20 Best Video Games of the 80s

Of course, all of our opinions will differ in terms of which video games of the 80s were the best; it’s simply our opinion. But even in the 1980s, there were a ton of games to choose from as the manufacturers poured them out into the sea of fans, particularly from Nintendo.

While the 1983 recession hit the video game industry pretty hard, sales peaked at around $3.2 billion before falling to $100 million by 1985. Despite the fall in sales, gamers were still anxious to buy more. The whole 80s decade was unique in experiencing both a rise and fall of the video game industry.

The graphics were also nothing fancy during the 80s; it wasn’t until the 1990s where developers gave more depth to the characters. But despite the improved graphics, they came what they knew would sell, which was what all started during the 80s. So in my opinion, here’s a list of the best video games of the 80s.

1. Pac-Man (1980)

Arguably one of the most influential and best arcade games of the 80s, Pac-Man is still wildly popular today. There’s even a restaurant/gaming lounge about 30 minutes from where I live called Pac-Man Entertainment. It was this game that lead video game creators away from the standard space shooters and sports games, introducing a whole new genre to the industry.

Due to its simplicity, anyone can easily learn this concept as it appeals to a much bigger audience than just nerdy men. It was so popular during the 90s that its manufacturer, Namco, made $2.5 billion just from quarters alone.

2. Tetris (1985)

While this might only be just a puzzle game to any novice game player, but its impact on the gaming industry was absolutely legendary. It’s also known for making the Nintendo Gameboy extremely successful as fans would buy the system just to play the game.

Again, the object of the game is super simple, yet invigoratingly challenging as the puzzler struggles to rotate each falling set of blocks fit snuggly into the foundation at the bottom. Even today, Tetris is considered to have one of the most elegant examples of game design.

3. Super Mario Bros. (1985)

Another reason why the 80s decade is simply one of the best: the introduction of Super Mario Bros. By far, it’s one of the most popular games to date as there are numerous Mario games released on each Nintendo platform, including the Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP, Nintendo DS, Gamecube, Wii, Nintendo Wii U and finally the Nintendo Switch.

It was built on a whole new foundation that many games use today. But one of the best characteristics about Super Mario Bros. was the level of control over the character; you could make Mario walk, run, jump, level up, shoot fireballs, and so much more. So it definitely made sense why this game would become so popular. The object of the game is so simple and yet brilliant that anyone could easily learn and play.

4. The Legend of Zelda (1986)

Another one with many remakes today, even on the Nintendo Switch as one of the first games to be released on the new system. Since then, the story has grown to be super complex, factoring in weather and food gathering. As soon as I learned this, I immediately lost interest.

But during the 80s, Metroid and Mario weren’t the only iconic Nintendo characters. Legends of Zelda was a huge success since its release, both on the market and by critics. It has incorporated three cornerstones that every game in the series has followed: action, adventure and narrative. Gamers loved it for its foundation on exploration and fantasy world.

5. Donkey King (1981)

Another cultural icon of the arcade and home systems, this was the game that launched Nintendo into fame in the United States. It was the first legendary single-screen platform game as well as one of the most played during the decade.

The objective was simple: jump over moving obstacles while making your way to climb each ladder and rescue the princess from Donkey Kong. Designed by the famous Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong will continue to go down in history as one of the most iconic video game characters.

6. Metroid (1986)

Metroid is still popular today as there are a ton of remakes. But it all started in 1986, going along with the alien-blasting theme as players made their way through levels and unlocked new abilities. The character had also become so popular that she’s been featured in partner games like Super Smash Bros.

7. Elite (1984)

One of the very first games to be introduced to the world of computer gaming, using wire-frame 3D graphics with hidden line removal. It’s also added graphics and twitch gameplay aspects that were first established by the 1974 game Star Trader.

Elite is now one of the longest running video game franchises, as its sequels include Frontier: Elite II (1993), Frontier: First Encounters (1995), Elite Dangerous (2014) and Horizons (2015). This legendary game has also served as a model for other wildly popular games, including “Wing Commander: Privateer, Grand Theft Auto, EVE Online, Freelancer, the X series and No Man’s Sky.

Essentially, there is no object of this game but to earn money by buying goods in one star system and transporting them to another to sell at a profit. The players can also become pirates who can attack other ships and merchantmen.

8. Prince of Persia (1989)

While it’s best known for its 3D titles that started with The Sands of Time in 2003, but the franchise all started with this basic game. Setting players back in ancient times, playing the prince as he maneuvers through deadly catacombs and dungeons.

At the time, it had smooth animations that gave the players small visual hints to help time their jump. This game was the first to use motion capture techniques when animating the sprites, giving it fluid, realistic movement.

9. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1989)

Soon after the success of Mario, Super Mario Bros. 3 is the game that sold Mario as a franchise and launched it into timelessness. Since its introduction in 1985, the games have evolved into allowing more control as they incorporated more detail, a level-select map screen, and mini-games. New power ups were also added, including Raccoon Mario and Frog Mario, which are still classics. But the new features have helped the game to stay fresh throughout the years.

