The most popular top down games
Top down games were very popular in the 80s and the 90s, when graphic cards were not capable of supporting 3D, and even when 3D started to become popular, 2D games continued to be easier to develop, at least in the infancy of 3D gaming. 2D game offered the player a viewpoint that helped keeping things easily under control (think about top down party-based RPGs or hex-based strategy games).
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Ajax
DOS1989 Konami
John Madden Football
DOS1989 Electronic Arts
John Madden Football was the first of a series of american football sports games sponsored by the coach of the same name. The first John Madden Football is an abandoned game developed and released by Electronic Arts in 1988 for Apple II and Commodore 64 and later released for DOS (in 1989). The Madden series became extremely popular and the sequels...
Bobby Fisher teaches chess
DOS1994 Mission Studios
Emperor of the Fading Suns
Windows XP/98/951996 Holistic Design
Gauntlet
DOS1986 Mindscape
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception
DOS1988 Westwood Studios
Rambo 3
DOS1988 Ocean Software
Rambo III is an action video game based on the 1988 action film of the same name, featuring the iconic character John Rambo, portrayed by Sylvester Stallone. The game was developed and published by various companies for different platforms, including Sega for its consoles and Ocean Software for home computers. The game follows the plot of the ...
Alien Breed
DOS1993protected Team 17
Risk: the World Conquest Game
DOS1989 Mastertronic
Archon: the Light and the Dark
DOS1984 Free Fall Associates
Archon: The Light and the Dark is an abandoned DOS fantasy blend of strategy and action game, developed by Free Fall Associates and published for DOS by Electronic Arts in 1984. Archon and its sequels are a unique mix of chess-like turn-based strategy and arcade action games. Take chess and add the fact that every time two pieces land on the same s...
Siege
DOS1992 Mindcraft Software
Star Trek: Birth of the Federation
Windows XP/98/951999 MicroProse Software
Star Trek: Birth of the Federation is a turn-based strategy video game set in the Star Trek universe. The game was developed by MicroProse Software and published by Infogrames for Windows in 1999. Players take on the role of one of five major Star Trek races: the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Ca...
A Nightmare on Elm street
DOS1989 Westwood Studios
Defender of the Crown
DOS1991protected Cinemaware
Defender of the crown is a strategy game set in the middle ages, in England. You control a Saxon and must fight Normans to control the country. The player can conquest territories, lay siege to castles, join tournaments, rescue damsels.
Raiden
DOS1994 Seibu Kaihatsu Inc.
Raiden is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up game developed by Seibu Kaihatsu and first released in arcades in 1990 and later for many home computers and consoles. Raiden follows the classic vertical scrolling shoot 'em up format. Players control a spaceship known as the R-9C "Red-Ray" and navigate vertically scrolling levels filled with wave...
Battle Isle 2200
DOS1994protected Blue Byte Software
People's General
Windows XP/98/951998protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Conan: the Cimmerian
DOS1991 Synergistic Software
Hill Street Blues
DOS1991 Krisalis
Hill Street Blues is an old DOS "driving" game developed by Krisalis in 1991. The gameplay it's similar to a Grand Theft Auto clone (we're talking about GTA 1 or 2) in which you are the police and you have to apprehend criminals. Hill Street Blues is a rare example of game based on a TV series.
Planet's Edge
DOS1991protected New World Computing
Acquire
DOS1989 IBM
Jones in the Fast Lane
DOS1991 Sierra On-Line
Jones in the Fast Lane is the kind of game that you don't see often these days. It's a mix between a digital board game and a modern day life simulation. The goal of the game is to live the life of Jones, making choices about school, work, your home, etc. Graphics is a mix of cartonish and digitized characters, very reminishent of some of the best ...
Darklands
DOSLinuxWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1992protected MicroProse Software
Darklands was a unique historical isometric RPG that mixed real historical data from medieval Germany during the 15th century with a touch of folklore and fantasy. Unfortunately it was also the only Microprose RPG of that kind and beauty. The original game box contained a huge manual with info on european folklore (including the live...
Crazy Nick's Parlor Games with Laura Bow
DOS1992 Sierra On-Line
NHL Hockey
DOS1993 Electronic Arts
Infiltrator 2
DOS1988 Chris Gray Enterprises
Global Effect
DOS1992 Millennium Interactive
Fort Apache
DOS1992 Impressions Games
Star General
Windows XP/98/95DOS1996protected Catware, Inc.
Star General is a turn-based strategy game developed by Catware and published by SSI (Strategic Simulations, Inc.). It was released in 1996 for MS-DOS and later for Windows. The game is set in a science fiction universe where players take command of one of five different factions, each vying for control of the galaxy.In Star General, players comman...
Pac-Man
DOS1983 Namco
Pac-Man is a classic arcade game created by Namco and first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. It was later released in North America by Midway Games. The game was designed by Toru Iwatani and has become one of the most famous and influential video games of all time. The main goal of Pac-Man is to navigate a maze, eating all the pac-dots (smal...