstar ...
Best NES Games of All Time — The Definitive Ranking
The definitive ranking of best NES games: Super Mario Bros 3, Contra, Mega Man 2, Castlevania, Ninja...
Best PS1 Games of All Time — The Definitive Ranking
The definitive ranking of best PS1 games: Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Cast...
Best Game Boy Advance Games of All Time — Definitive Ranking
The definitive ranking of best GBA games: Golden Sun, Fire Emblem, Castlevania AoS, Advance Wars, Me...
Best Video Games of the 1980s
The best video games of the 1980s ranked: Super Mario Bros, Tetris, Zelda, Mega Man 2, Castlevania, ...
Best Game Boy Advance Games of All Time
The greatest Game Boy Advance games ever made: Golden Sun, Metroid Fusion, Fire Emblem, Castlevania,...
Best Retro RPGs of All Time
The best retro RPGs ranked: Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Earthbound, Secret of Mana, Suikoden I...
Best Retro Sports Games of All Time
The best retro sports games ranked: NBA Jam, Madden NFL, NHL '94, Super Mario Kart, Tecmo Bowl. The ...
Best NES Action Games of All Time
The best NES action games ranked: Contra, Mega Man 2, Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, Bionic Commando, Mi...
Best SNES RPGs of All Time
The greatest Super Nintendo RPGs ever made: Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, EarthBound, Secret of ...
Best Retro Co-Op Games of All Time
The best retro co-op games ranked: Contra, Double Dragon, Streets of Rage 2, Kirby Super Star, Turtl...
Best Retro Racing Games of All Time
The best retro racing games ranked: Gran Turismo, F-Zero, Super Mario Kart, Ridge Racer, Road Rash. ...
Best Sega Genesis Action Games of All Time
The best Sega Genesis action games ranked: Gunstar Heroes, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Alien Soldier, Cont...
Best PS1 Action Games of All Time
The best PS1 action games ranked: Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Resident Evil...
Best Retro Action RPGs
The best retro action RPGs: Secret of Mana, Zelda A Link to the Past, Beyond Oasis, Ys, Terranigma, ...
Best Retro Games for Collectors
The best retro games for collectors: Earthbound, Suikoden II, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Stadium Events. V...
Best Retro Game Characters of All Time
The best retro game characters: Mario, Link, Samus, Sonic, Cloud, Solid Snake. Greatest classic vide...
Best Retro Video Game Soundtracks of All Time
The best retro game soundtracks: Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Castlevania Symphony of the Night...
Best Retro Games to Play at Christmas
The best retro games to play at Christmas: Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Streets of Rage, NBA Jam. Classic...
Best Retro Games for Beginners
The best retro games for beginners: Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart 64, Pokemon Red, Kirby Super Star. ...
Best Retro Games for Nostalgia
The best retro games for nostalgia: Pokémon, Super Mario Bros, GoldenEye, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot. Cl...
Best Retro Games Under $20
The best cheap retro games under $20: Genesis classics, PS1 games, NES titles. Affordable retro game...
Best Retro RPG Soundtracks
The best retro RPG soundtracks: Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Earthbound, Xenogears, Secret of M...
Best Retro Strategy Games of All Time
The best retro strategy games ranked: Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Final Fantasy Tactics, Shining Forc...
Best SNES Action Games of All Time
The best SNES action games ranked: Mega Man X, Super Metroid, Contra III, Super Castlevania IV, Zomb...
Best Game Boy Color Games of All Time
The best Game Boy Color games ever made: Pokémon Gold and Silver, Zelda Oracle of Ages and Seasons, ...
Hardest Retro Games of All Time
The hardest retro games ranked: Battletoads, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Ninja Gaiden, Contra, Gradius III. T...
Best Mega Man Games of All Time
The best Mega Man games ever made: Mega Man 2, Mega Man X, Mega Man 3, Mega Man Zero, and more. The ...
Best Retro Games for Couples
The best retro games for couples: Mario Kart, Secret of Mana, Streets of Rage, Tetris. Top classic 2...
Best Retro Games to Play on Emulator
The best retro games to play on emulator: SNES, Genesis, N64, PS1 classics. Top emulator-friendly re...
Best Retro Games for Girls and Women
The best retro games for girls and women: Pokemon, Harvest Moon, Mario, Kirby, Spyro. Classic games ...
Best Retro Games with High Replay Value
The best replayable retro games: Tetris, Mega Man, Street Fighter II, Chrono Trigger, Rogue. Classic...
Best Short Retro Games (Under 5 Hours)
The best short retro games you can finish quickly: Kirby Dream Land, Mega Man 2, Contra, Sonic, Cast...
