Best Video Game By Year
by henrireinsalu | created - 16 Oct 2022 | updated - 4 months ago | PublicPAST - PRESENT
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
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1. Pac-Man (1980 Video Game)
E | Family, Fantasy
Navigate Pac-Man through a maze escaping ghosts and eating Pac-Dots.
Votes: 2,411
2. Donkey Kong (1981 Video Game)
E | Action
Arcade video game and the first in the "Donkey Kong" series in which Jumpman (later retconned to be Mario) runs and jumps on platforms and climbs ladders to ascend a construction site and rescue Pauline from a giant gorilla, Donkey Kong.
Director: Shigeru Miyamoto
Votes: 2,163
4. Mario Bros. (I) (1983 Video Game)
Unrated | Action, Fantasy
Two plumber brothers, Mario and Luigi, come across unearthly creatures while searching sewer pipes, so they must do their job and clear the pipes.
Director: Shigeru Miyamoto
Votes: 1,487
5. Tetris (1984 Video Game)
E
Differently shaped blocks descend into a 2D container. The blocks can be moved and rotated, and must be sorted into the rest of the blocks on the fly.
Director: Alexey Pazhitnov
Votes: 3,513
6. Super Mario Bros. (1985 Video Game)
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A plumber named Mario and his brother Luigi travel through the Mushroom Kingdom to save the princess from the evil Bowser.
Director: Shigeru Miyamoto
Votes: 7,155
7. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986 Video Game)
E | Action, Adventure, Family
A Japan-only sequel to Super Mario Bros. (1985) where Mario and Luigi must once again save Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser's clutches.
Directors: Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka
Votes: 1,546
8. Metal Gear (1987 Video Game)
E | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After Gray Fox, FOX-HOUND's best agent, goes missing, rookie Solid Snake is sent to the South African fortress "Outer Heaven" to rescue him from terrorists armed with a nuclear-equipped bipedal tank.
Director: Hideo Kojima | Star: Dennis Falt
Votes: 1,439
9. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988 Video Game)
E | Action, Adventure, Family
King Koopa has kidnapped Princess Toadstool, taken over all seven kingdoms in the Mushroom World, and put his seven kids in charge of all of them. It's the Mario Brothers to the rescue.
Directors: Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka
Votes: 5,830
10. Minesweeper (1989 Video Game)
E | Action, Adventure
Minesweeper is a single-player puzzle game wherein the player must find and defuse hidden mines without detonating them.
Votes: 1,109
11. Super Mario World (1990 Video Game)
E | Action, Adventure, Family
While Mario and Luigi are vacationing in Dinosaur Land, Bowser kidnaps the Princess. Mario and his new dino friend Yoshi go on a mission to save her.
Director: Takashi Tezuka
Votes: 5,498
12. Duke Nukem (1991 Video Game)
T | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Madman Dr. Proton is determined to take over the world with his army of Techbots. Duke Nukem, the eponymous hero ventures through cities, chases Dr. Proton to his moonbase, and pursues him through time, to put an end to his mad schemes.
Star: Jon St. John
Votes: 1,049
13. Mortal Kombat (1992 Video Game)
M | Action, Fantasy
Seven martial artists from Earth must battle in sorcerer Shang Tsung's super secret tournament.
Stars: Daniel Pesina, Richard Divizio, Carlos Pesina, Ho-Sung Pak
Votes: 3,771
14. Mortal Kombat II (1993 Video Game)
M | Action, Fantasy
When emperor Shao Kahn invokes a Mortal Kombat tournament rematch, Raiden gathers his Earthrealm warriors and takes them into Outworld.
Directors: Ed Boon, John Tobias | Stars: Richard Divizio, Ho-Sung Pak, Carlos Pesina, Daniel Pesina
Votes: 2,976
15. Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994 Video Game)
M | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Doom 2 follows the story of Doom-Guy, killing hell creatures, for the future of mankind.
Stars: Kevin Cloud, Bobby Prince, John Romero
Votes: 3,281
16. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995 Video Game)
M | Action, Fantasy
Update of Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), adding an altered gameplay system, new features, and additional characters Kitana, Jade, Reptile, Scorpion, Classic Sub-Zero, Ermac and Mileena.
Stars: Richard Divizio, Kerri Hoskins, John Parrish, Michael O'Brien
Votes: 1,632
17. Resident Evil (1996 Video Game)
M | Action, Horror, Mystery
The RPD are investigating strange cannibalized corpses on the outskirts of the city. The Alpha squad, Jill and Chris, are sent to locate missing team members. While there, mutated dogs cause them to flee into a supposedly abandoned mansion.
