Best Classic Action Games

The Sega CD's defining game — Sonic CD introduced Metal Sonic and Amy Rose, with a time travel mechanic allowing players to visit past and future versions of each zone, plus two distinct soundtracks for Japan/Europe and North America.

The third chapter in Sonic's Genesis trilogy, Sonic 3 introduced Knuckles the Echidna as a rival and packed in the most ambitious level design of the trilogy. Split into two acts per zone with save functionality, it set a new bar for 16-bit speed and spectacle.

The definitive 16-bit Castlevania experience. Super Castlevania IV gave Simon Belmont free whip directional control, used the SNES hardware for stunning visual and audio effects, and delivered the series' most atmospheric adventure.

The definitive TMNT game and one of the greatest beat-em-ups ever made. Turtles in Time sends Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael through time periods from prehistoric prehistory to the distant future, delivering relentless two-player co-op action that still holds up perfectly today.

One of the most original RPGs ever made — Valkyrie Profile follows the Valkyrie Lenneth collecting the souls of dying warriors and sending them to Valhalla, with Norse mythology, a side-scrolling battle system, and a timed story structure.

Data East's 1994 Neo-Geo sports game where players throw flying discs across a court against opponents with powerful special shots and body-blocking defense — Windjammers is one of gaming's purest head-to-head competitive experiences, revived through modern re-releases that introduced it to a new generation of competitive players.

Capcom's 1994 CPS-2 arcade beat-em-up and the definitive AvP game — Alien vs. Predator features three-player co-op with two Predators (Hunter and Warrior) and two humans (Dutch's niece Linn Kurosaki and Lt. David Gibson) fighting through Alien hordes in a large-scale urban environment, with distinct character abilities and the series' iconic weapon set.

Taito's beloved 1986 arcade classic on NES — Bubble Bobble puts two bubble-blowing dinosaurs (Bub and Bob) through 100 single-screen stages, trapping enemies in bubbles then popping them for points. Two-player simultaneous co-op, hidden secrets that unlock the true ending, and a charming design that became one of the most influential arcade games of the era.

Konami's 1992 NES platformer based on the Bucky O'Hare animated series — one of the NES's final year high-quality releases, with five playable characters (Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Dead-Eye, Deadeye), non-linear stage selection, and Konami's signature platformer polish in a game that most players discovered years after its 1992 release.

The definitive NES Castlevania — Dracula's Curse returns to linear stage action and adds branching paths and three playable partners, making it the most feature-complete classic Castlevania.

Rare's audacious, boundary-pushing platformer used the deceptively cute character of Conker the squirrel as a vehicle for adult humor, cinematic parodies, and surprisingly emotional moments. One of the N64's most technically impressive games and its most unexpectedly mature.

The most aggressive and mechanically rich Contra entry, Hard Corps brought the series to Genesis in 1994 with four unique playable characters, branching storyline paths, and the most demanding gameplay in the franchise. With enemies that fill the screen, constant projectile patterns, and bosses with multiple distinct attack phases, Hard Corps remains the peak of Contra's 16-bit era.

The commercial peak of the Crash Bandicoot series — Warped's time-travel premise introduces motorbikes, planes, sea-doos, and baby T-rex riding across 30 time-period stages, making it the most varied entry in the trilogy.

Treasure's Saturn masterpiece blends classic beat-'em-up action with RPG stat progression, branching story paths, multiple playable characters, and six-player multiplayer. With one of the most inventive gameplay systems of the mid-1990s and exceptional sprite animation, Guardian Heroes remains one of the Saturn's greatest exclusives.

Eight games in one cartridge, each with a distinct mode — Spring Breeze, Gourmet Race, Great Cave Offensive, Revenge of Meta Knight, Milky Way Wishes, and more. Kirby Super Star's unprecedented content breadth, polished co-op, and satisfying copy ability system made it the most complete game on the SNES at launch.

Capcom's 1998 PS1 3D action-adventure — Mega Man Legends reinvents the franchise in full 3D as the digger MegaMan Volnutt exploring ruins to find energy crystals, with a cast of characters including Roll Caskett, the Bonnes pirate family, and a mystery about the island of Kattelox and the ancient Ancients. The franchise's most beloved non-canonical entry.

LucasArts' 1995 SNES mech action game — Metal Warriors puts players in control of five distinct mech suits fighting through a futuristic civil war, with the unique ability to eject from the mech and fight as a foot soldier. Two-player split-screen deathmatch and the most mechanically diverse mech selection of any SNES action game.

Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima's dreamlike arcade game soared beyond conventional genre definitions, putting players in the role of a dream jester in spectacular aerial levels scored on precise, stylish flying. NiGHTS into Dreams is one of the most original games Sega ever published and the Saturn's most celebrated exclusive.

Capcom's expansion of the Power Stone arena fighting concept to four-player chaos — Power Stone 2 adds larger multi-tier stages, stage-specific interactive hazards, a weapon crafting system, and four-player simultaneous combat that made it the definitive party fighting game on Dreamcast.

Ubisoft's 1999 N64 3D platformer and Rayman's leap to three dimensions — Rayman 2: The Great Escape expands the limbless character's projectile-shooting combat across an interconnected open world of the Glade of Dreams, with Lum collection replacing Rayman 1's timed objectives, heli-riding environmental traversal, and a rich cartoon aesthetic that many consider the franchise's creative and technical peak.

One of the Genesis's most spectacular platformers follows Sparkster, an opossum knight with a jet pack, through five worlds of flame-blasting, dash-attacking action. With tight controls, inventive level design, and some of the best visuals on the platform, Rocket Knight Adventures was Konami at their early-90s peak.

The finest Shinobi game and one of the Genesis's greatest action titles. Joe Musashi's final adventure combines fluid wall-running combat, ninjutsu magic, and spectacular boss encounters in a near-perfect action package.

Insomniac's PS1 trilogy finale — Year of the Dragon adds four playable friends (Sheila the Kangaroo, Sgt. Byrd, Bentley, Agent 9) with unique gameplay sections, 37 worlds, and 150 dragon eggs to rescue.

Capcom's Genesis port of their 1989 arcade classic — Strider puts players in control of Hiryu, an elite ninja using a plasma sword (Cypher) to slash through Soviet-themed futuristic environments. The Genesis version is considered the finest home port of the arcade original, faithful to the CPS1 game with fast combat, wall-climbing, and the memorable encounters with General Mikiel's giant mech and other bosses.