Best Retro Games for Two Players
The best 2-player retro games: Streets of Rage, Mario Kart, Contra, NBA Jam, Street Fighter II. Top ...
Best Retro Handheld Games of All Time
The best retro handheld games: Pokemon, Zelda Link's Awakening, Tetris, Metroid Fusion, Golden Sun. ...
Best Retro JRPGs of All Time
The best retro JRPGs: Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Earthbound, Xenogears, Suikoden II. Top clas...
Best Retro Multiplayer Games of All Time
The best retro multiplayer games: GoldenEye, Mario Kart 64, NBA Jam, Bomberman, Smash Bros. Top loca...
Best Retro RPG Hidden Gems
The best underrated retro RPGs: Terranigma, Illusion of Gaia, Lufia II, Tales of Phantasia, Dragon Q...
Best Castlevania Games of All Time
The best Castlevania games ranked: Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, Super Castlevania IV, and ...
Best Mario Games of All Time
The best Mario games of all time ranked: Super Mario 64, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, the...
Best Neo-Geo Games of All Time
The best Neo-Geo games ranked: Metal Slug, King of Fighters '98, Samurai Shodown II, Fatal Fury Spec...
Best NES Platformers of All Time
The greatest NES platformers ranked: Super Mario Bros., Mega Man 2, Castlevania, Kirby's Adventure, ...
Best PlayStation 1 RPGs of All Time
The greatest PlayStation 1 RPGs ever made: Final Fantasy VII, IX, Xenogears, Suikoden II, Vagrant St...
Best Retro Game Endings of All Time
The best retro game endings: Metal Gear Solid, Link's Awakening, Chrono Trigger, Shadow of Colossus,...
Best Retro Games with Great Stories
The best retro games with great stories: Metal Gear Solid, Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Fi...
Best Retro Horror Games of All Time
The best retro horror games ranked: Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill, Castlevania Symphony of the Night,...
Best Retro Metroidvania Games
The best retro Metroidvania games: Super Metroid, Symphony of the Night, Fusion, Zero Mission. Class...
Best Sega Genesis Hidden Gems You Probably Missed
The best underrated Sega Genesis games: Alien Soldier, Dynamite Heady, Kid Chameleon, Herzog Zwei, G...
Best NES Hidden Gems You Probably Missed
The best underrated NES games: Bionic Commando, River City Ransom, Crystalis, Duck Tales 2, Chip 'n ...
Best PS1 RPG Hidden Gems You May Have Missed
The best overlooked PS1 RPGs: Suikoden, Valkyrie Profile, Wild ARMs, Vagrant Story, Xenogears. The h...
Best Retro Adventure Games of All Time
The best retro adventure games ranked: Zelda Link's Awakening, Shadowrun, Shenmue, Legacy of Kain. T...
Best Retro Game Sequels — Better Than the Original
The best retro game sequels that outdid the original: Sonic 2, DKC2, Streets of Rage 2, Mega Man 2, ...
Best Retro Games for Adults
The best retro games for adults: Metal Gear Solid, Xenogears, Silent Hill, Earthbound, Final Fantasy...
Best-Looking Retro Games (Best Graphics)
The best-looking retro games: Donkey Kong Country, Vectorman, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Toy Story. Class...
Most Underrated Retro Games That Deserve More Credit
The most underrated retro games: Terranigma, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Bloodlines, Guardian Heroes. Class...
Best Retro Platformer Hidden Gems
The best underrated retro platformers: Ristar, Rocket Knight Adventures, Gley Lancer, Mischief Maker...
Best Retro Shoot-Em-Ups of All Time
The greatest retro shoot-em-ups ranked: R-Type, Gradius, Thunder Force IV, Blazing Lazers, Soldier B...
Best Atari 2600 Games of All Time
The greatest Atari 2600 games ever made: Pitfall, Space Invaders, Adventure, Asteroids, Missile Comm...
Best Retro Games of the 2000s
The best retro games of the 2000s: Shadow of the Colossus, GTA San Andreas, Halo, Metroid Prime, Res...
Best Multiplayer SNES Games of All Time
The best SNES multiplayer games ranked: Super Mario Kart, Street Fighter II Turbo, NBA Jam, Secret o...
Best N64 Action Games of All Time
The best N64 action games ranked: GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark, Star Fox 64, Jet Force Gemini, Castle...
Best N64 Hidden Gems You Probably Missed
The best underrated N64 games: Jet Force Gemini, Mischief Makers, Space Station Silicon Valley, Myst...
Best N64 Multiplayer Games of All Time
The best N64 multiplayer games ranked: GoldenEye 007, Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros, Perfect Dark,...