Directors: Shinji Mikami, Mitsuhisa Hosoki | Stars: Charlie Kraslavsky, Inezh, Greg Smith, Linda
Votes: 5,924
18. Grand Theft Auto (1997 Video Game)
M | Action, Comedy, Crime
As a young street hustler you explore the free worlds of Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas while doing jobs and assignments.
Stars: Rhys Davis, Callum Jones, Spike Robinson, Richard Smith
Votes: 4,257
19. Metal Gear Solid (1998 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Drama
A crack government anti-terrorist squad takes over an obscure Alaskan nuclear disposal facility. Solid Snake is up for the task to infiltrate the facility, rescue the two hostages and thwart the terrorists' plans.
Director: Hideo Kojima | Stars: David Hayter, Patric Zimmerman, Peter Lurie, Akio Ôtsuka
Votes: 12,841
20. Silent Hill (1999 Video Game)
M | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Harry awakes from a car crash to notice his daughter, Cheryl, vanished. As he searches for her, through the eerie town of Silent Hill, a terrifying descent into the unknown is set.
Director: Keiichiro Toyama | Stars: Michael Guinn, Susan Papa, Thessaly Lerner, Jarion Monroe
Votes: 6,291
21. Hitman: Codename 47 (2000 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime, Mystery
Agent 47 is a genetic super human assassin. The ICA (International Contract Agency) assigns 47 with various assignments to kill five men known as "The Five Fathers." Including his own creator.
Stars: David Bateson, David Koseruba, Noah Lazarus, Kerry Shale
Votes: 2,248
22. Grand Theft Auto III (2001 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime, Drama
A young bank robber escapes from police custody and works his way up through the mafia ladder of crime-ridden Liberty City, USA.
Stars: Frank Vincent, Joe Pantoliano, Michael Madsen, Michael Rapaport
Votes: 17,252
23. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime, Drama
After being released from jail, Tommy Vercetti leaves Liberty City for Vice City, a city overrun by the mob. Now, Tommy is out to make Vice City his home.
Stars: Ray Liotta, William Fichtner, Tom Sizemore, Dennis Hopper
Votes: 29,527
24. Manhunt (2003 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime, Horror
Death-row inmate James Earl Cash awakens from his "execution" to discover that prison officials were bribed to fake his death and deliver him into the clutches of a snuff film ring that wants to use him as its newest star.
Stars: Kurt Bauccio, Sean R. Lynch, Jon Bernthal, John Doman
Votes: 2,614
25. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime
Carl "CJ" Johnson, a member of the Grove Street street gang, comes home after a family tragedy to find it overtaken by crime and corruption, which he must take back before things become worse.
Stars: Young Maylay, Faizon Love, Yolanda 'Yo-Yo' Whittaker, Clifton Powell
Votes: 44,527
26. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005 Video Game)
T | Action, Crime, Sport
A lone street racer must use his talents to rise to the top of the Blacklist, comprised of the 15 most elite drivers in the city of Rockport.
Directors: Dave 'Foots' Footman, Scott Henshaw | Stars: Paul Dzenkiw, Josie Maran, Dean McKenzie, Derek Hamilton
Votes: 7,744
27. Bully (2006 Video Game)
T | Action, Crime, Drama
A troubled teen is dropped off at the worst school in the country and must survive by rising through the rankings of the school system.
Stars: Gerry Rosenthal, Peter Vack, Matt Bush, John Lavelle
Votes: 6,243
28. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007 Video Game)
M | Action, Thriller
The Call of Duty series returns this time into a modern day setting. The player takes control of a character nicknamed "Soap," for the majority of the campaign and will need to progress through many modern warfare scenarios.
Director: Jason West | Stars: Billy Murray, Craig Fairbrass, David Sobolov, Mark Grigsby
Votes: 24,547
29. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Drama
When the nations of the world rely upon private military companies to fight their battles for them, renegade Liquid Ocelot emerges as the head of a potent coalition of mercenary powers. Solid Snake returns to save the world once again.
Director: Hideo Kojima | Stars: David Hayter, Josh Keaton, Peter Lurie, Paul Eiding
Votes: 11,137
30. Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009 Video Game)
T | Action, Crime, Mystery
Batman battles his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten Gotham City with hidden bombs.
Director: Sefton Hill | Stars: Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, Tom Kane
Votes: 31,488
31. Red Dead Redemption (2010 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Crime
A former outlaw is forced by the federal government to hunt down the members of his old gang.
