Top-down perspective sorted by release date

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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Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2

DOS1990 KOEI

Romance of the Three Kingdoms II is a turn-based strategy game developed and published by Koei. It was released in 1989 for various platforms, including the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), MS-DOS.In Romance of the Three Kingdoms II, players take on the role of a ruler during this period, and their objective is to unify China under their rule. ...

Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye

Windows 3.xMac OS1990 Activision

SimEarth

DOSWindows 3.x1990 Maxis

SimEarth is a simulation in which you can shape and mold a planet in almost every way you can imagine. In SimEarth our planet is simulated as a whole: life, climate, atmosphere are all aspects of a single Gaia-like Earth. SimEarth can be played in two modes: game and experimental. In game mode, you have to to develop (and preserve) Earth with limit...

Sito Pons 500cc Grand Prix

DOS1990 Zigurat Software

Ski or Die

DOS1990 Electronic Arts

Ski or Die is a winter sports-themed video game that was originally released in 1990 for various platforms, including the Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS. The game was developed by Electronic Arts and was a follow-up to their earlier title, "California Games". Ski or Die features a collection of winter sports events: downhill blitz, acro aerials, s...

Soviet

DOS1990 Opera Soft

Space 1889

DOS1990 Paragon Software

Space 1889 is an abandoned top down RPG developed by Paragon Software and released in 1990 for DOS, Atari ST and Amiga. Space 1889 setting is classic science fiction, but is set in the Victorian. It's worth noting that Space 1889 is loosely based on the tabletop game of the same name.

Spirit of Excalibur

DOS1990 Synergistic Software

Star Control

DOS1990protected Toys for Bob

Stratego

DOS1990 Accolade

Subbuteo

DOS1990 Goliath Games

Temple of Kroz

DOS1990freeware Apogee Software

The Final Crusade of Kroz

DOS1990freeware Apogee Software

The Global Dilemma: Guns or Butter

DOS1990 Mindscape

The Punisher

DOS1990 Paragon Software

Tracon 2

DOS1990 Wesson International

Trog

DOS1990 Midway Manufacturing Company

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

DOS1990 New World Computing

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan is a computer RPG released in 1990 for MS-DOS and PC-98 platforms. It is based on the tabletop role-playing game Tunnels & Trolls created by Ken St. Andre, which was a lighter and more accessible alternative to Dungeons & Dragons. The main storyline, "Crusaders of Khazan," sends the party on an...

TV Sports: Basketball

DOS1990freeware Cinemaware

Ultima 6: The False Prophet

DOS1990protected Origin Systems

Uncharted Waters

DOS1990 KOEI

Visual Star Trek

DOS1990

War of the Lance

DOS1990protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Warlords

DOS1990 SSG Strategic Studies Group

Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire

DOS1990freeware Origin Systems

After the success of Ultima 6: The False Prophet, Origin decided to "create worlds" not part of the popular Ultima series (strictly speaking) using the same engine of Ultima 6. They came up with two games: The Savage Empire and Martian Dreams. The Savage Empire is set in a stone age-like world and features prehistoric tribes, dinosaurs, insectoid a...

Xenon 2: Megablast

DOS1990 Bitmap Brothers

Xenon 2: Megablast is a classic shoot'em up developed by Bitmap Brothers and released by Image Works in 1990 for DOS and for a plethora of other systems. Xenon was good, Xenon 2 was far better. Compared to today standards Xenon 2 is perhaps a mediocre shoot 'em up, but at the time every shooter fan loved it. Plus, it was developed by Bitmap Brother...