Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,000 most recommended games across 827 critic lists from 134 publications.

Updated: October 26, 2025

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1987

Filters

19 of 19

#1 Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! (1987) (#167)

Nintendo R&D3 | NES | Sports | ~3h | 25 lists

#2 Contra (1987) (#197)

Konami | ARC, DOS, 3, NES | Run and Gun | ~1h | 27 lists

#3 Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) (#258)

MicroProse Software, Inc. | 6, DOS, MAC, NES | Strategy / Action-Adventure | ~8h | 16 lists

#4 Double Dragon (1987) (#259)

Technos Japan | ARC, NES, SMS | Beat 'em Up | ~1h | 20 lists

#5 R-Type (1987) (#374)

Irem | ARC, 7, SMS, TG16 | Shooter | ~1h | 15 lists

#6 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987) (#381)

Nintendo R&D4 | NES, FDS | Action RPG / Platform | ~10h | 13 lists

#7 Dungeon Master (1987) (#396)

FTL Games | AST, AMI | Role-Playing / Dungeon Crawler | ~16h | 13 lists

#8 Maniac Mansion (1987) (#501)

Lucasfilm Games | A2, C64, DOS, NES | Point-and-Click | ~3h | 11 lists

#9 Final Fantasy (1987) (#528)

Square | MSX, NES | Role-Playing | ~15h | 9 lists

#10 Tecmo Bowl (1987) (#581)

Tecmo | ARC, NES | Sports | ~2h | 8 lists

#11 Head over Heels (1987) (#593)

Ocean Software | 7 | Action-Adventure | 6 lists

#12 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1987) (#638)

Taito | ARC, 5, NES, SMS, GEN, TG16 | Platform | ~2h | 8 lists

#13 NetHack (1987) (#639)

DOS | Roguelike | ~11h | 5 lists

#14 Shinobi (1987) (#691)

Team Shinobi | ARC, DOS, 6, NES, SMS, TG16 | Hack and Slash / Platform | ~1h | 6 lists

#15 Mega Man (1987) (#718)

Capcom | NES | Platform | ~3h | 7 lists

#16 California Games (1987) (#760)

Epyx | A2, C64, LYNX | Sports | ~2h | 7 lists

#17 International Karate + (1987) (#821)

System 3 Software | 5 | Fighting | ~48m | 6 lists

#18 Wizball (1987) (#870)

Sensible Software | DOS, 5 | Shooter | ~1h | 3 lists

#19 Phantasy Star (1987) (#936)

Sega Enterprises, Ltd. | SMS | Role-Playing | ~15h | 5 lists

#167

Nintendo R&D3

NES

Sports

~3h

25 lists

Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! 1987

#197

Konami

CPC, ARC, C64, DOS, NES, ZXS

Run and Gun

~1h

27 lists

Contra 1987

#258

MicroProse Software, Inc.

AMI, CPC, A2, MAC, AST, C64, DOS, NES, PC88

Strategy / Action-Adventure

~8h

16 lists

Sid Meier's Pirates! 1987

#259

Technos Japan

ARC, NES, SMS

Beat 'em Up

~1h

20 lists

Double Dragon 1987

#374

Irem

AMI, CPC, ARC, AST, C64, MSX, PC88, SMS, TG16, ZXS

Shooter

~1h

15 lists

R-Type 1987

#381

Nintendo R&D4

FDS, NES

Action RPG / Platform

~10h

13 lists

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 1987

#396

FTL Games

AMI, AST

Role-Playing / Dungeon Crawler

~16h

13 lists

Dungeon Master 1987

#501

Lucasfilm Games

A2, C64, DOS, NES

Point-and-Click

~3h

11 lists

Maniac Mansion 1987

#528

Square

MSX, NES

Role-Playing

~15h

9 lists

Final Fantasy 1987

#10

#581

Tecmo

ARC, NES

Sports

~2h

8 lists

Tecmo Bowl 1987

#11

#593

Ocean Software

AMI, CPC, A8, AST, C64, MSX, ZXS

Action-Adventure

6 lists

Head over Heels 1987

#12

#638

Taito

AMI, CPC, ARC, AST, C64, NES, SMS, GEN, TG16, ZXS

Platform

~2h

8 lists

Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 1987

#13

#639

DOS

Roguelike

~11h

5 lists

NetHack 1987

#14

#691

Team Shinobi

AMI, CPC, ARC, AST, C64, DOS, MSX, NES, SMS, TG16, ZXS

Hack and Slash / Platform

~1h

6 lists

Shinobi 1987

#15

#718

Capcom

NES

Platform

~3h

7 lists

Mega Man 1987

#16

#760

Epyx

A2, LYNX, C64

Sports

~2h

7 lists

California Games 1987

#17

#821

System 3 Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, ZXS

Fighting

~48m

6 lists

International Karate + 1987

#18

#870

Sensible Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, DOS, ZXS

Shooter

~1h

3 lists

Wizball 1987

#19

#936

Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

SMS

Role-Playing

~15h

5 lists

Phantasy Star 1987

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