Acclaimed Video Games
The top 1,000 most recommended games across 904 critic lists from 141 publications.
Updated: February 3, 2026
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 | 97 lists
#2 Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) (#26)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES | Platform | ~5h | 60 lists
#3 Super Mario Bros. (1985) (#56)
Nintendo R&D4 | ARC, NES | Platform | ~2h | 43 lists
#4 The Legend of Zelda (1986) (#86)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES, FDS | Action-Adventure | ~8h | 30 lists
#5 Mega Man 2 (1988) (#98)
Capcom | NES | Platform | ~3h | 39 lists
#6 Donkey Kong (1981) (#124)
Ikegami Tsushinki, Nintendo | ARC, NES | Platform | ~18m | 34 lists
#7 Pac-Man (1980) (#152)
Namco | ARC, 3, 5, DOS, NES | Maze | ~48m | 33 lists
#8 Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! (1987) (#169)
Nintendo R&D3 | NES | Sports | ~3h | 26 lists
#9 Contra (1987) (#200)
Konami | ARC, DOS, 3, NES | Run and Gun | ~1h | 27 lists
#10 Metroid (1986) (#226)
Nintendo R&D1 | ARC, NES, FDS | Action-Adventure | ~6h | 20 lists
#11 Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) (#264)
MicroProse Software, Inc. | 6, DOS, MAC, NES | Strategy / Action-Adventure | ~8h | 16 lists
#12 Double Dragon (1987) (#268)
Technos Japan | ARC, NES, SMS | Beat 'em Up | ~1h | 20 lists
#13 Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988) (#277)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES | Platform | ~3h | 16 lists
#14 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985) (#284)
Origin Systems | 10, DOS, NES | Role-Playing | ~21h | 18 lists
#15 Bubble Bobble (1986) (#354)
Taito | ARC, 7, DOS, NES, FDS | Platform | ~3h | 14 lists
#16 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987) (#384)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES, FDS | Action RPG / Platform | ~10h | 13 lists
#17 Ninja Gaiden (1988) (#386)
Tecmo, Tecmo Koei Games | NES | Hack and Slash / Platform | ~3h | 13 lists
#18 Lode Runner (1983) (#387)
Brøderbund Software, Irem | ARC, 4, NES | Puzzle-Platformer | ~2h | 13 lists
#19 Castlevania (1986) (#390)
Konami | DOS, C64, AMI, NES, FDS | Platform | ~3h | 14 lists
#20 Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) (#456)
Capcom | ARC, 3, NES | Platform | ~3h | 12 lists
#21 Arkanoid (1986) (#494)
Taito | ARC, 11, DOS, MAC, NES | Puzzle | ~2h | 9 lists
#22 Final Fantasy (1987) (#506)
Square | MSX, NES | Role-Playing | ~15h | 10 lists
#23 Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior (1986) (#511)
Armor Project, Bird Studio, Chunsoft | NES | Role-Playing | ~9h | 9 lists
#24 Maniac Mansion (1987) (#516)
Lucasfilm Games | A2, C64, DOS, NES | Point-and-Click | ~3h | 11 lists
#25 Micro Machines (1991) (#519)
Codemasters | NES | Racing | ~3h | 9 lists
#26 Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (1981) (#534)
Sir-tech Software | 7, NES, MAC | Role-Playing | ~25h | 10 lists
#27 Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986) (#543)
Nintendo R&D4 | NES, SNES | Platform | ~3h | 8 lists
#28 Mega Man 3 (1990) (#547)
Capcom | NES | Platform | ~3h | 10 lists
#29 Tecmo Bowl (1987) (#586)
Tecmo | ARC, NES | Sports | ~2h | 8 lists
#30 Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse (1989) (#587)
Konami | NES | Platform | ~4h | 9 lists
