Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,000 most recommended games across 827 critic lists from 134 publications.

Updated: October 26, 2025

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1986

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12 of 12

#1 The Legend of Zelda (1986) (#85)

Nintendo R&D4 | NES, FDS | Action-Adventure | ~8h | 28 lists

#2 Metroid (1986) (#241)

Nintendo R&D1 | ARC, NES, FDS | Action-Adventure | ~6h | 19 lists

#3 Bubble Bobble (1986) (#347)

Taito | ARC, 7, DOS, NES, FDS | Platform | ~3h | 14 lists

#4 OutRun (1986) (#359)

Sega AM2 | ARC, 3 | Racing | ~36m | 13 lists

#5 Castlevania (1986) (#378)

Konami | DOS, C64, AMI, NES, FDS | Platform | ~3h | 14 lists

#6 Arkanoid (1986) (#491)

Taito | ARC, 11, DOS, MAC, NES | Puzzle | ~2h | 9 lists

#7 Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior (1986) (#500)

Armor Project, Bird Studio, Chunsoft | NES | Role-Playing | ~9h | 9 lists

#8 Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986) (#527)

Nintendo R&D4 | NES, SNES | Platform | ~3h | 8 lists

#9 The Sentinel / The Sentry (1986) (#575)

Firebird Software | 6, DOS | Puzzle | 6 lists

#10 Kid Icarus (1986) (#650)

Nintendo R&D1 | NES, FDS | Action / Platform | ~4h | 7 lists

#11 Defender of the Crown (1986) (#701)

Cinemaware | 4 | Strategy | ~1h | 6 lists

#12 Gauntlet II (1986) (#883)

Atari Games | ARC, DOS, 3 | Hack and Slash / Dungeon Crawler | ~4h | 4 lists

#85

Nintendo R&D4

FDS, NES

Action-Adventure

~8h

28 lists

The Legend of Zelda 1986

#241

Nintendo R&D1

ARC, FDS, NES

Action-Adventure

~6h

19 lists

Metroid 1986

#347

Taito

AMI, CPC, A2, ARC, AST, C64, DOS, FDS, MSX, NES, ZXS

Platform

~3h

14 lists

Bubble Bobble 1986

#359

Sega AM2

CPC, ARC, C64, ZXS

Racing

~36m

13 lists

OutRun 1986

#378

Konami

AMI, C64, DOS, FDS, NES

Platform

~3h

14 lists

Castlevania 1986

#491

Taito

AMI, CPC, A2, MAC, ARC, A8, AST, BBCM, C64, DOS, MSX, NES, PC88, TCC, ZXS

Puzzle

~2h

9 lists

Arkanoid 1986

#500

Armor Project, Bird Studio, Chunsoft

NES

Role-Playing

~9h

9 lists

Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior 1986

#527

Nintendo R&D4

NES, SNES

Platform

~3h

8 lists

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels 1986

#575

Firebird Software

AMI, CPC, AST, BBCM, C64, DOS, ZXS

Puzzle

6 lists

The Sentinel / The Sentry 1986

#10

#650

Nintendo R&D1

FDS, NES

Action / Platform

~4h

7 lists

Kid Icarus 1986

#11

#701

Cinemaware

AMI, CPC, C64, ZXS

Strategy

~1h

6 lists

Defender of the Crown 1986

#12

#883

Atari Games

CPC, ARC, AST, C64, DOS

Hack and Slash / Dungeon Crawler

~4h

4 lists

Gauntlet II 1986

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