Acclaimed Video Games
The top 1,000 most recommended games across 827 critic lists from 134 publications.
Updated: October 26, 2025
Most Acclaimed Nintendo Entertainment System Games of All Time
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#1 Tetris (1985) (#2)
Alexey Pajitnov | 8, DOS, NES, GB | Puzzle | ~3h | 94 lists
#2 Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) (#28)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES | Platform | ~5h | 59 lists
#3 Super Mario Bros. (1985) (#55)
Nintendo R&D4 | ARC, NES | Platform | ~2h | 41 lists
#4 The Legend of Zelda (1986) (#85)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES, FDS | Action-Adventure | ~8h | 28 lists
#5 Mega Man 2 (1988) (#99)
Capcom | NES | Platform | ~3h | 38 lists
#6 Donkey Kong (1981) (#122)
Ikegami Tsushinki, Nintendo | ARC, NES | Platform | ~18m | 31 lists
#7 Pac-Man (1980) (#153)
Namco | ARC, 3, 5, DOS, NES | Maze | ~48m | 31 lists
#8 Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! (1987) (#167)
Nintendo R&D3 | NES | Sports | ~3h | 25 lists
#9 Contra (1987) (#197)
Konami | ARC, DOS, 3, NES | Run and Gun | ~1h | 27 lists
#10 Metroid (1986) (#241)
Nintendo R&D1 | ARC, NES, FDS | Action-Adventure | ~6h | 19 lists
#11 Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) (#258)
MicroProse Software, Inc. | 6, DOS, MAC, NES | Strategy / Action-Adventure | ~8h | 16 lists
#12 Double Dragon (1987) (#259)
Technos Japan | ARC, NES, SMS | Beat 'em Up | ~1h | 20 lists
#13 Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988) (#273)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES | Platform | ~3h | 16 lists
#14 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985) (#298)
Origin Systems | 10, DOS, NES | Role-Playing | ~21h | 17 lists
#15 Bubble Bobble (1986) (#347)
Taito | ARC, 7, DOS, NES, FDS | Platform | ~3h | 14 lists
#16 Lode Runner (1983) (#370)
Brøderbund Software, Irem | ARC, 4, NES | Puzzle-Platformer | ~2h | 12 lists
#17 Castlevania (1986) (#378)
Konami | DOS, C64, AMI, NES, FDS | Platform | ~3h | 14 lists
#18 Ninja Gaiden (1988) (#380)
Tecmo, Tecmo Koei Games | NES | Hack and Slash / Platform | ~3h | 13 lists
#19 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987) (#381)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES, FDS | Action RPG / Platform | ~10h | 13 lists
#20 Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) (#434)
Capcom | ARC, 3, NES | Platform | ~3h | 12 lists
#21 Arkanoid (1986) (#491)
Taito | ARC, 11, DOS, MAC, NES | Puzzle | ~2h | 9 lists
#22 Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior (1986) (#500)
Armor Project, Bird Studio, Chunsoft | NES | Role-Playing | ~9h | 9 lists
#23 Maniac Mansion (1987) (#501)
Lucasfilm Games | A2, C64, DOS, NES | Point-and-Click | ~3h | 11 lists
#24 Micro Machines (1991) (#505)
Codemasters | NES | Racing | ~3h | 9 lists
#25 Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986) (#527)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES, SNES | Platform | ~3h | 8 lists
#26 Final Fantasy (1987) (#528)
Square | MSX, NES | Role-Playing | ~15h | 9 lists
#27 Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (1981) (#537)
Sir-tech Software | 7, NES, MAC | Role-Playing | ~25h | 8 lists
#28 Mega Man 3 (1990) (#542)
Capcom | NES | Platform | ~3h | 10 lists
#29 Tecmo Bowl (1987) (#581)
Tecmo | ARC, NES | Sports | ~2h | 8 lists
#30 Tecmo Super Bowl (1991) (#595)
Tecmo | NES, SNES, GEN | Football (American) / Sports | ~10h | 9 lists
#31 Bionic Commando (1988) (#600)