#31 Bionic Commando (1988) (#616)
Capcom | NES | Platform | ~2h | 10 lists
#32 Bomberman (1983) (#617)
Hudson Soft | 4, NES | Strategy / Maze / Puzzle | ~2h | 7 lists
#33 Tecmo Super Bowl (1991) (#625)
Tecmo | NES, SNES, GEN | Football (American) / Sports | ~10h | 9 lists
#34 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1987) (#653)
Taito | ARC, 5, NES, SMS, GEN, TG16 | Platform | ~2h | 8 lists
#35 Gradius / Nemesis (1985) (#667)
Konami | ARC, NES | Shooter | ~1h | 7 lists
#36 Baseball Stars (1989) (#675)
SNK | NES | Sports | ~9h | 8 lists
#37 Kid Icarus (1986) (#680)
Nintendo R&D1 | NES, FDS | Action / Platform | ~4h | 7 lists
#38 Shinobi (1987) (#725)
Team Shinobi | ARC, DOS, 6, NES, SMS, TG16 | Hack and Slash / Platform | ~1h | 6 lists
#39 Mario Bros. (1983) (#744)
Nintendo R&D1 | ARC, A26, A52, 5, NES | Platform | ~54m | 6 lists
#40 Kirby's Adventure (1993) (#758)
HAL Laboratory | NES | Platform | ~4h | 4 lists
#41 Dr. Mario (1990) (#762)
Nintendo | ARC, NES, GB | Puzzle | ~2h | 6 lists
#42 Mega Man (1987) (#764)
Capcom | NES | Platform | ~3h | 7 lists
#43 DuckTales (1989) (#768)
Capcom | NES, GB | Platform | ~1h | 6 lists
#44 Spy Hunter (1983) (#827)
Bally Midway | ARC, A26, CV, 6, DOS, NES | Vehicular Combat | ~24m | 9 lists
#45 Final Fantasy III (1990) (#833)
Square | NES | Role-Playing | ~16h | 5 lists
#46 Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (1990) (#851)
Tecmo, Tecmo Koei Games | ARC, NES | Hack and Slash / Platform | ~2h | 6 lists
#47 Smash TV (1990) (#852)
Williams | ARC, 5, NES, SNES, SMS, GEN | Shooter | ~2h | 5 lists
#48 Excitebike (1984) (#900)
Nintendo | ARC, PC88, NES | Racing | ~54m | 6 lists
#49 River City Ransom / Street Gangs (1989) (#915)
Technos Japan | NES | Action-Adventure / Beat 'em Up | ~2h | 5 lists
#50 Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen / Dragon Warrior IV (1990) (#920)
Armor Project, Bird Studio, Chunsoft | NES | Role-Playing | ~27h | 5 lists
#51 Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (1992) (#924)
ArtePiazza, Square Enix Product Development Division 9 | NES | Role-Playing | ~31h | 3 lists
#1
#2
Tetris
1985
#2
#26
Super Mario Bros. 3
1988
#3
#56
Super Mario Bros.
1985
#4
#86
The Legend of Zelda
1986
#5
#98
Mega Man 2
1988
#6
#124
Donkey Kong
1981
#7
#152
Pac-Man
1980
#8
#169
#9
#200
Contra
1987
#10
#226
Metroid
1986
#11
#264
Sid Meier's Pirates!
1987
#12
#268
Double Dragon
1987
#13
#277
Super Mario Bros. 2
1988
#14
#284
#15
#354
Bubble Bobble
1986
#16
#384
#17
#386
Ninja Gaiden
1988
#18
#387
Lode Runner
1983
#19
#390
Castlevania
1986
#20
#456
Ghosts 'n Goblins
1985
#21
#494
Arkanoid
1986
#22
#506
Final Fantasy
1987
#23
#511
#24
#516
Maniac Mansion
1987
#25
#519
Micro Machines
1991
#26
#534
#27
#543
#28
#547
Mega Man 3
1990
#29
#586
Tecmo Bowl
1987
#30
#587
#31
#616
Bionic Commando
1988
#32
#617
Bomberman
1983
#33
#625
Tecmo Super Bowl
1991
#34
#653
#35
#667
Gradius / Nemesis
1985
#36
#675
Baseball Stars
1989
#37
#680
Kid Icarus
1986
#38
#725
Shinobi
1987
#39
#744
Mario Bros.
1983
#40
#758
Kirby's Adventure
1993
#41
#762
Dr. Mario
1990
#42
#764
Mega Man
1987
#43
#768
DuckTales
1989
#44
#827
Spy Hunter
1983
#45
#833
Final Fantasy III
1990
#46
#851
#47
#852
Smash TV
1990
#48
#900
Excitebike
1984
#49
#915
#51
#924
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