Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,000 most recommended games across 904 critic lists from 141 publications.

Updated: February 3, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1987

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19 of 19

#1 Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! (1987) (#169)

Nintendo R&D3 | NES | Sports | ~3h | 26 lists

#2 Contra (1987) (#200)

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

#3 Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) (#264)

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

#4 Double Dragon (1987) (#268)

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

#5 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987) (#384)

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

#6 R-Type (1987) (#391)

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

#7 Dungeon Master (1987) (#412)

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

#8 Final Fantasy (1987) (#506)

Square | MSX, NES | Role-Playing | ~15h | 10 lists

#9 Maniac Mansion (1987) (#516)

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

#10 Tecmo Bowl (1987) (#586)

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

#11 Head over Heels (1987) (#596)

Ocean Software | 7 | Action-Adventure | 6 lists

#12 NetHack (1987) (#640)

DOS | Roguelike | ~11h | 5 lists

#13 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1987) (#653)

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

#14 Shinobi (1987) (#725)

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

#15 Mega Man (1987) (#764)

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

#16 California Games (1987) (#788)

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

#17 International Karate + (1987) (#844)

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

#18 Wizball (1987) (#892)

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

#19 Phantasy Star (1987) (#963)

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

#169

Nintendo R&D3

NES

Sports

~3h

26 lists

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

#200

Konami

CPC, ARC, C64, DOS, NES, ZXS

Run and Gun

~1h

27 lists

Contra 1987

#264

MicroProse Software, Inc.

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

Strategy / Action-Adventure

~8h

16 lists

Sid Meier's Pirates! 1987

#268

Technos Japan

ARC, NES, SMS

Beat 'em Up

~1h

20 lists

Double Dragon 1987

#384

Nintendo R&D4

FDS, NES

Action RPG / Platform

~10h

13 lists

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 1987

#391

Irem

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

Shooter

~1h

15 lists

R-Type 1987

#412

FTL Games

AMI, AST

Role-Playing / Dungeon Crawler

~16h

13 lists

Dungeon Master 1987

#506

Square

MSX, NES

Role-Playing

~15h

10 lists

Final Fantasy 1987

#516

Lucasfilm Games

A2, C64, DOS, NES

Point-and-Click

~3h

11 lists

Maniac Mansion 1987

#10

#586

Tecmo

ARC, NES

Sports

~2h

8 lists

Tecmo Bowl 1987

#11

#596

Ocean Software

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

Action-Adventure

6 lists

Head over Heels 1987

#12

#640

DOS

Roguelike

~11h

5 lists

NetHack 1987

#13

#653

Taito

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

Platform

~2h

8 lists

Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 1987

#14

#725

Team Shinobi

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

Hack and Slash / Platform

~1h

6 lists

Shinobi 1987

#15

#764

Capcom

NES

Platform

~3h

7 lists

Mega Man 1987

#16

#788

Epyx

A2, LYNX, C64

Sports

~2h

7 lists

California Games 1987

#17

#844

System 3 Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, ZXS

Fighting

~48m

6 lists

International Karate + 1987

#18

#892

Sensible Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, DOS, ZXS

Shooter

~1h

3 lists

Wizball 1987

#19

#963

Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

SMS

Role-Playing

~15h

5 lists

Phantasy Star 1987

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