Capcom | NES | Platform | ~2h | 10 lists
#32 Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse (1989) (#612)
Konami | NES | Platform | ~4h | 8 lists
#33 Bomberman (1983) (#613)
Hudson Soft | 4, NES | Strategy / Maze / Puzzle | ~2h | 7 lists
#34 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1987) (#638)
Taito | ARC, 5, NES, SMS, GEN, TG16 | Platform | ~2h | 8 lists
#35 Kid Icarus (1986) (#650)
Nintendo R&D1 | NES, FDS | Action / Platform | ~4h | 7 lists
#36 Baseball Stars (1989) (#653)
SNK | NES | Sports | ~9h | 8 lists
#37 Gradius / Nemesis (1985) (#656)
Konami | ARC, NES | Shooter | ~1h | 7 lists
#38 Shinobi (1987) (#691)
Team Shinobi | ARC, DOS, 6, NES, SMS, TG16 | Hack and Slash / Platform | ~1h | 6 lists
#39 Mega Man (1987) (#718)
Capcom | NES | Platform | ~3h | 7 lists
#40 Kirby's Adventure (1993) (#735)
HAL Laboratory | NES | Platform | ~4h | 4 lists
#41 DuckTales (1989) (#737)
Capcom | NES, GB | Platform | ~1h | 6 lists
#42 Mario Bros. (1983) (#738)
Nintendo R&D1 | ARC, A26, A52, 5, NES | Platform | ~54m | 6 lists
#43 Spy Hunter (1984) (#747)
Bally Midway | ARC, A26, CV, 6, DOS, NES | Vehicular Combat | ~24m | 9 lists
#44 Dr. Mario (1990) (#751)
Nintendo | ARC, NES, GB | Puzzle | ~2h | 6 lists
#45 Smash TV (1990) (#825)
Williams | ARC, 5, NES, SNES, SMS, GEN | Shooter | ~2h | 5 lists
#46 Final Fantasy III (1990) (#826)
Square | NES | Role-Playing | ~16h | 5 lists
#47 Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (1990) (#841)
Tecmo, Tecmo Koei Games | ARC, NES | Hack and Slash / Platform | ~2h | 6 lists
#48 River City Ransom / Street Gangs (1989) (#871)
Technos Japan | NES | Action-Adventure / Beat 'em Up | ~2h | 5 lists
#49 Excitebike (1984) (#872)
Nintendo | ARC, PC88, NES | Racing | ~48m | 6 lists
#50 Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen / Dragon Warrior IV (1990) (#888)
Armor Project, Bird Studio, Chunsoft | NES | Role-Playing | ~27h | 5 lists
#51 Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (1992) (#889)
ArtePiazza, Square Enix Product Development Division 9 | NES | Role-Playing | ~31h | 3 lists
#52 Qix (1981) (#958)
Taito | ARC, 3, A52, NES | Puzzle | ~42m | 5 lists
#53 Paperboy (1985) (#993)
Atari Games, Vivid Games | ARC, 5, NES | Action | ~1h | 3 lists
#1
#2
Tetris
1985
#2
#28
Super Mario Bros. 3
1988
#3
#55
Super Mario Bros.
1985
#4
#85
The Legend of Zelda
1986
#5
#99
Mega Man 2
1988
#6
#122
Donkey Kong
1981
#7
#153
Pac-Man
1980
#8
#167
#9
#197
Contra
1987
#10
#241
Metroid
1986
#11
#258
Sid Meier's Pirates!
1987
#12
#259
Double Dragon
1987
#13
#273
Super Mario Bros. 2
1988
#14
#298
#15
#347
Bubble Bobble
1986
#16
#370
Lode Runner
1983
#17
#378
Castlevania
1986
#18
#380
Ninja Gaiden
1988
#19
#381
#20
#434
Ghosts 'n Goblins
1985
#21
#491
Arkanoid
1986
#22
#500
#23
#501
Maniac Mansion
1987
#24
#505
Micro Machines
1991
#25
#527
#26
#528
Final Fantasy
1987
#27
#537
#28
#542
Mega Man 3
1990
#29
#581
Tecmo Bowl
1987
#30
#595
Tecmo Super Bowl
1991
#31
#600
Bionic Commando
1988
#32
#612
#33
#613
Bomberman
1983
#34
#638
#35
#650
Kid Icarus
1986
#36
#653
Baseball Stars
1989
#37
#656
Gradius / Nemesis
1985
#38
#691
Shinobi
1987
#39
#718
Mega Man
1987
#40
#735
Kirby's Adventure
1993
#41
#737
DuckTales
1989
#42
#738
Mario Bros.
1983
#43
#747
Spy Hunter
1984
#44
#751
Dr. Mario
1990
#45
#825
Smash TV
1990
#46
#826
Final Fantasy III
1990
#47
#841
#48
#871
#49
#872
Excitebike
1984
#51
#889
#52
#958
Qix
1981
#53
#993
Paperboy
1985
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