Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,400 most recommended games across 913 critic lists from 142 publications.

Updated: March 25, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1987

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22 of 22

#1 Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! (1987) (#175)

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

#2 Contra (1987) (#203)

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

#3 Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) (#226)

MicroProse Software, Inc. | 6 , DOS, MAC , NES | Strategy / Action-Adventure | ~8h | 18 lists

#4 Double Dragon (1987) (#261)

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

#5 Dungeon Master (1987) (#373)

FTL Games | AST, AMI | Role-Playing / Dungeon Crawler | ~16h | 14 lists

6 (#387)

R-Type (1987)

Irem | , , , | | ~1h | 15 lists

#6 R-Type (1987) (#387)

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

#7 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987) (#410)

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

#8 Final Fantasy (1987) (#516)

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

#9 Maniac Mansion (1987) (#520)

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

#10 Tecmo Bowl (1987) (#587)

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

#11 Head over Heels (1987) (#599)

Ocean Software | 7 | Action-Adventure | 6 lists

#12 International Karate + (1987) (#643)

System 3 Software | 5 | Fighting | ~48m | 7 lists

#13 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 (1987) (#654)

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

#14 NetHack (1987) (#655)

DOS | Roguelike | ~11h | 5 lists

#15 Shinobi (1987) (#706)

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

#16 Mega Man (1987) (#748)

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

#17 California Games (1987) (#785)

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

#18 Wizball (1987) (#891)

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

#19 Phantasy Star (1987) (#969)

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

#20 Blades of Steel / Konamic Ice Hockey (1987) (#1103)

Konami | ARC , DOS , C64, AMI , NES, FDS | Sports | ~2h | 3 lists

#21 Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987) (#1200)

Sierra On-Line | 3 , DOS, MAC | Adventure | ~3h | 4 lists

#22 Metal Gear (1987) (#1283)

Konami | DOS , C64, MSX , NES | Action-Adventure / Stealth | ~4h | 4 lists

#175

Nintendo R&D3

NES

Sports

~3h

26 lists

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

#203

Konami

CPC, ARC, C64, DOS, NES, ZXS

Run and Gun

~1h

27 lists

Contra 1987

#226

MicroProse Software, Inc.

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

Strategy / Action-Adventure

~8h

18 lists

Sid Meier's Pirates! 1987

#261

Technos Japan

ARC, NES, SMS

Beat 'em Up

~1h

20 lists

Double Dragon 1987

#373

FTL Games

AMI, AST

Role-Playing / Dungeon Crawler

~16h

14 lists

Dungeon Master 1987

#387

Irem

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

Shooter

~1h

15 lists

R-Type 1987

#410

Nintendo R&D4

FDS, NES

Action RPG / Platform

~10h

13 lists

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 1987

#516

Square

MSX, NES

Role-Playing

~15h

10 lists

Final Fantasy 1987

#520

Lucasfilm Games

A2, C64, DOS, NES

Point-and-Click

~3h

11 lists

Maniac Mansion 1987

#10

#587

Tecmo

ARC, NES

Sports

~2h

8 lists

Tecmo Bowl 1987

#11

#599

Ocean Software

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

Action-Adventure

6 lists

Head over Heels 1987

#12

#643

System 3 Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, ZXS

Fighting

~48m

7 lists

International Karate + 1987

#13

#654

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

#655

DOS

Roguelike

~11h

5 lists

NetHack 1987

#15

#706

Team Shinobi

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

Hack and Slash / Platform

~1h

6 lists

Shinobi 1987

#16

#748

Capcom

NES

Platform

~3h

7 lists

Mega Man 1987

#17

#785

Epyx

A2, LYNX, C64

Sports

~2h

7 lists

California Games 1987

#18

#891

Sensible Software

AMI, CPC, AST, C64, DOS, ZXS

Shooter

~1h

3 lists

Wizball 1987

#19

#969

Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

SMS

Role-Playing

~15h

5 lists

Phantasy Star 1987

#20

#1103

Konami

AMI, ARC, C64, DOS, FDS, NES

Sports

~2h

3 lists

Blades of Steel / Konamic Ice Hockey 1987

#21

#1200

Sierra On-Line

AMI, A2, MAC, AST, DOS

Adventure

~3h

4 lists

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards 1987

#22

#1283

Konami

C64, DOS, MSX, NES

Action-Adventure / Stealth

~4h

4 lists

Metal Gear 1987

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