Acclaimed Video Games

The top 1,000 most recommended games across 902 critic lists from 140 publications.

Updated: January 21, 2026

Most Acclaimed Video Games of 1996

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31 of 31

#1 Super Mario 64 (1996) (#7)

Nintendo EAD | N64 | Action-Adventure / Platform | ~12h | 85 lists

#2 Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow (1996) (#60)

Game Freak | GB | Role-Playing | ~26h | 47 lists

#3 Tomb Raider (1996) (#64)

Core Design | DOS, SAT, PS | Action-Adventure | ~16h | 52 lists

#4 Resident Evil (1996) (#72)

Capcom Planning Room 2 | WIN, SAT, PS | Horror | ~7h | 36 lists

#5 Sid Meier's Civilization II (1996) (#131)

MicroProse Software, Inc. | MAC, WIN | Turn-Based Strategy | ~21h | 26 lists

#6 Quake (1996) (#160)

id Software | 4 | First-Person Shooter | ~5h | 27 lists

#7 Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996) (#172)

Westwood Studios | WIN | Real-Time Strategy | ~28h | 23 lists

#8 Wipeout 2097 / Wipeout XL (1996) (#207)

Psygnosis | WIN, SAT, PS | Racing | ~3h | 20 lists

#9 Duke Nukem 3D (1996) (#221)

3D Realms | DOS, SAT, PS | First-Person Shooter | ~9h | 20 lists

#10 Mario Kart 64 (1996) (#225)

Nintendo EAD | N64 | Kart Racing | ~4h | 23 lists

#11 Nights Into Dreams (1996) (#275)

Sonic Team | SAT | Action | ~2h | 14 lists

#12 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996) (#328)

Square, Square Enix | SNES | Role-Playing | ~18h | 19 lists

#13 Wave Race 64 (1996) (#341)

Nintendo EAD | N64 | Racing | ~3h | 20 lists

#14 Saturn Bomberman (1996) (#375)

Hudson Soft | SAT | Action / Maze | ~3h | 10 lists

#15 PaRappa the Rapper (1996) (#391)

NanaOn-Sha | PS | Music | ~2h | 14 lists

#16 Metal Slug (1996) (#548)

Nazca Corporation | NG, SAT, PS | Run and Gun | ~54m | 8 lists

#17 Guardian Heroes (1996) (#571)

Treasure | SAT | Hack and Slash / Action RPG / Beat 'em Up | ~2h | 6 lists

#18 Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars (1996) (#706)

New World Computing | 3 | Turn-Based Strategy | ~47h | 4 lists

#19 Grand Prix 2 (1996) (#716)

MicroProse Software, Inc. | DOS | Racing | ~10h | 5 lists

#20 Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom (1996) (#748)

Origin Systems | 3, PS | Space Combat | ~11h | 5 lists

#21 Pilotwings 64 (1996) (#767)

Nintendo EAD, Nintendo R&D3, Paradigm Simulation | N64 | Flight Simulation | ~5h | 7 lists

#22 Dragon Force (1996) (#802)

Sega CS1 | SAT | Role-Playing / Real-Time Strategy | ~30h | 4 lists

#23 Harvest Moon (1996) (#810)

Amccus, Pack-In-Video | SNES | Life Simulation | ~24h | 6 lists

#24 Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars (1996) (#825)

Revolution Software | MAC, WIN, PS | Point-and-Click | ~10h | 4 lists

#25 Twisted Metal 2 / Twisted Metal: World Tour / Twisted Metal EX (1996) (#868)

SingleTrac | WIN, PS | Vehicular Combat | ~4h | 5 lists

#26 Crash Bandicoot (1996) (#904)

Naughty Dog | PS | Platform | ~6h | 5 lists

#27 International Track & Field (1996) (#916)

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo | ARC, PS | Sports | ~48m | 4 lists

#28 Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (1996) (#922)

Team Andromeda | SAT | Shooter | ~2h | 4 lists

#29 International Superstar Soccer 64 (1996) (#948)