10. Frogger (1981)

Another iconic arcade game of the 80s originally published by Sega. The object of this game is to direct the frogs to their homes while crossing various busy roads and rivers full of hazards. It was simple, yet excruciatingly challenging as players instantly became addicted within minutes.

Since the release of the original, sequels have been made on all Nintendo platforms. Other games have also used this game as the foundation to their plot: to avoid a series of obstacles and reach the finish line.

11. Defender (1980)

During the 80s, Defender was considered to be one of the most complicated games ever made. Players had to use five buttons plus the joystick control, which overwhelmed many when it first launched. But since then, it’s been one of the games found at each arcade. Players had to control a space ship going through rocky terrain, adjusting its elevation, direction and weapons.

12. Contra (1987)

For gamers who enjoyed running, gunning and dodging enemy shots, Contra was the game to play. This intense game allowed two players to run and shoot their way through a terrorist organization, called Red Falcon that is secretly planning to take over the world. It’s up to you and your co-soldier to put an end to their madness. It’s actually considered one of the most difficult games of its time, so it helps to have a second player lend a hand.

13. R-Type (1987)

When it came to side-scrolling shooter games, R-Type took the controls in this field. Due to its intense challenges and difficulty, it’s listed as one of the hardest games ever made.

But it was still considerably innovative because of its system of complex weapons, which allowed players to unlock new abilities and charge shots.

As they advanced through the levels, the game grew increasingly difficult and deadly as players had to die various times just to learn the right way to go.

14. Tempest (1981)

Another arcade game taking place on a 3D surface, Tempest was very similar to Defender and was often criticized by many arcade fans. But it had an odd control system, a steep difficulty curve and abstract vector graphics.

But these features are what made it that much more interesting and have inspired many 21st century games to re-evaluate and consider catapulting into this unique setting. While the game itself is quite difficult, its concept is still simple and fun.

15. Centipede (1981)

First developed and published by Atari, Inc, Centiped is considered to be one of the most commercially successful games from the golden age of arcade games. The objective is to fight off centipedes, scorpions, fleas and spiders and complete the level. There was also a sequel that followed in 1982 called Millipede.

Centipede was also available on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color as well as game.com. Although it did experience a decline during the 90s as its simple graphics were never improved.

16. Lode Runner (1983)

Another game similar to Pac-Man, the object of this 2D puzzle game was to collect all the gold pieces in a level while being chased by numerous enemies. It’s also one of the first games ever to include a level editor. There are 150 levels within the game which grew increasingly difficult as they tested players’ problem-solving abilities and reaction times.

Even after the original was released, there were a number of remakes, sequels and spin-off for different computers and consoles as well as being made from different developers and publishers.

17. Wasteland (1988)

Prior to the release of Fallout, this game was its predecessor as it was set during a post-apocalyptic America. This game gave players the ability to overcome challenges with more than just fighting; players were able to talk themselves out of potentially fatal situations or just avoid them altogether.

Another unique and amazing feature was that players could revisit areas of the world and find them in the same condition as they had just hours before.

18. Sim City (1989)

If you think about how old the whole Sims series is, it goes all the way back to 1989. It all started with 2D graphics with an overhead perspective as players worked to create a city with residential and industrial areas, collect taxes, and build infrastructure to further develop the city. Players’ success was measured by the residents’ standard of living, maintain a balance of between each sector and its environmental situation to prevent the community from declining or going bankrupt.

There was first a lot of nervousness about its success because it didn’t have the arcade or action elements that dominated the gaming industry in the 80s. It first sold poorly, until it received a lot of positive feedback from the gaming media which eventually boosted its sales. It was then significantly improved after it was released on the Super NES in 1991.

19. Boulder Dash (1984)

This may not seem like much fun now due to the detailed storylines of today’s video games, but in the 80s, this was super addicting! The object of the game was to mine through the underground caves to grab gems and get to the exit before being killed by the mine’s monsters or time runs out. This was super fun to play as players had to develop a strategy to beat each level. Of course, there are other games out today with this objective, but the characters and settings are modified.

20. Duck Hunt (1984)

First developed and released in 1984 in Japan as a light shooter game on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), it wasn’t introduced to the United States until 1985. The objective was to use the NES Zapper with a CRT television shoot ducks that appear on the screen. One or two would appear at a time as the player is given three shots to shoot them down. Upon shooting each duck, the player receives points and if they shoot the required number of ducks in a single round, they move on to the next. If not, game over.

After the NES was rolled out in 1986, Duck Hunt was one of several games to be included as a pack-in game with some of its releases. The original Deluxe Set included both Duck Hunt and Gyromite. Then, the Action Set was released with Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros., which was the pack-in for an upgraded Basic Set. Duck Hunt was also released as a Virtual console title for the Wii U in 2014.

Which is Your Favorite?

Do you remember playing any of these? They certainly don’t make’s like they used to but many of these can be downloaded online, thanks to today’s technology. Which one of these are your favorites? If you could play any of them again, which would they be? We’d love to know in the comments below!