Stars: Rob Wiethoff, Josh Blaylock, Sophia Marzocchi, Spider Madison
Votes: 30,522
32. L.A. Noire (2011 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime, Drama
Cole Phelps, a war hero and rookie cop, moves up the ranks and solves dark cases in 1940s Los Angeles.
Director: Brendan McNamara | Stars: Aaron Staton, Michael McGrady, Adam J. Harrington, Sean McGowan
Votes: 16,634
33. Max Payne 3 (2012 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime, Drama
The ex-cop turned private security guard for a wealthy family in Sao Paulo, Brazil finds himself thrown into a new deadly conflict.
Stars: James McCaffrey, Julian Rebolledo, Frank Rodriguez, Benedita Pereira
Votes: 11,562
34. Grand Theft Auto V (2013 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Three very different criminals team up for a series of heists and walk into some of the most thrilling experiences in the corrupt city of Los Santos.
Stars: Shawn Fonteno, Ned Luke, Steven Ogg, Gerald 'Slink' Johnson
Votes: 71,808
35. Watch Dogs (2014 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime, Drama
After losing his niece in an assassination attempt, Aiden Pierce, a street-smart vigilante, uses hacking apps on his phone to take over a new operating system in Chicago to hunt the criminals that killed his niece.
Directors: Jonathan Morin, Kun Chang | Stars: Noam Jenkins, R. Charles Wilkerson, Holly Uloth, Isabelle Blais
Votes: 9,930
36. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Drama
After awakening from a nine year coma, Big Boss forms a new mercenary group called, Diamond Dogs, and teams up with his former rival, Ocelot, to track down the men responsible for the destruction of MSF.
Directors: Hideo Kojima, Junji Tago | Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Robin Atkin Downes, Troy Baker, Stefanie Joosten
Votes: 8,539
37. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Drama
Set two years after the Human Revolution in 2029, Adam Jensen is faced with the aftermath of the Aug Incident and the impact of his decision on how to resolve it.
Directors: Jean-François Dugas, Kazuyuki Ikumori, Blade Zavier | Stars: Elias Toufexis, Victoria Sanchez, Chimwemwe Miller, Vernon Wells
Votes: 2,331
38. The Evil Within 2 (2017 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Drama
Three years after the events at Beacon Mental Hospital, Sebastian Castellanos has left the Krimson City Police Department, but the mysterious organization MOBIUS gives him a chance to save his own thought-dead daughter.
Directors: John Johanas, Yun M. Watanabe | Stars: Marqus Bobesich, Meg Saricks, Kiara Lisette Gamboa, Elizabeth Saydah
Votes: 2,788
39. Red Dead Redemption II (2018 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Crime
Amidst the decline of the Wild West at the turn of the 20th century, outlaw Arthur Morgan and his gang struggle to cope with the loss of their way of life.
Stars: Benjamin Byron Davis, Roger Clark, Rob Wiethoff, Cali Elizabeth Moore
Votes: 54,542
40. Mortal Kombat 11 (2019 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
When a time lord starts merging past with the present, versions of heroes from both Mortal Kombat timelines must unite to right past wrongs and save the world.
Directors: Ed Boon, Martin Stoltz | Stars: Ike Amadi, Troy Baker, JB Blanc, Steve Blum
Votes: 4,568
41. Ghost of Tsushima (2020 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Drama
Set in 1274 on the Tsushima Island, the last samurai, Jin Sakai, must master a new fighting style, the way of the Ghost, to defeat the Mongol forces and fight for the freedom and independence of Japan.
Director: Nate Fox | Stars: Daisuke Tsuji, Eric Steinberg, Sumalee Montano, Patrick Gallagher
Votes: 15,121
42. Hitman III (2021 Video Game)
M | Action, Crime, Mystery
Together with Diana Burnwood and Lucas Grey, Agent 47 must face off against The Constant and his mysterious colleagues to take down Providence once and for all.
Director: Mattias Engström | Stars: David Bateson, Jane Perry, John Hopkins, Philip Rosch
Votes: 1,867
43. God of War: Ragnarök (2022 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Drama
Kratos and his son Atreus face the oncoming Norse apocalypse, Ragnarok.
Director: Eric Williams | Stars: Christopher Judge, Sunny Suljic, Danielle Bisutti, Robert Craighead
Votes: 17,320
44. Mortal Kombat 1 (2023 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe created by the Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and fatalities.
Directors: Ed Boon, Martin Stoltz | Stars: Ike Amadi, Steve Blum, Cherise Boothe, Andrew Bowen
Votes: 1,188
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