Best NES Sports Games
The best NES sports games: Tecmo Bowl, Baseball Stars, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, Blades of Steel, Doub...
Best PS1 Hidden Gems You Probably Missed
The best underrated PS1 games: Azure Dreams, Klonoa, Jumping Flash!, Parasite Eve, Driver. PS1 hidde...
Best PS1 Sports Games
The best PS1 sports games: Gran Turismo, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, NFL Gameday, Tekken 3. Top PlayStat...
Most Overrated Retro Games — Are They Really That Good?
The most overrated retro games: Zelda OOT, Final Fantasy VII, GoldenEye. Classic games that might no...
Best Retro RPG Boss Fights of All Time
The best retro RPG boss fights: Lavos, Kefka, Sephiroth, Magus, Ozma. Greatest classic RPG boss enco...
Best SNES Hidden Gems You Probably Missed
The best underrated SNES games: Demons Crest, Shadowrun, Terranigma, Ogre Battle, Zombies Ate My Nei...
Best SNES Platformers of All Time
The greatest SNES platformers ranked: Super Mario World, Mega Man X, Donkey Kong Country 2, and more...
Best Final Fantasy Games of All Time
The best Final Fantasy games ever made: FFVI, FFVII, Chrono Trigger, FFTactics, FFIX, and more. The ...
Best Final Fantasy Hidden Gems and Overlooked Entries
The best underrated Final Fantasy games: FF5, FFXII, Crisis Core, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Overlo...
Best GBA Hidden Gems You Probably Missed
The best underrated GBA games: Ninja Five-O, Summon Night, Tactics Ogre, Riviera. GBA hidden gems th...
Best N64 Platformers of All Time
The best N64 platformers ranked: Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Conker's Bad Fur Day...
Best PS1 Horror Games
The best PS1 horror games: Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill, Parasite Eve, Clock Tower 2, Dino Crisis. T...
Best PS1 Platformers
The best PS1 platformers: Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Klonoa, Jumping Flash. Top PlayStation ...
Best Retro Fighting Games of All Time
The greatest classic fighting games ranked: Tekken 3, Super Smash Bros., Street Fighter II, and more...
Best Retro Survival Horror Games
The best retro survival horror games: Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill, Clock Tower, Dino Crisis, Parasi...
Best Retro Open World Games
The best retro open world games: Shenmue, GoldenEye, Driver, Zelda Ocarina of Time, Grand Theft Auto...
Best Zelda Games of All Time
The best Legend of Zelda games ranked: Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, Majora's Mask, Link's Aw...
Best 2 Player NES Games of All Time
The best 2 player NES games ranked: Contra, River City Ransom, Double Dragon, Battletoads, and more....
Best Sega Dreamcast Games of All Time
The best Sega Dreamcast games ranked: Sonic Adventure, Jet Grind Radio, Shenmue, Marvel vs. Capcom 2...
Best Game Boy Hidden Gems
The best underrated Game Boy games: Gargoyle's Quest, Kid Dracula, Mole Mania, Kirby's Pinball Land....
Best Game Boy Advance RPGs of All Time
The best Game Boy Advance RPGs ranked: Golden Sun, Fire Emblem, Castlevania Aria of Sorrow, Final Fa...
Best Sega Genesis RPGs of All Time
The best Sega Genesis RPGs ranked: Phantasy Star IV, Shining Force II, Landstalker, Beyond Oasis. Th...
Best N64 Sports Games
The best N64 sports games: NFL Blitz, Mario Kart 64, Wave Race 64, Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey. Top Ni...
Best Retro Pokémon Games of All Time
The best classic Pokémon games ranked: Gold and Silver, Red and Blue, Crystal, Yellow. The original ...
Best Retro Beat-Em-Ups of All Time
The best retro beat-em-ups ranked: Streets of Rage 2, Final Fight, Double Dragon, Teenage Mutant Nin...
Best Retro Puzzle Games of All Time
The best retro puzzle games ranked: Tetris, Puzzle Bobble, Columns, Dr. Mario. The classic puzzle ga...
Best SNES Co-op Games
The best SNES co-op games: Contra III, Secret of Mana, Kirby Super Star, Donkey Kong Country. Top Su...
Best SNES Sports Games
The best SNES sports games: NBA Jam, Super Mario Kart, Super Baseball Simulator, Madden NFL. Top Sup...
Best TurboGrafx-16 Games of All Time
The best TurboGrafx-16 games ranked: Castlevania Rondo of Blood, Ys Book I & II, Blazing Lazers, Bon...
Best Donkey Kong Games of All Time
Every Donkey Kong game ranked: DKC2, DKC, Donkey Kong 64, DKC3, the original arcade. The definitive ...