Konami | N64 | Sports | ~15h | 4 lists

#30 Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (1996) (#980)

Rare | SNES | Platform | ~4h | 6 lists

#31 Kirby Super Star / Kirby's Fun Pak (1996) (#997)

HAL Laboratory | SNES | Platform | ~4h | 7 lists

Nintendo EAD

N64

Action-Adventure / Platform

~12h

85 lists

Super Mario 64 1996

#60

Game Freak

Role-Playing

~26h

47 lists

Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow 1996

#64

Core Design

DOS, PS, SAT

Action-Adventure

~16h

52 lists

Tomb Raider 1996

#72

Capcom Planning Room 2

PS, SAT, WIN

Horror

~7h

36 lists

Resident Evil 1996

#131

MicroProse Software, Inc.

MAC, WIN

Turn-Based Strategy

~21h

26 lists

Sid Meier's Civilization II 1996

#160

id Software

MAC, DOS, LIN, WIN

First-Person Shooter

~5h

27 lists

Quake 1996

#172

Westwood Studios

WIN

Real-Time Strategy

~28h

23 lists

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 1996

#207

Psygnosis

PS, SAT, WIN

Racing

~3h

20 lists

Wipeout 2097 / Wipeout XL 1996

#221

3D Realms

DOS, PS, SAT

First-Person Shooter

~9h

20 lists

Duke Nukem 3D 1996

#10

#225

Nintendo EAD

N64

Kart Racing

~4h

23 lists

Mario Kart 64 1996

#11

#275

Sonic Team

SAT

Action

~2h

14 lists

Nights Into Dreams 1996

#12

#328

Square, Square Enix

SNES

Role-Playing

~18h

19 lists

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars 1996

#13

#341

Nintendo EAD

N64

Racing

~3h

20 lists

Wave Race 64 1996

#14

#375

Hudson Soft

SAT

Action / Maze

~3h

10 lists

Saturn Bomberman 1996

#15

#391

NanaOn-Sha

Music

~2h

14 lists

PaRappa the Rapper 1996

#16

#548

Nazca Corporation

PS, SAT, NG

Run and Gun

~54m

8 lists

Metal Slug 1996

#17

#571

Treasure

SAT

Hack and Slash / Action RPG / Beat 'em Up

~2h

6 lists

Guardian Heroes 1996

#18

#706

New World Computing

MAC, DOS, WIN

Turn-Based Strategy

~47h

4 lists

Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars 1996

#19

#716

MicroProse Software, Inc.

DOS

Racing

~10h

5 lists

Grand Prix 2 1996

#20

#748

Origin Systems

MAC, DOS, PS, WIN

Space Combat

~11h

5 lists

Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom 1996

#21

#767

Nintendo EAD, Nintendo R&D3, Paradigm Simulation

N64

Flight Simulation

~5h

7 lists

Pilotwings 64 1996

#22

#802

Sega CS1

SAT

Role-Playing / Real-Time Strategy

~30h

4 lists

Dragon Force 1996

#23

#810

Amccus, Pack-In-Video

SNES

Life Simulation

~24h

6 lists

Harvest Moon 1996

#24

#825

Revolution Software

MAC, PS, WIN

Point-and-Click

~10h

4 lists

Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars 1996

#25

#868

SingleTrac

PS, WIN

Vehicular Combat

~4h

5 lists

Twisted Metal 2 / Twisted Metal: World Tour / Twisted Metal EX 1996

#26

#904

Naughty Dog

Platform

~6h

5 lists

Crash Bandicoot 1996

#27

#916

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

ARC, PS

Sports

~48m

4 lists

International Track & Field 1996

#28

#922

Team Andromeda

SAT

Shooter

~2h

4 lists

Panzer Dragoon II Zwei 1996

#29

#948

Konami

N64

Sports

~15h

4 lists

International Superstar Soccer 64 1996

#30

#980

Rare

SNES

Platform

~4h

6 lists

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble 1996

#31

#997

HAL Laboratory

SNES

Platform

~4h

7 lists

Kirby Super Star / Kirby's Fun Pak 1996

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