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 1996
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#1 Super Mario 64 (1996) (#7)
Nintendo EAD | N64 | Action-Adventure / Platform | ~12h | 85 lists
#2 Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow (1996) (#61)
Game Freak | GB | Role-Playing | ~26h | 47 lists
#3 Tomb Raider (1996) (#64)
Core Design | DOS, SAT, PS | Action-Adventure | ~16h | 52 lists
#4 Resident Evil (1996) (#74)
Capcom Planning Room 2 | WIN, SAT, PS | Horror | ~7h | 36 lists
#5 Sid Meier's Civilization II (1996) (#125)
MicroProse Software, Inc. | MAC, WIN | Turn-Based Strategy | ~21h | 27 lists
#6 Quake (1996) (#157)
id Software | 4 | First-Person Shooter | ~5h | 28 lists
#7 Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996) (#174)
Westwood Studios | WIN | Real-Time Strategy | ~28h | 23 lists
#8 Wipeout 2097 / Wipeout XL (1996) (#209)
Psygnosis | WIN, SAT, PS | Racing | ~3h | 20 lists
#9 Duke Nukem 3D (1996) (#214)
3D Realms | DOS, SAT, PS | First-Person Shooter | ~9h | 21 lists
#10 Mario Kart 64 (1996) (#225)
Nintendo EAD | N64 | Kart Racing | ~4h | 23 lists
#11 Nights Into Dreams (1996) (#278)
Sonic Team | SAT | Action | ~2h | 14 lists
#12 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996) (#326)
Square, Square Enix | SNES | Role-Playing | ~18h | 19 lists
#13 Wave Race 64 (1996) (#340)
Nintendo EAD | N64 | Racing | ~3h | 20 lists
#14 Saturn Bomberman (1996) (#373)
Hudson Soft | SAT | Action / Maze | ~3h | 10 lists
#15 PaRappa the Rapper (1996) (#392)
NanaOn-Sha | PS | Music | ~2h | 14 lists
#16 Metal Slug (1996) (#552)
Nazca Corporation | NG, SAT, PS | Run and Gun | ~54m | 8 lists
#17 Guardian Heroes (1996) (#571)
Treasure | SAT | Hack and Slash / Action RPG / Beat 'em Up | ~2h | 6 lists
#18 Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars (1996) (#706)
New World Computing | 3 | Turn-Based Strategy | ~47h | 4 lists
#19 Grand Prix 2 (1996) (#716)
MicroProse Software, Inc. | DOS | Racing | ~10h | 5 lists
#20 Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom (1996) (#751)
Origin Systems | 3, PS | Space Combat | ~11h | 5 lists
#21 Pilotwings 64 (1996) (#769)
Nintendo EAD, Nintendo R&D3, Paradigm Simulation | N64 | Flight Simulation | ~5h | 7 lists
#22 Dragon Force (1996) (#804)
Sega CS1 | SAT | Role-Playing / Real-Time Strategy | ~30h | 4 lists
#23 Harvest Moon (1996) (#810)
Amccus, Pack-In-Video | SNES | Life Simulation | ~24h | 6 lists
#24 Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars (1996) (#826)
Revolution Software | MAC, WIN, PS | Point-and-Click | ~10h | 4 lists
#25 Twisted Metal 2 / Twisted Metal: World Tour / Twisted Metal EX (1996) (#870)
SingleTrac | WIN, PS | Vehicular Combat | ~4h | 5 lists
#26 Crash Bandicoot (1996) (#905)
Naughty Dog | PS | Platform | ~6h | 5 lists
#27 International Track & Field (1996) (#922)
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo | ARC, PS | Sports | ~48m | 4 lists
#28 Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (1996) (#929)
Team Andromeda | SAT | Shooter | ~2h | 4 lists
#29 International Superstar Soccer 64 (1996) (#953)
Konami | N64 | Sports | ~15h | 4 lists
#30 Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (1996) (#983)
Rare | SNES | Platform | ~4h | 6 lists
#1
#7
Super Mario 64
1996
#2
#61
#3
#64
Tomb Raider
1996
#4
#74
Resident Evil
1996
#5
#125
#6
#157
Quake
1996
#7
#174
#8
#209
#9
#214
Duke Nukem 3D
1996
#10
#225
Mario Kart 64
1996
#11
#278
Nights Into Dreams
1996
#12
#326
#13
#340
Wave Race 64
1996
#14
#373
Saturn Bomberman
1996
#15
#392
PaRappa the Rapper
1996
#16
#552
Metal Slug
1996
#17
#571
Guardian Heroes
1996
#18
#706
#19
#716
Grand Prix 2
1996
#20
#751
#21
#769
Pilotwings 64
1996
#22
#804
Dragon Force
1996
#23
#810
Harvest Moon
1996
#24
#826
#26
#905
Crash Bandicoot
1996
#27
#922
#28
#929
#29
#953
#30
#983
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