Best Crash Bandicoot Games of All Time
Every Crash Bandicoot game ranked: Crash 3 Warped, Crash 2 Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Team Racing, o...
Best Dreamcast Hidden Gems
The best underrated Dreamcast games: Seaman, Ikaruga, Cannon Spike, Border Down. Sega Dreamcast hidd...
Best Fire Emblem Games of All Time
The best Fire Emblem games: Sacred Stones, The Blazing Blade, Path of Radiance, Genealogy of the Hol...
Best Metroid Games of All Time
Every Metroid game ranked: Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, Zero Mission, Metroid II. The definitive M...
Best Retro Shoot-em-ups (Shmups)
The best retro shmups: R-Type, Gradius, Thunder Force IV, Ikaruga, Batsugun, DoDonPachi. Top classic...
Best Retro Tower Defense and Strategy Games
The best retro strategy games: Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy Tactics, Herzog Zwei, Shinin...
Best Sega Master System Games of All Time
The best Sega Master System games ever made: Wonder Boy III, Fantasy Zone, Alex Kidd, Sonic, and mor...
Best Sonic Games of All Time
The best classic Sonic games ranked: Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, and more. The definitive...
Best Sega Genesis Sports Games
The best Sega Genesis sports games: NBA Jam, NFL Madden, NHL 94, Joe Montana Football. Top Sega Gene...
Best Resident Evil Games of All Time
Every classic Resident Evil game ranked: Resident Evil 2, RE3 Nemesis, original RE, Code Veronica. T...
Best Retro Anime-Style Games
The best retro anime-style games: Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Evangelion, Yu Yu Hakusho. Classic ani...
Best Sega Saturn Games of All Time
The best Sega Saturn games ranked: Panzer Dragoon Saga, NiGHTS into Dreams, Panzer Dragoon, Sonic R....
Best Tales Series Games
The best Tales series games: Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Eternia. Top Tales actio...
Best Mortal Kombat Games of All Time
Every Mortal Kombat game ranked: Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, the original MK. The definitive ...
Best N64 RPGs of All Time
The best Nintendo 64 RPGs: Paper Mario, Ogre Battle 64, Harvest Moon 64. The N64 had a small but exc...
Best NES RPGs of All Time
The best NES RPGs ranked: Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior, Zelda, Crystalis, Mother. The role-playing ...
Best PS1 Fighting Games of All Time
The best PS1 fighting games ranked: Tekken 3, Soul Blade, Tekken 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3. The Play...
Best Retro Fighting Game Hidden Gems
The best underrated retro fighting games: Killer Instinct, Darkstalkers, Rival Schools, Power Stone....
Best Sega Saturn Hidden Gems
The best underrated Sega Saturn games: Radiant Silvergun, Dragon Force, Guardian Heroes, Bulk Slash....
Best Spyro the Dragon Games of All Time
Every Spyro the Dragon game ranked: Spyro Year of the Dragon, Spyro 2 Ripto's Rage, original Spyro t...
Best Dreamcast RPGs of All Time
The best Dreamcast RPGs ranked: Skies of Arcadia, Grandia II, Phantasy Star Online, Shenmue. The def...
Best Golden Sun Games of All Time
Golden Sun games ranked: Golden Sun The Lost Age vs original Golden Sun. The best Camelot GBA RPG se...
Best Retro Arcade Games of All Time
The best retro arcade games: Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter II, Galaga, Mortal Kombat. Top cla...
Best Retro Stealth Games
The best retro stealth games: Metal Gear Solid, Thief, Splinter Cell, Tenchu. Classic stealth games ...
Best Sega CD Games of All Time
The best Sega CD games ranked: Popful Mail, Sonic CD, Snatcher, Silpheed. The CD add-on that brought...
Best Street Fighter Games of All Time
Every Street Fighter game ranked: Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fig...
Best Atari 2600 Hidden Gems
The best underrated Atari 2600 games: Adventure, Pitfall II, Solaris, River Raid. Atari hidden gems ...
Best Retro Games from the PS2 Era
The best retro games from the PS2 era: GTA San Andreas, Kingdom Hearts, Devil May Cry, Shadow of the...
Best Sega Master System Hidden Gems
The best underrated Sega Master System games: Wonder Boy, Phantasy Star, Golden Axe Warrior, Alex Ki...
About Our Rankings
Our best-of lists are compiled based on review scores, historical impact, and lasting playability. We consider games from the classic gaming era (1977–2002), covering all major consoles from the Atari 2600 through the PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64. Each game is rated on a 1–10 scale with full reviews available on individual game pages.